REWARDS
We know CBD helps our pain and anxiety, keeps our mood stable, and overall balances our bodies, but did you know its source, hemp, has the potential to (literally) save the Earth?
If you haven’t heard, our planet isn’t doing the greatest. From the destruction of rainforests to mass farming techniques to industrial-scale contamination, and, the big one that we do have control over – out-of-control consumerism – have all wreaked havoc on our planet.
This is why so many behavioral and lifestyle changes like becoming vegan and limiting our carbon footprint aren’t just trendy ways to keep up with the wellness world – they are setting the environmental future up for success.
There are many ways we can save our planet before too much damage is done, and a lot of those ways revolve around hemp, including therapeutic, industrial, and health uses that we are all capable of utilizing and supporting.
Here, we give you 5 major ways hemp can save our planet. But first, let’s go over what hemp is exactly, so we can sound intelligent when we spread the good word at the next social outing.
A Little Background on Hemp
Hemp is the fiber and seed part of the Cannabis Sativa L. plant that has long been grown and cultivated for medicinal reasons, and is also known for its strong and versatile fiber. This is not to be confused with the flower part of the plant, which is legally considered marijuana.
The fiber and seeds (hemp) are of incredible value to the world for mainly industrial reasons like making our clothes, paper, and other everyday-use materials. But consuming it is proving to be (and has proven for centuries) extremely therapeutic for a variety of health reasons. This is why CBD is so great – it is derived from hemp, as most quality CBD (and THC free) products are.
A hearty plant that grows very quickly in “diverse soil conditions,” hemp is often referred to as a “cash crop” due to its many beneficial manufacturing uses. Industrial hemp has been the desired fiber for the manufacturing of rope, canvas, paper and clothing up until alternative textiles and synthetics for these purposes – aka things destroying our ecosystems – were discovered.
After hemp was deemed illegal from the passing of the marijuana prohibition act, the laws have since been changed where industrial hemp production and farming is now legal again. Meaning, hemp oils (CBD), hemp plastics, and hemp building materials can be purchased on the market, hence, a potential environmental revolution.
Industrial Uses for Cannabinoids
Hemp has been labeled “the industrial variety of cannabis produced for non-drug purposes,” which has been used in commercial products like skin care for many years.
From a nutritional aspect, hemp seeds can help support the immune system, cardiovascular system, brain function, skin health and digestive health.
Here are five uses and replacements that hemp can aid in a better, brighter future for all.
Hemp Plastic
Plastic is the environmental villain in society today. Plastic products (think shampoo bottles, cups in your kitchen, and trash bags) are derived mainly from petrochemicals – chemical products from petroleum – that are found in everything from the food we eat, beauty products we use and household cleaners we scrub our counters with.
Trust us, it’s not something you want to be around, let alone consume.
According to recent studies, it takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to break down. So, in just one year, 500 billion plastic bags are used in the world, with that plastic constituting 90 percent of trash and debris on our beautiful ocean’s surface.
On the bright side…
Studies have found hemp-based plastics are 5x stiffer and 2.5x stronger than traditional plastic made from polypropylene. Hemp plastic is currently being utilized by some companies in the automobile sector, as well as in consumer products like sunglasses and dog toys.
Hemp Building Materials
Building homes (or other residential or commercial places) out of hemp is an excellent way to utilize the renewable resource. Hemp building materials are better for your health, they withstand the test of time, and are actually much better quality than their non-renewable counterparts, and they are much easier on the environment.
Including everything from plastic, fiberboard, and wallboard to roofing tiles, insulation, paneling and bricks, hemp building materials are much greener options for construction purposes.
Hemp can replace synthetic, petroleum-based and other high-embodied energy materials to produce high performance products that are better for everyone, everywhere. Using hemp-derived building products would reduce building costs and save tons of trees.
Hemp Clothing
You have probably seen brands on social media lately boasting their sustainable handbags or vegan leather leggings in pursuit to help the environment.
Hemp cloth is perhaps one of the plant’s most well-known uses, witnessed from your bathroom towels to your skinny jeans. It is definitely the “it” eco-friendly thing to put on your body due to the cleaner and safer production process compared to cotton. Hemp does not need to use near the amount of pesticides, if any, as other clothiers, comparatively little water, and it is more cost effective (it takes 1 acre of hemp to produce 2-3 acres worth of cotton, to put things into perspective).
Clothing material made from hemp isn’t only stronger than cotton; it’s lightweight, absorbent, UV resistant and flame resistant.
Hemp Nutrition
Hemp has officially been labeled a superfood. This should make wellness fanatics and nutrition gurus jump for high healthy joy, as they can knowingly sprinkle hemp seeds on their avocado toasts and into their acai smoothie bowls.
Hemp is an excellent (and complete) source of protein, packed with 20 amino acids used in the body, and it is very rich in Vitamin E, one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants (like the sun).
Hemp seeds contain the perfect balance between the essential fatty acids (Omega 6 and Omega 3) our bodies need to stay happy and healthy.
Studies show that incorporating hemp seed oil (CBD!) can strengthen our immune system, improve heart health, promote hormone balance (perhaps a good explanation of why CBD is so crucial during our periods), reduce inflammation, improve our focus and mood, protect our brains from degenerative diseases and our minds from depression.
Does all of that sound familiar? Don’t forget CBD is derived from hemp, so the two go hand in hand in supporting our bodily systems and functions.
Hemp Farming
Hemp grows in a variety of climates and soil types, on almost any kind of land. Farmers like harvesting hemp plants because their potential is easily maximized for grain and fiber. It is naturally resistant to most pests, and grows very tightly spaced allowing it to outcompete most weeds.
Hemp has a short grow season which means more of the plant can be produced in a less amount of time. It also resets the soil, which is why so many farmers have used the plant to replenish soil between other crops.
Unlike many crops, hemp puts little strain on the soil and requires only moderate amounts of fertilizer. Less fertilizer use results in less runoff into waterways and groundwater, therefore resulting in less water pollution.
Care to hear a crazy fact on hemp? No tree or plant species on Earth has the commercial, economic and environmental potential of hemp. Over 300,000 known products can be produced from hemp.
Takeaways
- Hemp is one of the most versatile, sustainable crops on the planet. It has the potential to green many industries.
- Hemp has the ability to replace any object made from petroleum-based plastic.
- Hemp building materials are better for the environment, our health and our wallets in the long run.
- You can aid in the hemp revolution by seeking out brands that offer products made from hemp, and by consuming less plastic in general.
- CBD isn’t just great for the health of people – it’s great for the health of the planet.