Have you heard of hemp? A lot of people haven’t, but it’s not too late to learn about it!
Hemp is a variation of the Cannabis sativa plant and is one of the fastest-growing plants, right next to bamboo. There’s a lot of confusion between hemp and marijuana, both are derived from the cannabis plant but Hemp contains less than 0.3% THC, while marijuana contains more than 0.3%.
Certain areas across the world refuse to use hemp because it is acquired from the same plant species that marijuana comes from. However, citizens from all nations are now fighting for the use of hemp and are urging the public to quit blurring the line between hemp and marijuana.
Pro-hemp initiatives will help produce an eco-friendly planet, and here’s why:
Industrial Hemp can Replace Most Items
Industrial hemp can be made to replace a lot of our everyday items, such as plastic, paper, food, fuel, construction items, and textiles. Not only can hemp produce tons of items, but all the pieces made of hemp are more likely to be recyclable and biodegradable.
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The best way to use hemp would be to replace cotton products. Cotton is used in a wide variety of items and is said to be one of the least environmentally friendly fibers that is mass-produced in the world. Cotton uses a substantial amount of water and is one of the largest users of water among all agriculture materials. By replacing cotton with hemp, we can see an increase in water supply, land, and overall biodiversity.
Benefits of Growing Hemp
As we know from the past paragraph, cotton is not the best option for materials, but if you werent convinced yet, here is more information that will hopefully help you transition from cotton to hemp.
Firstly, cotton uses about 5,280 gallons of water in order to produce approximately 2.2 pounds of fiber, while hemp only uses 80 gallons of water to create 2 pounds of fiber; cotton uses about 66 times more water than hemp to create approximately 2 pounds of material. Therefore, hemp is a more durable and eco-friendly option, especially in areas that are prone to droughts, such as California.
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Secondly, when cotton is grown the crops are sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, which contaminate soil, water, and anything nearby, making it harmful to the environment. Fortunately, hemp requires little to no pesticides and naturally repels weeds, and pests, which makes the production of textiles and other materials more ethical and sustainable.
Thirdly, hemp uses half the amount of land that cotton would use to create about 2,000 pounds of textiles, in other words, hemp creates twice as much fiber per acre of land compared to cotton. Moreover, because cotton uses twice as much land, it will damage even more natural resources by contamination with pesticides.
What Happens When Hemp is Implemented?
If hemp were implemented into a hemp-less society, we would notice major changes.
To begin with, introducing hemp to society would prevent the cutting of trees. Tree cutting is practiced in order to produce items such as paper, wine corks, car wax, etc. but this activity comes with a consequence, which is known as deforestation.
Deforestation causes a variety of issues such as climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding, and increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The act of cutting trees damages animals’ habitats and reduces the planet’s chance of longevity, by reducing the amount of oxygen being released.
Additionally, using hemp would increase the recyclability of items. Unfortunately, a lot of the items we use today take a lot of time to decompose or are unable to be recycled. Yet, if hemp were implemented, all hemp-produced products would be easy to recycle, as well as decompose.
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Furthermore, hemp can reduce air pollution, since this amazing plant naturally does not collect pests, there would be no need to use a pesticide or chemical treatment. Pesticides have the ability to contaminate water, which can have a negative effect on animals as well as the environment.
Lastly, hemp helps conserve water, as explained in the last section, hemp uses less land and less water to produce products that can replace cotton.
Overall, hemp could benefit any part of the world without causing undue damage to our social and economic infrastructure. When implemented, hemp will benefit both society and the environment. Hemp, being a biodegradable, eco-friendly, and recyclable option, can prevent water wastage, deforestation, contamination of land, a decrease in biodiversity, and pollution.
