Sunday, April 10, 2011

Amazing Facts About Hemp!

Hemp and History


  • Until 1883, 75-90% of all paper in the U.S. was
    made with hemp.

  • Hemp seed was the # 1-selling bird feed; 4
    million pounds were sold in the U.S. in 1937.

  • In the mid-to-late 1800's the 2nd & 3rd most
    commonly used medications were concentrated cannabis extracts and resins
    (a.k.a. hashish).

  • A bridge in the south of France dated at
    500-700 A.D. was built with a mixture of hemp.

  • In 1941 Henry Ford built a car with a plastic
    made from hemp and wheat straw.

  • Until 1937 70-90% of all rope and twine was
    made with hemp.

  • Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
    grew hemp on their plantations.

  • In 1850 the U.S. Census reported 8,327 hemp
    plantation of at least 2000 acres in size. Not counted were thousands of
    smaller crops.

  • The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from
    hemp.

  • In 1942 the U.S. government strongly encouraged
    hemp cultivation to help with the war effort, going so far as to produce a
    film entitled "Hemp For Victory".

  • The version of the Declaration of Independence
    released on July 4, 1776 was written on hemp.

    Hemp and Industry

    • There are over 25,000 known uses for hemp.

    • The heating and compressing of hemp fibers can
      create building materials superior to wood in strength, quality and cost.

    • Hemp is heat, mildew, pest, light, and rot
      resistant.

    • Hemp fabric is softer, warmer, more water
      resistant and more durable than cotton. Hemp fabric also uses less chemicals
      to produce.

    • Industrial uses of hemp in China date as far
      back as 10,000 years.
  • Hemp as a Fuel Source
A bio-diesel fuel is one made from hemp oil,
vegetable oil, or other animal fat. The original idea wax developed in 1895 by
Dr. Rudolph Diesel, who developed the first engine than ran on vegetable oil. He
demonstrated the engine at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris, France, running
the engine on peanut oil.


  • Hemp can be blended with diesel fuel in any
    ratio or used alone.

  • Biodiesel fuel is the only alternative fuel
    that can be used as-is, in any un-modified diesel engine.

  • The increased use of biodiesel fuels would
    reduce dependence on foreign sources while increasing national agricultural
    jobs and revenues.

  • The flashpoint of petroleum fuel is 125 degrees
    Fahrenheit while the flashpoint of biodiesel fuels is 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

  • Biodiesel fuels have been used successfully in
    Europe for over 20 years.

     
     Hemp as a Profitable Crop

  • Hemp is cold hardy, able to withstand even NH
    winters.

  • Hemp is pest resistant ( except from the
    2-legged kind)

  • Hemp is draught resistant

  • It is estimated that if 6% of the continental
    U.S. planted with hemp would provide for all national energy needs.

  • Hemp has a production rate of up to 10 tons per
    acre, every 4 months.

  • 1 acre of usable hemp fiber is equal to the
    usable fiber of 4 acres of trees or 2 acres of cotton.

  • Trees mature in 50-100 years; hemp matures in
    as little as 100 days.

  • The University of Missouri estimates that an
    average-size metropolitan area production of 100 million gallons of biodiesel
    fuel could generate $8.34million in personal income and 6000 temporary and
    permanent jobs. (Ref: National Biodiesel Board)

  • In 1776 a hemp shirt cost .50 cents to $1.00; a
    cotton shirt cost $100-$200
  • Hemp and the Environment

  • Biodiesel fuels emit 80% less carbon dioxide &
    nearly 100% less sulfur dioxide.

  • Hemp paper can be recycled up to seven (7)
    times; wood pulp paper can be recycled four (4) times.

  • Hemp fuels do not destroy the ozone layer or
    contribute to global warming.

  • Hemp fuels burn clean; they do not cause acid
    rain.

  • Hemp fuel is 10 times less toxic than salt, and
    as biodegradable as sugar.
     Hemp and Health

  • Hemp oil is the highest source of essential
    omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which, among other things, help control cholesterol,
    arterial blockage and the immune system.

  • Commonly-known medicinal uses of hemp include:
    nausea & vomiting; multiple sclerosis/muscle spasm disorders; spinal cord
    injuries; Chron's disease; Alzheimer's disease; Tourette's syndrome; digestive
    disorders; glaucoma; asthma; neurodegenerative disorders;

  • At one time American companies Eli Lily, Squibb
    and Park Davis produced cannabis extract medicines.

     
    Hemp and the Law

  • In 1619 Jamestown Colony, Virginia enacted laws
    ordering farmers to grow hemp. Similar laws were enacted in Massachusetts in
    1631, Connecticut in 1632 and the Chesapeake Colonies in the mid-1700's.

  • In England, foreigners were awarded with
    citizenship if they grew cannabis; those who refused were fined.

  • From 1631 until the early 1800's, hemp was used
    as legal money, with which one could buy goods and pay bills.

  • Hawaii is the first state sine the 1950's to
    legally plant a hemp crop.

     
    Hemp and the Arts


  • "Alice in Wonderland" was originally printed on
    hemp paper. It's author, Lewis Carroll, was a frequent marijuana smoker.

  • The paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt
    were regularly painted on hemp canvases.

  • In 1935 116 million pounds (58,000 tons) of
    hemp seed was used to make paints and varnishes.



Industrial Hemp Production and US Marijuana Prohibition
 


During the years 1916-1937, William Randolph Hearst created a yellow
journalism campaign to associate hemp with marijuana.  Even though
smoking hemp, like most fibers, will just make you sick, Hearst, along with his friend Pierre DuPont, succeeded in outlawing hemp in America.  They actually robbed the world of an environmental cash crop.   Why would they do
such a thing?  Because instead of using hemp for paper, clothing, fuel,
oils, resins, medicines, and many other uses, we now use trees and synthetic petrochemicals.
Hearst owned huge forests and interests in lumber mills.  DuPont made synthetic
fuels and fibers (nylon, rayon, plastics) from petroleum. 


    • Outline of the
      Benefits and Uses of Hemp:


  • Biomass Hemp

    • As a biomass, hemp
      burns hotter and cleaner than coal.

    • Hemp biomass can be
      converted to methane or methanol



  • Hemp Paper

    • Industrial hemp makes
      better paper than wood (the US Constitution was printed on hemp).



  • Hemp Oils

    • Hemp produces oils
      which can replace synthetic solvents for a wide range of uses, including
      paints and paint thinners.



  • Clothing from
    hemp

    • Hemp fibers can be
      woven into extremely durable clothing material.



  • Grows easily

    • Hemp can be grown
      organically in poor soil almost anywhere, up to three crops per year, far more
      efficient than lumber.

    • Hemp is naturally
      drought, pest, and disease resistant, eliminating the need for synthetic
      chemicals and reducing the demand on dwindling water supplies.

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