We constantly hear about environmental issues all around us - from the news, from our work and schools, from social media. We know about plastic pollution ruining our oceans, deforestation demolishing our rainforests, and greenhouse gases polluting the air we breathe. Scientists - and normal people, for that matter - in every field all around the world are looking for ways to slow down or avoid the effects of climate change. Recently, I read an article on the massive versatility and affordability of the hemp plant. So I decided to do some research on this controversial plant that has been unjustly criminalized due to its relationship with marijuana.
Hemp is a cousin of the cannabis plant under the species Cannabis Sativa, and they both contain the psychoactive component of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). However, hemp has much lower concentrations of THC, and higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD), which severely decreases its psychoactive elements. Hemp has been stated as one of the earliest plants to ever be cultivated, having been used since at least 8000 BC in Japan. In the 1930s, hemp was grown widely and used in a variety of industries. Then, in 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act was passed, leading to the banning of all cannabis-related products. This effectively ended the hemp industry in North America, and only in the last year have bills been passed to bring it back into industry. Hemp’s contentious cousin has given it a bad reputation full of misinformation leading to it’s criminalization and many legality issues all over the world. Currently, you need a license to grow hemp in the UK, with many restrictions and low concentrations of THC. Despite hemp’s volatile track record, many are starting to believe that hemp is the plant of the future.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, one acre of hemp can product 4 times more paper than one acre of trees. This is because it is more space efficient than trees, and grows in a mere 100 days before its ready to harvest, compared to 50-100 years for trees. In addition, only 30% of trees are made of cellulose (the part of the plant used in paper), and toxic chemicals are used to remove the other 70%. Hemp, on the other hand, is 65-70% cellulose, so less chemicals are used to refine it, and less pollutants are produced manufacturing it. Hemp is also one of the strongest and most durable natural textile fibers, and is regarded by many as a fabric that is second to none in being stretch resistant, breathable, and mildew resistant. It has been shown that hemp can produce 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax in the same area of land.
Another incredible feature of the hemp plant is its ability to be used as a plastic alternative. While 100% hemp plastic might not be a feasible option, “Hemp cellulose can be extracted and used to make cellophane, rayon, celluloid and a range of related plastics,” states Seshata, a writer at Sensi Seeds. In 1941, Henry Ford developed a car prototype using a composite plastic of 70% hemp. He then beat the car model with a club, leaving no dents, to show the plastic’s strength. According to Emily Gray Brosious, “Hemp might just be the cost effective, environmentally sustainable alternative material that LEGO is looking for.” The possibilities for hemp plastic are truly endless.
Today, it’s still expensive and challenging to grow hemp on an industrial scale due to the global war on drugs. However, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that the plant that has been used for centuries in the past might well be the plant that leads us into a more sustainable future.
