What is Hemp?

Matthew David

Hemp Knowledge Expert

Often misunderstood, hemp is naturally made and offers a wide range of industrial and medicinal uses. Used for thousands of years, hemp has started to gain popularity over the past few years thanks to the 2014 and 2018 Farming Bill in the USA.

The plant is well known for its strength and durability and is used in a wide range of applications including clothing, material, building and construction, cooking and much more. While many think of marijuana and its psychotic effects on the body, hemp is a natural and low THC plant that is well known to be an ethical, and sustainable material that is reliable and plentiful.

What is hemp?

Hemp is used primarily for industrial and medical purposes and has started to gain popularity thanks to the increasing demand for organic, ethical and natural materials for a wide range of uses.

The fibers of the hemp plant are strong and work to enhance the strength of building materials and insulation in the construction industry, while the seeds and oil of some species of hemp plants are working wonders in the medical world thanks to their incredible ability to help with a range of chronic conditions including anxiety, pain, and inflammation.

While it is often confused, hemp is very different to marijuana or weed and is low in THC, the element that gives the high in marijuana. Legal in 50 states of the US, the hemp industry is growing rapidly with over 1500 farmers of hemp and growing at last count.

What can hemp be used for?

If you have stepped foot in a market, health food store or an organic supplier, you would have noticed the increasing demand for hemp-based products. Whether you are looking for clothing, hat, bed sheets, towels, underwear, or just about anything in between, hemp fibers can be blended with just about anything.

The importance of the hemp is that it is antibacterial, cool and offers a natural element to a wide range of clothing, cooking ingredients, beauty products, and building materials. Being organic and sustainable means that those of us who want to try and help the planet can do so without having to compromise on quality and durability. Hemp can be purchased in its raw form – in particular hulled seeds, hemp hearts or hemp hurd or you can but it refined in oil for medicinal purposes or processed in industrial products.

What are the benefits of hemp? 

Hemp is known as the wonder plant, and this is due to it being easy to grow and harvest in a wide range of conditions and environments. The hemp plant is not going to make you high, so you can use it in any type of applications to enhance the strength and durability or if you are consuming the oil or seeds, this adds a range of benefits to health and well being.

Consuming hemp has a great deal of benefits for the consumer, and whether you need CBD oil for your health, or you are enjoying sprinkling some hulled hemp seeds on your yogurt, the added nutrients, fatty acids and omega-3 is super beneficial to the body.  

Exploring the species of hemp plants – sativa vs. indica

In the world of hemp, there are two main species, sativa and indica. The plants have very different uses, and if you are not sure of the species of hemp, it’s important to have a professional point out the difference. Both are cannabis plants, however, sativa plants are know to provide an energizing effect and reduce anxiety, while indica is more of a full body hemp that works a little harder to help with chronic pain conditions including people with insomnia.

For sativa, there are lower doses of CBD and higher THC; while in indica plants there is a higher dose of CBD and lower THC. For more information, it’s best to have a chat with a professional in the hemp or medical industry that can provide detailed information so you select the right species of hemp for your individual needs.

At the end of the day, using hemp is a wonderful way to add nutrients and amino acids to your diet plus enhance your mental and physical health naturally. Many people are using CBD oil in particular from the hemp plant to treat chronic pain and conditions naturally, improving lifestyle and enhancing overall health and well being.  

Is hemp a product that is ethical and safe?

No matter what you are using hemp for, the plant is well known around the world for its durability and practically limitless applications. Whether you like the idea of dressing head to toe in natural and ethical clothing, you like cooking with natural products or you want to enhance your health naturally, hemp is paving the way and is fast becoming the product of choice globally.

With fewer toxins, sustainable and ethical, hemp plants are pushing traditional boundaries and offering extensive options for farmers, consumers and businesses. A renewable source, hemp being used in literally thousands of products and will continue to gain momentum as the world slowly embraces the benefits of this wonderful plant.