Get Hip On Hemp

Beginning around 8000 B.C., hemp was used in the Middle East and China to make textiles making the hemp plant one of the oldest cultivated plants. Strong and resilient fibers later made hemp the perfect material to make canvas for sails, nets and rigging on ships. Artists such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt used hemp canvas for their paintings. Eventually, hemp became paper, twine and even rugs. In 1632, the pilgrims introduced hemp to the United States and by 1850 it was the third largest cash crop in America.

Although closely related, industrial hemp is not the same as the marijuana plant. The plants look different and have very different uses. Belonging to the nettle family, hemp grows from 5 to 15 feet tall and has several serrated, narrow dark green leaves, which are mostly at the top very close together. Growing easily and quickly, this hardy plant can endure almost any condition and does not take great amount of care. The Latin name, cannabis sativa, means "useful hemp" and we can see that this plant is indeed that by the following modern uses.

Food

High in amino acids and containing healthy oil and essential fatty acids, hemp can be a healthy salad oil. The seeds can also be eaten or crushed into flour.

Pet Food

Rich in protein, hemp can be added to pet food for rich, shiny coats. Easily digested, it is safe for cats, dogs, horses and cows, as well as birds.

Pet Bedding

The plant itself is highly absorbent making it a good choice for pet bedding for rats, guinea pigs, and other pet rodents. It can even be used as cat litter.

Body Oil and Lotion

Containing EFA, the oil from the hemp plant regenerates dry skin, making it a perfect moisturizer.

Paper

Reducing the number of harvested trees, using hemp to make paper is an economically and environmentally friendly choice. Water pollution is also reduced since hemp requires less bleaching that wood pulp.

Building Materials

Using the core fiber and materials, cement can be made from hemp. These sturdy materials build houses that can withstand tornadoes with little to not damage. Baling hemp in the straw bales is useful in construction, also. Using hemp as a building material could save an estimated thousands of dollars as well as providing environmentally friendly alternatives.

Fuel

With fuel costs rising and resources being depleted, making bio-diesel and ethanol from hemp plants would provide a alternative to oil dependency. Producing more ethanol per acre than corn, the whole hemp plant (see, straw and chaff) can be used.

Oil

Producing a non-toxic, environmentally safe oil, the hemp plant can be used in many oil-based products such as lamp oil, candles and paint. Requiring no fertilizer, pesticide or fungicide to grow, the hemp plant is easy on farmland and nearby water.

Clothing

Requiring less toxic chemicals and water to grow than cotton, the hemp plant provides strong fibers for long lasting textiles that resist UV light, mold and mildew. Major clothing labels that already use hemp fiber include Armani, Disney, Ralph Lauren, Adidas and Calvin Klein.

Plastic

Since hemp plastic products are biodegradable, using more of it could reduce landfills. Hemp as already been used as packing material and is now being made into CD cases.

Common Herbs And Some Specific Uses

Pennyroyal

This is a valuable remedy for women during menopause. It should not be used by pregnant women because it will bring on suppressed menstruation. Also good for fevers, colds and phlegm in chest and lungs.

Peppermint

Combats flatulence, it is used to relieve colic, nausea and the desire to vomit. Also good for travel sickness.

Plantain

Will stop bleeding from wounds, treats eczema and burns. Also good for coughs and mild bronchitis.

Pleurisy Root

Effective against respiratory infections where it assists expectoration. Use to treat pleurisy, pneumonia and influenza (flu).

Psyllium

Excellent colon cleanser cleans out compacted pockets on the colon. Creates bulk and relieves auto-intoxication.

Get Hip On Hemp

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