Industrial Hemp Products -- Part 1

What is your first mental association when you hear the word Cannabis?  Is it Marijuana?   Drug?  Addiction?  Or, more recently, CBD?  What do you know about the differences in the plants of the Cannabaceae family?  For the next few weeks, we'll focus on products made from  Industrial Hemp plants -- what they are, how they are made, how they are used, cautions, and legal status.  

Cannabis sativa is the Latin name for this species of plants -- certain strains are grown to be used as a drug (Marijuana) while others are grown to make products that we use on a daily basis (Industrial Hemp).  Products we make with Industrial Hemp include (but are not limited to):  paper, fabric, animal feed, health foods, biodegradable plastic, biofuels, scratch posts for cats, skin care products, essential oil, etc.  The list is quite long.  Frankly, I wonder, if it hadn't been banned because of the THC content, how much greener the whole world be if Industrial Hemp had been used to make products that are typically made with petroleum.  The good news is that we can start using this easily renewable resource to replace non-renewable (or difficult-to-renew) resources and leave a lower carbon footprint at the same time.

Both drug and industrial strains contain a chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which binds with (CB1) receptors in the Human Endocannabinoid (EC) System.  These receptors are located in the Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) which is why THC is psychoactive.  Industrial Hemp has a much lower content of THC and a higher level of of a chemical called Cannabidiol (CBD).  CBD attaches to CB2 receptors in our EC System.  These receptors are found throughout our bodies and work with our immune systems to help achieve balance (homeostasis) throughout our body systems.  (This balance is the primary goal of Holistic Medicine, herbalism, and aromatherapy because balance is necessary for optimal health.)

This series of blogs will focus on specific products from Industrial Hemp that we can use to help ourselves attain physiological and psychological balance.

Part 2 will cover Hemp Seed Oil.
Part 3 will discuss Hemp Essential Oil.
Part 4 will diverge and explain what our Endocannabinoid System is and how it functions.
​Part 5 will examine CBD oil.


Sources:

1.  HempEthics, What is Industrial Hemp,  and Industrial Hemp vs. Cannabis, HempEthics, 
https://hempethics.weebly.com/what-is-industrial-hemp.html
Accessed June 29 - July 1, 2019

2.  Lobello, Carmel,  8 products made from industrial hemp, The Week, 2019, 
https://theweek.com/articles/463671/8-products-made-from-industrial-hemp
Accessed June 29 - July 1, 2019

3.  Ministry of Hemp, 73 Real Life Amazing Hemp Products to Try Today,  Ministry of Hemp, January 3, 2017,    https://ministryofhemp.com/blog/hemp-products-list/,     
Accessed June 29 - July 1, 2019

4.  Wikipedia, Hemp, Wikipedia, Last edited June 17, 2019,  
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp,   Accessed June 29 - July 1, 2019

5.  National Hemp Association, How Industrial Hemp Can Reduce Our Carbon Footprint,  National Hemp Association, July 13, 2016, https://nationalhempassociation.org/cannabis-and-climate-change-how-industrial-hemp-can-reduce-our-carbon-footprint/
Accessed  July 1, 2019

6.  European Industrial Hemp Association, Natural fibres show outstandingly low CO2 footprint compared to glass and mineral fibres,  European Industrial Hemp Association, April 18, 2019, 
http://eiha.org/document/natural-fibres-show-outstandingly-low-co2-footprint-compared-to-glass-and-mineral-fibres/, Accessed  July 1, 2019

7.  Digital Journal, Press Release:  Cannabis and Climate Change:  How Industrial Hemp Can Help Reduce Our Carbon Footprint,  2019, http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/3003257,
Accessed  July 1, 2019

8. Lawrence, Mike , Growing our way out of climate change by building with hemp and wood fibre, The Guardian, September 25, 2014, https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2014/sep/25/hemp-wood-fibre-construction-climate-change, Accessed  July 1, 2019