Hemp: The Crop That Makes You Money and Saves the Environment

Hemp can be processed into over 25,000 different products. The legislation around growing and working with hemp has been relaxed in the last 10 years, making it legal to cultivate. Evidence of hemp planting can be traced to 10,000 BC in what is now modern-day Taiwan. 

Hemp is often associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a psychoactive chemical compound. When grown as part of an industrial strategy, the THC is exceptionally low and the cannabidiol (CBD) levels are maintained at around 40% of the overall composition. Industrial hemp is not grown for the THC content, the benefits are seen in other areas, such as being environmentally friendly and economically viable.

Cultivation

Hemp is organically friendly, requiring very little input to sustain efficient growth. While hemp can take up to two years to reach full maturity, it can be harvested after only 120 days.

Environmental Benefits

Hemp is highly tolerant of pests and diseases. This has the immediate benefit of not requiring synthetic chemicals to carry out this function.  Apart from being environmentally beneficial, this also has a financial impact, making it a cheaper crop to grow, maintain, and harvest. Because of this, it can also be used as an intercropping plant, being used to prevent outbreaks among other crops.  Hemp will prevent and protect other crops from being attacked, reducing damage effectively.

Absorbs Toxins 

Hemp has long been known to absorb toxins that are present in the soil. This reduces the damage that may be caused to the surrounding ecosystem. It also helps cleanse the soil of fertilizer and pesticides. Hemp contains phytoremediation properties, enabling it to clean the air, soil, and water. During the 1990s, scientists planted hemp around the contaminated Chornobyl area and discovered that it absorbed toxic metals from the soil. Further studies were carried out by the Italians, which confirmed this. An accident at a steel mill was used to demonstrate that the soil could be classified as "non-contaminated" after being planted with hemp. This was so successful that the area was declared fit for sale.

Soil Regeneration

As hemp reaches the end of its growth period, it can be recycled back into the soil. The decomposition of hemp enables the soil to reuse the nutrients effectively.

Reducing Global Warming

It has been discovered that hemp absorbs more carbon dioxide (CO2) than any other commercial crop. Annually, a crop of hemp may absorb more than 3 metric tons, giving it a crucial role in fighting pollution, especially carbon emissions. There are some countries that are now able to issue hemp farmers "carbon credits." There are certificates issued by the government with a tradeable value, proving that a certain amount of CO2 has been removed from the environment. 

Minimal Surface Water

Hemp is remarkably efficient during growth. It does not require large amounts of water. While it requires an effective irrigation system, it has a long taproot that bores into the soil to absorb moisture and nutrients.

The deep penetration also works to loosen the soil for other crops to be planted and improves the condition by encouraging sub-surface microcultures, removing the need to use synthetic fertilizers and pesticides between crops.

Recyclable Products

Hemp has great value in the way that it provides a service to the environment long after the cropping period. Once removed from the soil and processed, it is used to make a variety of recyclable, non-toxic, and biodegradable products. One of these is hemp bioplastic. Currently, half of the plastic pollution is attributable to single-use plastic items. Hemp bioplastic is a viable alternative to this.

Economic Benefits

As stated, hemp can be used in the manufacture of over 25,000 products. The economic benefits for farmers, hemp processing plants, governments, and retailers are wide-ranging. In an industry that is still evolving, there is potential for job creation, tax collection, and income streams that were previously non-existent.

Clothing

Hemp fiber has long been used in the production of clothing. The fibers themselves are stronger than cotton, giving longer-lasting products. This means that farmers have a more effective product, the clothing industry has a unique selling point and the potential for discarded clothes is lowered.

Construction Materials

Hemp has also been used in construction, notably in hemp concrete.  In the past 15 years, consumers have become more aware and more demanding of the use of environmentally friendly building materials. As the cost of hemp-related products continues to fall with wider acceptance and government relaxation of cultivation laws, this has the potential to change the face of building in developing countries.

Small Scale Farming

Hemp farmers, apart from a government-issued license, need very little in the way of input to begin growing. Hemp can allow those farmers who struggle in a market that drives their more traditional crop prices downward to face a little challenge in converting to growing hemp and maximizing the returns, benefiting both nations and generations.

Increased Employment

As the hemp industry expands, there will be a need for a wider workforce.  At the moment, the market is driven largely by entrepreneurs who have seen the potential, and those who are already ethically invested in this crop.  This can only benefit a country in relation to employment, taxes, and an improvement in the way of life this promotes.

Hemp grows rapidly and cleanly, which helps clean the environment around it. It is 100% biodegradable and recyclable. There is the potential for new jobs in an emerging market, stability in the farming sector, and the production of more eco-friendly products. 

Hemp could be the next world-changing crop and there are still benefits to be discovered.