Tuesday 22 November 2016
Wednesday 14 September 2016
WHEN AND WHY WAS HEMP BANNED?
Hemp continued in its rightful place as an important agricultural crop until the 1930’s when new machinery was invented to break the hemp, process the fibre and convert the hurds into paper.
This drew the attention of the synthetic fibre producers (nylon had just been invented) and the paper and cotton industry magnates, who believed that they stood to lose billions of dollars if hemp’s commercial potential was fully exploited.
They were largely responsible for the “reefer madness” propaganda campaign that, in 1937, resulted in the outlawing of this natural fibre and, with this, their natural competition.
They achieved this by demonising and outlawing the narcotic marijuana and thereby banishing the entire cannabis family, including hemp and its many thousands of legitimate uses.
The USDA then promoted hemp again with a film
“Hemp for Victory”, that urged farmers to grow the crop to meet the fibre demands.
1940 – 1955
A few years later, during the Second World War, the legislation was again changed when the Japanese cut off the supplies of Manila hemp needed for uniforms and ropes.
After a brief return to favour, hemp was again banned in 1955, and it remains so in the States to this day.
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Saturday 10 September 2016
HOW DOES HEMP GROW?
Industrial hemp grows differently than marijuana:
- Hemp is typically grown upwards, not outwards, because the focus is not on producing buds but on producing length of stalks.
- Hemp is grown close together and is generally a very narrow, vertical growth crop, to a height of ten to fifteen feet before harvest, (any THC-producing marijuana would stick out like a sore thumb).
- In this way, hemp is a very similar crop to bamboo.
The stalk contains the fibre and hard, woody core material that can be used for a variety of purposes, even carpentry.- However, since industrial hemp does not contain buds and the hardy parts of the plant are the more desired, it can be grown in a wider range of areas.
- Generally, industrial hemp grows best on fields that provide high yields for corn crops.
- Furthermore, male plants as well as female plants can be used (since the object is not THC production), higher crop yields can result.
- Hemp also has little potential to produce high-content THC when pollinated.
- As long as industrial hemp plants are pollinated by members of their own crop, then the genetics will remain similar with low levels of THC.
- One would have to place several marijuana plants in close vicinity in over several generations in order to alter the genetics substantially of the offspring.
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Wednesday 7 September 2016
HISTORY OF HEMP
HEMP and its very INTERESTING HISTORY...
Hemp is one of the earliest domesticated plants known. It has been cultivated by many civilizations for over 12,000 years.
1940 – 1955
Hemp, known in other languages as asa, hanf, hamp, chanvre, bhang, canamo, kannab or cannabis, is thought to be one of the earliest plants cultivated for the production of a textile fibre.
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Hemp is one of the earliest domesticated plants known. It has been cultivated by many civilizations for over 12,000 years.
It was only during the last century that cannabis hemp has been associated with its narcotic cousin marijuana and therefore banned in many countries.
8000 BC
For 8000 years or more before that it was the world’s largest agricultural crop, producing the majority of our fibre, paper, fabric, lighting oil, medicines, as well as food oil and protein for both humans and animals.
According to the Columbia History of the World, “The earliest known woven fabric was apparently of hemp, which began to be worked in the eighth millennium (8000-7000 BC).”
2800 BC
- It appears from historical evidence that hemp originated in central Asia, between the Himalayas and Siberia, and then spread through the migration of man to all corners of the earth.
- More varieties are found in China than anywhere else and a statement from the “Lu Shi”, a Chinese text from the Sung dynasty (500 AD) says that Emperor Shen Nung (2800 BC) first taught the Chinese people to cultivate “ma” (hemp) for fibre.
- There is no evidence of the Chinese using cannabis as a drug, only for fibre, food from the seeds and later as fuel.
- Hemp was grown as a fibre crop in Northern India since at least the eighth century, and according to Mahayana Buddhist legends, Buddha lived on a single hemp seed a day during his path to enlightenment. More recently cannabis in India was produced almost exclusively for its drug content, and this is where the name Indian Hemp, referring to marijuana, comes from.
- Herodotus (450 BC) wrote that the Thracians and Scythians used hemp extensively, and it was most likely that the Scythians introduced hemp to Europe during their westward migration (around 1500 BC).
100 AD
- It was around 100 A.D. that the plant was named Cannabis Sativa by the Roman surgeon Dioscorides who described various medicinal uses.
- At the same time Pliny wrote a manual on farming hemp and explained its industrial uses.
- In Japan, hemp or “Asa” has a long history, and is believed to have first been introduced by Chinese merchants. It is fundamental in many of the Shinto religions rituals and has been used as a clothing and food source for many thousands of years.
1500
- The incredible diversity and usefulness of the hemp plant accelerated its spread to almost every continent and culture. Because of its strength and durability as a fabric and cord, it was used almost exclusively in the sails and rigging on the ships that left Europe to discover the world. King Phillip of Spain (1564) even ordered that hemp be cultivated throughout his empire, and many wars were fought over the supply of it.
- Wherever the explorers landed, hemp was one of the first seeds they propagated as it grew so quickly and could meet so many of their requirements for clothing, food and fuel. Hemp soon spread from Europe to North and South America in the 1500’s and at a later stage Australia where many people survived a famine in the 1800’s by eating hemp seed as protein and hemp leaves as roughage.
- As with everywhere else that hemp was cultivated, it fast became the crop of choice in the new colonies in North America, many of them making hemp cultivation mandatory for all farmers. To promote it further, hemp was even accepted as legal tender and taxes could be paid with hemp.
- Hemp had become so important that George Washington urged farmers to sow the hemp seed everywhere, growing it himself, and Thomas Jefferson called hemp a “necessity”. The American Declaration of Independence was drafted on hemp paper, as well as the first pair of Levi jeans being constructed out of robust hemp fabric.
1800
Hemp continued to flourish and meet many of the needs of the colonialists until the middle of the
19th century when new tropical fibres were introduced, the petrochemical age began, steamships replaced sails and the toxic sulphur and chlorine processes to make paper from wood pulp was developed.
19th century when new tropical fibres were introduced, the petrochemical age began, steamships replaced sails and the toxic sulphur and chlorine processes to make paper from wood pulp was developed.
The Encyclopaedia Britannica of 1856 stated: “But it is not as a narcotic and excitant that the hemp plant is most useful to mankind; it is as an advancer rather than a retarder of civilization that its utility is made most manifest.”
1930
- It continued in its rightful place as an important agricultural crop until the 1930’s when new machinery was invented to break the hemp, process the fibre and convert the hurds into paper. This drew the attention of the synthetic fibre producers (nylon had just been invented) and the paper and cotton industry magnates, who believed that they stood to lose billions of dollars if hemp’s commercial potential was fully exploited.
- They were largely responsible for the “reefer madness” propaganda campaign that, in 1937, resulted in the outlawing of this natural fibre and, with this, their natural competition. They achieved this by demonising and outlawing the narcotic marijuana and thereby banishing the entire cannabis family, including hemp and its many thousands of legitimate uses.
- It was around this time that Henry Ford invented a car (Ford Hemp Car) that had a body made of hemp composites and ran on hemp fuel, in an aim to fulfil his dream of “growing automobiles from the soil”. But because of hemp being banned at the time, and the advances made with the petrochemical industry, petrol was soon the prevailing fuel for motor vehicles, a move that has cost the planet dearly and will continue to do so until we move back to environmentally responsible fuel sources.
1940 – 1955
A few years later, during the Second World War, the legislation was again changed when the Japanese
cut off the supplies of Manila hemp needed for uniforms and ropes. The USDA then promoted hemp again with a film “Hemp for Victory”, that urged farmers to grow the crop to meet the fibre demands. After a brief return to favour, hemp was again banned in 1955, and it remains so in the States to this day.
cut off the supplies of Manila hemp needed for uniforms and ropes. The USDA then promoted hemp again with a film “Hemp for Victory”, that urged farmers to grow the crop to meet the fibre demands. After a brief return to favour, hemp was again banned in 1955, and it remains so in the States to this day.
Today
- The USA’s attitude towards hemp has influenced many others to adopt similar legislation. Part of the USA’s criteria for foreign aid is the dismantling of the receiving country’s drug industry. Seeing as hemp and marijuana are seen as the same by the US government, a hemp industry would deny any country access to valuable foreign aid.
- Recently many countries have recognised hemp’s potential and its value as an environmentally responsible crop. More than 30 nations, including England, France, Germany, China and Canada now have a legal hemp industry, and many more are undertaking research in a move towards a change in legislation.
- Although hemp has lost out on nearly a century of technology and market development, farmers and businesses are rediscovering its incredible potential across the planet. As hemp research and cultivation resumes, many more uses for it will be discovered.
- The search is on for alternatives to pesticide greedy cotton, forest-destroying paper, war-generating and polluting petrochemicals and nutritionally devoid western diets.
- Although hemp is only part of the solution, many believe that it is the only known renewable natural resource that can meet nearly all our requirements to move back to a healthier, greener planet.
Hemp, known in other languages as asa, hanf, hamp, chanvre, bhang, canamo, kannab or cannabis, is thought to be one of the earliest plants cultivated for the production of a textile fibre.
Sources: http://invegrow.com/history/
1) Hemp Today – Ed Rosenthal
2) The Emperor Wears No Clothes – Jack Herer
3) Hemp – Lyster E. Dewey (Yearbook of USDA 1913)
4) The Hemp Report – www.votehemp.com
5) Global Hemp (www.globalhemp.com)
6) Hempology.org
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2) The Emperor Wears No Clothes – Jack Herer
3) Hemp – Lyster E. Dewey (Yearbook of USDA 1913)
4) The Hemp Report – www.votehemp.com
5) Global Hemp (www.globalhemp.com)
6) Hempology.org
Please visit our website and facebook page
www.mother-nature-blog.com
www.facebook.com/motherearth.environmentalpollution
Sunday 4 September 2016
COTTON VERSUS HEMP
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Saturday 3 September 2016
Lotus Eco Elise made with Hemp
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Thursday 1 September 2016
HENRY FORD'S HEMP CAR
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Tuesday 30 August 2016
Monday 29 August 2016
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HEMP AND MARIJUANA
Industrial Hemp and Marijuana technically comes from the same species of plant -cannabis Sativa, but it is from a different variety or subspecies.
However, since the 1950s hemp has been lumped into the same category of marijuana, and thus the extremely versatile crop was doomed in the United States.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCES ARE:-
Industrial Hemp has low THC levels (the ingredient that makes one high), compared to marijuana specifically cultivated for personal psychoactive use. Whereas marijuana that can be smoked usually contains between five and ten percent THC, industrial hemp contains about one-tenth of that.
The reason for the low THC content in hemp is the most THC is formed in resin glands on thebuds and flowers of the female cannabis plant. Industrial hemp is not cultivated to produce buds, and therefore lacks the primary components that forms the marijuana high. Furthermore, industrial hemp has concentrations of a chemical called Cannabidiol (CBD) that has a negative effect on THC and lessens its psychoactive effects when smoked in conjunction.
Industrial hemp variety has a much stronger fibre. This fibre can be used in anything from rope and blankets to paper. Marijuana fibra has a low tensile strength and will break or shred easily, making it a poor fibrous plant when compared to industrial hemp.
Industrial hemp also grows differently than marijuana: Hemp is typically grown upwards, notoutwards, because the focus is not on producing buds but on producing length of stalks. In this way, hemp is a very similar crop to bamboo. The stalk contains the fibre and hard, woody core material that can be used for a variety of purposes, even carpentry.
Generally, THC-producing marijuana plants are grown to an average of five feet in height, whilst industrial hemp on the other hand is grown to a height of ten to fifteen feet before harvest. Also, it is fairly difficult to grow concealed marijuana within industrial hemp crops as the DEA* alleges.
Since industrial hemp is grown so close together and is generally a very narrow, vertical growth crop, any THC-producing marijuana would stick out like a sore thumb. Its wide growth would require a large amount of space to itself in order to get adequate sunlight from beyond the tops of the competing industrial hemp plants.
The two also differ in the areas that they can be effectively grown. THC-producing marijuana must be grown in generally warm and humid environments in order to produce the desired quantity and quality of THC-containing buds. However, since industrial hemp does not contain these buds and the hardy parts of the plant are the more desired, it can be grown in a wider range of areas.Generally, industrial hemp grows best on fields that provide high yields for corn crops. Furthermore, since industrial hemp can use male plants as well as female plants (since the object is not THC production), higher crop yields can result.
Hemp also has little potential to produce high-content THC when pollinated. As long as industrial hemp plants are pollinated by members of their own crop, then the genetics will remain similar with low levels of THC.
One would have to place several marijuana plants in close vicinity in over several generations in order to alter the genetics substantially of the offspring.
Since there are so many differences between industrial hemp and
THC-marijuana, it seems to make sense that it would be a fostered,
rather than demonized crop.
THC-marijuana, it seems to make sense that it would be a fostered,
rather than demonized crop.
For a crop that has little-to-no potential to get people high,
the current attitude is both irresponsible and draconian.
Industrial hemp could transform the economy GLOBALLY in a positive and beneficial way and therefore should be exploited to its full potential!
Source: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/91602/differences_between_industrial_hemp.html?cat=37 (with some adjustments)
*DEA: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is a United States federal law enforcement agency under the U.S.Department of Justice, tasked with combating drug smuggling and use within the United States.
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WHAT IS HEMP OR MORE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS INDUSTRIAL HEMP?
It is a commonly used term for high-growing industrial varieties of the Cannabis plant and its products, which include fibre, oil and seed.
Hemp is refined into products such as hemp seed foods, hemp oil, wax, resin, rope, cloth, pulp, paper and fuel.
Industrial Hemp is not to be confused with the close relative cannabis, which is also a Cannabis plant, but is widely used as a recreational drug and medicine.
THE BENEFITS OF USING HEMP:
AT PRESENT...
Hemp stalks and seeds are used by industrial/commercial companies for textiles, foods, papers, body care products, detergents, plastics and building materials.
Today hemp for commercial use is grown mostly by China, Hungary, England, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and India and throughout Asia.
Hemp is refined into products such as hemp seed foods, hemp oil, wax, resin, rope, cloth, pulp, paper and fuel.
Industrial Hemp is not to be confused with the close relative cannabis, which is also a Cannabis plant, but is widely used as a recreational drug and medicine.
THE BENEFITS OF USING HEMP:
- Hemp fibre is the longest, strongest and most durable of all natural fibres.
- Hemp cultivation requires no chemicals, pesticides or herbicides and controls erosion of the topsoil and produces oxygen.
- Grown in rotation with other crops such as corn and legumes, hemp farming is completely sustainable.
- Hemp produces four times as much fibre per acre as pine trees.
- Hemp tree-free paper can be recycled up to seven times, compared with three times for pine-pulp based papers.
- Hemp is easy to grow, and actually conditions the soil where it grows.
- The seed and seed-oil are HIGH IN PROTEIN, ESSENTIAL FATTY AND AMINO ACIDS AND VITAMINS.
- Hemp would be an ideal source of biomass for fuel and hemp Ethanol burns very cleanly.
- Hemp and humanity have been linked for over 10, 000 years.
- Hemp was our first agricultural crop, and remained the planet's largest crop and most important industry until late last century.
- Furthermore, hemp can be used to replace many potentially harmful products, such as tree paper, (the processed of which used chlorine bleach, which results in the waste product 'polychlorinated dibenzodioxins', popularly known as 'dioxins', which are carcinogenic and contribute to deforestation, cosmetics and plastic, most of which are petroleum-based and do not decompose easily. The strongest chemical needed to whiten the already light hemp paper is non-toxic hydrogen peroxide.
AT PRESENT...Hemp stalks and seeds are used by industrial/commercial companies for textiles, foods, papers, body care products, detergents, plastics and building materials.
Today hemp for commercial use is grown mostly by China, Hungary, England, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and India and throughout Asia.
The difference between - Hemp and Marijuana: both come from the same plant - Cannabis Sativa L. However, it is from a different variety, or subspecies that contains many important differences.
Industrial hemp contains only about 0.3% - 1.5% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinoids, the intoxicating ingredients that make you high) while marijuana contains about 5% - 10% or more THC.
In order to get a psychoactive effect, one would need to smoke ten or twelve hemp cigarettes over a very short period of time.
In order to get a psychoactive effect, one would need to smoke ten or twelve hemp cigarettes over a very short period of time.
“Industrial hemp could transform the economy of the ‘Whole World’ in a positive and beneficial way, and therefore should be exploited to its full potential.”
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