Hemp Farming While the Debate

¶ … Hemp Farming

While the debate over the efficacy of medical marijuana and the inexorable march to decriminalization of the drug in the United States and other countries around the world continues apace, a wide range of legal commercial benefits accrue to the hemp farming industry today. Despite the increased availability of synthetic alternatives to hemp-based products, many manufacturers and consumers alike point to the superior qualities of hemp and suggest that even more can be done with this plant in the future. To this end, this paper provides a review of the relevant literature to identify current benefits of hemp farming, followed by an assessment of current and future trends in this industry. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

Today, there is growing interest in the various uses for hemp that extend far beyond its recreational use of the female part of the plant, and there is an incredible array of products available that use hemp. According to Small and Marcus (2002), the term "hemp" typically refers to Cannabis sativa L. (Cannabaceae); however, these authors also note that the term has also been used to describe a number of other species of fiber crops. As examples, Small and Marcus report that, "The common names hemp and marijuana have been applied loosely to all these forms, although historically hemp has been used primarily for the fiber cultigen and its fiber preparations, and marijuana for the drug cultigen and its drug preparations. The current hemp industry is making great efforts to point out that 'hemp is not marijuana'" (p. 284). Citing the "multitudinous uses of hemp," Turner (2007) reports that vendors of all types in San Francisco are taking advantage of the state's relaxed marijuana laws to promote products of all types that are either formulated from or contain hemp-based ingredients. Interest in the various uses of hemp, though, is certainly not new. According to Bock (2000), "To many Americans the idea of marijuana as medicine is novel and unfamiliar to the point of incredulity. But the plant has been used for therapeutic purposes in various ways, whether by inhaling the smoke or by preparing tinctures or oils, for thousands of years" (p. vi). Besides the medicinal applications that use marijuana as an ingredient, the other parts of the plant contain fiber that is regarded as superior for rope-making and for various types of fabrics. In fact, Earleywine (2002) emphasizes that, "Hemp fibers were likely the first in history. Archeologists in Taiwan uncovered strands decorating clay pots from 8000 B.C. This first use of cannabis fibers precedes recorded history, in an era when the world was markedly different. Humans may have barely understood how to cultivate plants. Other fibers were not available" (p. 4).

Because these first uses of hemp predate historical records, the manner in which the different uses for hemp were discovered is lost in the mists of time. In this regard, Earleywine notes that, "No one knows the genius who first turned cannabis stalks into strands, or who discovered that twisting many together added strength, but these innovations started a long and productive career for the plant. New uses for hemp developed throughout the last 10,000 years" (p. 4). While many modern observers might think that the sole use of marijuana is recreational or medicinal and that these would be the first uses of the plant that would be discovered by ancient mankind, it would appear that life in 8,000 B.C. required a more pragmatic approach and these other uses for hemp are more recent. According to Earleywine, "The plant's medicinal and intoxicating properties increased in popularity, too, but not until much later.... Ancients eventually turned the fibers to rope and later weaved them into hemp fabric. By 100 B.C., the Chinese had used cannabis to make paper" (Earleywine, p. 4).

Not surprisingly, products manufactured from hemp were enormously popular and their use became widespread across the ancient world (Earleywine). Products made from hemp even became a strategic resource for many ancient people. As Earleywine points out, "By 850 a.D., the Vikings had dragged the ropes with them to Iceland. In 1000, hemp ropes helped the Italian navy dominate the seas. The hemp crop was so important that British farmers were commanded to grow cannabis or pay fines. Kings ordered the American colonies to export the crop, but they used it to make rope and fabric of their own" (p. 25).

The newly founded American colonies found hemp to be an ideal source for rope and fabric as well, and Earleywine attributes it use by the emerging republic as being a fundamental factor in its ultimate success in achieving independence from Great Britain. It would also appear reasonable to suggest that these valuable aspects of hemp are not being lost on manufacturers of all types in the 21st century either. For example, Earleywine suggests that even though synthetic alternatives have been developed over the years, hemp-based products have some superior qualities that make their use highly advantageous: "Cotton and synthetic fibers have replaced some of these ropes and fabrics, but a new movement supports industrial hemp as a more ecological alternative to these products. Contemporary merchants still sell shirts, shoes, and even hammocks made of hemp. The oil of the seed also appears in modern shampoos, soaps, and salves" (Earleywine, p. 25).

According to Small and Marcus, other uses for hemp fiber have been identified for specialty pulp products (e.g., cigarette paper, bank notes, technical filters, and hygiene products), various composites used in the automobile industry, construction and thermal insulation materials, geotextiles, animal foods, specialty industrial oils, fine textiles, fiberboard and plaster board, insect repellant, and as a source of alcohol. Beyond these uses, today, a growing number of consumers have even identified some valuable culinary uses for hemp products. In this regard, Earleywine reports that, "People also used the seeds and their oil in various foods, developing nutritious recipes that remain popular today" (p. 25). Likewise, Bowles (2004) enthuses that hemp seed is a delicious food product: "They're lightly toasted and salted - similar in taste to pumpkin seeds - and go well in salads. They're also rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9. Also available as an oil" (p. 51).