Thread: Industrial Hemp is one solution for our ailing environment while also creating thousands of jobs. Almost everything made from plastic, petroleum, lumber, & cotton can be made from hemp. It is also a super food high in essential fatty acids.
Hemp grows in a variety of climates and soil types, is naturally resistant to most pests, and grows very tightly spaced allowing it to outcompete most weeds. A natural substitute for cotton and wood fiber, hemp can also be pulped using fewer chemicals than wood.
Breathing in 4x the carbon dioxide of trees during it's quick 12-14 week growing cycle. Trees take 20 years to mature vs 4 months for hemp! Our forests are being cut down 3x faster than they can grow! One acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees
Each ton of hemp grown represents 1.63 tons of CO2 absorption. An average acre of hemp will yield 5–10 tons of dried stalk. A tree can absorb as much as 48 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and can sequester 1 ton of carbon dioxide by the time it reaches 40 years old.
Due to its long roots, hemp replenishes the soil with nitrogen & nutrients & helps control erosion of topsoil. It would be ideal for areas of mountain top removal & areas prone to mudslides. It was used to remove toxins in the ground following Chernobyl.
Heating & compressing of hemp fibers creates building material superior to wood in strength, quality & cost. It's fire, mildew, pest, light, & rot resistant. Hempcrete will continue to absorb CO2. Making it more durable as it ages. green-flower.com/articles/132/5…
Hemp paper can be recycled up to 8 times compared to 3 times for tree paper. It can also be pulped using fewer chemicals than wood because of its low lignin content. Its natural brightness can obviate the need to use chlorine bleach. Hemp clothing block more UV than other fabrics
Recycling plastic will always be a daily routine regardless if it's bio plastic or petro based plastic. Hemp plastic is still in its technological infancy. Hemp cellulose can be extracted and used to make cellophane, rayon, celluloid & related plastics. ministryofhemp-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/ministryof…
Hemp composites have been around since the 40's when Henry Ford built a car using materials from the soil. The car also ran on hemp fuel & a replica still travels the country today. Hemp was boasted as a "Billion Dollar Crop" in 1938 by Popular Mechanics ukcia.org/research/Popul…
Hemp biodiesel is the name for a variety of ester based oxygenated fuels made from hemp oil. It comes from the pressing of the hemp seeds to extract the oil. With over 30 million successful U.S. road miles it could be the answer to our cry for renewable fuel sources.
Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that runs in any conventional, unmodified diesel engine. It can be stored anywhere that petroleum diesel fuel is stored. Biodiesel is safe to handle and transport because it is as biodegradable as sugar & 10 times less toxic than table salt.
It has a high flashpoint of about 300 F compared to petroleum diesel fuel, which has a flash point of 125 F & and over 20 years of use in Europe. The use of biodiesel can extend the life of diesel engines because it is more lubricating than petro diesel. cannopycorp.com/hemp-bio-fuels…
It's the only alternative fuel in the US to complete EPA Tier I Health Effects Testing under section 211(b) of the Clean Air Act. The CBO, DoD, & others have determined that biodiesel is the low cost alternative fuel option for fleets to meet requirements of the Energy Policy Act 
It's estimated that 6% of US planted with hemp would provide for all national energy needs. An average size city production of 100 million gallons of biodesiel could generate 8.34 million in personal income & 6000 jobs according to a University of Missouri study.
Hemp seeds are high in Omega 3 GLA, ALA & DHA credited with brain & eyesight development & lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The seeds contain all 8 essential amino acids making it a complete protein like meat, milk, eggs & soy but more easily digestible.
A tablespoon of hemp seeds provides the recommended daily allowance of essential fatty acids. EFA's improve brain function & overall mental wellbeing & help fight bacteria & viruses. Used worldwide to treat malnutrition, one pound of hemp seeds can sustain human life for 2 weeks.
Hemp derived CBD oil has become extreme popular treatment for anxiety, mild depression & ADHD. It's also helped people with chronic pain & skin conditions. It contains little to no THC. Studies have also shown CBD's ability to slow the growth or even kill certain cancer cells.
While hemp is not a silver bullet to our country's environmental, economical, or health problems. There is very little reason to not fully legalize hemp & allow the free market to utilize the thousands of uses it provides.
KY has implemented thousands of acres of hemp pilot programs partnered with the state's universities. They have streamlined the process for growing & cultivating the crop, while also studying the many uses for the plant.
Once legal farmers have a new crop to profit from. Processing facilities will hire many to extract seed for fuel & nutritional products. Breakdown stalk for fiber in paper based, composite materials & hempcrete. Those raw materials will be sent to factories to turn into products.
We must push our legislators to get hemp legalization over the finish line. With bipartisan support & Trump has signaled a willingness to sign into law, we could have the first piece of a new green economy that can create jobs across the nation while also helping our environment.
This is the end of the main thread of information. I will continue to add to this thread with additional sources and new and supportive information. So it may get a little messy after this. Thanks for making it this far & continue to follow along for more info.
Please also share this thread wherever the environment & economy is being discussed. We need to spread the word about this awesome plant & end the ridiculous prohibition of it. To be clear hemp is a different plant than marijuana. That's a different thread for a different day.
@threadreaderapp please unroll. Thank you!
