Industrial Use

Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species
cannabis sativa L. that contains minimal (less than 1%) amounts of
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.
It is a tall, slender, fibrous plant similar to flax or kenaf. Various parts of
the plant can be utilized in the making of textiles, paper, paints, clothing,
plastics, cosmetics, foodstuffs, insulation, animal feed and other
products. Hemp produces a much higher
yield per acre than do common substitutes such as cotton and requires few
pesticides. In addition, hemp has an average growing cycle of only 100 days and
leaves the soil virtually weed-free for the next planting. The hemp plant is currently harvested for
commercial purposes in over 30 nations, including Canada, Japan and the European
Union. Although it grows wild across much of America and presents no public
health or safety threat, hemp is nevertheless routinely uprooted and destroyed
by law enforcement. Each year, approximately 98% of all the marijuana
eliminated by the DEA's "Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression
Program" is actually hemp. a growing number of health professionals are
praising hemp seeds' nutritional value, noting that it's second only to soy in
protein and contains the highest concentration of essential amino and fatty
acids found in any food. Given the crop's versatility. The U.S. Agriculture Department’s Alternative
Agricultural Research, the National Conference of State Legislatures,
environmentalist Ralph Nader and health guru Andrew Weil have endorsed hemp.