Can Hemp Save Our Planet?

The buzz around hemp and it's genetic precursor (cannabis) has quickly reached fever pitch with the Farm Bill effectively federally legalizing cannabis with less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol. 

All the misinformation, propaganda and political sway that criminalized one of the most useful plants on Earth is giving way to the race to exploit it as effectively as possible in the name of commerce.

It is no secret that Big Pharma, Big Ag, Big Alcohol and Big Tobacco are already lined up with game plans to profit from a commodity they fought against for so long. Cannabis and hemp-related M&A will headline the financial news and disrupt the markets as  they quickly figure out how to maximize their political and fiscal capital.  

No matter how or when the federal legalization, taxation and regulation of recreational, adult-use cannabis shakes out, the industrial hemp market will quickly rival and supercede other commodities because of it's versatility, abundance and durability.  

Our reliance on fossil fuels like oil, coal and natural gas to heat our homes, run our vehicles, provide electricity and power the manufacturing industry is undoubtedly unsustainable and plant-based energy sources can help fill that gap before our natural resources are entirely depleted. Hemp is an extremely robust crop that be continuously cultivated almost anywhere and can be used to make ethanol and methanol from its fermented stalk as well as biodiesel from the oil of it's pressed seed.

The global plastic crisis is no longer deniable and the struggle to contain the byproducts of our single-use societies has become a catastrophic disservice to our environment. The solution must involve at least some pivot to plant-based alternatives like hemp and other botanicals that are just as durable as synthetic plastic and yet fully biodegradable.

One of the greatest failures of our society was the blanket prohibition of cannabis in 1937 on multiple, documented levels and just one of the many victims was the once thriving hemp fiber industry. "Canvas" sounds a lot like cannabis for a reason, no surprise since humankind has been weaving hemp fiber for clothing, rope, sails for ships and fabric of all types for thousands of years. Hemp requires half as much land and half as much water as cotton and is at least three times as durable.

The fact that hemp is such a flourishing crop, harvestable from seed in 108 to 120 days, makes it ideal as an alternative for modern building materials. Hemplime composite ("Hempcrete") is made from hemp hurds, lime and water to produce a highly-insulating alternative that is 1/8th the weight of  concrete as well as being mold, pest, wind and fire-resistant. Conveniently, hempcrete is also fully recyclable, has a low thermal conductivity and is non-hazardous to work with. Hemp's natural durability is also being put to use in fiberboard, roofing, flooring, wallboard, caulk, paint, paneling, particleboard, plaster, plywood and insulation.

Perhaps hemp's ultimate answer comes as an antidote to Big Ag's destruction of the globe in it's efforts to overfeed certain segments of an overpopulated planet. Hemp is a unique bioaccumulator with fast-growing, deep roots that removes environmental toxins from the soil as well as the air and can be grown without herbicides or pesticides.