SPONSORED BY NUTIVA
“When you tell people some of the incredible facts you’ve learned, they are skeptical, amazed that a plant they’ve always been told was a national scourge has actually proved so useful to so many for so long.”
~ Rowan Robinson, Author of The Hemp Manifesto
What if you were told that one of the most profitable, versatile, and functional crops on the planet is currently banned in the U.S. It seems a bit preposterous. But when we are talking about industrial hemp it is all true. Hemp has a storied history. It’s been found in China and Eurasia over 10,000 years ago. Hemp helped construct the Great Pyramids of Giza, carry Christopher Columbus to the New World, and even was the paper for the United States Constitution! In a decidedly ironic twist, hemp once grew in the backyards of America’s earliest leaders but is mostly illegal in the very places it helped to build.
Hemp. This plant is estimated to be used in more than 25,000 products. From food to fuel, building materials to textiles, medicine to personal care products, furniture to beverages, and more, it spans many marketplaces.
For example, hemp can restore damaged ecosystems; its roots aerate soil – one acre of hemp can absorb up to four times as much carbon dioxide as an acre of trees! Now, don’t get us wrong, we still need plenty more trees, but there’s a whole range of environmental solutions waiting to be discovered with this versatile wonder crop.
But wait, isn’t hemp the same thing as pot? Nope! That’s a misconception that has been perpetuated over the past five decades. Hemp and marijuana are the same species (cannabis), but different breeds. Hemp is the non-psychoactive relative of marijuana.
Unfortunately, the United States banned the growth of any cannabis plant in 1937, making the U.S. one of the only countries in the world where growing industrial hemp is prohibited by law. However, it is perfectly legal to manufacture and sell hemp products, but in order to do so, companies are forced to lose money and exploit resources to ship hemp harvests from places like China, one the world’s largest hemp exporters.
The good news is, the importance of hemp is finally starting to be recognized and many states and industries are taking rapid steps to advocate for and utilize industrial hemp. At least 33 states have passed hemp-related legislation. And, 15 states enacted legislation in 2017 — Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, North Dakota, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming. President Obama finally distinguished the difference between hemp and marijuana in the Farm Bill Act of 2014.
Because there are countless uses for industrial hemp, there is something that everyone can relate to. More forward thinking companies like Nutiva integrate hemp into most of their products. Through organizations like our partner, Fibershed, and with state laws supporting the growing of hemp, this regenerative crop is being re-introduced to American agriculture after a 60-plus-year hiatus. “The interest in hemp is founded on the precept that fiber systems, like food systems, are best if designed to not only minimize detrimental impacts to the biosphere, but to enhance ecosystem function. Hemp holds tremendous potential as a crop that can contribute to restoring our working landscapes, revitalizing our regional economies, and rethinking the impact of the way we clothe ourselves.” Fibershed.com
We are taking today to dispel the rumors around hemp and share how it can help protect our economy, environment, and people.
The future’s looking bright for industrial hemp, the most versatile crop on the planet, but there’s still a long way to go. Some people and governments can’t get past the stigma around hemp. But once these myths are dispelled, it is much easier to advocate for the crop. So let’s take a look at what the current legislative landscape is like around hemp.
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“Industrial hemp is a crop that has the potential to lower the environmental impacts of textile production, empower small-scale farmers and create jobs in a wide variety of industries.” *excerpted from Patagonia intro to “Harvesting Liberty” film. And given this staggering fact, it is a crop we haven’t been exposed to because of the U.S. ban. It’s time to dig beneath the laws and see what there is to find about hemp.
Hemp is a sustainable alternative to so many conventional products that it can be mind-boggling to understand why this crop isn’t more readily embedded into our economy.
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One of the biggest concerns around hemp is it’s connection to marijuana. But hemp contains 500 times less THC than marijuana. So there is no way that hemp can conceivably be used as a drug. But there are plenty of other more creative and useful ways to use the plant. When you dive into the history of hemp, it seems incomprehensible that we’ve come this far with this crop banned.
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Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Vanilla (16oz.)
Nutiva Organic Hempseed
Nutiva Organic Hemp Oil (8 oz.)
Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Magic Balm
Dr. Bronner’s Hemp Bar Soap
Datsusara Hemp Wallet
Foods Alive Rosemary Hemp Crackers
Evo Hemp Pineapple Almond Bars (2)
Evo Hemp Cashew Cacao Bars (2)
Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Chocolate Shake (16oz.)
Nutiva Organic Superseeds
Nutiva Organic O’Coconut Hemp & Chia Treats (box)
Dr. Bronner’s Organic 18-in-1 Liquid Castile Soap
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Lip Balm
Foods Alive Organic Onion Clusters with Hulled Hemp Seed
One Degree Organic Sprouted Oat Hemp Honey Granola
Evo Hemp Organic Cacao Bars (2)
Evo Hemp Organic Cherry Walnut Bars (2)
