The Global Climate Crisis – How Hemp Can Save Us

Credit: Leafly

Many believe that global warming is nothing but a scare. Others are marching and protesting for change that will help save the planet. Then there are people that believe anything is possible, especially if Florida is starting to experience winter. I say- for safety, let’s just turn to hemp!

NASA says:

“Global climate change has already had observable effects on the environment. Glaciers have shrunk, ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier, plant and animal ranges have shifted and trees are flowering sooner. Effects that scientists had predicted in the past would result from global climate change are now occurring: loss of sea ice, accelerated sea level rise and longer, more intense heat waves.”

Hemp History in the United States

Cannabis hemp will help us in so many ways. Hemp can contribute to daily life for the better. Our country has a history of using hemp in everyday life- before, during, and after prohibition. Let’s’ take a stroll down history lane:

• Benjamin Franklin used hemp in his paper mill.
• The first two copies of the Declaration of Independence were supposedly written on hemp paper.
• Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company, created a plastic car in 1941 which ran on hemp and other plant-based fuels.
• United States Presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp.
• The USDA produced a film called “Hemp for Victory” to encourage U.S. farmers to grow hemp for the war effort.

How Hemp Can be Used in Everyday Life

Hemp is such a versatile plant. It can be used to feed animals, to feed humans, it can be used as fuel, as medicine, and for housing. This just covers a few uses; hemp can be used for so much! Every part of the plant- even the roots, have purpose.

Food:

Hemp seeds contain a protein that is more nutritious and more economical than soybean protein. The seeds are rich in lanolin and linolenic acids, and are considered a complete protein (a food source of protein that contains the nine essential amino acids necessary in the human diet.) Hemp seed protein can be used to produce products like: tofu, veggie burgers, butter, cheese, salad oils, ice cream, milk, etc.

Material:

Like cotton, but better, and without the ugly history; hemp can be used for: clothing, carpet, and

fuel. These are just a few uses; the list is more expansive.

Fuel:

For fuel, oil from hemp seeds can be turned into biodiesel, or the fermented stalk can be made into ethanol and methanol.

Clothes:

Clothes have been made from hemp instead of cotton, for many years. It is said that hemp clothing is more durable than cotton because the fibers of hemp do not break with washing or wearing. Instead, they get softer with time but do not tear up as cotton does.

Medicine:

Hospital visits and tests are hurting our environment. Those machines, like radiation and dialysis machines, throw harm into the environment. Healthcare creates a tenth of US greenhouse gas emissions. Hospitals also produce about a pound of hazardous medical waste per bed per day.

As the months pass, more and more research is being conducted, and proof is being found in the medicinal healing benefits of hemp. It’s also much more affordable than the “medicine” the government has legalized:

• A 2017 study by Reiman, Welty, and Solomon found that 93% of patients preferred marijuana to opioids for pain management. 97% of the group of over 2,800 participants agreed that cannabis use enabled them to reduce their opioid intake.
• The average 30-day supply of Celebrex can cost between $203 to $241, depending on your provider and insurer. If someone is paying on the lower end of the price spectrum, that’s approximately $2,436 per year.
• The difference in price between a one-year supply of CBD tincture and Celebrex is about $1,476.

Conclusion

We are actively seeing and feeling signs of change in the environment. In a recent interview, actress and environmental activist Jane Fonda, warned that we have 11 years before the damage is irreversible. If this is true, that means that in 11 years, we will reach the point of no fixing. If we don’t make changes, what does this mean for our children and grandchildren?

Article discusses:  Global warming, climate change, hemp for everyday life, hemp fashion, hemp fiber, hemp and health

This is a reposted article, written by the author: Veronica Castillo, and published in Oklahoma Chronic Magazine.