What about hemp?

There is a terrible misconception in regards to the hemp plant. Although many believe it to be equivalent to the marijuana drug, hemp is as harmless of an herb as the basil sitting on the kitchen counter. In reality, hemp is a super-plant with multitudes of medicinal qualities and the ability to positively effect public perception and usage.


The main difference between hemp and marijuana is the concentration of THC within the plant. According to the Arizona Industrial Hemp Council, while marijuana is advertised and sold based on its chemical complexes of THC (at approximately 3%-20%), hemp in general contains less than 0.5% THC. This concentration is not enough to cause any normal psychoactive reaction in a human being. A standard dose would require smoking10-12 hemp cigarettes in a time span of just a few minutes. The rapid influx and high temperature of vapor, gas, and smoke "would almost be impossible for a person to withstand."

Hemp also contains chemical compounds unique to the plant that effectively block any sort of human reaction to the THC. Within the plant, another cannabinoid, known as CBD, inhibits normal uptake of THC, forming a natural distaste towards smoking the plant at all.

Historically, human beings have not been known to smoke hemp. In fact, the plant is mainly known for its medicinal and nutritional properties. Hemp did not become popular in North America until after the Second World War, when the fiber was seen as an amazing resource for the new industrial push. Hemp is currently valued as an industrial commodity, processed to create paper products, textiles, and clothing.

 More recently, the plant has been valued for its many nutritional uses such as in the form of seed, oil, milk, power bars, and pasta. Hemp is known as a "super-food" of the health food world, containing 24% protein in a serving and more essential fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 than any other seed. The high concentrations of beneficial amino acids such as arginine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, are unique to this plant and significantly elevate its medicinal value.

After historic and nutritional analysis of this plant, it is clear to see that public perception of the hemp plant is very skewed. A valuable solution to this environmental problem would be to reevaluate what is already known. Much of the time, common knowledge comes about by word of mouth and perseverance of social values. Such simple research can unveil truths otherwise ignored. With this, it would not only be more beneficial, but also more truthful to say that hemp is a medicinal wonder.

                                                                     

Resources:

http://azhemp.org/Archive/Package/Legal/legal.html

http://nimbinwave.com/facts/hemp-seed-nutrition

http://www.naturalnews.com/031334_hemp_seeds_nutrition.html

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-284.html