Spotlight: Hemp Can Save The World!

Our topic of the week is Hemp! Hemp is currently illegal to grow in the United States, however, it could meet many of our everyday needs.
Here are some basic facts:

• Hemp is ready for harvest 120 days after it is planted
• Hemp as an alternative to trees:
• 1 acre of hemp will produce as much paper as 2-4 acres of trees
• It can be recycled more than tree-based paper
• requires less toxic materials to produce
• can produce fiberboard (an alternative to wood)


• Hemp as an alternative to cotton:
• grows in all 50 states
• requires no pesticides/herbicides and little amounts of fertilizer/water
• 1 acre of hemp annually will produce as much as 2-3 acres of cotton


• Hemp as an alternative to plastic:
• It can produce it’s own form of eco-friendly plastic substitutes


• Hemp as an alternative food source:
• Hemp seed is more environmentally and economically friendly alternative than soybean protein


• Hemp as an alternative fuel source:
• potential to become a major source of ethanol fuel
• Hemp seed oil can be used to produce non-toxic diesel fuel, paint, varnish,detergent, ink and lubricating oil


• Hemp as an alternative building source material:
• can be made into insulation
• ‘hempcrete’ is an alternative to concrete - a stronger, lighter, and more environmentally friendly version of concrete