Benefits Of Hemp

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Nicholas Graziano Lindsay Byron English 1101 November 5, 2009 America’s Top Cash Crop What if I were to say there was a plant that could provide one of the world’s strongest fibers, create the paper that the Declaration of Independence would be drafted on, be worn as one of the most durable and comfortable fabrics, and even be ingested as a dietary supplement? Well this plant exists and it is called hemp. Hemp is well known in most parts of the world for its enormous industrial benefits. The hemp plant can easily be grown throughout the world and flourishes in many parts of the United States. However, in America this plant is a target of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) because hemp is widely confused with marijuana,…show more content…
The oldest printed paper currently known to man was one-hundred percent hemp and was used in 8th century China. As I mentioned earlier, hemp was also used to draft the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States as well. Both of these documents are still preserved today as a testament to the strength and durability of hemp paper. This type of paper is also much more economical as hemp can produce four times as much paper per acre as wood. The process to create the paper does not involve releasing harmful toxins like tree paper processing does. The largest benefit of using hemp as paper is the fact that hemp can harvest in just four months after being planted. Trees can take tens to hundreds of years to be ready for harvest. The fact that deforestation due to tree paper processing destroys the habitats for thousands of animals also must be taken into consideration and adds to the list of reasons why hemp needs to be grown in the U.S. In addition to the use of hemp as paper, an equally valuable and environmentally friendly use of hemp is as a source of…show more content…
For hundreds of years hemp was used for sails, canvas, rope, and clothing. Even Christopher Columbus’s ship that sailed to America was largely built with hemp. The clothing produced from hemp has been known as some of the most durable and most comfortable. Compared to cotton, a well-known producer of clothing, hemp requires considerably less time to harvest, does not require pesticide, and produces two-hundred and fifty percent more fibers per acre. In fact, it is hard to find a reason why cotton should be used over hemp at all. The cotton and hemp fibers are similar, however hemp fibers are actually three times stronger and much more absorbent making it one of the world’s top textiles. Hemp is known to produce over 5,000 textile products and over 25,000 products can be produced from the remains of the textile processing. The downside of hemp clothing is the coarseness but it can easily be mixed with other natural fibers to produce a smoother, more fashionable clothing material. A concern of the stronger and more durable hemp fiber is that it may become heavy and hot in the summer. However, hemp’s composition allows it to actually be cool in the summer and warm in the winter. An even more impressive use of hemp though, may be as a

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