Hemp in harmony with nature
Hemp is a plant that is not yet fully known to us in terms of its medicinal properties. A relatively young discovery of scientists is the endocannabinoid system, which has revolutionized the world of medicine. This system is one of the most important biological systems in our body and is used to maintain homeostasis, i.e. balance. However, few people know that hemp has a huge range of applications in many other fields, not only in medicine. Industrial hemp can be used to produce everything from food to fiber, biodegradable building materials and biofuels. What is the greatest potential of this plant? The fact that everything that can be produced from it has a smaller impact on our Earth, leads to the development of the economy, ecology and environmental protection.
About hemp
Hemp (fiber) comes from Central Asia and has been known for about 10,000 years. It is cultivated for the needs of the textile, chemical, cellulose and paper, food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, building materials and seed industries. In Poland, its cultivation is legal and it is allowed to grow and process hemp containing less than 0.2% THC. Hemp is an annual plant, resistant to climatic and soil conditions. It does not need large amounts of water and reaches up to 4 meters in height in 3-4 months.
Hemp for the environment
One of the most environmentally friendly benefits of hemp is the generation of a negative CO2 balance - they take more carbon dioxide from the air than is produced during subsequent production from it. They can absorb up to 15 tonnes of CO2 per hectare, whereas forests only capture up to 6 tonnes.
Hemp helps restore the soil to a healthy state. They have the ability to remove harmful impurities from it, even those from radioactive materials. This process is called phytoremediation. The plant filters the soil from toxic impurities and locks them in its roots. Thanks to a well-developed root system, it fertilizes the soil and prevents its erosion. Not only that, hemp has a natural defense against pests, and its density eliminates the growth of weeds. This makes soil-destroying pesticides and herbicides redundant in its cultivation.
The biology of these plants is amazing, isn't it? But it is not everything. It offers many more possibilities, which we are now going to discuss.
Biofuels
Most biofuels are currently made from corn, rapeseed or soybeans. Unlike these plants, hemp can be grown in a variety of soil types, climates, and requires much less water. They also do not require the use of pesticides and herbicides, and leave the soil clean. Thanks to the roots that go deep into the ground and aerate it, it is ready for the next crop after harvest. This means that good quality biofuel can be produced much faster and cheaper. Hemp is a source of two types of fuels (biodiesel and bioethanol) produced from the seeds and stems of this plant.
These are just a few examples of how hemp can be used in our lives. There are many more applications, we have mentioned only some of them. What is even more fantastic about this plant is that it is the source of three useful raw materials (flowers, stems and seeds). Hemp has a positive impact not only on our health but above all on our environment. They can make our world cleaner if only we start to use them well.
