Tristan Comer

Prof. Padgett
UWRT-1102
4/13/15
Hemp Life

For decades our country has been in search for stable, renewable resources that will be cost
efficient for the government while being eco friendly. There are very few resources readily
available that can be used for energy and agricultural purposes. Hemp happens to be one of these
resources. The amount of resources and byproducts that come from hemp is far beyond any other
crop it compares to. Although hemp happens to be illegal, several states allow the research of it.
Its fiber is used in textile production, such as paper, hygiene products, clothing, and now for car
interior products. It also has seeds that are used for food and even medicinal purposes. The
downfall to this resource is that it derives from the cannabis plant. Hemp is not marijuana and
cant be used for intoxication, but the fact that it comes from the same plant makes it an illegal
crop in the United States. The potential for this resource exceeds its current uses and can replace
many other resources that aren't found in the United States. I believe if industrial hemp use was
completely legal, quality of life would improve and that branch of the economy would thrive.
It was first discovered by the Chinese 8500 years ago and was used for food and textiles.
The main use was its fiber for tools and clothing. The fibers in the plant are versatile, stronger,
and more insect and mildew resistant than one of our most valued crops today; cotton. History
shows how important it can be used for every day life, and if used the right way, can replace
many other sources that are harmful to the environment. It is fast growing plant that can be
grown in most climates, therefore making it accessible all over the world. The simple nature of

the crop makes it readily available for use. When hemp first made its way to the Americas it was
the most important crop, but wasn't used for its full potential of food purposes due to the lack of
technology in that era. Hemp was used for paper and helped out with daily chores. For example,
The Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. The government saw its textile
uses and utilized it for products used in the ongoing Revolutionary War; in fact hemp was
actually a required crop to be grown in the country due to its high demand and versatility. Hemp
is a very strong fiber and can withstand lots of tension, thats why they used for rope and often
the sails on the sips that were used during the war. Advancing further in time, some of the first
parachutes had hemp-based cords.
Hemp used to be such an important crop, so why did it become illegal? The recreational
use of the flower (marijuana) became an issue in society, which needed to be solved, but I
believe it wasnt solved the right way. Illegalizing the flower needed to be done, but keeping the
industrial use of the plant would have been highly beneficial. It is historically proven that hemp
is the oldest and most versatile crop in the world and was used by almost every thriving
civilization in the early stages of the world. To show how old hemp is and how long it has been
used for industrial purposes, one of the first versions of The Holy Bible was printed on hemp
paper.
Its crops have always been growing naturally in the environment, so there is no reason for
us as a society to not be able to use it today. It contains many nutrients and all nine major amino
acids needed for adequate life and also many oils that have many uses and is very healthy for the
body. These oil products could be used in products such as shampoo or Chap Stick, or it can be
used much like a vitamin. Hemp contains many rich nutrients that are needed to survive and
maintain a healthy life. Richard Nixon saw a problem with the flower of this plant, so he

proposed a war on drugs during his presidential term outlawing the cannabis plant. This took
hemp out of the market as well. As technology progressed throughout the years since then all
these new uses of hemp are coming up, but cannot be put into production or experimented with
fully. The technology in todays society can turn vast amounts of a product and have it ready for
the public fast and efficiently. The growing period for this crop is 120 days and to be used it must
be dried out for a couple weeks, but since it is so fast growing and grows in tight spaces it will
allow mass production. Hemp contains no proteins in its fibers, making it unlikely to be
vulnerable to insects and bugs. Throw hemp in with all these other crops used for everyday
things and it could take over because of its flexibility to grow and its resistance to bugs.
With all the products that can come from this plant, it would also create more jobs and
different industries for the economy. A high demand of the product would require more of it, so
there would need to be more farmers to grow it. Theres going to have to be lots of people
running hemp industries, stores, and even independent owners of shops and businesses. Less
money would be spent on fuel because hemp can be turned into a clean burning fuel that is good
for the environment. The legality of this crop is vague, considering it is found in some American
products. The total retail value of hemp-based products was $40.5 million in 2010, but they are
all non-profit organizations. Fully legalizing the industrial use of hemp could triple this amount
of revenue, ultimately increasing the revenue for the economy. While this crop could eventually
contribute to a large part of the economy, it also will help the environment tremendously. One
acre of hemp plants can produce the same amount of paper of three acres of trees. Cutting down
the amount of deforestation will slow down the decay of the ozone. The crop also uses less water
and chemicals required to grow.
Everyone can benefit from hemp in some way. Whether it is clothing, food, fuel, or even

medicine. For example, there are certain nutrients in hemp that help treat and even prevent
hypertension, which is high blood pressure. Scientists have studied this in rats and it has shown
that is helps significantly with it, even prevents the disease in some cases. The hemp seed alone
can be used as a medicine for inflammatory reasons and an easy way to obtain important
nutrients and amino acids. It can also be used in many forms of construction, such as concrete. It
has shown to be more durable and lighter than regular concrete. The base of the concrete is a
lime mineral with the addition of hemp fibers to add strength and durability. Global warming has
been a concern in the past decade, so a main goal is to obtain resources that are eco friendly and
biodegradable. These buildings and structures that would be supported by this eco friendly
concrete would have less of an impact in the environment and be more cost friendly for
construction companies. The biodegradable substance also has a thermal or heating trait than can
be used for some sort of insulation of the building adding even more of a positive green
thumbprint on the environment. Hemp fuel is a thing of the future for cars; it burns clean and
doesnt have any harmful chemicals that can pose a negative effect on the environment. Car
consumers are always looking for fuel-efficient and eco friendly cars; this is the answer.
Hemp can be used in so many ways and if legalized for industrial purposes, can play an
important role in our economy along with the environment. Since it can be used for paper it will
lower the amount of deforestation and raise the amount of hemp plants used. The plants grow
tightly together and very rapidly, so the amount of land needed to grow large amounts will
decrease. Hemp is referred to as Gods plant and is one of the oldest, healthiest, and most reliable
crops known to man. It was such an important crop when technology wasnt nearly what it is
today, so with the current technology in our society hemp could be used in almost every aspect of
our lives. Technology can and will play the most important factor in industrial hemp, allowing

hundreds of possible uses. Countries around the world, such as China and India, have seen the
benefits of industrial hemp, due to the fact that they are starting to have a shortage of trees
accompanied by a large and rapidly growing population. Hemp isnt restricted to only
agricultural and basic industrial uses; it has been experimented with in cars and the fuel to run
them. BMW has been working on hemp-based cars to make them more recyclable and eco
friendly. The first diesel engine, invented by Rudolph Diesel, was designed to run on hemp fuel
in the late 1800s. The options for hemp use are almost endless; all it needs is the technology of
our day and age teaming up with the support of society and its acceptance as a beneficial crop.

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