General Facts about Hemp
Hemp is one of the earliest domesticated plants known to mankind, with record of its cultivation around the world dating back to as early as 10,000 BC. Botanically, Hemp is a member of the most advanced plant family on Earth, thriving in virtually any global climate or soil condition.
The word ‘hemp’ was first documented as the Chinese character “Ma” and more currently derives from the Old English word “haenep”, meaning soft and durable fiber cultivated from plants of the Cannabis genus.
Hemp is classified under the same plant family as Marijuana, known as Cannabis sativa, but Hemp is further distinguished as Cannabis sativa (C. sativa var. sativa), while Marijuana is identified as either (C. sativa var. indica), (C. sativa var. spondanea), or (C. sativa var. afghanica).
The word ‘sativa’ is a Latin word meaning “cultivated” and originated predominately in Asia, the Americas, and Africa where it was distinguished as having the following traits: tall, leggy stature with spacious internodel length, a large sprawling root system, large narrow-bladed leaves, and somewhat sparse flowers if grown indoors.
Hemp is known for its strong fibers, grain-like seed, and woody inner core known as hurd. There are an estimated 50,000 industrial uses derived from the Hemp Plant including: canvas, textiles, fuel, building materials, paper, steel, clothing, and food.
Along with being an extremely environmentally-friendly crop, Hemp is very low-maintenance to grow, requiring little water and no herbicides or pesticides to produce a healthy harvest.
The other three classifications of Cannabis sativa, (indica, spondanea, and afghanica), are modernly distinguished as medicinal and recreational Marijuana. This is due to these plants having high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content, a psychoactive property found in Marijuana with levels typically between 5-30%.
Contrary to Marijuana, Hemp naturally contains THC levels below 0.3%, making it incapable of producing any physical or psychological effects to consumers.
Currently, the United States Government does not recognize Industrial Hemp and Marijuana as separate plant entities, but rather classifies them both as a Schedule 1 Drug within the USA’s Controlled Substances Act of 1970, under the title ‘Marijuana’. This restriction makes it Federally illegal to grow Industrial Hemp in America, but our country remains the number one consumer of Hemp related products, importing millions of dollars in product per year.
