Industrial Hemp
industrial hemp is a strain of cannabis with a low THC value that has been approved by the EU, and is certified by the EU to allow for plantation.
Hemp is one of the fastest growing biomass's known. producing upto 25 tonnes of dry matter per hectare per year
to put in perspective for producing paper, an acre of hemp can produce as much pulp as four acres of trees (3-8 dry tons of fiber)
its cheaper to produce then wood paper can be grown annually and does not deplete the soil in the same manner as trees.
hemp can be harvested in one hundred days with potential for 3 harvests per annum, (In Ireland realistically your looking at one Harvest per year started in April/May.)
Hemp uses one fifth of the chemicals to turn the same amount of pulp into paper and is chlorine free. (Chlorine is estimated to cause up to 10% of all Cancers.)
its stronger then wood paper and is one of the strongest plant fibers in the world (in Europe and China, hemp fibers have been used in prototype quantities to strengthen concrete
and in other composite materials for many construction and manufacturing applications.)
so why wasn't hemp used more for paper?
well it was, Until 1883 75-90% of all paper in the world was made with cannabis hemp fiber including that for books,
Bibles, maps, paper money, stocks and bonds, newspapers, and important documents such as the American constitution.
but Hemp uses don't stop there, its uses were and are still wide and varied from plastics to biofule there are currently over 6,000 uses for hemp.
if its so great why is it illegal to grow?
Since the idea of cannabis as a "dangerous drug" has come into existence hemp has been covered up almost completely
and since 1937 because of this, half the worlds forests have been cut down to make paper
if hemp had not been outlawed most would still be standing oxygenating the planet.
In Ireland hemp is still illegal to grow without a license, and license is extremely difficult to obtain
this is due to the ignorance of the government and there refusal to make a firm distinction between THC free industrialised hemp and marijuana.
but we intend to correct this !
