|
UVSS HEMPOLOGY 101 CLUB LESSON #4 : HEMP PRODUCTS - Part 1 |
|
|
Hemp seeds have been used for food by many species for millions of years. The strong fibres of the hemp plant were likely among the first to be used for rope, mats and cloth. The root word of canvas is cannabis. Before prohibition, hemp seed oil was being used for soaps, varnishes, medicines and fuel for vehicles. Many countries, like Russia, France and China, never stopped growing hemp after the Reefer Madness campaigns of the 1920’s and 30’s. France grew hemp to supply the world with cigarette and rolling papers. Madame France Perier of France helped develop hemp as a building material. In 1987 she found a process that allows the bulky core of the stem, known as hurds, to be used as a building material. Hurds makes up 75% of the plant. The treatment process crystallises the sap and turns the hurds into an inert mineralised material, which is a lightweight, dense and durable product called “ISOCHANVRE”. It is environmentally safe with no toxic by-products and no chemical products during construction. It is a 100% “eco-product.” It is fungicidal, antibacterial and water resistant which eliminates damp within the building. Hence no damp proofing is needed. It is non-flammable and resistant to rats, decay and infestation while being an excellent insulation. In the UK, construction will begin on a hemp processing plant in Suffolk by Hemcore to produce various building materials. When completed the plant will process 50,000 tonnes of hemp and employ 35 people. Canada legalized hemp in 1998. After an initial surge in production rates, there was a dramatic decrease in interest in growing hemp when no facilities to process the raw hemp fibre or oil were buying the product from farmers. As more small producers of hemp oil health products appear the market for farmers is growing, but there is still no large facility in North America that can process hemp fibre into even rope. Hemptown plans to open a facility in Craik, Saskatchewan to produce hemp cloth. Hemptown is working with the National Research Council to produce a new hemp enzyme that would help process the fibre faster and hope to be providing the clothing for the 2010 Olympic Canadian team. Despite the ban on growing hemp there is a sizable industry in the US. Hemp food sales in 2005 were approximately $12 million, up 50% from the previous year and increased to $20 million in 2006. With Body Shop products leading the way, sales in hemp cosmetics was up 15% to about $40 million in 2005 and increased to $50 million in 2006. There is no reliable information about cloth sales, but a substantial amount of hemp clothing is sold in the US. China is the world’s largest producer of hemp clothing and products, with some farms starting to treat their workers respectfully in ‘fair-trade’ arrangements. New hemp products are constantly appearing on the market around the world. Hemp milk is now available in North America in 3 flavours. |
Several German companies are developing hemp-based
plastics. The concept of using environmentally friendly building
materials like hemp is not only fashionable but is starting to make
economic sense in countries where the lumber supply is limited and
agricultural land available. As demand for bio-diesel grows, hemp
will become a vital agricultural crop. With the technology available
today, a farmer could grow hemp to easily produce all the seed they needed
to fuel their tractors and trucks, provide heat and power to their
facilities and feed their livestock and family, while still having fibre
left for sale.
|
| International Hempology 101
Society www.hempology.ca |
Cannabis Buyers' Clubs of Canada www.cbc-canada.ca |
