Hemp has gotten a bad rap over the years. Regardless of one’s views on the use of marijuana as a psychoactive substance or as a relaxing medicine, hemp has found itself dragged into the conversation despite having almost no THC. That’s right! Hemp has long been illegal in the United States simply because it comes from the same species as what folks conventionally think of when they think “marijuana.”
In fact, hemp is one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world, having been cultivated by civilizations as far back as 2000-3000 B.C. As stated before, hemp has no real use as a drug or medicine. No, it’s real purpose is as a material. Paper, fabric and more can be made from hemp. The hemp seed is also often used as a healthy addition in foods. Hemp products are legal in the United States, but the cultivation of the plant has been illegal for a long time. That’s changing as more states legalize recreational marijuana, as that also frees the plant up for hemp. Federally, however, the plant remains as illegal as ever.
The history of hemp stretches back thousands of years, as it was an easily renewable resource among the early domesticated crops. Ancients signs of the plant have been found throughout parts of Europe and Asia, both the psychoactive variety and the hemp variety. Resistance against the plant has only become prominent in the past 100 years or so, and given the long legacy of marijuana that existed before, we’re willing to bet this is just a societal phase; one that’s already looking to be coming to an end.
As far as domesticated crops go, hemp is one of the easier and more useful plants to grow, especially as we see the importance of adopting renewable resources increase with every passing day. The future looks bleak in many areas, but at least progress is being made towards utilizing this useful plant.
Do you own any hemp-based products? What are your thoughts on the increasing acceptance and legalization of marijuana, specifically hemp? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Thanks for reading, and having an excellent day!