Hemp
In the entire world, there has never been a plant quite as amazing as Cannabis Sativa. Being the world’s only renewable resource capable of solving many of it’s environmental, psychological, and economic problems, it is of no surprise that the plant has made quite an impact in the discovery of the New World.
Cannabis Sativa, also known as; Hemp, cannabis hemp, Indian (India) hemp, true hemp, muggles, weed, pot, marijuana, reefer, grass, ganja, bhang, "the kind," dagga, and herb became an ideal plant to cultivate because of its many fine attributes. Depending on the culture, It’s leaves and flower tops were the first, second, or third most important and most used medicines for at least two thirds of the world’s people for at least 3,000 years.
Cannabis hemp is by far, the strongest, most durable, longest lasting natural soft fiber, and the worlds most advanced plant family on the planet. Because it is Dioecious, having male, female and sometimes hermaphroditic qualities, it is easy to grow and cultivate. This tall, woody, herbaceous annual, reaching anywhere from 12 to 20 feet in one short growing season uses the sun more efficiently that any other plant on earth. It can be grown in any climate or soil condition on Earth, and is a premier renewable natural resource.
Many countries found the plant appealing because of it’s abilities to flourish in extreme heat. The Arabs discovered that the sticky goo, or Hashish, that covered the flowers and leaves was a natural protectant against the sun, holding in moisture and repelling damaging heat. It’s ability to survive in temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit made it ideal for mass production in the New World. Not to mention that it needs no chemicals to grow and has very few natural enemies.
The Hemp plant was initially cultivated for it’s main two attributes, it’s hardiness and it’s useful fibers. Until the 1820’s in America, 80 percent of all textiles and fabrics used for clothing, tents, bed sheets, and linens were made principally from the fibers of Cannabis. Until 1883, from 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, etc. Everything from rugs, diapers, drapes, quilts, towels, rags, and even our nation’s flag were made possible by Hemp. The rest of the world used it’s fibers well into the 20th century and most countries still rely on it for the bulk of their paper and textile industries.
Hemp has few branches or leaves below the tops. It is also grown outdoors. Whereas, Marijuana is a shorter, fatter bush with a lot more branches. And to maximize THC levels in marijuana growers must maintain stable light, temperature, humidity, CO2 and oxygen levels (5 Differences Between Hemp and Marijuana, 2014). Johnny Green Author of “Arguments Against Hemp and Why They are Wrong” further explains that many marijuana growers are afraid of cross-pollination between hemp and marijuana which would significantly reduce the potency of the marijuana plant. Russia conducted a study where they found hemp pollen can travel 12 kilometers (7 miles). So any marijuana grown within this area will lower the quality of the plant. Therefore, no sensible grower would ever think of growing their crop so close to hemp. (Green,
Cannabis, originating from Central Asia, is in the plant family Cannabacae and has three types: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis (Baron 2015). Cannabis with higher levels of delta⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹ -THC) and lower levels of cannabidiol (CBD) is referred to as marijuana, while another type of cannabis, “hemp,” has lower levels of delta⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ⁹ -THC), higher levels of cannabidiol (CBD), and no psychoactive affect (2015). Hemp has a prominent history of being in medicine from the Greeks to the Indians (2015). Even before this product came to the west, physicians and scientists alike have been studying and experimenting with cannabis to determine whether it can be used medicinally to treat or help reduce symptoms of any mental or physical illnesses.
There are many different words for what was originally considered, “hemp” to the ancient world. Some are, cannabis, marijuana, weed, and pot. Over time, the different words have reflected the views and uses of hemp through different societies and time periods. Hemp dates back to the early Mesopotamian days in what is considered Turkey today. It is the first known plant to be domestically cultivated. According to research, “The oldest relic of human history is hemp fabric dated to 8,000 BCE.” In 1492, Christopher Columbus brought hemp as a rope to America. His ships were full of hemp fabric used for uniforms, parachutes, ropes, sails, baggage, shoes and many more military uses. To free the American colonies from England press, Benjamin Franklin started a paper mill, which used cannabis to create paper and print books. This allowed America to have free colonial press from Britian without having to ask for them. The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were both drafted on hemp paper. Betsey Ross made the first flag of the United States of America out of hemp, which was the strongest known fiber at the time. “Farmers from 1942 through 1945 who agreed to grow hemp were waived from serving in the military, along with their sons; that is how vitally important hemp was to America during World War II.” Henry Ford also used hemp-based plastic to create vehicles, which was proven to be stronger and lighter than steel and could withstand much more impact without denting. He also used hemp-based ethanol fuel, which was more efficient. Hemp had been used widely throughout the United States before it became illegal and served many purposes.
As I said earlier hemp is the longest, strongest, and most durable fiber known. This means it surpasses other fibers like cotton, the most common in today’s world. According to Chris Conrad (man behind Hemp: lifeline to the future) On an annual basis, 1 acre of hemp will produce as much fiber as 2 to 3 acres of cotton. Cotton grows only in moderate climates and requires more water than hemp. Where as hemp is frost tolerant, it requires only moderate amounts of water, and it grows in all 50 states (Hemp Basics, para 2). Not only is hemp better than cotton in terms of agriculture, but hemp fiber is softer than cotton, lasts twice as long as cotton, and will not mildew. Literally hemp surpasses cotton in almost every
Today, many people around the world smoke marijuana for therapy or recreation, which is grown from nature, but in some countries, nature is illegal, except a substance which is legal: alcohol. In fact, Marijuana or Marihuana from Spanish language also can be known as cannabis, hemp, weed, and pot. Marijuana is a dry, shredded green and brown mix of leaves, flowers, stem, and seeds from the hemp plant, whose scientific name is Cannabis sativa (National Institute Drug Abuse, 2012). Marijuana has a long history of use as a medicinal herb, and the use has been expended around the world from China to India and the North Africa and leaded to Europe for thousands of years. They also have several different cultures in various ways. For example, it was recorded as medication to treat many kinds of health problems by the Chinese, and the earliest fabric and rope were believed that it has been woven from dried hemp, and around 6000 B.C., marijuana seeds were used as food in China (Canadian medicinal Marijuan, 2010). The Persian prophet Zoroaster also wrote a sacred text on “the Zend-Avesta”, which listed that marijuana was at the top from 10000 medicinal plants in 550 B.C. (Canadian, medicinal Marijuana, 2010). The marijuana has been adapted in people’ lifestyles and social environment over thousand years.
According to Grinspoon (2005) marijuana, may have been a crop farmed as many as 10,000 years ago. The first evidence discovered that attests to the use of medicinal cannabis dates back to the Chinese Emperor, Chen Nung, who lived five-thousand years ago when this plant was recommended for malaria, constipation, and rheumatic pains, as well as, the inability to concentrate and pains in relation to the female body (Grinspoon, 2005; Guterman 2000). Even Queen Victoria had a physician recommend that she use marijuana as medicine for ailments such as “insomnia, migraines, menstrual cramps, and muscle spasms” (Guterman, 2000, p. A21). Evidence of the power of marijuana as a medicine can be found in almost any culture on Earth. For example, some tribes in Africa use marijuana to treat snake bites and to reduced the intense pain of child-birth and in India, cannabis is used to “quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, cure dysentery, stimulate appetite, improve digestion, relieve headaches, and cure venereal disease” (Grinspoon, 2005, p. 1). Marijuana has been proven as a powerful medicine by people of many ethnic backgrounds and countries over the entire world, time and time again.
The term "marijuana" is a word with indistinct origins. Some believe it is derived from the Mexican words for "Mary Jane"; others hold that the name comes from the Portuguese word marigu-ano, which means "intoxicant". The use of marijuana in the 1960's might lead one to surmise that marihuana use spread explosively. The chronicle of its 3,000 year history, however, shows that this "explosion" has been characteristic only of the contemporary scene. The plant has been grown for fiber and as a source of medicine for several thousand years, but until 500~ AD its use as a mind-altering drug was almost solely confined in India. The drug and its uses reached the Middle and Near East during the next several centuries, and then moved across North Africa, appeared in Latin America and the Caribbean, and finally entered the United States in the early decades of this century. Marijuana can even be used as "Biomass" fuel, where the pulp (hurd) of the hemp plant can be burned as is or processed into charcoal, methanol, methane, or gasoline. This process is call...
cannabis sativa widely known as Marijuana is an annual plant majorly used as medicine and as a psychoactive drug. It has great physiological effects like relaxation. Increased appetite and euphoria. Though having some positivity in the human body, it posses negative effects such as anxiety, dry mouth, decreased short term memory and impaired motor skills. It has been a great debate worlwide concerning the legalization of cannabis whereby other nations allow its use and others take it as a criminal act to posses or use marijuana. Marijuana can be consumed through edibles, cannabis tea, smoking and vaporizerization. It is presumed that marijuan is non-toxic and can not cause death even when in overdose unlike tobacco and alcohol that causes high number of deaths in a year. In the traditional times, marijuana was used to relieve pain until when new medicines were discovered and marijuana termed as illegal. The United States to enact criminilization of marijuana in 1973.
Marijuana’s use in the medical field is very valuable and dates back centuries. Marijuana usage dates back to 2737 B.C. in ancient China. The Chinese transcribed its medicinal values during this time and it rapidly spread to India, North Africa, and eventually Europe. As detailed by the emperor Shen Nung, cannabis had healing “powers” that alleviated symptoms of “rheumatism, gout, and malaria” (Narconon n. pag.). In India, the substance has been known to “quicken the mind, lower fevers, induce sleep, and cure venereal disease” (Grinspoon, Lester, Bakalar, James 3). Physicians from centuries ago seem to underst...
“Marijuana, weed, flower, bud; call it what you will, but humans have been using cannabis for a millennium” (The Future of Weed: HIGH COUNTRY). In 2737 B.C., the Chinese used cannabis medicinally. It was seen as medication for rheumatism, gout, malaria, and absent-mindedness. It spread from China to India, Africa, and Europe by A.D. 500. This shows we have been consuming marijuana for a very long time. Indians and Muslims both used cannabis recreationally. It was actually the Muslims who introduced hashish to the world (History of Marijuana). Hashish is a potent form of marijuana where they take the resin from the flowers of the plant (Hashish). The trend spread to Persia (Iran), and then to North Africa (History of Marijuana).
Marijuana is a plant, known as cannabis sativa and cannabis indica, which contains a psychoactive chemical called tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The effects of THC include disruption of psychomotor behavior, short-term memory impairment, intoxication, stimulation of appetite, antinociceptive, and antiemetic activities. Marijuana, the Mexican name given to cannabis is a mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the plant. Cannabis is a term that refers to marijuana and other preparations made from the same plant. Hemp is a form of cannabis, cannabis sativa L, which contains less than one percent THC; it is used to make clothing, paper, and building materials. Tobacco is smoked just like marijuana is smoked, rolled in paper or in a pipe. The only difference is that tobacco is legal and marijuana is illegal. The government spends billions each year on the war on drugs, yet it is still around. For people under the age of 21 it is much easier to get marijuana than it is to get alcohol. Although many primarily associate marijuana with its harmful side effects, in actuality there are many benefits from its use as well.
Marijuana is one of the oldest cultivated plants. (Nahas,1986) The first people to introduce the potential healing properties of marijuana were the Chinese. About five thousand years ago, the people of the plains of Central Asia began cultivating the plant for its oil and fiber. The United States was introduced to marijuana in the 16th century. It was brought over by the Spanish and British and used for its fiber. The plant’s intoxicating properties were only discovered in the late 19th century. It was used for the production of rope and cloth until the 20th century and now it is widely a drug used preferably for pleasure.
The history of marijuana in the United States dates to early colonial times. ``In 1619, America's first marijuana law was enacted at Jamestown Colony, Va., `ordering' all farmers to `make tryal of' (grow) Indian hemp seed.” (Tribune) A by-product of the cannabis plant is hemp. Today, hemp can be used to make fabrics, construction, paper, medicines, oils, body care products, and molded plastics. In colonial times hemp was used to make various textile products and in the 1800s hemp was found to have medicinal benefits. Herer says in his book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, “various marijuana and hashish extracts were the first, second or third most-prescribed medicines in the United States from 1842 until the 1890s. (Herer) For centuries people have recognized the medicinal properties of cannabis; “depending on the c...
Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been used as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of
A considerable amount of literature has been published on cannabis specifically marijuana. These studies classify marijuana into three species: Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and cannabis ruderalis. In fact, Cannabis sativa is the most widely used and recognized among the other species due to its ability to produce more fiber and oil. For many years, the plant has been used for making clothes as well as lighting and soap. Nevertheless, cannabis is widely used at the present time for intoxication and medical treatments. Marijuana is usually extracted from the flowers of the female plant (Grinspoon & Bakalar, 1993). According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana is well-defined as the “dried leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds from the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, which contains the psychoactive (mind-altering) chemical delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), as well as other related compounds. This plant material can also be concentrated in a resin called hashish” (NIDA, 2014).