What is Hemp?
What is hemp? A brief history of a plant that has assisted human civilisation since the dawn of agriculture.
Hemp was cultivated to create the first sheets of paper and so began a new form of record-keeping for life as we know it. Hemp’s body has been given to the process of creating medicine, food for both animal and human consumptIon, textiles, insulation, and beauty therapy to name a few.
Read on to find out more.
What is hemp? Hemp is a strain of cannabis sativa plant species that is one of the most versatile crops grown in the history of human civilization. It is one of the fastest-growing crops known to man and was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber up to 10,000 years ago. This wonder plant can be refined into a variety of items to be used in daily life, including paper, paint, clothing, textiles, food, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, and animal feed.
The Chinese with cannabis cultivation has its earliest indications going back to neolithic times some 6000 – 8000 BC. Thanks to hemp the Chinese managed to produce the first sheet of paper around 140-87 BC, which was made completely from hemp fiber. This is how hemp gave impetus to the whole history of human civilization, long before the digital era.
Hemp has been woven into the fabrics of society since the dawn of agriculture. Original Canvas, here in New Zealand, are currently creating strong foundations to provide us with the sustainable garments made from hemp at affordable prices. Take the time to find out more on their website.
Original Canvas hemp clothing in New Zealand. Discover more at Original Canvas.
It has been present in moments of ritual between clergy of all matters of faith. It has assisted sailors to circumnavigate the globe and kept soldiers warm during times of war.
Throughout most of human history, cannabis was considered to benefit both your physical and mental health. That all changed at the beginning of the 20th century with a concentrated campaign of prohibition and criminalisation in the US. The history of cannabis prohibition in the US is one with racist/nationalist undertones and naked political ambition. In just a few short years, cannabis existence acquired a reputation as the “devil’s lettuce”—a dangerous drug that could destroy lives and minds.
Person using Koaka hemp cream. Discover more at Koaka.
Over the past few decades the cannabis plant has rehabilitated its rocky reputation and begun its climb back to legitimacy largely through scientific-based evidence, public perception, and education on the multitude of ways cannabis can affect your hauora (health & well-being) other than just smoking it.
So join the collective as we look to delve deeper into the different offerings that can be created from cannabis to positively influence our future – the Hues of Green.
Genisis 1:29
“Every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit, you shall have them for food.”
Grayson
Big shoutout to Original Canvas and Koaka who are carving their own path in the local industry.
Baby hemp plant photo by Ryan Ancill on Unsplash.