Hemp Love

February 9th, 2016

I have been researching eco-friendly products lately: body soaps made from goat cheese, borax as a laundry detergent, vinegar to clean windows and apple cider vinegar as a deodorant. I had heard of hemp as an alternative option for natural clothing. I visited websites and saw some pretty cool fashions made from hemp.

There are different fabrics you can use to replace synthetic clothing: hemp, bamboo, organic cotton and soy. The great thing about hemp is it just gets softer as you wash it, it grows really quickly and repels insects, it protects you from the UV rays and it lasts a long time. The plant doesn't require pesticides and it nourishes the soil.

Pretty impressive right? But it doesn't stop there. Hemp is way more than comfy, eco-friendly fabric. Hemp seeds can be eaten and it is actually really healthy. It can be a source of protein and essential fatty acids. It is also recommended for birds and livestock.

Hemp is also used in body lotions and cosmetics because it nourishes the skin and hair with its healthy nutrients.

Hemp produces strong paper that ages well. It doesn't disintegrate over time.

Hemp can be turned into fabric for clothing or woven into rugs. It has been used to create canvas, jeans, even flags. You can also make rope and fishing nets with this strong material.

In the past, people have transformed hemp into alternatives to plastics. A variety of building materials can also be produced from hemp. These materials are fire-proof, insulating and waterproof.

I instantly started thinking about all the ways we could use Hemp as an environmentally-friendly substitute in so many ways. When I looked into the possibility of growing hemp, I realized why I hadn't heard more about this before. It has only been legal to grow hemp in Canada since 1998. You can't just start growing it, you have to get a license and go through lots of paperwork. Why? Because it is one of two strains of cannabis. It has a much lower level of THC but because of its association to marijuana, it is highly controlled and monitored.

Considering all I've heard lately about the need for affordable housing, I can't help thinking that using cheap, hemp-based building materials is worth considering.

Check out the cool fashions at www.nomadshempwear.com
My sources for information about hemp:
www.harbay.net
www.hemptrade.ca
www.hempbasics.com
www.theinformationdistillery.com
www.nomadshempwear.com