One of the world’s most ancient agricultural crops, hemp has been of value to humanity since the earliest civilizations. Here some fun facts about hemp which highlight just how special this plant is and why it’s worth saving!
(1) Right up until the late 19th century, all children’s schoolbooks were made from hemp. Hemp is a fantastic paper source and much more recyclable than tree paper. See some examples at the hemp museum here.
(2) Hemp Rope began to be used in Southern Russia from at least 800BCE. For several thousand years subsequently it was used by sailors as the ultimate in strong, flexible rope.
(3) Hemp seeds are composed of over 80% vegan Omega 3, one of the highest of any known plant!
(4) In 1940, legendary car maker Henry Ford made a car shell out of hemp fibre. This extraordinarily precocious piece of industrial design turned out to be 10 times stronger than steel. The car ran on an early form of biodiesel made from hemp ethanol!
(5) Far from being unhealthy, cannabinoids have been shown to actually increase markers of superoxide dismutase, the body’s most important free radical defender!