The Benefits of Hemp (A Wonder Plant!)

Today is National Pot Smoker’s Day. Yes, really. I don’t smoke weed, but I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to explore the benefits of Cannabis. I urge you to read this whole post with an open mind before you pass judgment!

Are Marijuana & Hemp Synonymous?

First, let’s get some facts straight, starting with the question of whether “marijuana” & “hemp” are the same thing. The answer is – yes and no. There are two definitions of “marijuana.” One is simply another word for “hemp.” The other is “the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant, used in cigarette form as a narcotic or hallucinogen.” So whether or not they’re synonymous depends in large part on who’s using the word. Marijuana may mean, “that joint or blunt you smoke to get high,” or it may just mean, “that super cool plant,” depending on the user’s intent. (Um…no pun intended.)

But let’s take that question a little further. Are marijuana (the thing people smoke to get high) and hemp (the plant) synonymous? Well, sort of. The genus Cannabis contains either one species, C. sativa, with several sub-species, or several species, depending on who’s doing the classification. Regardless of how it’s technically broken down, the fact is there are three types of Cannabis; all can be inter-bred, and all have very similar characteristics, but they do have some variant traits, just as is true of different varieties of other plants. (For instance, our local herb farmer will tell me that one species of lavender she sells is better-suited for eating and the other for potpourri, ‘though both can be used for either application.)

C. sativa is a larger plant – the Cannabis equivalent of a “high bush” blueberry, if you will. C. indica is a smaller one – the Cannabis equivalent of a “low bush” blueberry. (The third variety is found in the wild in parts of Europe, but rarely used or cultivated, so mostly irrelevant for our purposes.) Crosses between the two are also available.

C. indica is higher in THC – the chemical constituent largely responsible for the “high” of marijuana. C. sativa is lower in this particular component, and is the variety typically bred for other purposes (often called “industrial hemp”).

How Big a Problem is THC?

THC is only one component of Cannabis. It’s a larger percentage in C. indica, but also found in small quantities in C. sativa. However, it’s not as potent as you might think. Certain other constituents mediate the effects of THC. (This is pretty common of plants used in their whole states: various components balance out or work together synergistically in a way they do not if certain constituents are isolated. Some constituents in certain plants have even been known to be harmful in isolation, but harmless in their natural context.) Also, THC breaks down over time – and when smoked – while other components do not.

“But it’s addictive!” you say. Well…maybe. Studies have shown that marijuana has the potential to be addictive at a rate of about 10-20% of daily users. This is lower than the rate of addiction for alcohol, tobacco, or even caffeine.

Do you still think that’s high? Consider this: 23% of American women 40-59 years old are on anti-depressants. The numbers for other portions of the populations aren’t quite as high, but they’re still pretty high. About 1 in every 10 Americans is estimated to be on anti-depressants, for a total of 118 million prescriptions in 2005 (when the research was done).

Approximately 72,351 people in the U.S. are estimated to be dependent on (that is, addicted to) sedatives.

So why is this relevant?

Marijuana is Medically Useful

You would be amazed at all that marijuana can do medicinally (unless, perhaps, you happen to already know).* The same variations in chemical constituents that we talked about earlier make different varieties more or less useful for different issues. For instance, one is more stimulating while the other is more sedative. Meaning they could potentially substitute for all of these lab-derived anti-depressants and sedatives. (And yes, sometimes the THC is part of what’s useful.)

But that’s not all. Marijuana has been used for pain relief – including the relief of fibromyalgia, which you’re typically just considered “stuck with” by mainstream medicine – for stress disorders, for Parkinson’s, epilepsy, Crohn’s, nausea, and more. It has even knocked out brain tumors!

(Note that in most cases, smoking is probably not the best way to obtain the medicinal benefits of cannabis.)

Beyond the Drug

Even if we were to ignore the medicinal uses of this herb and use it only for other purposes, this is still one of the most useful plants on the planet! (Just take a look at the results from this Pinterest search! There’s no way I can address it all here.)

Hemp is good for fuel. With just 6% of the U.S.’s land, we could grow enough hemp for fuel creation to become completely energy-independent. (I forgot to save my link for that stat; sorry!)

Hemp fiber is useful for creating paper products and building materials. In fact, it only takes 1/4 as much hemp acreage (as tree acreage) to do so. (I forgot to save that one, too. Oops.)

Hemp is a great textile. It creates strong fabric, twine, etc.

And hemp is good for food.

Hemp as Food

Hemp seeds, in particular, are excellent for food. They’re a complete protein (!), high in minerals, and rich in essential fatty acids. They can be used similarly to flax seeds – raw on salads, granola, etc., ground into a meal, or baked into breads. They can also be sprouted, made into milk, or prepared as tea.

Sometimes they’re hulled, producing “hemp hearts.” Eat them plain, sprinkle them over yogurt or cereal, add them to a smoothie, etc. (For the most part, I believe hemp seeds and hemp hearts are interchangeable.) I bet they could also be used as the dry ingredient in peanut butter balls.

Hemp protein powder is also comprised of hemp seeds. It’s an excellent alternative to most protein powders, being complete, easily digestible, vegan – and a natural food produced without bizarre extraction or the addition of weird chemicals.

What is sometimes referred to as hemp oil is actually hemp seed oil. It, too, is used much like its flax counterpart. Heating it will damage the delicate oil, so it’s best used cold (like in salad dressings), or in low-heat applications. It’s also best protected from light (stored in a dark bottle). Hemp seed oil is good for your hair and skin, too. In fact, some people have used it as a topical treatment for skin cancer! (THC is not found in the seeds, by the way, so hemp oil does not contain THC.)

Hemp leaves may be eaten as salad greens.

Hemp Recipes:

So Why Is Hemp Illegal?

If hemp is so useful, why is it illegal? Contrary to popular belief, it probably doesn’t have much, if anything, to do with the “dangers” of marijuana as a drug. (No, it’s probably not wise to use the drug specifically to get high but, frankly, it’s an herb. It’s not the only one you can get “high” from if you smoke it, but it’s the only plant that’s illegal, as far as I know.)

You know what they say: “Follow the money.” The real reason hemp is illegal is probably money. Hemp efficiently produces a clean fuel – an alternative to Big Oil. Hemp, as an herb, has been used with extreme effectiveness against a number of medical conditions.* (It has even been used effectively against things allopathic medicine cannot treat.) That makes it a competitor of Big Pharma.

Put simply, it’s not in the government’s best interests to permit the growth of a plant that would compete with the industry giants that pad their pockets.

[Tweet “Marijuana’s illegal b/c it would compete with the industry giants that pad the government’s pockets. #t2hmkr”]

[Tweet “Marijuana is illegal b/c it’s not in the *government’s* best interests. #th2mkr”]

Think about it: what kind of government outlaws a plant? Unlike meth, marijuana is not a drug created in a lab. Unlike opium, it is not even a derivative or distillate of one particular component of a plant. (Although natural opium was used effectively in the past as medicine, too. Most opiates nowadays are highly altered or even lab-synthesized.) It is a plant. Just like echinacea, sage, plantain, elderberry, etc.

And like these others, it is a useful plant. Banning it – this plant – is the height of tyranny. There can be no freedom where even God’s natural creation is outlawed! And, frankly, we’re not in the practice of banning plants because they’re dangerous. You can kill someone with oleander, but it’s perfectly legal to grow it in your yard. Remember: money. (As far as I’m aware, oleander has no usefulness apart from looking pretty – since I don’t consider murdering someone a valid “use.” Which is probably why the government has felt no need to outlaw it.) We’re in the practice of banning things that are unpatentable alternatives to patentable – and, thus, money-making – products.

Many other countries, still convinced of marijuana’s danger as a drug, have outlawed the hemp varieties typically preferred for recreational use, but still permit the cultivation of industrial hemp. This is a good thing for us, as it’s the only reason we can obtain hemp products at all! Unfortunately, anything hemp-derived is extremely expensive, because we’re not adding to the supply at all, and we have to pay to import anything we buy.

*Of course, I can’t officially make any claims that marijuana can treat, cure, etc. anything. ‘Cause that’s how our overbearing government rolls. So consider anything in post educational only, and do your own research.