Is industrial hemp the same as marijuana?

No. Even though they are both Cannabis sativa L., Industrial hemp is the non-psychoactive, low-THC, oilseed and fiber varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant. Hemp has absolutely no use as a recreational drug.

Is hemp legal to grow in the United States?

YES! Thanks to the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act (Farm Bill) hemp is no longer a controlled substance. However, hemp will still be regulated and can only be grown with a permit. Each state will have to submit their program to USDA for approval or have passed legislation to remove hemp from the state controlled substances act and allow for application through the USDA’s program

What is Hemp Extract?

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a compound found primarily in the flowers and leaves of the hemp plant. It’s one of many powerful cannabinoids found in hemp, and is known for supporting body and mind in various ways.

What are the benefits of CBD?

Many people integrate CBD into their health routine to support their cellular and molecular health. CBD, or cannabidiol, is just one of over 80+ cannabinoids that can be extracted from hemp. In fact, scientists found that these plant compounds have a better effect on the body when they work together, rather than alone. This means that CBD and all those other great compounds can support the body more fully than just CBD. And how, exactly, do they provide support to the body? Among the many benefits that our users experience, some of the main ones are: a sense of calm for focus; relief from everyday stresses; help in recovery from exercise-induced inflammation; and support for healthy sleep cycles.

How does CBD work?

The human body has a vast network of receptors, called the Endocannabinoid System. The purpose of this system is to help our body stay balanced and in good overall health. CBD and other cannabinoids fit into the receptors of the Endocannabinoid System, helping the body complete its efforts to keep us in good health by supporting many of the body’s physical processes.

What is the endocannabinoid system?

At its most basic level, the endocannabinoid system is a combination of the endocannabinoids produced in the body and the cannabinoid receptors found throughout the nervous system. The receptors can be either CB1 receptors or CB2 receptors, and both are found in many different places. It was previously thought that CB1 receptors were only found in the brain, and CB2 receptors only in the immune system, but this has since been disproven. There are several endocannabinoids produced in the body, all with seemingly different affinities, or “preferences” for the cannabinoid receptors.  

The cannabinoid receptors are a trans-membrane protein, meaning that the protein binds to molecules outside of the cell and send signals through the inside of the cell. Both CB1 and CB2 receptors have been linked to many important pathways in the body, and their effects can differ depending on which endocannabinoid is binding to which receptor.

What Does CBD Feel Like? What Will It Feel Like When I Take CBD Oil?

The most accurate answer to that question is - it depends. Meaning, it depends on what your body needs. Each body is different, so everybody will have a different response. Since hemp extract with cannabinoids works with the body’s internal Endocannabinoid System to maintain good health, the effect is personalized based on what you have going on internally. That being said, quite a few people mention a feeling of relaxation, while others note that hemp extract helps them feel focused. The best way to find out how CBD will work for you, is to try it for yourself!

How can hemp be used as a food?

Hemp seed is a highly nutritious source of protein and essential fatty oils. Many populations have grown hemp for its seed — most of them eat it as `gruel’ which is a lot like oatmeal. The leaves can be used as roughage. Hemp seeds do not contain any THC and they do not get you `high.’

What are the benefits of hemp compared to other food crops?

Hemp requires little fertilizer, and grows well almost everywhere. It also resists pests, so it uses little pesticides. Hemp puts down deep roots, which is good for the soil, and when the leaves drop off the hemp plant, minerals and nitrogen are returned to the soil. Hemp has been grown on the same soil for twenty years in a row without any noticeable depletion of the soil.

How can hemp be used for cloth?

The stalk of the hemp plant has two parts, called the bast and the hurd. The fiber (bast) of the hemp plant can be woven into almost any kind of cloth. It is very durable. In fact, the first Levi’s blue jeans were made out of hemp for just this reason. Compared to all the other natural fibers available, hemp is more suitable for a large number of applications.

Why is it better than cotton?

The cloth that hemp makes may be a little less soft than cotton, (though there are also special kinds of hemp, or ways to grow or treat hemp, that can produce a soft cloth) but it is much stronger and longer lasting. (It does not stretch out.) Environmentally, hemp is a better crop to grow than cotton, especially the way cotton is grown nowadays. In the United States, the cotton crop uses half of the total pesticides. (Yes, you heard right, one half of the pesticides used in the entire U.S. are used on cotton.) Cotton is a soil damaging crop and needs a lot of fertilizer.

How can hemp be used to make paper?

Both the fiber (bast) and pulp (hurd) of the hemp plant can be used to make paper. Fiber paper was the first kind of paper, and the first batch was made out of hemp in ancient China. Fiber paper is thin, tough, brittle, and a bit rough. Pulp paper is not as strong as fiber paper, but it is easier to make, softer, thicker, and preferable for most everyday purposes. The paper we use most today is a `chemical pulp’ paper made from trees. Hemp pulp paper can be made without chemicals from the hemp hurd. Most hemp paper made today uses the entire hemp stalk, bast and hurd. High-strength fiber paper can be made from the hemp baste, also without chemicals.

How can hemp be used to make bio-fuel?

The United States government has developed a way to make this automobile fuel additive from cellulosic biomass. Hemp is an excellent source of high quality cellulosic biomass. One other way to use hemp as fuel is to use the oil from the hemp seed — some diesel engines can run on pure pressed hemp seed oil. However, the oil is more useful for other purposes, even if we could produce and press enough hemp seed to power many millions of cars.

Why is it better than petroleum?

Biomass fuels are clean and virtually free from metals and sulfur, so they do not cause nearly as much air pollution as fossil fuels. Even more importantly, burning biomass fuels does not increase the total amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere. When petroleum products are burned, carbon that has been stored underground for millions of years is added to the air; this may contribute to global warming through the `Greenhouse Effect’, (a popular theory which says that certain gases will act like a wool blanket over the entire Earth, preventing heat from escaping into space.) In order to make biomass fuels, this carbon dioxide has to be taken out of the air to begin with — when they are burned it is just being put back where it started.

What other uses for hemp are there?

One of the newest uses of hemp is in construction materials. Hemp can be used in the manufacture of `press board’ or `composite board.’ This involves gluing fibrous hemp stalks together under pressure to produce a board which is many times more elastic and durable than hardwood. Because hemp produces a long, tough fiber it is the perfect source for press-board. Another interesting application of hemp in industry is making plastic. Many plastics can be made from the high-cellulose hemp hurd. Hemp seed oil has a multitude of uses in products such as varnishes and lubricants.