Did you know that June 6 marked the start of Hemp History Week? It’s a pretty big deal. Really. During this week, the celebration will include more than 2,000 events in every state throughout America.
To celebrate this totally rad occasion, we wanted to highlight 5 facts about hemp we think you’d love to know.
1. Hemp plants are included in the schedules under the Controlled Substances Act
Weird, right? We thought so too. Well, the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and allies want to change that, so, they are raising a petition.
“The petition cites language from the Farm Bill of 2014, which defines hemp as distinct from marijuana by establishing the standard that hemp contains no more than 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol or THC on a dry weight basis,” a Hemp History Week press release reports.
2. The American market for hemp products is the largest in the world
And, get this: the American hemp industry continues to expand. In fact, it experiences a 10.4 percent market growth in 2015, according to estimates from the Hemp Industries Association.
3. About 3,900 acres of Industrial Help were grown in 2015
The hemp was grown throughout Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont. But the commerce of these crops is limited until further Federal legislation is passed.
“To date, the Industrial Hemp Farming Act has 83 cosponsors in Congress: 69 cosponsors of HR 525, and 14 cosponsors of S.134 in the House and Senate respectively,” the press release states.
4. The road to creating raw chemicals is paved with hemp
“Hemp farming is an important step toward creating raw materials, finished products, and innovative technologies to catalyze a sustainable future in which every-day products are renewable and grown using regenerative agriculture,” according to Hemp History Week.
Apparently, hemp is a renewable resource and can help reduce market dependency on agricultural chemicals, synthetic fibers, as well as plastics, lumber, cotton, and other non-sustainable industrial materials. Damn, hemp!
5. Hemp takes carbon from the atmosphere
This helps stop the rise of CO2 levels that are responsible for climate change. Also, pollinators, such as bees, thrive on proliferous pollen, which is created by hemp plants.
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Image of hemp plants via Shutterstock