Uses of Industrial Hemp

Dr Sona A Pungavkar
Hemp and marijuana are from the same species of plant. Hemp, the non-psychoactive cousin of marijuana, cannot create a high. It has a low content of tetrahydro- cannabidiol (THC), the psychoactive component of cannabis. It has extensive industrial use.
Probably indigenous to temperate Asia, Cannabis sativa or hemp has been known a “camp follower.” Cannabis plant is genetically adapted to thrive in the soils around early settlements of man, quickly leading to it becoming a household plant. Hemp was known thousands of 8500 years ago and was considered as a source of fiber and to a limited extent as a source of oil. Hemp is one of the oldest sources of textile fiber. Until the middle of the 19th century, hemp was labeled as “the king of fiber-bearing plants”.
Inspite of all the positives, hemp production was curtailed by several drug control laws in US and Canada. However, in Canada and US, the cultivation and industrial use are now legal. More than 70% of the hemp in the world is being produced by China, followed by France, which produces about 25% of the world production.
In India, it became illegal in 1985. Although, not having the capacity to cause a high, hemp was clubbed with other drugs under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropics Substances (NDPS) act.
Legalization of hemp is underway in several states in India, with Uttarakhand and Madhya Pradesh leading the way. The changes in the legal status of the plant can be a boon for Indian farmers.
Two to three crops of the plant can be grown in a year, which can translate into significant financial gains.The benefits of the plant for Indian farmers cannot be exaggerated. Considering the changing agricultural landscape of India, the issues with climate change and the ongoing loan and suicide situation affecting the farmers, a more sustainable and sturdy crop is essential.
Hemp has been used in several thousand products globally, such as in cars, as fiber in jeans and in the walls of homes. The centre of the stem has a band-like form which runs lengthwise and is called as the bast or the fibre. The hurd is formed by the soft inner core, also called as the woody core. Both these components have different strengths and uses. The fiber in the hemp has high tensile strength and durability. It is used to make plastic-molded products, speciality papers construction fiberboard biodegradable landscape matting and plant culture products coarse textiles (carpets, upholstery rope bags) and fine textiles (clothes to laces).
The residue after the fiber has been removed contains a high amount of cellulose, which can be further utilized to produce more products, such as cellophane.
The whole plant can also be used as fuel (biofuel). Industries involved in automotive parts, furniture, food, beverages, beauty products, paper and construction supplies also use hemp. Seeds are used for baked goods, salad oil, cosmetics, animal oils and speciality industrial oils.
Lesser known uses of the plant include manufacturing of animal bedding and thermal insulation construction (fiberboard, plaster board, etc.) from the woody core.
Medicinal cannabinoids, essential oils and insect repellent are made from the female floral component and are also a part of a big industry.
Hemp has potential to replace some common materials or their constituents, such as plastics (bioplastic), styrofoam and concrete (hempcrete), providing a natural substitute. However, extensive research and development is needed before mass utilization and proven technology needs to be made available for processing of the new raw material. For example, the textile machines, which work with cotton short fibers, may not be able to utilize long hemp fibers and new machinery may be required.
Other advantages of the plant include environmental friendliness, attributed to the exceptional resistance of the plant to pests. Thus, pesticides and fungicides are usually not necessary or required in low quantities. Hempis also relatively resistant to weeds obviating the use of large quantities of herbicide.
The plant is ecofriendly, being suitable for organic agriculture. Deforestation and decreasing supply of timber resources are major ecological challenges. Production of hemp will lead to saving of the trees, which are usually harvested for production of lumber and pulp. Also, the plant has the potential to grow in contaminated soil, without the metal entering into the fiber and more work is required in this field to see if the plant can provide restoration of the soil (phytoremediation).
The increase in population with corresponding rise in use of wood as fuel, paper and construction has led to increase in felling of tress. Cultivation and use of hemp instead, reduces the need to cut trees preserving biodiversity. It is an annual fiber crop, which can sometimes produce four times as fiber per unit of land, than the current forests. Also, there can be precise control over the production. Hemp can provide for the food, shelter and fuel needs and help to maintain the ecological balance, a need of the hour.  It can be a win-win-win for the state economy, farmers and industrialists and the environment.
Acknowledgement : Small, E. and D. Marcus. 2002.
The author is a Cannabis researcher, a senior radiologist and Vice President, Cannabis Health and Sciences.