Hemp - 'a plant to save the world'?
Jack Herer
An adapted extract from High Times (USA), monitored for the Institute by Roger Knights.
'The good news is we've found a plant that can save the world. The bad news is ... it's illegal!'
The good news is we've found a plant that can save the world. The bad news is ... it's illegal!
Our challenge to the world: try to prove us wrong - if all fossil fuels and their derivatives (coal, oil, natural gas, synthetic fibres and petrochemicals) as well as the deforestation of trees for paper and agriculture (eg Brazilian and Indonesian rainforests), were banned from use in order to save the planet, to preserve the ozone layer and to reverse the greenhouse effect with its global warming trend:
Then there would be only one known renewable natural resource able to provide all o the following goods and essentials such as paper and textiles; meet all of the world's transportation, home and industrial energy needs, and clean the atmosphere - all at the same time: Cannabis Hemp.
'Some cannabis plant strains regularly reach treelike heights of 20 feet or more in one growing season'
- Some cannabis plant strains regularly reach tree-like heights of 20 feet or more in one growing season. In 1916, the US Department of Agriculture wrote in special bulletin No. 404 that one acre of cannabis hemp in annual rotation over a 20 year period, would produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees. Lignin must be broken down to make pulp paper. Hemp is only 4% lignin, while trees are 18-30% lignin. Thus hemp provides four times as much pulp with five to seven times less pollution.
- Hemp is the most energy efficient annually renewable plant. Hemp biomass can replace every type of fossil fuel product. Biomass conversion, utilising the same 'cracking' technology employed by the petroleum industry will make charcoal to replace coal. Charcoal contains no sulphur, so when it is burned for industry no sulphur is emitted from the process. Sulphur is the primary cause of acid rain. The 'cracking' process also produces non-sulphur fuel oil to replace fossil fuels - methanol, as well as the basic chemicals of industry: acetone, ethyl acetate, tar, pitch and creosote.
'Hemp seed oil makes high grade diesel fuel oil and aircraft engine and precision machine oil'
- Hemp seed contains 30% (by volume) oil. This oil makes high grade diesel fuel oil and aircraft engine and precision machine oil.
- Hemp is 77% cellulose, a basic chemical feed stock used in the production of chemicals, plastics and fibres, with many times the cellulose found in cornstalks, kenaf or sugar cane.
- In most places, hemp can be harvested twice a year. It has a short growing season and can be planted after food crops have been harvested.
- Hemp is easy on the soil and an ideal crop for the semi-arid West and open range land of the States.
- The hemp seed is the second most complete vegetable protein source - soybeans alone have a bit more protein; however hemp seed is many times cheaper and its protein potential can be utilised better than soybean by the human body.
'With hemp seed in their diet, birds will live 10-20% longer'
- All domesticated animals, farm animals and poultry could be fed a nearly complete diet with just hemp seed extract protein and fat. Hemp seed cake was one of the world's principal animal feeds until this century. With hemp seed in their diet, birds will live 10-20% longer.
- Hemp cellulose and oils can be used for literally tens of thousands of other uses, from paints to dynamite.
- Hemp seed sown free from airplanes flying over eroding soil could reclaim land the world over. Hemp seeds put down a 10 to 12 inch root in only thirty days. The root breaks up compacted, over-worked soil.
'why not establish a Natural Guard of environmental soldiers to be our front line of survival?'
Instead of a National Guard, why not establish a Natural Guard of environmental soldiers to be our front line of survival - planting trees, harvesting biomass from marginal farm lands and rebuilding the infrastructure of America: our roads, bridges, dams, canals and railroad tracks?
This High Times article was itself excerpted from a book entitled 'The Emperor Wears No Clothes', by Jack Herer, published by Access Unlimited, PO Box 1900, Frazier Park, CA 932225, USA, US$12-95.
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