5 Things You Didn’t Know about the Hemp Plant

Published on: June 6, 2018

In honor of Hemp History Week, Josh Hendrix, director of business development for CBD supplier CV Sciences Inc., shared with us five lesser-known facts about the hemp plant.

It’s Hemp History Week! From June 4-10, grassroots organizers, farmers, producers, and hemp advocates are working together to educate consumers, industry associations, and government bodies about the benefits of hemp and the current regulatory landscape for industrial hemp in the U.S. Interest in hemp-not only for food products and textiles, but also for dietary supplements ingredients like cannabidiol (CBD)-has skyrocketed in the past few years, and is on track to continue its impressive growth streak. In honor of Hemp History Week, Josh Hendrix, director of business development for CBD supplier CV Sciences Inc. (Las Vegas), shared with us five lesser-known facts about the hemp plant.

Hendrix is a member of the technical advisory council for the National Hemp Association and is also the founder of the Kentucky Hemp Industries Association. In 2015, Hendrix created and became president of Hendrix Hemp, a licensed hemp producer that manages hemp cultivation on his family’s farm in Mount Sterling, KY. Now, in his role at CV Sciences, Hendrix works with farmers, universities, businesses, industry associations, and government agencies to help create the infrastructure necessary to establish a modern U.S. supply chain for hemp.

Also, don’t miss our latest update on CBD-related health research.

CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

Photo © iStockphoto.com/AlenaPaulus

Fact #1: No matter how much you smoke, hemp cannot get you high.

Although both hemp and marijuana are of the same species (Cannabis sativa) and have a similar appearance and smell, hemp differs from its biological cousin in one key aspect: it contains less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the mind-altering chemical found in high concentrations in marijuana plants.

Photo © iStockphoto.com/Wolfgang Lienbacher

Fact #2: Hemp is one of the world’s most nutritionally complete foods.

Often touted as a super-food with a nearly perfect balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, plus iron, vitamin E, and all of the essential amino acids, hemp seeds are said to be among the most nutritionally complete food source in the world. Hemp protein is easy to digest and comprises about one-third of the hemp seed. Hemp also contains scores of other health-promoting compounds and phytonutrients.

Photo © iStockphoto.com/flisk

Fact #3: Hemp is one of the world’s most useful plants.

Hemp is one of the most-if not the most-versatile plants on the planet with applications ranging from low-cost fuel, foods and beverages, nutritional snacks and supplements, cosmetics and personal care products, durable fabrics and textiles, yarns and spun fibers, paper, molded casings and panels, and energy-efficient building materials. According to a recent Congressional Research Service Report, hemp can be used in more than 25,000 products.

Fact #4: Hemp can help reverse Earth’s increasingly toxic ecology.

Hemp is extremely friendly to the environment. It can be grown on the same land for up to four grow cycles with virtually no pesticides or herbicides, without depleting the soil, and requires only one-third the amount of water as cotton. Additionally, hemp can clean the environment by filtering out toxins in the air leeching contaminants and heavy metals from the soil. Non-toxic hemp oil can eventually prevent pollution of land and water by replacing many petroleum-based oils, lubricants, and fuels, and also help stop the proliferation of toxic landfills by replacing non-biodegradable plastic bottles, plastic bags and packaging materials, and plastic computer components with those made from hemp-derived bioplastic.

Fact #5: Hemp contains key biochemical regulators for optimum cell function.

Every system of the body, from the nervous system to the digestive system to the immune system, must carefully regulate how its cells are functioning. Chemical compounds found in the hemp plant called phytocannabinoids have been shown to assist the body in its continual mission to keep cells functioning at optimal levels, thereby promoting general overall health. The hemp plant is a rich source of the phytocannabinoid “CBD”-a biochemical compound that researchers around the world believe exhibits tremendous promise for improving and maintaining health.

Photo from CV Sciences; pictured is CV Sciences' Plus CBD Oil.