3 Surprisingly Useful Hemp Products

The hemp plant is all around us! Hemp is becoming a billion dollar crop with American farmers and manufacturers taking advantage of the boom. You may be familiar with hemp, but that doesn’t mean that you know exactly what it is used for, or why people like it. The fact is that there are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the hemp plant. One of the greatest misconceptions that it is the same thing as cannabis.

Even though the term “hemp” refers to a variety of cannabis sativa plants, it’s not the same thing as cannabis as we know it at all. The varieties of cannabis sativa that fall under that hemp umbrella, as it were, contain less than .3% THC. THC itself is the primary psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant. In other words, it’s the thing that makes cannabis what it is for people that use it.

You may be surprised by how many people buy hemp products. One of the appeals of hemp is that it can be used in a wide variety of different manners, all of them yielding different products as a result. Hemp paper, hemp seeds, hemp oil, hemp fibers, hemp extracts, hemp protein, hemp plastic, hemp fuel, and a varieties of products made from hemp are gaining popularity as the hemp plant is becoming more accepted in our culture. Consuming hemp has a variety of benefits. Furthermore, hemp is more broadly legal than cannabis, though its production itself is a slightly trickier issue.

For example, NC hemp is legal to produce, as dictated by federal law. A more expansive production in the future, yielding benefits for both hemp consumers and the NC economy in general. With that being said, let’s look into some of the different hemp products that can be created and consumed.

1. Hemp Seeds and Hemp Seed Oil

Believe it or not, you can consume both hemp seeds and cold pressed hemp oil. These are the types of products that distributors may want to buy bulk hemp for, as they can be used in several different recipes. Hemp seeds are known for being quite nutritious and easy to eat and are often consumed by athletes due to how clean they are and eating hemp seeds have many digestive and nutritional benefits. Hemp seeds for consumption come from industrial hemp and each plant can produce thousands of seeds. They can be compared to flax seeds and chia seeds in terms of their texture and nutty flavor, and they presumably could be used to substitute for those seeds in different recipes.

Hemp seeds are also easy to digest and are full of protein. Of course, if you’d rather cook with hemp in a more liquid form, you can consider hemp oil. This oil is full of Omega 3 essential fatty acids and has been connected to skin and nail benefits. Furthermore, there is apparently a connection between hemp seed oil and reduced inflammation, reducing blood pressure, boosting the immune system, and balancing cholesterol levels. Adding hemp seeds to salads and to smoothies are an easy way to add essential amino acids to your diet.

You could theoretically rub hemp seed oil into your skin, or use it in the same way that you would use olive oil or vegetable oil when cooking for various skin conditions. It’s creamy texture makes a great moisturizer. Due to the large amount of Vitamin E in these oils, some have used it for conditions like atopic dermatitis. Hopefully, NC hemp production will lead to these simple products being more widely available.

2. Hemp Consumables

Hemp is being made into many different types of consumables. Unlike marijuana, hemp consumables are often categorized in health foods and as a natural remedy for ailments as opposed to a recreational substance. CBD products like CBD oil have made a huge wave in the past few years.

Hemp milk has been around in grocery stores for decades, touted for its health benefits like its healthy fats such as omega 3 fatty acids and omega 6 fatty acids. It’s also great for a balanced diet and is an alternative to cow’s milk in a vegan diet. Hemp milk is packed with amino acids, minerals, and fiber and is a complete protein, making it a great addition to your diet for overall health benefits.

Hemp milk also a great alternative to almond milk and soy milk (and provides more protein) for those not wanting to contribute to the negative environmental benefits that the almond industry can pose. Those looking for dietary fiber will find it in dietary hempseed.

3. Clothes

After companies buy bulk hemp flowers, they can convert the industrial hemp plants into fibers that can be used to produce sustainable clothes and shoes. Industrial hemp is a hardy and renewable resource that’s been used for centuries. This sustainability makes hemp an even more appealing product, as the clothes are subsequently more easily recyclable, whether the clothes are made from NC hemp or Georgia hemp.

Hemp shirts are one of the first clothing items to hit the market. But it will be a while before you need to recycle them. Hemp fiber is quite strong. Industrial hemp crops produce large numbers of acres and are easy to grow, do not need many of the world’s pesticides to maintain yields, and are the perfect substitute for crops like cotton. Hemp crops were grown in large numbers in World War II for their use in ropes and other textiles.

Bonus:

Hemp Perfume

Yes, believe it or not, hemp has been converted into perfume as well. The benefits of these types of perfume are manifold, so it’s no wonder that wholesale hemp flowers are sometimes converted into them. Hemp flowers naturally contain tiny concentrations of extremely potent aromatic oils called terpenes. These terpenes smell amazing, are often compared to cloves, and have a diverse flavor profile as well.

Ultimately, one of the main reasons why people use hemp perfume is that it creates a calming effect, similar to aromatherapy. Why not smell good and feel better at the same time? Furthermore, it’s possible that cultivating different strains of hemp will create different scent varieties. It remains to be seen if programs like the NC hemp pilot program will eventually yield to this kind of cultivated production.

There are so many reasons why you should consider trying hemp products out, partially because hemp has so many uses! We’ve barely scratched the surface.

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