As prominent lovers of marijuana, here at Greeley Gallery’s recreational dispensary, we love the whole cannabis family. Including its cousin, the hemp plant. So this week, we’re going to investigate a pretty big claim that hemp is a solution for combating climate change.
Global warming is on everyone’s mind, especially while humanity faces freakishly dystopic weather. We know we need to change the way we live as a society, and we need to change it now. Our systems are outdated and responsible for far too much pollution. It’s time to create new ideas and strategies. Ones that will challenge engineers and entrepreneurs to find sustainable solutions for the gross negligence that’s been running things for centuries.
But where can we start? What can we do? How can we help? And what alternatives do we have when it comes to changing the world? Well, we’ve written about hemp before and touched on how remarkably versatile the plant is. Now we want to know, can cannabis (by way of hemp) help climate change?
Hemp Requires Less Everything
Experts worldwide agree hemp is one of (if not is the) most versatile plant in the known world—and it’s incredibly environmentally friendly. The most significant reason hemp is so amazing is because it doesn’t require much watering or nutrients, which means it would help us save our precious water. Requiring less fertilizer also helps.
Additionally, hemp grows super-fast, which means farmers get a ton of product from a smaller portion of land. This is even better because hemp can grow practically anywhere. Every country, in every area, all over the world hemp can grow.
But the most exciting aspect of hemp is how low the carbon footprint is. Much of the building materials we’re currently using and even food require large quantities of CO2 to produce. But hemp is unique in that when farmed correctly. Its carbon footprint can actually be smaller than the amount of carbon the plant absorbs. This means that when done well, hemp can be a carbon-negative crop.
Oh, and did we mention hemp also heals soil? Cool, right?! Most plants feed off the nutrients in the soil, depleting it in the process. Hemp replenishes the soil by pumping it full of carbon compounds and nitrogen, making the ground it is planted in carbon storage.
It doesn’t just do this in the ground, though. Hemp fibers are made from carbon, and by using it or building with it, you’re storing the carbon in our structures instead of the sky. It sounds like an overall win, especially since it requires less maintenance, water, fertilization, and space.
Hemp Offers More Everything
Hemp is so versatile, it’s practically magic. Hemp is edible, and there are already plenty of hemp foods and drinks available. Hemp milk, for example, actually has more healthy fats, essential amino acids, and more protein than any other plant-based milk—similarly, the benefits of hemp oil also rivals olive oil.
Hemp can be used for building materials. Its fibrous nature makes it perfect for creating rope, insulation, plasterboards, and building blocks—all of which are already available today. Currently, making and selling current building materials negatively impacts the environment and leaves a massive trail of CO2 along the way.
Aside from food and building materials, hemp can overtake and transform several major industries. Its fibers can also create clothing and cotton, which would revolutionize the fashion industry, not to mention the possibilities of turning it into fuel. Forget oil. Hemp can be transformed into an array of biofuels such as kerosene, bioethanol, diesel, and petrol. This means hemp can continue powering vehicles currently dependent on fossil fuels.
Final Thoughts
Can cannabis save the world? More research is probably needed to know for sure, but even if it can’t combat it all together, it’s clear shifting our focus to hemp can make a significant impact. It seems like a simple solution to try. We probably would have figured all of this out long ago if it wasn’t for the stigma surrounding the cannabis plant.
Be sure to stop into Greeley Gallery in north Portland near Arbor Lodge Park. We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality cannabis products for both medicinal and recreational marijuana consumers. Our goal is to ensure you have the best experience possible, and that includes sharing our knowledge. We hope you’ve enjoyed this post, and we can’t wait to see you again.
