It’s Hemp History week!
What is hemp?
Hemp is a plant that can be used for just about anything that is woven into American history! Hemp is a cannabis plant that is grown specifically for industrial use. As one of the most versatile plants on earth, hemp has a staggering number of uses including clothing, textiles, paper, food, biofuel, paint, insulation, animal feed, rope, biodegradable plastics, building materials and many more! Different from other commonly thought of cannabis plants, hemp has high concentrations of CBD and very low concentrations (<0.3%) of the psychoactive THC. Hemp has been demonized over the years due to lack of understanding around the differences between marijuana and hemp. Let’s talk a little bit more about the fascinating history of hemp!
Hemp History:
Hemp has a long history in American. European settlers in North America started growing hemp in the early 1600’s. Even the founding fathers grew hemp – the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper! In 1937 hemp was lumped in with marijuana and effectively became illegal. Then during World War II, the need for hemp made materials became an essential part of the war effort. The USDA created the “Hemp for Victory” program to encourage US farmers to grow hemp.
Then in 1970 hemp was classified as marijuana under the Controlled Substances act despite decades of government funded research showing it was distinctly different in structure and function. Sadly hemp became illegal again and the US saw a dramatic increase in synthetic fabrics. After decades of effort from hemp advocates, the Federal Farm Bill of 2014 made growing hemp legal again. Colorado, Kentucky, and Vermont were the first trailblazers to start growing it. Finally in 2018 the Farm Bill and the Hemp Farming Amendment removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and hemp farming became legal all over the US!
Hemp Week celebrates this amazing plant that has regenerative agricultural properties, creates renewable resources and supports plant-based nutrition and healthy lifestyles! Agriculturally hemp nets 2.5 times the value of corn and soy, helps with soil remediation, creates prolific pollen production for bees, does not require any fertilizers to grow, does not need any pesticides or herbicides (which also supports the bees!) and requires 50-70% less water than cotton!
Hemp Clothing & Sustainability:
I would like to highlight my favorite hemp product – hemp clothing! Hemp is a very sustainable source of clothing because it requires less water, does not deplete the soil, and does not require pesticides and herbicides – so it is good for you and for mother earth! It is naturally stronger and more durable than cotton and linen, leading to longer lasting clothes that do not wear out quickly and end up in a landfill. Since it’s naturally antimicrobial, it is ideal workout clothing as it will not smell after you sweat in it. Plus modern day processing helps transform this super fiber into a soft, lucious, form fitting clothing!
Hemp Momma Product Review
Hemp Momma is an amazing new sustainable clothing line that believes style and sustainability should go hand in hand. They have a burning desire to turn the throwaway fashion industry on its head and create a sustainable fashion revolution! I can attest firsthand that their clothes have incredible style, high quality fabrics and the softest clothing I have ever touched! Hemp Momma has everyday essentials, lifestyle, and activewear – all of which is cute and comfy. They launched with 17 different clothing articles and promise to release more every month!
I purchased the Julz Tee Dress and will definitely buy more Hemp Momma clothing! The Julz Tee Dress is extremely comfortable. It is versatile enough to be worn around the house or dressed up to go out on the town. Besides being soft and stylish, my favorite part is that it has POCKETS! Almost all women’s clothing does not have pockets, clothes with pockets gets me really excited! I strongly recommend checking out Hemp Momma clothing benefits for yourself – go to this website to learn more!
