Hemp has been used in the production of clothing as early as 8,000 BC. Hemp is used for clothing, paper, building materials, sails, and to print money, among many many other uses. BMW and Mercedes use hemp composites in constructing door panels and dashboards for their automobiles.
Hemp and the environment
Hemp is great for the environment because as a weed, it requires little to no pesticides to grow. It grows very quickly (to about 10-20 feet in less than a year). Hemp also rejuvenates the soil it is grown in as opposed to depleting it.
It takes about a half-pound of chemicals to process a cotton shirt, whereas a hemp shirt requires almost no chemicals in its production. So you can see that purchasing a hemp garment instead of a cotton garment has a direct positive effect on our environment.
Hemp grows in other countries, why not the US?
The US currently makes no differentiation between hemp and marijuana. This has protected many big industries like pulp and paper, the cotton industry, and even oil companies from having to compete with such a versatile resource.
Hemp has the potential - as pointed out in Jack Herer’s book, to replace all of these industries and provide the resources that we need for our energy, paper, textiles, and proteins.
Take a look at some of the information found on this website. There is video, some excellent articles, and a large collection of related websites that provide some solid information about the environment and green living.
Additionally, take a look at the hemp garments offered, and the positive changes they make to our environment.