Hemp's many uses by Michelle Newhart

Add your hemp posts!

mn210_2 — 2025-04-28 19:56:16 UTC

Use the + in the lower right to add a post with an image and written or audio description of a unique use of hemp! Include your name. Like other posts you notice to encourage your classmates!

We can use it to build wow!

2025-05-05 20:06:56 UTC

We all know and have heard a few times throughout class that hemp can be used for clothing and fabric etc. due to its fibers. I thought that was cool but what I also thought was cool was when I heard in the video activity about building materials being made from hemp so I give you hempcrete! It’s a concrete alternative that is nontoxic and resistant to a lot of the environmental elements and factors we all fear! It’s something that is sustainable and very useful also last for a really long time. Breathable too? Oh my I think that that is pretty important when we live in Humboldt. I really wanted to do some digging though after the sisters said that hemp can be used for building because it’s always interesting to find alternatives to things that are actually harmful to our environment.

Biofuel

tpu1_1 — 2025-05-06 04:59:06 UTC

Hemp can be used as a better alternative to fossil fuels. Oil is extracted from the hemp seeds then that can be processed into biodiesel this process is called transesterification. The fibrous stalks of the hemp plant can be converted into ethanol or methanol which are alcohol based biofuels. Hemp is a renewable energy source so this can help with reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Hemp matures within a 3-4 month span this would allow for multiple harvests within the year. Overall hemp is low in environmental impact while having benefits for healing the soil and it requires less water unlike most plants.

An OG supporter

2025-05-06 17:22:39 UTC

Benjamin Franklin is one of the more well know figures associated with the support of hemp! Good ole' Ben actually owned a paper mill in Philadelphia and included hemp and flex fibers for recycled materials. These materials were often used for newspapers, official documents and books. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson also grew hemp on a large scale! In Franklins time, hemp was actually widely grown in American Colonies! Franklin advocated for agricultural innovation which directly supported the cultivation of hemp!

Lotion & Skincare

2025-05-07 02:20:32 UTC

I initially thought that the main uses of hemp would be more industrial. Like bags or livestock & typical things like that. But after doing a lot more research throughout this semester, it turns out it can be used for a bunch more items. Such as Hempz lotion, which I use, but for some reason, I didn't realize it had hemp in it, even though it's clearly in the name. But there are hundreds of more products that use hem,p like skincare, for example, some products from Drunk Elephant & Burt Bees. The reason why hemp oil is so heavily used for the skin is that the oil strengthens the skin's natural barrier, protecting against environmental damage, and providing key vitamins and fatty acids.

Textiles: bags

2025-05-07 04:38:15 UTC

Hemp can be used as textile, & my favorite way that hemp is used is bags. They are a sustainable alternative to synthetic & leather. It can be used for daily commuting, school, hiking, or travel. It's made from strong hemp fibers. I have a hemp bag that I got in middle school when I went to Mexico and it is still holding up very well. My favorite part about these bags is that they are durable but also eco-friendly compared to other bags. Hemp softens over time without weakening, making it age well. They can be used for multiple things, such as carrying a laptop, groceries, or just everyday use. They are also very easy to maintain and clean compared to other materials.

plastic

2025-05-07 05:30:59 UTC

Hemp itself has so many uses, but for this post, I’m going to highlight how hemp is used with plastic. When doing a quick search on most stuff hemp related we see that it is big on renewables. Along with it being a renewable the hemp plant itself is a canopy crop so it protects soil for being out in the sun which will help with the plants growth and in turn give us more crop to make hemp plastic. I’ve talked a bit about why hemp is good but incorporating it with plastic will only help better the environment

Hemp Seed Oil for reducing inflammation and pain

2025-05-08 20:36:31 UTC

Hemp seed oil can be used as an oral supplement to help reduce inflammation. This is due to the Gamma-Linoleic Acid present that helps reduce inflammation among many other benefits. Hemp seed oil is also listed as being useful for pain relief in pain not related to inflammation but especially helpful with pain related to inflammation such as pain from injuries and autoimmune disorders. It is suggested to take 1-2 teaspoons daily, alone or in food as a cold oil. Hemp seed oil can also be applied topically to the affected area. The National Institute of Health conducted a study using hemp seed oil as complimentary treatment for knee osteoarthritis, with the control group taking hemp seed oil alone and the treatment group taking hemp seed oil + terpenes. The outcome supported the effectiveness of hemp seed oil for pain and inflammation relief, both the control group and the treatment group reported improvement but the treatment group reported significantly greater improvement in joint pain and function.

Ford Hemp Car

2025-05-08 23:12:38 UTC

This is a picture of the Ford "Hemp Car" mentioned in one of the videos for this week. The body is made of plant products, including hemp. It was made to run on hemp oil. You may be aware that diesel engines can be made to run on vegetable oil, so the idea of using hemp oil for this purpose should not be that unusual. Ford developed this car shortly before WW II and proposed it as a way to produce vehicles when steel and petroleum were in short supply due to war production. As mentioned in the video, there is a distinct possibility that the Marijuana Tax Act had backing from industries that felt hemp was a serious competitor (e.g. lumber, fiber, petroleum, etc.) and not just Harry Anslinger's Reefer Madness supporters. Because of the issues associated with the hemp industry after the war Ford abandoned the project.

Pottery

2025-05-10 18:03:34 UTC

Archaeologists have discovered several pottery pieces across different parts of Asia and Europe with cordage impressions along the vessels. One example was at the site Yuan-Shan in modern day Taiwan, where a pottery piece was found dating around 8,000 BCE. These impressions were made using hemp cords, pressed into the piece during the drying stage. While the exact reason for this is not known, it could have been for decoration, advertising, or labelling the piece for specific storage use.

Hemp for Soil Remediation

2025-05-10 20:48:30 UTC

One lesser known but powerful use of hemp we learned is it's ability to clean and restore contaminated soil through phytoremediation. This is the process where plants absorb pollutants, heavy metals, and toxins from the ground. Hemp is especially effective at this and was famously used near Chernobyl to help remove radioactive materials from the soil. Its deep roots also help aerate and rebuild damaged soil structure, improving its overall health and usability. As concerns about pollution and industrial waste grow, hemp offers a natural regenerative solution to heal land that would otherwise be unusable. This makes it a vital piece in sustainable agriculture and environmental recovery.

Hemp Milk

2025-05-11 02:47:23 UTC

attached voice file and photo separate- couldn't figure out how to post together

Hemp Milk

2025-05-11 02:47:42 UTC

attached voice file and photo separate- couldn't figure out how to post together

Paper!

2025-05-11 20:26:27 UTC

Hemp can be used as an alternative resource for paper! it is a much more structurally strong product as compared to paper and can be recycled much more frequently. With these pro's, one hectare of hemp also can produce as much paper as 4-10 hectares of trees! A much more spatially viable product for multiple uses and applications.

animal feed

2025-05-11 20:42:40 UTC

one interesting way that hemp can be used is as animal feed. Hemp is high in fiber, fats, and protein and has been found to help improve the diets of livestock. they can grind the hemp down and form them into pellets to sell in bulk. Hemp is a potential substitute for soy beans and other animal feed.

Hemp Biodiesel

2025-05-12 00:27:35 UTC

Hemp Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from the oil of industrial hemp seeds. Unlike fossil fuels, this kind of fuel is carbon-neutral, meaning it isn't adding a ton of extra CO2 into the atmosphere. I believe hemp is great not only because of fuel like this, but because hemp is environmentally friendly and can provide a great deal of uses to the Earth. While there are some hurdles between now and a future where this fuel is more common, hemp biodiesel still offers a sustainable and cleaner alternative to traditional fuels and could soon play a large part in the future of energy.

Insulation

2025-05-12 03:42:10 UTC

Hemp has been recently and notoriously used as insulation for houses. In contrast to traditional asbestos, hemp insulation is non-toxic. Another fact about hemp insulation is that it is mold resistant and resistant to pests. Actually, there are a few new production plants opening up in Humboldt that will be producing hemp insulation. Another fun fact is that hemp is a renewable resource and is much more produced and better for the housing industry and production, that makes it easier to keep homes heated and cooled and added protection as the hemp insulation has great durability.

Bicycle

2025-05-12 04:06:50 UTC

Hemp is now being used to develop a more sustainable way of making bicycles. Bicycling is already a fairly green and sustainable way of getting around, but a new bicycle was recently debuted at the Dutch Design Week in New Zealand. At first, the durability of this bike was called into question, with many assuming it would break fairly easy and have a low weight capacity. Fortunately, an avid bicyclist, Nicholas Meyer, put this bike to the test. He would use a hemp bike to compete in multiple triathlons, pushing the full limits of this bicycle. The bike has so far survived and surpassed all tests, leaving positive signs for the future.

Hemp has extensive applications but wanted to focus on potential applications in space.

2025-05-12 05:10:16 UTC

Hemp has phytoremediation properties, meaning it can absorb contaminants from soil and water. While this may have limited use in controlled environments, it suggests potential in early-stage terraforming or planetary remediation research. Hemp’s deep taproot system helps aerate and regenerate soil, a useful trait if terraforming or bioengineering planetary surfaces ever becomes feasible.

Hemp fibers are strong, lightweight, and biodegradable. (regenerative biomaterial)

Hemp seeds are high in protein, omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, and essential minerals. (nutrition)

Hemp-derived carbon nanosheets have been researched as a cheaper, environmentally friendly alternative to graphene in supercapacitors. Which may enable energy storage solutions for off-grid or solar-powered systems. (bioenergy)

Such applications support closed-loop systems, essential for reducing supply chain dependency and ecological impact.

Cannabis, a plant with long-standing medicinal, cultural, and spiritual significance across Indigenous and colonized communities, has often been criminalized and commodified through systems of racialized control. Any future role for cannabis in space must be situated within a framework that recognizes these legacies. Rather than advancing techno-capitalist agendas that strip the plant of its cultural context, its integration should reflect an ethic of respect for ecological knowledge and historical continuity. Incorporating cannabis into space programs without addressing these dimensions risks replicating the same systems of exclusion and exploitation that have shaped terrestrial policies.

Phytochemical expression in microgravity: Space alters gene expression and plant chemistry. Studying how cannabinoids are synthesized in microgravity could expand both pharmacological and biological knowledge.

Hemp (seed) Flour

2025-05-12 05:51:24 UTC

We know hemp can be used as a food source - but, did you know the many different forms hemp can be used in food? For one, Hemp seeds can be grounded up and used as flour.

Being a gluten-free source & rich in healthy fats, magnesium, fiber, protein, low in carbs and high in nutrients - with so many health benefits, its incomprehensible why the Hemp industry's' been on the back-burner.. I'm sure it has to do with major food corporations and their power over the industry - I know we can all benefit from the plant!

Hemp is also high in vitamin E, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc.

A SUPERFOOD!!

Clothing

2025-05-12 06:35:41 UTC

With the videos we watched this week, we learned that hemp was used to make clothing. Something that I thought was cool was that hemp doesn't need much water to survive, unlike other crops such as cotton. Clothes made with hemp feel soft and are hefty. Clothing made out of hemp is known to keep one cool, fight off odors, and help protect one from harmful UV rays. It's known to blend well with other fabrics, making it very versatile. Many people and companies use hemp because it's sustainable and eco-friendly.

Hempcrete

2025-05-12 06:41:35 UTC

Surprisingly enough hemp can even be used to make houses now. Hempcrete is a bio-composite made of shives, or the inner woody cores, combined with water and a lime based substance. Hempcrete is practically the best available bio-based building material at the moment for a variety of reasons. It is great at insulating properties and in turn will save the owner thousands of dollars through energy bills. It also is extremely resistant to mold, termites, and even other things like fire. In addition to all this hempcrete is highly sustainable when compared to concrete as it actually absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Clothing

2025-05-12 06:43:30 UTC

Hemp has been used in clothing for thousands of years, earliest known use was china in 2800BCE!

Because hemp is about three times stronger than cotton it was ideal for everyday use and wear for many people. Used in clothing it’s very breathable and light, as well as it protects from UV rays.

hemp grows very quickly with low amounts of water and no use for pesticides, which is why it’s considered the most sustainable materials for textiles!