We talk a lot about wonderful weed and all the uses for it.
Though cannabis is an amazing plant with many purposes, it’s time to focus on cannabis’ also versatile, but often underappreciated cousin: hemp.
Check out some of these surprising uses for hemp!
Substitute for Fish Oil
Health aficionados know that fish oil contains fatty acids essential for the body’s nutrition.
Unfortunately, fish oil is expensive and can be hard to come by, due to things like overfishing. Vegans and many vegetarians also cannot take fish oil due to their diets.
Luckily hemp contains many of the same beneficial fatty and amino acids, and as such makes a perfectly viable alternative to fish oil.
Birdseed
I’m certain you didn’t know this (I certainly didn’t), but one of the most surprising uses for hemp is as a birdseed. In fact, many types of birdseed include hemp.
Most birds actually prefer hemp over other types of seed. Hemp can be given to other pets as well because it contains the same nutrients I mentioned above.
Longer Lasting Paper
You probably knew that hemp could be used as paper. In fact, hemp has been used as paper for thousands of years.
The reason for this is because hemp does not degrade or fade with time.
Hemp grows much faster than trees (obviously) and is much more ecologically friendly than regular wood.
Download my free marijuana grow guide and start growing high quality strains
Marijuana Grow Bible
- Grow with my Quick Start Guide
- Discover secrets to Big Yields
- Avoid common grow mistakes
Biofuel
This could end up being one of the most amazing uses for hemp yet.
Currently researchers are looking into the feasibility of hemp as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Hemp is renewable and does not release nearly as many greenhouse gases into the air.
Alternative to Concrete
One of the most surprising uses for hemp is as an alternative to concrete.
Hemp concrete, most often referred to as “hempcrete” is waterproof, lightweight, fireproof and more flexible than concrete.
Hempcrete can also be used to make pipes, insulation, and of course, bricks. Hempcrete is becoming more and more popular for building houses.
Who knows, maybe it will replace concrete someday.
Plastic Alternative
Hemp is just as strong as plastic with none of the toxic chemicals that are used to make standard plastics.
Hemp has been used as an alternative to plastic for many years, but you’d be surprised how many people aren’t aware that it is much stronger and more inexpensive to make than regular plastic.
Henry Ford even made a prototype of a car that was made almost entirely from hemp.
Insulation
As stated above, hemp can make a wonderful insulation for a house. The material is self insulating, lightweight and extremely durable.
It also contains no toxic chemicals and is relatively easy and inexpensive to make! The best part of all: Hemp insulation actually absorbs more carbon than it releases over its lifetime.
Antibacterial Fabric
Now we are getting into the really surprising, not to mention amazing uses for hemp.
Currently, a company in Colorado called EnviroTextile is looking into developing an antibacterial fabric made from hemp.
This could be used to help stop the spread of the bacteria Staphylococcus, the bacteria that causes the often deadly Staph infection. Research is still a work in progress, but researchers are optimistic.
Inexpensive Replacement for Graphene
Graphene is often called the “future of nanotechnology”. The material is virtually weightless, while also being incredibly strong and thin.
Hemp is supposedly even stronger and not to mention way less expensive than graphene. Hemp could be the future of technology.