The entire hemp plant can be used, from stalk to seed, and is used for more than consumption. CBD oil is extracted from hemp leaves and flowers. Hemp can thrive in a variety of environments but performs best in warmer areas with easily drained soil that is rich in organic material. Hemp is a stable and ideal plant because it can grow without pesticides and is a high-yield crop.
The extensive time that hemp has been used means that it has a dense history. It is assumed that hemp is the first domestically cultivated plant. In parts of the Americas, hemp was used as legal tender and could be used to pay taxes. Fun Fact: Levi Jeans were originally made from hemp sailcloth, for gold miners in California, who would fill their pockets with gold. The beauty of hemp is that the uses for it are seemingly endless. Henry Ford, founder of the famous Ford Motor Company, joined the hemp action and created a plastic car in 1941 that ran on hemp and other plant-based fuels.
The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 legalized industrial hemp that has a THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) concentration of 0.3% or less (THC is the psychoactive component of marijuana). This bill removed hemp from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act. According to the documentary, “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High,” the assumed first marijuana law in the United States required farmers to grow hemp in 1619.