My name is Sam Higginbotham and welcome to The Industrial Hemp Blog! I’m currently a senior studying Electronic Media and Advertising at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Alongside finishing my education, I’m also focused towards the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp.
“Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp fields?” ~ Henry Ford
https://www.azquotes.com/quote/543548?ref=hemp
Before we take the dive into more specific news and details of this industry, I figured it’d be best to start by clarifying the most common misconception surrounding industrial hemp;
FALSE: Hemp and Marijuana are the same thing.
(L)Industrial Hemp (sativa) – H. Zell | (R) Marijuana (indica) – Axsadi Sánchez de Tagle
Although both plants are a part of the cannabis family, the two are drastically different on chemical and industrial levels. While marijuana (right) plants are grown in a manner to grow to average height and focus towards higher flower yields, industrial hemp (left) plants are grown taller and skinnier in order to maximize stalk yields during harvest.
Asides from physical appearance and cultivation techniques, these plants also differ on a chemical level. The majority of marijuana grown is cultivated with high THC percentage as the main focus. THC is the psychoactive component found in marijuana buds, which is why people catch a buzz when smoked. Industrial hemp contains minuscule amounts of THC, generally below 0.3%. This is not nearly enough to get psychoactive effects. Furthermore, the flower that hemp does produce is usually high in CBD, a chemical which has been shown to naturally calm your mind, promote relaxation, and ease pain caused by a multitude of health issues. I hope this provides some clarity on this hot topic, and feel free to post any questions you may have in the comments section. Thanks for reading and stop by again soon!
-Sam Higginbotham