Hemp is a carbohydrate, hemp is wood,
hemp is a renewable, sustainable resource that can help get the world
off of the fossil fuel train that is heading off the steep cliff
of disaster. None of the arguments for a new and better
resource, justifies neglecting efforts to cut down on resource
consumption. We need to recycle virtually everything
possible, including greenhouse gasses. We can do this by using
hemp.
2. HEMP FEEDSTOCKS
Hemp is wood, and wood makes paper.
Wood also makes wood alcohol or methanol by dry distillation or
pyrolysis. "Pyrolysis has been used since the dawn of
civilization. Ancient Egyptians practiced wood
distillation by collecting the tars and pyroligneous acid for use in
their embalming industry." (From Energy Farming in America, by
Lynn Osburn).
Hemp is wood. These
sun-bleached sticks are called hemp hurds, which U.S. Dept. of
Agriculture Bulletin 404, 1918, says makes fine paper, fine
enough for book stock. And wood for wood alcohol, wood for
plastics, and wood to burn for energy.
Methanol is used to produce formaldehyde
(from which resins and plastics can be made), methyl-ter-butyl ether
(MTB, a replacement for lead as an octane-booster in gasoline), vinyl
acetate (largely used in paint manufacture), and gasoline. When
pure, methanol is a colorless, flammable liquid with a pleasant odor,
and is highly poisonous.
Ethanol which can also be produced from
hemp, is used as a raw material in the manufacture of ether, chloral,
and iodoform. It can also be added to gasoline, where it
improves the performance of the engine, or be used as a fuel in
its own right. Crops such as sugar cane may also be grown to
provide ethanol (by fermentation) for this purpose.
*****
3. HEMPSEED OIL PRODUCTS
During the Congressional hearings on the 1937
Marijuana Tax Act, Ralph Loziers of the National Oil Seed Institute,
representing paint manufacturers and high quality machine lubrication
processors, showed up to disagree with the Act. He
testified: "In the past 3 years there have been
193,000,000 pounds of hemp seed imported into this country, or an
average of 64,000,000 pounds a year..."
What is the oil used for, he was asked. "It is
a drying oil, and its use is comparable to that of linseed oil or a
perilla oil. It has a high iodine principle or strength. It is a
rapidly drying oil to use in paints. It is also used in soap
and in linoleum."(p.61.)
Hempseeds from China.
The hempseeds are pressed for
oil, and contain about 30% oil by weight.
This advertising campaign for
Alterna Company landed them in hot water with the plant haters
of America.
The Body Shop had there own
campaign and was not slowed in their Great Smear Campaign.
We wish we could use some of this oil to
grease the wheels of justice to legalize the plant for
America's farmers.
Some of the hempseed oil products
in the Museum collection. Lip balm, soaps, salve,
shampoos, shoe cream, massage oil, crayons.
Hemp oil lip balm.
Hempseed oil candles and wicks.
Some products are hard to figure
out the ingredients.
4. OTHER HEMP FEEDSTOCKS
Hempire Materials: Application of Hemp and Lime Plaster
The Curator made this glue out of
the liquid from the boiling pulp, which was boiled down until
it was a thick boiling brown mass. The glue was water
soluble, and seemed to absorb moisture from the air.
When dry no one could pull the two boards apart with their
hands.
If you would like to join the USA Hemp Museum
or communicate with the curator, send an
email to
