A Little Hemp History
Ancient Commodity
Since at least 8000 BC in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, the Cannabis sativa L. plant has been exploited for human benefit. Hemp is a particular variety of Cannabis, and has served as an important resource in the production of durable goods. The ancient Chinese credited the Emperor Shen Nung for introducing the Cannabis plant they called ma in the 28th century BC. The wild Cannabis ancestor is believed to have grown somewhere in a general area between western China and the eastern Caucasus, north of the Hindu Kush. This ancestral species is not found today.
Cannabis grows just about anywhere, even in poor soils, without much need for fertilizer. Insect pests mostly leave it alone. Its roots push deep into subsoil, bringing up important nutrients and moisture even in dry seasons. Its six- to eight-foot-tall main stalk sends off multiple side branches, all of which contain long, strong fibers. At the end of the growing season, each branching tip contains hundreds of seeds.
Before cotton, hemp and flax were the principal crops used for fabric in temperate cultures. In antebellum America, hemp homespun called "Kentucky jeans" was commonly used to clothe the slave population. But hemp's major use was as a cordage fiber. Its natural resistance to rot and salt damage made it especially ideal for maritime uses. So critical was hemp to naval powers that laws were passed in England and in the American colonies requiring farmers to allot a portion of their acreage to the production of hemp. For a time following the War of Independence, farmers could pay their taxes in hemp. George Washington admonished: "Sow it everywhere."
Hemp's excellence as a paper-making fiber was discovered by the ancient Chinese. Both the U. S. Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were drafted on hemp paper, then copied onto parchment. Paper made of hemp lasts many times longer than if made of wood and is considered a specialty paper (archival paper, parchment, cigarette papers) with high strength even if wet (coffee filters, tea bags).
In ancient times, people added handfuls of hemp fiber to their clay to strengthen bricks for building. At least one medieval French bridge made of hemp cement still stands.
Hemp seed, 30% oil by volume, has been used throughout history for animal feed and to produce oil. Hemp seed oil has been an important source of lamp oil, cooking fuel, and human food.
Modern proponents of hemp expect to revive long lost usages of hemp in addition to exploring many possible and as yet undiscovered applications of this versatile plant's inherent properties.
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