The use of hemp plants is rapidly growing, making the hemp and marijuana industries two of the most promising industries for the future, despite quite a few regulations surrounding the growth and use of hemp and other cannabinoids in Canada and the United States.

Measures are already being taken to legalize recreational marijuana in Canada by the end of 2018. On a global level, the cannabis market is projected to reach up to $55.8 billion by 2025, with more players constantly entering the market.

So as cannabinoids like hemp continue to become more common, here are three things you likely didn’t know about hemp that gives you an idea of its usefulness.

#1: Hemp Can Heal The Soil

One of the greatest benefits of hemp is that it can be used to remove toxins from the soil.

As our population continues to grow on a global scale, so also does the need for more land to grow the crops that keep people fed. However, humans’ dependence on fossil fuels and other industrial processes that dirty our land have made some vast, toxic areas incapable of sustaining life.

Enter the rapidly growing field of “bioremediation.” Bioremediation means using living things to heal the earth, which allows us to reclaim some polluted lands that had been in great need of detoxification. Bacteria and microorganisms can be used in some cases to accomplish this task, but true phytoremediation relies on crops like hemp to clean up the soil.

In Chernobyl, for example, after the 1986 nuclear disaster that resulted in a spread of radioactive waste across Eastern Europe, more than 100,000 square kilometers of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were rendered practically unusable. Then, in the late 1990s, a company called Phytotech used industrial hemp in some of these Ukrainian regions, to highly promising results, removing radioactive elements from soil and water.

#2: Development Of Fiber Products

Perhaps the most common use for industrial hemp is developing a variety of fiber-based products. Some examples?

Hemp-based paper lasts longer than standard paper and does not yellow over time, which has made it a popular type of paper to be used for printing bibles. Hemp fabrics are light and soft, and therefore are a popular choice to be used for men’s boxers and other underwear. Cat scratching posts often feature sturdy, wound hemp ropes around poles. These are just three of thousands of examples of hemp fiber-based products.

#3: Hemp Based Organizations Abound

As the hemp industry continues to take off, numerous organizations are springing up to provide support for hemp producers and growers. Examples here in Canada include the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, the Canada Hemp Growers Association and the National Hemp Association.

To learn more about hemp, it’s beneficial uses or the future of the industry, contact us today at Soil Advocates.