Hemp is considered a natural resource of great versatility and multiple uses.
It accompanied humanity in its evolutionary path until the middle of the last century.
At the beginning of the twentieth century it was mainly used as a fiber plant with which fabrics, ropes and cellulose used for paper production were produced. In every home there was hemp fabric in the form of tablecloths and other household linen, curtains, clothing, trousseaus. The fabrics were also used in the production of sails for naval vessels. On an artistic level, hemp was used in the production of canvases and was highly sought after by international painters. Van Gogh and Rembrandt, for example, used it constantly.
For medical and officinal use , hemp has always been a widely used and appreciated plant, studied and sought after for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic and antiepileptic properties. Before 1850, in Europe, many studies were published on the experimentation and medical use of hemp.
After the 1930s, industrial choices were made that favored consumerism over a more conservative and environmentally friendly vision represented by the natural cultivation of hemp and other fibers. Since then, natural products have been replaced by products of synthetic origin (petroleum and derivatives for the production of plastic, nylon, etc.) and a mentality aimed at disposable has developed. Even in the pharmaceutical field, hemp has been replaced by products made of synthetic fibers and by opium derivatives.
Even at the government level in various countries around the world, campaigns of prohibition and comparison of industrial hemp to recreational and/or psychotropic hemp (so-called marijuana) have been implemented. Only in the 60s/70s, following international scientific publications, did people timidly return to talking about the health and environmental properties of the hemp plant in general.
In recent years , fortunately, the natural and environmental qualities of the plant are being rediscovered. Even the cultivation methods have changed and are changing thanks to applied research that is helping to regenerate the sector. From a fiber plant to a seed plant, fiber, cellulose and other raw materials for infinite applications (oils, etc.).
Today, hemp can be used for an infinite number of applications and in many product sectors : food, cosmetics, medical, pharmaceutical, construction (green building), agriculture, bioplastic manufacturing, bioenergy (biomass for energy production), nanotechnology, without forgetting textiles and paper.
In the next articles we will talk about the uses of hemp in individual sectors.
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