Hemp

             Hemp has been found to have a variety of uses. It can be made into many different products. Some people speculate that it will fuel the nation in the future.
             Small numbers of workers are required to cultivate hemp. Hemp is an easy crop to grow, and its fibers can be easily extracted from its stalk. Certain strains of cannabis have been selected for industrial hemp for their properties of rapid growth and a great quality and quantity of fiber. Back in the 1920s, one thousand pounds of hemp could be processed in a single hour. It can be grown in any state. The growing season is short, making a perfect cash crop. Today's technology could produce industrial hemp with much more efficiency. Two to three tons of fiber can be processed in an hour. Current hemp costs are about fifteen dollars a ton.
             Hemp can be used in producing more than twenty-five thousand products. It has been used to make over five thousand textile products. The hemp industry would threaten many existing industries if it were taken to its full potential. Hemp could be used to produce the same products made from plastics, cotton, and wood. .
             Annually, one acre of hemp can produce an equivalent amount of fiber as two to three acres of cotton. Hemp is preferable over cotton. It can be used to make a product is stranger and softer than cotton. Hemp products also last twice as long and have a high resistance to mildew.
             Hemp is much more efficient than trees. Hemp cultivation could ultimately stop further deforestation in the United States. One acre of hemp can produce as much as four acres of trees annually. Hemp is ready for harvest after only four months, while trees take years to grow. All paper products can be made from hemp. The quality of hemp paper is superior to tree-based paper. Hemp paper can be recycled many more times that tree-based paper, and it is less harmful to process hemp paper as it produces less toxic chemicals.