Hemp (cannabis) grows in almost every climate zone and cleans air and soil.
No pesticides are used in the cultivation of hemp, because the plant is very strong and grows fast.
The water consumption is low because the tap root provides an optimal water supply and opens up deep layers of earth.
This makes hemp the ideal alternative to water-consuming cotton cultivation!
Fabrics made of hemp do NOT take on bad odours, as the oxygen content in the fibres is too high for anaerobic bacteria.
Pure hemp fabrics made of long fibres are ideal for underwear and clothing with skin contact.
Hemp substances cool and protect the skin in summer (UV protection: 95%). Due to the temperature balancing properties of the fibre, hemp clothing is ideal for all seasons.
The moisture is exchanged very quickly and leaves the hemp shirt always airy on the skin during sports.
Textiles, insulating material, packaging and paper can be produced from the fibres of the stem.
For fine and soft hemp materials, long fibers are required, which are loosened from long stalks by a water retting process.
The protein-rich seeds have a very high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids and can be used in many ways in the kitchen.
The flowers provide medicine (including CBD and THC) and are used primarily in cancer and pain therapy.
Cosmetic products, ointments and even biodiesel can also be made from hemp seeds.
About 8,000 years ago, hemp ropes and clothing were already made from the robust fiber.
Already about 2,000 years ago hemp was used as a paper raw material.
Only after the industrial revolution this raw material was replaced by forest. With the help of chemical means, industrial tree paper could be produced since then.
In Romania and other Eastern European countries, the hemp industry has been active without interruption, which has given them a "know how" advantage today:
Efficient hemp harvesters enable the hemp fibre to remain particularly long without breaking, which is the prerequisite for particularly soft hemp materials.
Text (C): Johannes Wachsmuth
Sources: The emperor wears no clothes (Jack Herer), Hemp Museum Berlin.