Why Hemp Could Become Even Bigger than Cannabis
Rachelle Gordon
February 21st, 2017
Policy, Top News
Both hemp and marijuana have been getting a lot of attention lately but for much different reasons. While both are cannabis sativa plants, the two have much different properties. Hemp does not contain THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid that makes users feel high), but instead is typically higher in cannabidiol (CBD), which is known for its medicinal benefits. Additionally, hemp has long been used to make fabric, rope, paper, soap, and many other things. So if hemp doesn’t get you high, can help the sick, and may be used to make several conventional products, why is it illegal to grow?
A Storied History
Hemp has been grown for various purposes since the beginning of time, and many of the Founding Fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, grew the plant for a variety of reasons. It was not until 1937, with the enacting of the Marihuana Tax Act, that growing and distributing cannabis was outlawed. Hemp returned in popularity during World War II, when the government encouraged citizens to grow hemp in order to help the war effort. In 1970, President Nixon put marijuana on Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act (industrial hemp was also included) where it has remained ever since.
The hemp industry is now worth tens of millions of dollars. Products containing the plant (including everything from wallets to breakfast cereal) are a big business – Americans spend around $580 million per year on these typical consumer products. With the growing popularity of CBD, it is estimated that the hemp industry will only continue to grow at incredible rate. Many government officials – both Republican and Democrat – believe that hemp should be legal, as it will bring medicine and economic growth to local economies.
The Health Benefits of Hemp
In the hemp versus cannabis debate, more people are discovering the many health benefits of both with a focus on hemp. The plant has shown great efficacy in a variety of illness and ailments, including muscle aches, arthritis, menopause and much more. Here are some of the evidence-based benefits, according to Authority Nutrition:
- Hemp seeds are high in protein, and jam-packed with two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).
- Seeds are also shown to reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Hemp seeds may aid digestive issues.
It is vital to also mention the many benefits of CBD, which hemp plants are typically high in. The cannabinoid has shown efficacy in treating epilepsy, autism, anxiety, inflammation, and has even been used to help treat cancer patients. While CBD remains on the Schedule I list of dangerous drugs, it is becoming more widely accepted across the country due to its remarkable abilities.
The Growing Hemp Industry
It’s no secret that the medical and adult-use cannabis markets are exploding, and hemp is quickly becoming a multi-million dollar business. In addition to CBD, hemp has an array of other end markets, such as food, protein, supplements, clothing, pharmaceuticals, skincare, paper, and more. According to The CBD Report, hemp consumer products sales are exploding with several companies receiving huge investments.
NutraFuels Inc., a producer of CBD oral sprays, had shares hit an all-time at the beginning of 2017. Oral sprays are a growing delivery method and are popular with patients who may be unable to swallow capsules. In other hemp industry news, Lexaria Bioscience Corp., a food sciences company, recently announced plans to partner with Hempco© Food and Fiber in order to bring its proprietary technology to an emerging market.
Final Thought
The hemp industry is growing at a rapid rate, thanks to broader legalization of the plant and its potential medical benefits. As the popularity continues to grow, more and more politicians are looking at hemp to help revitalize economically depressed areas, perhaps even turning the plant into the nation’s next cash crop. Hemp has a potentially wider reach than cannabis and could even overtake the plant in its projected earnings – only time will tell.
To learn more about the hemp industry, sign-up for our free newsletter using the form to the right.
This article was published by CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN), owner and operator of CFN Media, the industry’s leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the burgeoning CBD and legal cannabis industries. Call +1 (833) 420-CNFN for more information.
About Rachelle Gordon
Rachelle Gordon is a Minneapolis-based writer. Find her online at www.rachellegordon.net.
Search CannabisFN
Press Coverage
Psychedelics Index
Top Videos
In addition to his role as Founder and CEO at MAZAKALI, Sumit is a consultant to The Arcview Group and the Managing Partner of Emerald Ventures. A frequent speaker at investment seminars, Sumit acts as a mentor to Arcview and Canopy companies and serves on the Canopy Investment committee as well as the NCIA Finance […]
Tom Zuber is Zuber Lawler & Del Duca’s Managing Partner. He has a degree with highest honors in biomedical engineering and has advised some of the most iconic companies in the world on their patent and trademark portfolios. He is at the cutting edge of cannabis patent and trademark law. He holds degrees from Harvard University and Columbia Law […]
Wildflower Brands is a Vancouver-based company developing and designing brands that focus on plant-based health and wellness products.
Network Partners
About CFN Media Group
CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) owns and operates CFN Media Group, the premier agency and financial media network reaching executives, entrepreneurs and consumers worldwide. Through its proprietary content creation, video library, and distribution via www.CannabisFN.com, CFN has built an extensive database of cannabis interest, assisting many of the world’s largest cannabis firms and CBD brands to build awareness and thrive. For more information, please visit www.cfnenterprisesinc.com.
Disclaimer: Matters discussed on this website contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may from time-to-time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and will increase or decrease such positions without notice. The Information contains forward-looking statements, i.e. statements or discussions that constitute predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, estimates, or projections as indicated by such words as "expects", "will", "anticipates", and "estimates"; therefore, you should proceed with extreme caution in relying upon such statements and conduct a full investigation of the Information and the Profiled Issuer as well as any such forward-looking statements. Any forward looking statements we make in the Information are limited to the time period in which they are made, and we do not undertake to update forward looking statements that may change at any time; The Information is presented only as a brief "snapshot" of the Profiled Issuer and should only be used, at most, and if at all, as a starting point for you to conduct a thorough investigation of the Profiled Issuer and its securities and to consult your financial, legal or other adviser(s) and avail yourself of the filings and information that may be accessed at www.sec.gov, www.pinksheets.com, www.otcmarkets.com or other electronic sources, including: (a) reviewing SEC periodic reports (Forms 10-Q and 10-K), reports of material events (Form 8-K), insider reports (Forms 3, 4, 5 and Schedule 13D); (b) reviewing Information and Disclosure Statements and unaudited financial reports filed with the Pink Sheets or www.otcmarkets.com; (c) obtaining and reviewing publicly available information contained in commonlyknown search engines such as Google; and (d) consulting investment guides at www.sec.gov and www.finra.com. You should always be cognizant that the Profiled Issuers may not be current in their reporting obligations with the SEC and OTCMarkets and/or have negative signs at www.otcmarkets.com (See section below titled "Risks Related to the Profiled Issuers, which provides additional information pertaining thereto). For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice and that of their own professional advisers. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may be compensated for its Services in the form of cash-based and/or equity-based compensation in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure, please visit: https://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/. A short time after we acquire the securities of the foregoing company, we may publish the (favorable) information about the issuer referenced above advising others, including you, to purchase; and while doing so, we may sell the securities we acquired. In addition, a third-party shareholder compensating us may sell his or her shares of the issuer while we are publishing favorable information about the issuer. Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this article contain forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority, and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may from time to time have a position in the securities mentioned herein and will increase or decrease such positions without notice. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice and that of their own professional advisers. CFN Media Group, which owns CannabisFN, may be compensated for its Services in the form of cash-based and/or equity- based compensation in the companies it writes about, or a combination of the two. For full disclosure please visit: https://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/.
Copyright © Accelerize Inc. · All Rights Reserved · Privacy Policy · Legal Disclaimer
