Hemp: How to Wear, Eat, Drink, and Smoke It

With barriers in the USA eliminated by the 2018 Farm Bill, products derived from hemp are now legal to enjoy. Research has repeatedly shown that CBD derived from hemp is a helpful substance that can support people with health challenges of all kinds. Those without health challenges can work toward more balanced personal wellness by using hemp, also.

CBD derived from hemp is non-psychoactive, as hemp is regulated to have 0.3% THC (the psychoactive cannabinoid). So, if you’re seeking the health support of hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids, like CBG, there’s no reason not to. Legal, non-intoxicating, and available in numerous forms, hemp is becoming a household name across the USA, as it appears in the medicine chests, kitchens, and closets of the nation. Let’s talk about hemp and how you can wear, eat, drink, and smoke it!

Hemp is Here to Stay

The advent of legal hemp flower has been a long time coming but now that it’s here, people are enthusiastically taking up hemp-derived products to eat, drink, wear, and smoke. Hemp fibers are revolutionizing the manufacture of materials that have become problematic in a changing environmental landscape - paper and plastics being two such materials.

But it’s in the arena of health and wellness that hemp and its dominant cannabinoid - CBD - are making serious inroads. Research around this crop is intense and ongoing. Already, CBD is being used in pharmaceutical medications, creating phyto/pharma hybrid drugs, like Epidiolex, an anti-seizure medication. But CBD can be ingested in many forms (as we’re discussing here) and many include CBD products in their daily health routines to support improved wellness.

Research is ongoing, examining the health benefits and chemical structures of hemp, To date, it can be said with considerable certainty that CBD derived from hemp helps address the following health concerns:

• Anxiety

• Chronic pain (neuropathy and inflammation)

• Addiction (can reduce cravings for seriously addicting substances like opioids, tobacco, and heroin)

Homeostasis

Probably the most compelling health benefit of hemp-derived CBD is its ability to improve the function of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). This system, responsible for the regulation of multiple systems in the body, governs the optimal functioning of the human organism. 

When balance is achieved in the body, this state is called “homeostasis”. This desirable state serves to reduce the incidence of serious illness, instead imparting overall wellness. CBD, by influencing the behavior of cannabinoid receptors in the ECS, provokes the optimal functioning of the human body in balance.

Wearing Hemp

Hemp is a wonderful material that can be made into many different items for myriad purposes. Paper and plastics are only two categories this amazing crop can create. Hemp fiber is, in fact, a great material for making clothes for a number of reasons, including:

• Fabrics woven from hemp help to filter UV light.

• Hemp fabrics breathe and inhibit the growth of bacteria, preventing odor.

• Hemp fabric is 4 times stronger than cotton fabric and doesn’t degrade with washing.

• Hemp consumes 1/20th of the water cotton requires to grow and process it.

• The softness and comfort of hemp fabrics are lauded. This effect increases as garments made from hemp are worn.

Hemp is one of the easiest, most prolific crops to grow, making it environmentally sustainable for the production of so many things, including clothing. An eco-friendly hemp fiber bag for your grocery shopping will last you many years and reduce the proliferation of plastics while doing so.

While hemp clothing may cost a little more, it will last for decades of wear, so when you crunch the numbers, the long-term pleasure and utility from the hemp clothing you purchase is a bargain - and sustainable!

Eat/Drink Hemp, a Nutritional Powerhouse!

From the raw seed to preparations from that seed, hemp is a nutritious addition to any diet. Containing fiber, abundant protein, Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, Magnesium, Iron, and B vitamins, hemp is a nutritional powerhouse. Promoting better heart health, clearer, healthier skin, and aiding digestion, the hemp seed’s protein content also supports vegetarian and vegan diets.

But hemp is available in a growing number of foods and beverages:

• Energy bars

• Veggie burgers

• Protein powders

• Dips and sauces

• Granola

• Milk

• Flour

• Tea, coffee, beer, and other beverages

As the world discovers hemp, its availability will only grow. This crop grows quickly, with minimal soil damage, and can be grown in the same plot of land for many years without needing to leave the plot to go fallow for the recovery of the soil.

Smoking Hemp

Smoking hemp is a simple matter and a popular way to take advantage of hemp’s many benefits. There are 3 ways to smoke hemp flower (raw, dried hemp), starting with hand rolling the raw flower into a smokeable or a weed cone.

But you can also choose to add hemp flower to a dry vape device, a pipe, or a bong. Hemp flower, like all other hemp products, is not intoxicating, merely imparting the benefits of the cannabinoids (between 80 and 100 in hemp) and terpenes (about 200, so far) for their material health benefits.

But smoking hemp flower isn’t for everyone. Some choose to eat their hemp. Others choose to ingest derivatives, like edibles or oils. There are so many ways to improve your health and wellness with hemp, it’s not hard to see why it’s becoming such an important part of so many people’s health regimes.

Hemp is here to stay, offering a natural alternative for multiple health, wellness, fashion, and manufacturing applications. As science continues to explore this incredible plant, the future is sure to discover many more happy hemp surprises!