The hemp industry is booming! Virtually every industry can benefit from adding hemp products to their ingredients base – and all of those products must be made of consistently high-quality hemp. Thanks to a 2018 extension in legislation from the 2014 Farm Bill, industrial hemp has been fully decriminalized in the United States. Because of this decriminalization, companies have been able to dive back into piloting hemp products and producing existing hemp-based products once again. This sudden surge in interest in industrial hemp has led to a market full of questions, misinterpretations, and even urban myths about exactly what hemp is used for. While there are numberless applications for industrial hemp usage, let’s explore the basics. 

Culinary uses: Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of hemp production is the use that hemp has in the culinary industries. With the age of non-dairy milks fully upon us, you may have noticed hemp milk hitting the shelves in your local grocers. How else can we consume hemp and its byproducts?

• Hemp Milk: As mentioned above, hemp milk has recently been popularized thanks to it’s natural, earthy flavors. Made most simply of just hemp seeds and water, this low calorie milk alternative provides vitamins and minerals to a healthy daily diet.
• Hemp Seeds: Without any degree of processing, hemp seeds may be ingested raw; making them suitable as ingredients in bigger meals or an easy snack. Hemp seeds are high in protein and fiber.
• Hemp Oil: The oil from the seeds of hemp can also be utilized throughout the cooking process. Although it is not a useful frying oil, hemp oil makes for an excellent salad ingredient, or base oil for making homemade mayonnaise.
• Protein Supplements: Being high in protein, both the greenery and seeds of the hemp plant can be processed into a highly efficient protein powder.

Commercial and Industrial Uses: Commercial hemp products are once again growing in popularity. Similar to bamboo, hemp is a fast-growing plant which can provide a multitude of products at a lower cost than more traditional production methods.

• Hemp Paper: One of the most popular applications for industrial hemp is that of paper production. Thanks to hemp’s fibrous plant structure and high-growth abilities, hemp paper is among the most sustainable ways to produce such products. Fun Fact: One of the first drafts of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper!
• Hemp Thread and Fibers: For reasons similar to the production of hemp paper, cloth-working materials can also be made from hemp. The strong and resilient fibers provide ample opportunities for textile production at low costs.
• Hemp Rope: Building on the potential application of hemp to threads and fibers, hemp rope is one of the oldest uses for the hemp plant. Again, thanks to the hemp plant’s fibrous nature, ropes constructed from hemp are more durable than many alternatives.
• Hemp-Composite Components: As Henry Ford explored decades ago, hemp can be used to build and reinforce mechanical components. Hemp-based chassis have been shown to be stronger than steel, and hemp-based plastics are more efficient than traditional composite components.
• Biofuel: While less popular than other biofuel recipes, refined hemp oil is able to fully power diesel engines. Just as corn-based ethanol, fermented hemp can also produce ethanol gasoline via fermentation.

At Wholesale Quality Hemp we offer consistent quality, with third-party quality assurance as well as a seed-to-sale chain of custody of our plants. 

Interested in what high-quality hemp can offer your business, contact us today!