Hemp and hemp products have found themselves in the national spotlight after decades of being neglected via restrictive federal regulations. With this sudden thrust into the limelight, lots of jargon has cropped up, making understanding hemp and its innumerable functions harder to understand for those outside the industry. Thankfully, a lot of this technical language is easy to boil down. If you are seeking to learn more about hemp or it’s multitude of industrial uses, check out this primer in hemp vocabulary:

Hemp – Where else could an introduction to hemp start but to clear up the disambiguations about what hemp itself is? Hemp, or sometimes referred to specifically as industrial hemp, is a crop which is cultivated for industrial use.  Hemp is an especially sturdy plant with naturally high fiber content, allowing for the plant to be produced into multiple, industry-stretching materials.

Growing methods – Every grower of hemp is likely to have a favored cultivation method. Engaging with growers about their methods can help you better understand the products you’re considering purchasing.

Mediums – A growing medium is where the roots are fed. While basic mediums like soil and water are commonly known, the mediums in which hemp is cultivated can vary widely, depending on grower preference. 

Aeroponics – Aeroponics growing is the suspension of the hemp plant outside of soil or water. Instead of allowing the roots to be introduced to nutrients via solids or solutions, a fine mist of nutritional water is applied to the roots.

Hydroponics – A popular growing method for farmers in climates that are not especially conducive to growing year-round. Hydroponics rely on nutrient-rich water in specialized troughs designed for indoor growing. 

Geoponics – Also known as “traditional growing” is a soil-based growing method. “Soil” in geoponics can grow more specific, so be sure to ask your provider what their soil is like!

Products – Given the multitude of hemp applications across industries, there are a lot of ways to process the plants, each producing different yields.

Ethanol – Hemp can be processed to create biofuel. While the cellulose content is slightly lower in hemp than in corn, which is traditionally used to make ethanol, the plant’s rapid growth process has shown promise to produce biofuels more efficiently.

Fibers – The biggest draw to industrial hemp is the high fiber content of the plant. These fibers can be yielded to create textiles, ropes, paper, and bio-plastics. While each degree of processing raises the time it takes to produce said hemp product, the speed with which hemp can be cultivated allows it to be a sustainable alternative to similar traditionally produced products.

Oils – The hemp plant, seeds, and flowers can all be processed into oils which can be used for an incredibly wide array of applications. Hemp seed oil is a culinary oil which is low in saturated

fats.

Hemp is an incredible plant with unheard of potential. Utilizing the plants fibers, oils, and other yields to replace dated products and practices across many industries can help create a more sustainable future for the economy and the environment. If you’re looking to introduce hemp and hemp products into your production chain, consider your friends at Wholesale Quality Hemp for a reliable, seed-to-delivery chain of custody on your hemp futures.