Hemp Here – There and Everywhere

Hemp is being touted as the new wonder material but before its senseless ban in the early twentieth century it was entrenched in life and culture in many parts of the world. Hemp was found as far back as 8000 BCE when it was used for pottery, food and oils and by 150 BCE China was using hemp to make paper, a significant innovation that replaced the use of heavy and cumbersome stone tablets.

Hemp ropes were found in 200 BCE in Greece and by 570 BCE, hemp was evident in France, when a French queen was buried in hemp clothing. By 1840, American President Abraham Lincoln used hemp seed oil to fuel his household lamps. The banning of hemp paved the way for multiple other materials to enter the market but few have been as versatile as this natural product. It is hoped that hemp can regain some ground and return to being a widely available wonder crop.