The Wonderful World
Of
Hemp
You've just returned from a wonderful picnic in the park. You start to
unpack and you notice that your brand new tote bag has a tear in it. A
month later, when the tear becomes a hole, you'll have to throw it (and
the bundle of cash you paid for it) away .
That sporty new day pack you
bought isn't looking so great either. Recently, it has become mildewed,
discolored and abraded. Will it's fate be any different? In a world of
tears, rips and holes, what is one to do?
The answer for your troubles
is ages old. It actually dates back to 450 BC when the Scythians and
Thracians made linens out of hemp. Hemp has been used to make sails and
rigging since the 15th century. Levi Strauss made jeans for the miners
of the Sierra out of hemp fibers. The Declaration of Independence was
drafted on hemp paper. So what happened to this wonderful product?
Since 1950, the American government has classified all grades of hemp as
marijuana which has prevented its production in the United States. The
type used for marijuana has a high THC (the chemical that creates
euphoria ) content and is bred to have
many leaves and buds.
Industrial grades have a tenth to a fiftieth the
amount of THC and contain high levels of CBD which counteract the effect
of THC as well a being designed to have longer stalks and fewer leaves.
However, true Hemp (cannabis sativa) fibers are several times stronger
than cotton since the fibers of hemp run the length of the stalk which
can be as long as 15 feet. Cotton fibers tend to be only a few inches
long.
This is why hemp bags are much more resistant to tears and abrasions
than cotton bags. Everyone knows how durable and strong canvas is. The
word canvas originates from the word cannabis because the earliest
canvas sails were made from hemp.
These qualities also make articles made from hemp more resistant to
soiling, mildew, shrinkage and sun damage. These are important qualities
when deciding what to carry your most important items in.
Laptop
computers, items from a shopping trip down main street or provisions for
a long hiking trip, are all things we feel are essential to protect when travelling.
Messenger bags, tote bags and saddle bag day packs made from
hemp fibers are great choices for these activities. The icing on the
cake is that these bags are very environmentally friendly. Hemp is the
premier sustainable textile.
Sustainable refers to a resource that is
not able to be depleted by its very nature or
the method of harvesting used. Hemp does not require chemicals to remove
the lignin (the glue which holds the plant cells together) for
bleaching. An acre of hemp can produce three times as much fiber than an
acre of cotton, and cotton requires 25% of
the worlds use of pesticide, where hemp is naturally resistant to pests.
Carrying a hemp bag, you will have the knowledge that not only are you
sporting the strongest, and most durable article you could choose to
protect your valuables, you will also be doing your part to protect the
earth, which is arguably the most valuable thing you can protect.
