HONOURING THE ANCIENT HEMP PLANT
Hemp inspires us every day. It’s a multi-faceted plant helping us discover new ways to live harmoniously with ourselves and Mother Nature.
A hemp-filled existence
Hemp has been part of human life for thousands of years. Before the CBD industry we know today, Hemp was integral to our lives. Until the early 20th century, it was used for almost everything: food, fabric, paper, pots, even body armour.
It was also used as a medicine across the world. In Europe and the USA, it was prescribed for a variety of conditions; when doctors couldn’t find a cure or treatment, the first widely distributed Hemp oil, ‘Squire’s Extract’, was often their first port of call.
Then Hemp’s cousin, commonly known as ‘Weed’, started gaining notoriety. Its mind-altering properties caused a lot of concern, sparking “Reefer panic” and a new way of seeing Cannabis and its many forms. Sadly, Hemp was lumped in with this view and many people forgot about all the incredible things it can do.
Back to Hemp’s roots
Hemp is a member of the Cannabaceae family; a small family of flowering plants that includes 170 species. For APOTHEM, the most important part of the Hemp plant are its trichomes. These mushroom-like glands are found on the stems, leaves and flowers of the Hemp plant. They house vital cannabinoids and terpenes, like linalool and myrcene, that give Hemp its distinctive smell and even more beneficial properties.
Cannabinoids have a huge range of therapeutic potential, namely helping you feel centred and whole, but there’s so much more to them. Read more about them here.
Hemp to heal humans
The true extent of Hemp’s therapeutic potential wasn’t realised until the 1990s. Scientist Raphael Mechoulam and his team discovered a vast network of receptors, enzymes and chemicals spread throughout the human body that all reacted to cannabinoids. They had found the endocannabinoid system, and finally we began to understand why Hemp could have such a positive impact on us.
Hemp’s potential became widely known and legal restrictions on cannabis started to change across the world. THC and CBD started to be used, alone or in combination, to treat various medical conditions. And now, a growing number of countries around the world have made CBD legal for use outside of the medical setting, allowing APOTHEM to bring the healing power of Hemp to you.
How Hemp can help the world too
The Hemp plant has the ability to heal the wounds of human existence and has been scientifically proven to absorb more carbon dioxide (a key contributor to global warming) per hectare than any other commercial crop. It’s more effective than trees!
Hemp is also becoming a key crop in sustainable farming. It can go from being a seed to a fully-grown plant in as little as four months making it an ideal plant for crop rotation - a key element in sustainable farming that reduces the need for pesticides and fertiliser.
Hemp also produces deep roots that help hold the soil together, preventing soil erosion; a common and problematic side-effect of modern farming that reduces the amount of nutrients in the soil.
Going deeper into Hemp’s other benefits
Hemp is a viable and sustainable alternative for so many materials that are driving climate change and deforestation. It could replace cotton, paper, plastic, metal, even concrete (“Hempcrete” is a sustainable form of concrete that releases about 80% less C02 into the atmosphere than traditional concrete)! We just need to normalise using the Hemp plant in all these different ways.
We hope that you’re starting to see what we see. The healing power of Hemp goes far beyond CBD oil benefits to your mind and body. Through APOTHEM, we want to show the world that this long-misunderstood plant simply gained a bad reputation and it’s time we brought the Hemp plant back into our every day.