Hemp, The Swiss Army Plant
John Doe
Botany 1
Jane Doe
11/2/2013
The Swiss Army Plant
Things are not always what they seem. From people to objects, events, and even plants. One plant in Particular I think goes unnoticed or overlooked for many many of its practical uses. This plant has an unfair rap that is generally associated with it. Im talking about the Hemp plant. Hemp is almost always associated with Marijuana by the general public which by and large tends to be seen as a negative relationship. Im not stating weather or not I think that Marijuana is bad or good nor is that the point of this paper, thats is however is it 's own paper entirely. Im here to inform you about the Hemp plant and about the multiple of other uses of the plant that have nothing to do with its THC content and the medicinal uses that go along with that. Hemp is actually a term for certain varieties of Cannabis, Scythian, and products that are derived from it and is usually used to describe those varieties that are cultivated to be used industrially. Cannabis is an angiosperm meaning that it produces flowers. This plant is diecious, meaning that there are separate male and female parts on different plants. Cannabis also will only produce flowers once a year and then typically it will die after, this is known as being an “annual” plant. The flowers on a Cannabis plant are palmately compound and have serrated leaflets. (Cannabis) Industrial hemp is one of the the oldest, if not the oldest industries the earth has ever seen. “The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC” (Mass). This fibrous plant is making a strong comeback due to the extensive uses it has. Hemp can be used to make textiles, clothing, auto parts, paper, construction materials, and the oil from the seed can be used to make pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics (Mass). This variety of Cannabis should not be confused with Marijuana. Both
Botany 1
Jane Doe
11/2/2013
The Swiss Army Plant
Things are not always what they seem. From people to objects, events, and even plants. One plant in Particular I think goes unnoticed or overlooked for many many of its practical uses. This plant has an unfair rap that is generally associated with it. Im talking about the Hemp plant. Hemp is almost always associated with Marijuana by the general public which by and large tends to be seen as a negative relationship. Im not stating weather or not I think that Marijuana is bad or good nor is that the point of this paper, thats is however is it 's own paper entirely. Im here to inform you about the Hemp plant and about the multiple of other uses of the plant that have nothing to do with its THC content and the medicinal uses that go along with that. Hemp is actually a term for certain varieties of Cannabis, Scythian, and products that are derived from it and is usually used to describe those varieties that are cultivated to be used industrially. Cannabis is an angiosperm meaning that it produces flowers. This plant is diecious, meaning that there are separate male and female parts on different plants. Cannabis also will only produce flowers once a year and then typically it will die after, this is known as being an “annual” plant. The flowers on a Cannabis plant are palmately compound and have serrated leaflets. (Cannabis) Industrial hemp is one of the the oldest, if not the oldest industries the earth has ever seen. “The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC” (Mass). This fibrous plant is making a strong comeback due to the extensive uses it has. Hemp can be used to make textiles, clothing, auto parts, paper, construction materials, and the oil from the seed can be used to make pharmaceuticals, food and cosmetics (Mass). This variety of Cannabis should not be confused with Marijuana. Both
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