The history of hemp sometimes gets a bad rap, as far too many people consider it synonymous with recreational drug usage. However, the usages of hemp are vast and varied and, on a whole, have nothing to do with using drugs at all. Actually, among the domesticated crops found here in the United States, hemp is one of the ones that offers the most promise to the world, as it has so many different purposes and provides a great deal of potential sustainability, something that our planet very sorely needs.

For instance, one of the many hemp uses is that of the hemp seed. These seeds can be hulled and consumed on a large scale and provide many important nutrients. They are a great source of protein, for example, and can provide a viable and sustainable protein source for those who do not eat meat or consume any sort of animal product at all. This renewable resource is often far more sustainably grown and harvested than other vegetarian and vegan staple protein sources like quinoa which, while very healthy and versatile, is not always ethically sourced, something that is becoming a greater concern for more and more people, especially as access to such information becomes more widely accessible than it has ever been before.

Not to mention the fact that these seeds taste great and are easy to incorporate seamlessly into your diet as it already is. For instance, they are great as a topping to sweet treats, even those like ice cream. If you are looking to be a little bit more health conscious, you can blend hemp seeds into a smoothie or smoothie bowl, or even just use them as a topping along with other healthy treats like granola. In addition to all of this, hemp seeds can also be added quite easily to meals like salads, where they can add a bit of texture and crunch, a little more savory and satisfaction to the meal as a whole. Finally, they even can work as a viable substitute to parmesan cheese for the vegan or even just lactose intolerant pasta lower, providing the topping that so many people desire to round out such a hearty meal.

Aside from hemp seeds, however, hemp as a plant has many more uses as well, so many so that the uses of hemp are not widely known to nearly enough people. However, hemp can actually be made into all kinds of different materials, from fabrics to papers and even more. Hemp clothing is desirable among many people for the fact of its sustainability. Too much in today’s world, fast fashion has become the norm. And not only is fast fashion often made in sweatshops, a highly unethical way to produce clothing, but it is also often made with materials that are far from sustainable and ideal for the planet. As such clothing often falls apart quite easily as well (as the construction is shoddy at best), too much waste is generated from such widely mass produced articles of clothing seen here in the United States and in many other places of the world as well.

Hemp clothing provides a viable alternative. While it might be more expensive at the time of purchase, you can rest assured that it has been sustainably and ethically produced and created. Hemp clothing is also far more long lasting than the clothes produced in the world of fast fashion. After all, these clothes might be very cheap and inexpensive at the time they are purchased, but they are susceptible to falling apart after only a few wearings, making them far from cost effective and necessitating the wearer to buy even more clothing, only to have the cycle repeat again.

There are many uses for all parts of the hemp plant not only here in the United States but in nearly all other parts of the world as well. Hemp has nearly limitless potential, making it a plant to keep an eye on and keep track of in the years to come.