Hemp is one of the oldest crop plants on Earth. It originally comes from Central Asia, and today you'll find it scattered across the world in temperate and tropical zones. Whether the plant falls under narcotics law depends on how it's grown and which varieties are used. What matters is a THC content of at most 1% of dry matter - otherwise it counts as an intoxicant. The different parts of the plant (fibres, seeds, leaves, flowers) have different uses. Edible oil is made from the seeds, for example, while the distilled leaves and flowers are turned into essential oil. The dried leaves, on the other hand, are used to make intoxicants.
How it all began
As early as 2800 BC it was written down in China that hemp was used as a remedy for malaria and rheumatism. Hemp then reached Europe via India and what is now Iraq. Thanks to the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, around 50 AD hemp was used from the Middle Ages into modern times for labour pains. Hemp wasn't always used only as a remedy and painkiller, though: the ancient Greeks made clothing from hemp fabric, and in the 13th century hemp was the most important raw material for paper production, as making paper from wood wasn't yet known. Even the American Declaration of Independence of 1776 was printed on hemp paper!
Today hemp is still used in many ways: it's suitable for building houses and as a base for paints, varnishes, detergents, clothing, and feed for birds and rodents.
Medicinal hemp vs. industrial hemp
In medical research, the effects of cannabinoids, above all THC ("delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol") and CBD ("cannabidiol"), are increasingly in focus. Industrial hemp, by contrast, is only used as hemp oil. It is pharmacologically inactive, as it has THC levels of below 1%. That figure is also the limit above which hemp falls under narcotics law. While THC is considered psychoactive, CBD is only said to have a calming, anxiety-easing effect on numerous systems in the body. The distinctive smell of hemp is caused by organic compounds called terpenes, which have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral properties. Studies have already found early indications that they could be relevant to certain forms of cancer, though this is still being researched.
The rules on prescribing cannabis flowers and extracts vary, and even the EU has no uniform regulation. Since 2017, cannabis in Germany has been a "marketable and prescribable medicine" that any doctor can prescribe.
Hemp can also be used as a traditional home remedy
Hemp as an intoxicant?
The dried small leaves of the female plant are called marijuana, while the extracted resin is processed further into hashish. Worldwide, cannabis is the most widely used illegal drug. The cannabinoid THC is the most psychoactive and affects the human central nervous system: it has a relaxing, sedating effect and may ease nausea and vomiting.
Hemp as a food
Hemp seeds produced for human consumption shine with plenty of health-supporting nutrients: they contain all three macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein and fat, and also have a high share of fibre as well as various vitamins and minerals. The fat is more than 90% polyunsaturated fatty acids, which include the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. And it tastes pleasantly nutty too!
Conclusion
Hemp has a long history and has always played a role. While the past focused a lot on the uses of hemp, today we know that hemp can do even more. We also have a tasty recipe for you showing how to work hemp seeds into delicious chocolate energy balls.
RECIPE:
- 200 g dates, pitted
- 20 ml water
- 50 g almonds, roughly chopped
- 50 g cacao nibs
- 30 g hemp seeds, hulled
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, strongly de-oiled
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- Soak the dates in hot water and leave overnight.
- Blend the drained dates with the water in a food processor to a smooth mass. Shape into little balls and chill for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
No time or desire to stand in the kitchen yourself? Then just treat yourself to our hemp soup! You only need to put it in the microwave or heat it in a pan - and you have a balanced, tasty meal. We also have a hemp shot on offer - a great change from the plain ginger shot in the morning!
Hemp is one of the oldest useful plants on earth. Originally, hemp comes from Central Asia, and today you can find it scattered all over the world in the temperate and tropical zones. Whether the plant falls under the narcotics law depends on the type of cultivation and the varieties used. What matters is a THC content of at most 1 % of dry matter - otherwise it is an intoxicant. The individual parts of the plant (fibres, seeds, leaves, flowers) have different uses. Edible oil is obtained from the seeds, for example, while the distilled leaves and flowers are processed into essential oil. The dried leaves, on the other hand, are used to produce intoxicants.
How It All Began
As early as 2800 BC, it was recorded in writing in China that hemp was used as a remedy for malaria and rheumatism. Via India and present-day Iraq, hemp then came to Europe too. Thanks to the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, around 50 AD hemp was used from the Middle Ages into modern times against labour pains. Hemp wasn't always used only as a remedy and painkiller: the ancient Greeks made clothing from hemp fabric, and in the 13th century hemp was the most important raw material for paper production, as making it from wood was not yet known. Even the American Declaration of Independence of 1776 was printed on hemp paper!
Today hemp is still used in many ways: it is suitable for building houses, as a base for paints, varnishes, detergents, clothing, and feed for birds and rodents.
Medicinal Hemp vs. Cultivated Hemp
In medical research, the effects of cannabinoids, above all of THC (“delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol”) and CBD (“cannabidiol”), are increasingly coming into focus. Cultivated hemp, by contrast, is only used as hemp oil. It is pharmacologically inactive, as it has THC levels of below 1 % only. This figure is also the limit above which hemp falls under the narcotics law. While THC is regarded as psychoactive, CBD is only said to have a calming and anxiety-reducing effect on numerous systems in the body. The distinctive smell of hemp is caused by organic compounds called terpenes, which are said to have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antiviral effects. Studies have already looked into whether these compounds could play a role in certain types of cancer.
Whether cannabis flowers and extracts can be prescribed is regulated differently from place to place, and even the EU has no uniform rule. Since 2017, cannabis in Germany has been a “marketable and prescribable medicine” that any doctor can prescribe.
Hemp can also be used as a traditional home remedy
Hemp as an Intoxicant?
The dried small leaves of the female plant are called marijuana, while the extracted resin is processed further into hashish. Worldwide, cannabis is the most commonly consumed illegal drug. The cannabinoid THC is the most psychoactive and affects the human central nervous system: it is relaxing and sedating, and may help with nausea and vomiting.
Hemp as a Food
Hemp seeds produced for human consumption shine with many health-promoting nutrients: they contain all three macronutrients, carbohydrates, protein and fat, and also have a high proportion of dietary fibre as well as various vitamins and minerals. The fat contains more than 90 % polyunsaturated fatty acids, which include the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. On top of that, it tastes nicely nutty!
Conclusion
Hemp has a long history and has always played a role. While in the past a lot was made of the uses of hemp, today we know that hemp can do more. We also have a tasty recipe for you, showing how to work hemp seeds into delicious chocolate energy balls.
RECIPE:
- 200 g dates, pitted
- 20 ml water
- 50 g almonds, roughly chopped
- 50 g cacao nibs
- 30 g hemp seeds, shelled
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder, heavily de-oiled
- 1 tbsp almond butter
- 1 pinch of salt
- Soak the dates in hot water and leave them overnight.
- Blend the drained dates with the water in a food processor to a smooth mass. Roll it into little balls and chill for 30 minutes. Enjoy!
No time or desire to stand in the kitchen yourself? Then just treat yourself to our hemp soup! Either on its own or in our soup cleanse, which consists of a juice cleanse and a soup. You only need to pop it in the microwave or heat it in a pot - and you have a balanced and tasty meal. We also have a hemp shot on offer - a great change from the plain ginger shot in the morning!
