As Earleywine points out, "By 850 a.D., the Vikings had dragged the ropes with them to Iceland. In 1000, hemp ropes helped the Italian navy dominate the seas. The hemp crop was so important that British farmers were commanded to grow cannabis or pay fines. Kings ordered the American colonies to export the crop, but they used it to make rope and fabric of their own" (p. 25). The newly founded American colonies found hemp to be an ideal source for rope and fabric as well, and Earleywine attributes it use by the emerging republic as being a fundamental factor in its ultimate success in achieving independence from Great Britain. It would also appear reasonable to suggest that these valuable aspects of hemp are not being lost on manufacturers of all types in the 21st century either. For example, Earleywine suggests that even though synthetic alternatives have been developed over the years, hemp-based products have some superior qualities that make their use highly advantageous: "Cotton and synthetic fibers have replaced some of these ropes and fabrics, but a new movement supports industrial hemp as a more ecological alternative to these products. Contemporary merchants still sell shirts, shoes, and even hammocks made of hemp. The oil of the seed also appears in modern shampoos, soaps, and salves" (Earleywine, p. 25).

According to Small and Marcus, other uses for hemp fiber have been identified for specialty pulp products (e.g., cigarette paper, bank notes, technical filters, and hygiene products), various composites used in the automobile industry, construction and thermal insulation materials, geotextiles, animal foods, specialty industrial oils, fine textiles, fiberboard and plaster board, insect...

Beyond these uses, today, a growing number of consumers have even identified some valuable culinary uses for hemp products. In this regard, Earleywine reports that, "People also used the seeds and their oil in various foods, developing nutritious recipes that remain popular today" (p. 25). Likewise, Bowles (2004) enthuses that hemp seed is a delicious food product: "They're lightly toasted and salted - similar in taste to pumpkin seeds - and go well in salads. They're also rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9. Also available as an oil" (p. 51).
Conclusion

The research showed that the various industrial, medicinal, and recreational uses of marijuana have contributed to its use throughout the world over the past 10,000 years. The research also showed that the "multitudinous" uses of the hemp plant predate the historical record, but have been dated to around 8,000 B.C. when Taiwanese artists were found to have used hemp fibers from the plant's stem to decorate their clay pots. Today, a wide range of consumer products are either manufactured from the fibrous parts of the hemp plant or contain ingredients derived from its various constituents. In some cases, it was unclear whether products such as shampoos or soaps that simply contain hemp oil can be viewed in the same light as those products formulated entirely from their parts (e.g., rope and fabric), but the research was clear in emphasizing that consumers and businesses alike are in favor of natural products and hemp provides a superior alternative to some synthetics. Finally, the research showed that there has been a renewed interest in the many uses of hemp that transcend the debate over its known recreational and potential medical applications that indicate the cannabis plant will continue to serve humankind for centuries to come.

References

Bock, a.W. (2000). Waiting to inhale: The politics of medical marijuana. Santa Ana, CA: Seven Locks.

Bowles, T.P. (2004, August 22). The pleasures of flesh. The Mail on Sunday (London, England), 51.

Earleywine, M. (2002). Understanding marijuana: A new look at the scientific evidence. New York: Oxford University Press.

Small, E. & Marcus, D. (2002. Hemp: A new crop with new uses for North America. p. 284- 326. in: J. Janick and a. Whipkey (eds.), Trends in new crops and new uses. ASHS Press, Alexandria, VA

Turner, S. (2007, June 10). To…