Hemp: The Green That’s Making Things Greener
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While reading the textiles chapter in “The Dynamics of Fashion” last night (yes, I am that big of a fashion nerd), I came across a controversial section that really sparked my interest. From instituting recycling campaigns to dictating energy saving techniques, environmentalists are really trying to clean up the damage that has already been done to our planet. But would you believe that marijuana might be a key factor in protecting the earth?
Hemp, a fibrous plant that lacks hallucinatory power but is essentially “weed,” was made illegal for industrious purposes back in the 1970s due to fear of it’s abuse. Though we still see hemp floating around today, it is because such products have been imported. But did you know that hemp grows so easily that few fertilizers or pesticides are needed? It can be made into paper (the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper!), a clean alternative to car oil and can easily replace cotton in the textile world! Although I don’t own any hemp clothing, rumor has it that it’s a more luxurious material and easier to care for than any other fabric out there!
The perks to re-legalizing hemp are an environmentalist’s dream, but I think it’s going to take a lot of legislation to get this stuff growing in our fields again. Until then, check out Substance, pick up one of their hemp-made shirts and get involved!
