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Frequently Asked Questions
about Hemp Foods
This page is under constructionWill I get high eating hemp foods?
Will I flunk a drug test after eating hemp foods?
Are they legal?
Why make food from hempseed?
Are hemp foods healthy?
What do hemp food products taste like?
How do I cook with hempseed products?
What is the environmental impact of growing hemp?
How about soy? Is hemp competitve as a world source of protein?
Q: What is the environmental impact of growing hemp?
A: Hemp requires little fertilizer, and grows almost anywhere. It also resists pests, so it uses few pesticides. Hemp puts down deep roots, which is good for the soil, and when the leaves drop off the Hemp plant, minerals are returned to the soil. Hemp has been grown on the same soil for twenty years in a row without any noticeable depletion of the soil. Using less fertilizer and agricultural chemicals is good for two reasons; First, it costs less and requires less effort. Second, many agricultural chemicals are dangerous and contaminate the environment -- the less we use, the better.
Q: How about soy? Is hemp competitve as a world source of protein?
A: Hemp seed protein more closely resembles that of the human body than soy; it is also easier to digest. Hemp contains a richer source of essential fatty acid oils than soy. These oils prevent heart disease and build the immune system. Hemp also resists UV-B light, which is a kind of sunlight that is blocked by the ozone layer. Soy beans do not take UV-B light very well. If the ozone layer were to deplete by 16%, which by some estimates is very possible, soy production would fall by 25-30%. We may have to grow hemp or starve -- and it won't be the first time that this has happened. Hemp has been used to "bail out" many populations in time of famine.
Hemp Food Association
This page last updated on 18 April 1999.