Original article (in Croatian) was published on 14/05/2022
More than 18,000 people shared a Facebook post featuring 16 incredible claims about cannabis. We have checked them all and found that many are correct.
Why is there no referendum on this?
This is the question that stands above the 16 claims about cannabis posted on a private Facebook profile on March 22 and shared more than 18,000 times so far.
The viral announcement claims, among other things, that hemp can replace plastic, it can be used as a building material, help treat 250 diseases and can be stronger than steel.
Hemp is truly a plant that offers a wide range of uses – because of its fiber, it is suitable for making a number of things, while due to its psychoactive substances, it is often used as an intoxicant.
In the 1970s, the International Plant Taxonomy Association (IAPT) determined a concentration of 0.3 percent THC as the boundary between industrial and Indian hemp, although for an intoxicating effect to occur, the plant needs to have at least 1 percent THC.
As we have already written, in 2019, amendments to the Law on the Suppression of Drug Abuse introduced the concept of industrial hemp, which includes a subtype of hemp with a total THC content of 0.2 percent and less, whose varieties are on the Common Variety List of the European Union and which is not included in the List of drugs, psychotropic substances and plants from which drugs can be obtained.
These changes enabled the use of the entire industrial hemp plant, whereas previously, only seeds could be used. The change in the law opened the door to the use of hemp in the construction, textile, food and cosmetics industries, the paper industry, the automotive industry and the production of biofuels.
After the legal changes, the production of CBD, which is obtained by extraction from the flower of the plant, flourished and is most often used as oil that achieves a much higher price on the market than that obtained from seeds. In addition, CBD flowers, which started to be sold in Croatia two years ago, are gaining more and more popularity, although European and national regulations do not allow the completely legal placement of CBD products on the markets.
In the following text, we will look at the statements from the viral Facebook post, which were also shared by some other Facebook pages (Change your consciousness, For our Croatia).
Although most of the claims made are correct, some still lack context.
Hemp absorbs CO2 better than trees
“One hectare of hemp produces as much oxygen as 25 hectares of forest. […] 1 hectare of hemp can produce the same amount of biomass as 4 hectares of trees”, claims the author of the FB post.
In hemp chloroplasts, as in any green plant, photosynthesis is carried out, the process of creating organic matter from carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) using light energy and chlorophyll while simultaneously releasing oxygen. Photosynthesis is the most important biochemical process on Earth – it incorporates solar energy into the energy-rich chemical bonds of organic compounds. At the same time, it is important for humans due to the creation of oxygen and food.
We could not find research that would measure and compare the amount of oxygen produced by one hectare of hemp and one hectare of forest. However, numerous studies show that hemp is more efficient in absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Some scientists claim that hemp is capable of absorbing as much as four times more carbon dioxide than trees.
Darshil Shah, a researcher at the Center for Innovative Materials at Cambridge University, says hemp absorbs twice as much CO2 as trees – at an annual rate of 8 to 15 tonnes per hectare planted.
“By comparison, forests typically ‘capture’ two to six tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year, depending on growth years, climate region and tree species, etc.”, Shah told the British website Dezeen.
It is true that scientific research shows that hemp produces more biomass than some other trees. Although we have not been able to find research that would confirm or refute the cited claim about the amount of biomass produced, information can be found in scientific papers that one hectare of hemp can produce four times more paper than one hectare of forest.
Paper production
“While it is possible to make paper from hemp 8 times, 3 times from wood. Hemp grows in 4 months, wood grows in 20-50 years”, the viral post on Facebook claims.
Scientists from the Institute of Paper Production and Printing at the Technical Faculty in Lodz, Poland, write in an article for the journal of the prestigious University of Agriculture in Warsaw that hemp paper contains three times more cellulose than other types of paper. They add that hemp can be used four months after being planted, while on the other hand, trees need 20 to 80 years.
The same source also states that hemp paper can be recycled seven to eight times, while wood pulp can be recycled only three times.
In addition, hemp paper lasts hundreds of years longer than wood paper, which decomposes and turns yellow over time.
The same research also shows how the chemicals involved in the production of hemp paper are less toxic than those used in the production of wood paper. Making hemp paper does not require toxic bleaches, but the process can be done with hydrogen peroxide, which poisons the environment less than chlorine and dioxins commonly used in paper mills.
Despite the properties that make it suitable for paper production, there are reasons why such an industry has not yet come to life: the existing processing technology is not so “productive” in terms of working with non-woody crops; as hemp is an annual crop and its stems are bulky, there are difficulties with transport and storage; the quality and yield of hemp is influenced by several factors, and there are variations within biomass that can affect the quality of the material.
Cannabis against radiation
“Cannabis is a real radiation trap”
It is true that hemp can be used for phytoremediation purposes. It is a process that involves the ability of green plants to secrete certain elements into the ecosystem, that is, technology that uses plants to decompose, assimilate or detoxify various environmental pollutants (Agroclub).
It is for this purpose that hemp was planted near Chernobyl after an explosion at a nuclear power plant in 1986, which resulted in the contamination of the soil with radioactive particles (1, 2).
In November 2021, scientists from the American University of Penn State published in the journal Toxin reviews their results of a meta-analysis on the contamination of cannabis with heavy metals. In particular, the researchers studied the available information on its use in phytoremediation and on the heavy metals that can be found in hemp plants. According to them, some varieties are used especially for phytoremediation due to their physical characteristics that favor this process – long stems, fast growth, the large surface area of roots and leaves, high photosynthetic activity and dependence on relatively few nutrients for survival.
Heavy metals absorbed by the plant later exit through trichomes, external growth on the plant.
The conclusion of the study is that such cannabis should not be used for human use, i.e., that varieties not grown to better absorb heavy metals should be used for human use, and the choice of hemp coming from agricultural land without heavy metals is equally important.
Since it is not sold in certified stores but on the street, the cannabis that can most often be found in Croatia is of questionable quality, and it is difficult to know what soil it actually comes from.
Ante Saran, co-owner of the Garica brand, warned about this recently at a round table held in the Parliament. Marijuana from Albania, which is frequently consumed in Croatia, he said, often contains traces of opium and heroin, pesticides, ammonia, synthetic THC and air freshener ‘Galaxy’ or ‘Spice’.
Hemp and pesticides
“Cannabis can be grown anywhere in the world and requires very little water. In addition, since it can protect against insects, it does not need pesticides”, claims the viral post on Facebook said.
It is true that hemp can adapt to different soils and climates and that it thrives in different parts of the world.
The scientific article “Hemp – sociological aspects of cultivation and use” published in the journal Social Ecology states that ethnobotanical research over the past 250 years has resulted in insights showing that each of the subspecies of hemp originates from different climates, i.e., Europe, India and central Russia.
Today, it is grown worldwide and represents a fast-growing “heavy” market of $ 4.13 billion in 2021. It is expected to grow at an annual growth rate of 16.8 percent, and in 2030 it will be worth 16.75 billion dollars.
Although numerous articles can be found on the Internet stating that hemp does not need pesticides, the fact is that they are still used in its cultivation. Thus, on the website of the US Environmental Protection Agency, you can find a list of pesticides that are allowed for the cultivation of industrial hemp. Most of them are plant pesticides.
Although cannabis contains cannabinoids and terpenes, compounds that can repel insects, some experts suggest that one should be wary of claims that pesticides are never needed, especially since there is new evidence that there are many pests and diseases, such as some fungi, which can damage hemp. The plant can also be damaged by aphids, mold and snails (Deutsche Welle).
“If hemp textiles become widespread, the pesticide industry could disappear altogether”, said a Facebook user.
Clothing is known to pollute the environment – the global textile and clothing industry consumed 79 billion cubic meters of water in 2015, and is responsible for 20 percent of global clean water pollution and 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, much of the textile is not recycled and thus ends up in landfills.
Therefore, there is a growing debate about ecological production methods that would reduce the harmful effects on the environment, and in which hemp would play a significant role.
A study published in the Journal of Cleaner Production says that growing hemp leaves a much smaller ecological footprint than cotton. The results show that industrial hemp is a high-yield crop with an average of three times more metric tons of fiber produced per hectare of cultivation. Growing hemp can reduce the costs associated with agricultural activities by 77 percent compared to cotton production. The reason is that hemp requires a “more sustainable” amount of water and soil.
Hemp is “healthier” for the environment than polyester. Its production uses oil as a non-renewable resource, and the production process itself includes large amounts of energy which, unless obtained from renewable sources, produces large amounts of CO2, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere (Stockholm Environmental Institute).
When it comes to the use of pesticides, it is unfounded to claim that this industry would disappear if we decided to produce textiles exclusively from hemp. It is true that cotton is particularly vulnerable to pest attacks and that the cotton industry uses 6 percent of the world’s pesticides (and 16 percent of insecticides). However, it covers only 2.4 percent of the world’s cultivated land.
In other words, even if pesticides were no longer used in cotton growing for the textile industry, there would still be a need for them in other agricultural branches.
History of hemp cultivation
“Early farmers made everything from hemp; even the word ‘CANVAS’ was the name for hemp products. Hemp is an ideal plant for making ropes, wires, bags, shoes and hats”, the Facebook post stated.
According to the Encyclopaedia Brittanica, the word “canvas” most likely comes from the word cannabis because hemp has been used for centuries to make sailcloth.
Hemp originates from Central Asia, and its cultivation for the purpose of obtaining fiber was recorded in China in 2800 BC. Some evidence suggests that people used cannabis much earlier, around 4000 BC, while a small portion of the findings say that people used cannabis 10,000 years ago in Mesopotamia.
Cultivation was later, in early Christian times, practiced in Mediterranean countries, and later spread to the rest of Europe during the Middle Ages. In the 16th century, it was planted in Chile, and a century later in North America (Britannica).
Hemp has historically been used for paper and fabric production and food. In the pre-industrial era, its oil was one of the most commonly consumed vegetable oils in the human diet (1, 2).
According to the Croatian Technical Encyclopedia, hemp was grown in large agricultural areas in Osijek, Vukovar, Djakovo, Vinkovci and Cepin during the first decades of the 20th century due to its fibers and textiles. Between the two world wars, Yugoslavia was the third-largest hemp grower, behind Russia and Italy. The decline in hemp production began in the middle of the century due to increasing imports of cotton and man-made fibers.
The number of 25,000 different products that can be obtained from hemp is often circulating on the Internet.
As Politifact wrote, that figure is overestimated. Namely, it comes from an article published in the magazine Popular Mechanics in 1938. Although hemp can have many uses, the question is how many hemp products are actually economically viable.
There are, according to Politifact, certain limitations related to the technology used in the processing and production that have not yet been adapted to hemp, as is the case with the textile industry, which is mainly adapted to work with cotton fibers. Likewise, although it can be used in construction and the replacement of plastic packaging, hemp cannot yet completely replace materials such as plastic and concrete.
Medical use
“Reducing the impact of chemotherapy and radiation treatment on cannabis, AIDS and cancer; It is used on at least 250 diseases such as rheumatism, heart, epilepsy, asthma, stomach, insomnia, psychology”, states a Facebook post.
The first written record mentioning hemp is the herbarium of the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung from 2740 BC, which states that it may be effective in treating malaria.
Hemp is also mentioned in Indian Vedic texts stating that it was used to strengthen the spirit and relieve fever and headaches and stimulate sleep and appetite. Throughout history, it has been used in almost all ancient cultures.
In the United States, cannabis was widely used as a patent medicine during the 19th and early 20th centuries, first described in the United States Pharmacopoeia in 1850. Today, it is approved for medical use in 28 US states. Despite limited clinical evidence, a number of medical conditions and associated symptoms have been approved as conditions for the use of cannabis for medical purposes. The most common conditions accepted by states that allow medicinal cannabis relate to the alleviation of symptoms of cancer, glaucoma, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, and MS.
In February 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the use of cannabis for medical purposes stating that cannabis and cannabinoids can effectively increase appetite and reduce weight loss caused by HIV.
“Medical cannabis can also alleviate the symptoms of mental disorders and epilepsy, as well as Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, asthma, cancer, Crohn’s disease and glaucoma, but more research is needed in these areas. It also helps reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes and alleviate menstrual pain”, states the European Parliament’s website.
In Croatia, the Commission for Analysis and Recommendations for the Use of Indian Cannabis for Medical Purposes in 2015 recommended that cannabis be prescribed as a treatment to relieve symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis, malignancies and HIV/AIDS.
However, products with THC did not come to life in Croatia. They appeared in pharmacies in 2016, but they were too expensive for many and quickly disappeared from the shelves, which is why those who need medical cannabis often preferred to turn to the black market (1, 2).
“The value of hemp seed protein is very high and the two fatty acids contained cannot be found anywhere else in nature”, claims a Facebook post.
Hemp seeds are considered a superfood because of their nutritional value – they are rich in protein, fiber and fatty acids.
Hemp seeds are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (considered good for cardiovascular health), and GLA or gamma-linolenic acid, an essential omega-6 fatty acid, is good for regulating hormones. In addition, the seed also contains nine essential amino acids that the body cannot produce on its own.
A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology says that hemp seed oil can help patients who have rheumatoid arthritis. According to a paper published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, hemp seed, because it is rich in fiber, acts as a natural appetite suppressant and can help fight obesity.
In addition, various studies say that hemp flour can be useful as an addition to cakes and pasta as a healthier option.
Hemp seeds, therefore, undeniably have a high nutritional value, but we have not been able to find a source that would confirm or dispute the fact that they contain two fatty acids that can not be found anywhere in nature.
Hemp vs. soy
“Hemp production is even cheaper than soy”, claims a post on Facebook.
The profitability of growing agricultural crops is expressed in the ratio of investment and profit. We have not been able to find an analysis comparing the cost-effectiveness of hemp and soybean production, and the available data on the cost and cost-effectiveness of cultivation vary considerably; hemp is not always grown for the same purposes, nor is every use equally profitable.
For instance, the cost of investing in planting hemp for CBD oil production may be higher, but the profits will be higher too.
According to a report from the Zwick Center for Food and Resources at the University of Connecticut, the total cost per acre of land (just over half a hectare) if hemp were grown for CBD flowers was $ 19,289. However, two-thirds of that total price is variable, that is, it changes with the stages of production. Revenue is $ 24,375, and profit is about $ 5,086, but it can go up to $ 11,656 depending on the variable part of the cost. The profit, of course, depends on the amount of dried flowers obtained and the amount of CBD in the crop.
On the other hand, the costs and profits estimated for hemp seed production are much lower.
Soybean figures are different. Gross soybean revenue is projected at $ 942 per acre, taking into account the prediction that one acre of land will yield 68 bushels and that the price of soybeans will be $ 13.85 per bushel. When expenses are deducted, the profit turns out to be about $ 574 (Farmdomdaily).
Animal food
“Animals fed with cannabis do not need hormone replacement”, claims the post on Facebook.
The term “implant” is used for products used in the livestock industry for the purpose of increasing the rate and efficiency of animal growth. Implants contain natural or synthetic compounds that produce physiological reactions similar to natural hormones.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of hormones for use in cattle and sheep since the mid-1950s, including natural estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and their synthetic versions, all to increase growth rate and food production efficiency. Implants get the green light only after studies show that food from treated animals is safe for human consumption and that the treatment does not harm the animal itself.
According to the panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on additives, products and substances used in animal feed, hemp seeds can be used as food for all animal species, and hemp oil, as a rich source of essential fatty acids, can be used as an additive to compound feeds.
The question, however, is how much hemp food can have an impact on livestock growth. A meta-study published in the Frontiers in Veterinary Science shows that feeding animals with seeds does not cause this effect, although a number of other positive health changes have been observed due to the inclusion of cannabis in the diet.
This was shown by a study conducted in Croatia – the addition of hemp oil to goat’s meals increased the proportion of fat in milk, seed cakes in cows increased the amount of milk produced, while laying hen eggs had richer yolk.
Hemp instead of plastic and concrete?
“All plastic products can be made from hemp, and hemp plastic is very easy to return to nature”, the Facebook post claims.
In the production of plastics, petroleum products are used, while hemp plastics, on the other hand, are produced using extracted cellulose from the plant, and thus the production process is much healthier for the environment.
Plastics produced using petroleum compounds are cheap and easy to manufacture, and processes involving the production of biodegradable plastics are still expensive and require more effort and time and special processing procedures.
Hemp fibers can be used to strengthen plastics and some other composite materials, but precisely because of the complicated production process, this industry is not expected to flourish in the near future (1, 2, 3).
“If the car’s body is made of hemp, it will be 10 times stronger than steel”, stated the viral post.
Retired director of Dell Bruce Diezten was a guest on the TV show Jay Leno’s Garage in 2017, presenting a car produced on ecological principles, with a hood made of hemp. Drivers Leno and Diezten hit the hood of the car, claiming during testing that it was ten times stronger than steel.
The inspiration for this car comes from a car introduced by Henry Ford in 1941, which had a hemp body that Ford claimed was stronger than steel.
Some believe that claims about 70 percent of Ford’s car made of hemp are not entirely true because Ford’s potters created plastic consisting of cellulose fibers and resin binders, while a small percentage of cellulose was hemp. That car never came to life in a commercial sense in the end.
However, looking at the tensile strength, the mechanical property of the material on the basis of which they are evaluated according to their mechanical resistance to stress, hemp fibers are almost six times stronger, i.e., they have higher bending strength than steel.
Hemp has already been used in the production of some car models. The plant contains about 70 percent cellulose, which makes it useful for making plastics. Manufacturers extract cellulose from hemp and produce it using methods used to produce traditional plastics, while mixing it with existing materials to create hybrids. However, the use of hemp in car manufacturing is still more expensive than conventional production methods in the automotive industry (1, 2, 3).
“It can also be used for building and insulation of buildings; durable, cheap and flexible”
It is true that hemp can be used in construction and that several such facilities have been built so far (1, 2, 3).
Hempcrete is the name used for hemp concrete, or the material obtained when pieces of hemp are mixed with lime. It is increasingly mentioned in the context of renewable building materials that would be useful in achieving the goals of carbon-neutral and more sustainable construction.
Hemp boards can be used for interior and exterior insulation, and hemp bricks can be used as a non-load-bearing filler for exterior and partition walls in new construction and renovation. Hempcrete is also lightweight and can be integrated into an existing building system. Similar to traditional concrete, it can be poured on-site or reshaped into building components.
Despite its good properties, Hemp concrete will not be competitive in the market for some time to come, at least not in the US. Very few farmers grow hemp for this purpose because there is no market for this material yet, which then affects the price.
Farmers need customers, and at the same time, they have to live near processing centers, of which there are few. For now, hemp concrete costs more than traditional products, and few builders in the US engaged in such construction are often forced to import hemp concrete from Europe. In addition, there are no national guidelines, test methods or specifications for hemp concrete, and building regulations vary from state to state (1, 2).
Hemp growers, therefore, prefer to grow hemp for textiles, food and beverages, and hygiene products.
Hemp cosmetics
“Hemp soaps and cosmetics do not pollute water; they are therefore completely environmentally friendly”, the post claimed.
The wastewater of the soap industry is indeed a potentially hazardous liquid waste whose improper disposal can impair the quality of the environment. One of the main pollution problems in this industry is the odor that comes from storing and handling ingredients such as sulfonic acids and salts.
Hygienic hemp products such as soaps, shampoos, and shower gels are often marketed as natural or organic, and the demand for them is growing as environmental awareness grows. Consumers are more likely to opt for cosmetics and personal care products that do not contain synthetic ingredients – parabens, phthalates, aluminum salts and mineral oils. Although cosmetics containing certified organic ingredients mostly have natural ingredients, some companies still turn to synthetic chemicals to protect the products from “rotting” on the shelves.
Hemp soap can be made in several ways, some of which can be more or less sustainable. The extent to which hemp soap and cosmetics are sustainable will depend on several factors, including the use of pesticides, the method of production, the use of other ingredients, and ultimately the packaging of the product (1, 2, 3, 4).