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One dispensary near me just opened, and before I knew it, there were another two!’
If you live in an area that has legalized cannabis, then you have probably had (or heard) a conversation along these lines in recent years.
The humble little cannabis plant has gone from the sidelines of society to being a major cash crop. Its versatility, durability, and countless different uses have pushed it to center stage. But what are these many uses? And why are so many people touting cannabis as a possible solution to the global sustainability problems we are facing?
How to find a ‘dispensaries near me’
If you’re new to the world of cannabis, then your first (and only) stop should undoubtedly be your local dispensary. Click here for a better option.
Budtenders (cannabis baristas) are packed to the brim with everything you need to know about cannabis. They’ll happily pick you out a strain that meets your needs, point out the various modes of consumption available, and which accessories you’ll need.
There are plenty of platforms that will help you find “dispensaries near me“, complete with reviews and menus. Leafly, Weedmaps, and PotBot are just a few services that will give you everything you need to know about the dispensaries in your area.
But without further ado, let’s take a closer look at the future of the hemp and cannabis industry.
Recreational enjoyment
It would be wrong of me to start anywhere else.
Most people will associate cannabis with one thing – getting high. As you will find out from this article, the psychoactive effects of cannabis are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of this plant.
But that doesn’t mean we should overlook the recreational uses of cannabis.
It’s easy to think that the history of smoking cannabis flower only stretches back a few decades to the swinging sixties, but the true journey of cannabis began tens of thousands of years ago.
The plant originated in Asia (it’s likely it first grew in the lower Himalayas), and its earliest recorded use is in the ancient books of traditional Chinese medicine. One text, thought to be over 2000 years old, reports that consuming cannabis flower “frees the spirit light and lightens the body.”
Sounds like the words of someone stoned out of their tree, right?
Today, millions of people worldwide enjoy the relaxing and stress-free vibes of cannabis. It’s used to enhance the enjoyment of other recreational activities, to help people unwind from their 9-5 grinds, and generally chill people out.
This one part of the cannabis industry generates billions of dollars in sales alone.
CBD products
Another booming market within the cannabis industry right now is CBD.
It’s been almost impossible not to notice the meteoric rise of this cannabis compound over the last decade. Ten years ago, the only people who knew what CBD was were dedicated ganja experts. Now you can find CBD in nearly every supermarket in the country.
CBD stands for cannabidiol. Cannabidiol is one of many natural plant compounds that make up the cannabinoid family. Including THC (the magic ingredient responsible for the ‘high’ effect of cannabis), these compounds react with the human body and cause a whole list of effects, many of which are still being explored by scientists and researchers.
Research on this compound and the rest of the cannabinoids began relatively recently, and the results are not fully known at this stage. But many claims are being made about CBD’s ability to fight anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and inflammation, as well as its ability to promote healthy skin and hair.
But it doesn’t end there. With the market becoming saturated with CBD products, attention is turning to other cannabis compounds, including CBG, CBT, CBN, and many more. In fact, there are at least 144 cannabinoids.
As the buzz around CBD reaches its peak, expect these new cannabinoids to be hitting shelves near you soon.
Industrial hemp products
In 2018, the US government passed the Farm Bill Act.
This bill removed hemp (a variety of cannabis) from the list of controlled substances, opening the door for the explosion of the hemp industry.
Unlike its sister, marijuana, hemp does not produce THC and therefore doesn’t get you high. Other than that, the differences between the two plants are few and far between.
Hemp has been cultivated and farmed by humans for tens of thousands of years.
And luckily, the hard work has already been done for American farmers. Records dating back before the birth of Christ (again from China) show that farmers had already been crossbreeding and selecting the hardiest, most fibrous plants to choose seeds from.
Fast forward to the present, and the wisdom of ancient Chinese farmers has paid off. Hemp grows incredibly quickly – at similar rates to bamboo – and can survive harsh conditions and flourish in various soil types and climates.
Hemp paper
Hemp paper is more robust, more resistant to tear, and technically cheaper to produce than paper from wood. It has been around for centuries (the original drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on paper made from hemp), but due to its previous illegal status, the entire paper industry is built around producing paper from wood.
Expect that to change over the coming decades, though. With the CBD industry booming, the waste products from farms are literally lying around gathering dust, waiting for the rest of the hemp manufacturing sector to catch up.
Hemp textiles
Hemp textiles is another product that is old as the hill. Along with the rest of the industry, hemp textile production took a nosedive during cannabis prohibition, and is bouncing back more vital than ever.
Hemp grows much quicker than cotton and can produce much higher yields per square meter, even without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. It’s stronger than cotton, more durable, and easier to care for.
It must be good – Betsy Ross used hemp textile to make her first American flag! How’s that for a piece of unexpected history.
Biofuel
The planet is facing a climate catastrophe. On top of this, we’re rapidly approaching a point where traditional fuel sources are becoming more scarce, harder to extract, and more expensive.
With the planet’s population rising and more countries pulling themselves out of poverty and becoming high energy consumers, the race is on to find the next sustainable source of fuel for the human race.
It may not be the final solution, but hemp-derived fuel is ready to tide us over until someone pulls their finger out and fills every available space of desert with a heck-load of solar farms.
Hemp biofuel is another product made from the waste of the CBD industry. CBD is made from the hemp plant’s flowering buds; the rest of it – the leaves, stalks, and stems are not used. After processing, it is ready to be used in biofuel power stations.
Although the amount of energy produced is not as high as that of hydrocarbons like coal and oil, it is cleaner to manufacture (and extract) and will not run out any time soon. Hemp can be grown to full maturity in 4 months, compared to the few million years it takes the planet to produce coal.
Medical Marijuana
The first nation to approve medical marijuana was Canada in 2001. This was the first domino to fall in a series of legislative changes that paved the way for legalizing recreational cannabis and industrial hemp in the USA.
There is only one FDA-approved cannabis-derived drug in America at the moment – Epidiolex. This drug contains a purified form of CBD and is used to treat specific types of seizures.
Research is underway on several other drugs and illnesses, so it seems likely that more prescription drugs will be available shortly.
In the meantime, store-bought CBD products and medical marijuana will have to fill the gap. While doctors cannot prescribe CBD or cannabis for any conditions until the FDA gives the go-ahead, they can ‘recommend’ patients try these treatments.
There is strong evidence to suggest that cannabis has a role to play in the treatment of symptoms from cancer and equal evidence that pharmaceutical companies are trying to suppress this knowledge to protect their share of the market.
The same goes with the effectiveness of CBD in fighting anxiety and other mental health conditions.
People have been treating themselves with natural products, including cannabis, for longer than America has been a nation. Again, we can look to millennia-old Chinese texts which document the effectiveness of cannabis in treating rheumatism, gout, pain, inflammation, and much more.
Hemp Seed Oil
Not to be confused with CBD oil or hashish oil, hemp seed oil is made by pressing seeds of the cannabis plant. It is a darkish liquid with a nutty and grassy flavor that has been used by humans for centuries.
Packed with omega-3 and omega-6, plus a range of beneficial terpenes and plant oils, hemp seed oil is a healthy alternative to many cooking oils on the market.
Once refined, hemp oil is clear and tasteless and is used by the cosmetic industry in a range of skin and hair care products.
Unlike many oils, hemp seed oil dries into a solidified form. This makes it a safe and natural pigment carrier for paints, polishes, and varnishes, as well as a hardener for putty and in the manufacturing of plastics.
Hashish and Concentrates
Smokable cannabis flower has already been covered here, but that is not the only use for the buds of marijuana.
To make cannabis herb smokable, it must be dried out and cured slowly over a period of months. This is usually done by cutting the plant and hanging branches upside down in a darkened, cool room.
In some areas, including the origins of the cannabis plant in Asia, it is too humid to dry cannabis in this way. In the time it takes to dry and cure the buds properly, they begin to grow mold, rot, and eventually spoil completely.
Unfettered by the climate condition, some genius, innovative weed smoker worked out there was a way to extract high THC oil from the cannabis plant without having to wait for it to dry. This oil, hardened and solidified, was a forerunner of modern hash.
Before technology took over, there was a simple (yet time-consuming) way of processing hash by hand. Step one – you grab a branch of cannabis. Step two – you lightly roll it between your hands as if you’re making a playdough sausage.
After a few minutes, your hands will begin to become sticky and green. A bit longer, and you’ll notice oil resin coating your palms. Roll your palms together, and the resin starts to form little balls of hash.
They didn’t have Netflix or 9-5 jobs back then, so there was plenty of time to dedicate to making hash. If you’re ever lucky enough to visit the villages in the foothills of the Himalayas, where weed grows like a, well….weed, you’ll see the locals still making hash with this technique.
Nowadays, we do have Netflix and jobs, and a thousand other tasks to do. But luckily, we also have technology that is taking cannabis extract to a whole new level. High pressure, CO2 extraction, and vaporizing are all ways of making cannabis concentrates that are as high as 70% THC.
We are truly living in a golden age of cannabis.
Hemp is the future
It doesn’t take much to work out why hemp was banned for so long. So many polluting, unsustainable industries are in danger of being replaced with green and friendly hemp. The Farm Bill was a death knell for many of these companies.
This article has barely touched on bioplastics. Recently, the world’s first airplane made entirely from hemp products took its maiden voyage, demonstrating just how versatile cannabis can be.
Maybe one day, we’ll be driving to work in cars made from and powered by hemp, taking cannabis medicinals, and wearing hemp clothes. Sounds like a hippie’s dream, right?
The future is bright. The future is green and sticky.
