Cannabis sativa, what a versatile crop! It is often grouped in two segments: on the one hand, there are cannabis varieties that contain less than a certain percentage of the psychoactive tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and these are often indicated as hemp, or industrial hemp. On the other hand, cannabis varieties that contain more than that percentage of THC are often indicated as marijuana.
After a long period of prohibition in most countries across the world, more and more countries are now legalizing the use of recreational, and especially the medical, use of cannabis. As a result, cannabis is slowly moving on a global scale towards a regulated legal environment. To produce cannabis varieties for various new medical applications and also for new differentiated recreational products, intensive breeding is underway at companies in Europe, North America and beyond.
As a crop, industrial hemp has many uses. In case you need a substitute for paper: try hemp. Or if you are searching for an alternative to plastic: look at hemp! The crop is used for textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food, and fuel. Its plastic substitutes are strong, durable and environmentally friendly. Thousands of products made from petroleum-based plastics can be produced from hemp-based composites.
No wonder the interest in the crop has been soaring.
