Hemp 101

Hemp is legal, useful to mankind, and highly misunderstood. Hemp is a sustainable fiber and grain crop with a wide range of industrial applications, including energy, construction, nutritition, plastics, paper, textiles, animal care and automotive components. After over 80 years of prohibition, industrial hemp is begining to take hold in the US, and Pennsylvania has the opportunity to be a leader in the sector.

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Cannabis Sativa L.

Industrial hemp is defined by the US Congress as cannabis sativa L containing less than 0.3% THC. Hemp is a multi-use crop. Seeds are used for nutrition, cold-pressed oil and personal/body care products. Some types of industrial hemp grow over ten feet high, meaning much of the plant is stalk. The stalk contains a woody inner core referred to as hurd or shiv, and the outer part of the stalk is made up of long, strong fibers known as bast. These raw materials are the building blocks for a wide range of industrial uses including construction, bioplastics, auto parts, textiles, animal bedding and more. Even though industrial hemp has negligible amounts of THC, the leaves and biomass contain a range of other cannabinoids like CBD, the applications of which are just being understood in the fast-growing wellness market.

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Hemp is a High-Yield Crop That’s Good for Soil, Water and Air

Hemp grown for fiber differs from cannabis sativa grown for the recreational and medicinal industries, as it contains less than 0.03% THC, grows outdoors, and is intentionally grown up to 20 feet tall with a thick, woody stalk. Conversely, cultivars intended for recreational and medical use are grown to heights of 3 – 5 feet, with short stalks and greater leaf mass. Hemp can grow in almost any climate, but the best yields are derived from fertile soil in temperate regions without extreme rainfall. The plants establish a canopy early in their growth cycle, meaning they shade out weeds, and little to no pesticides or weedkillers are required in the cultivation of the crop.

Farmers can expect one growing season per year, with two seasons possible in warmer climates. Hemp, a sustainable agricultural commodity, replenishes and aerates the soil—a process called phytoremediation—making it an ideal rotation crop for existing farms with soil-depleting crops like corn, cotton, soy and tobacco.

Hemp has the highest biomass of any known agricultural crop, and averages a yield of 3 dry tons of fiber per acre, though research shows yields can be as high as 10 tons/acre depending on conditions and seed genetics.

Hemp stalks are dense and woody, and cannot be processed into fiber immediately after harvest. In order to be processed for industrial uses, the cut stalks often undergo a process of decomposition in the field called retting.

The Opportunity is Now

Hemp is environmentally beneficial, economically beneficial, and has enormous untapped potential and scale. Industry insiders, manufacturers and analysts agree the #1 industry bottleneck in the US is the lack of commercial-scale processing.

With demand far in excess of supply, processors are just coming online in North America.

Industrial hemp stands at the forefront of a bio-manufacturing revolution, offering a sustainable solution to propel us into a greener future. With sustainable applications that can replace virtually every polluting industry, industrial hemp is poised to drive innovation and economic growth. With the legalization of hemp through the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, and the promise of the Industrial Hemp Act now being debated in Congress, regulatory support for industrial hemp is stronger than ever. Industrial hemp is more than just a plant—it’s a catalyst for change, promising a sustainable, prosperous, and innovative future. By embracing hemp as a cornerstone of bio-manufacturing, we can unlock its full potential and build a bio-economy that benefits all. PAHIC invites you to join us in this transformative revolution.