Making a Case For Hemp Oil

While hemp oil is finally regaining its footing and rebuilding it’s good name it has still yet to be accepted into the mainstream market. A similar oil, palm oil, has proven to be inexpensive and incredibly versatile making it in high demand by food producers. It’s also being used in other daily consumed products from packaged foods to fast food, household cleaners to shampoo. HOWEVER, palm oil is NOT a sustainable product! Indonesia and Malaysia are the dominant producers of palm oil because of their large tropical forests – ideal for palm oil plantations. In order to create these plantations, large sections of forests are being cleared to make room to keep up with demand.

So while it may be an inexpensive option, palm oil really isn’t a viable option for sustainable oil. This is one of the reasons that hemp oil is such a wonderful product and could completely revolutionize the way that we make oil.

What makes hemp sustainable?

• Hemp is widely known as the “wonder crop” for many reasons.
• Hemp can be grown in a variety of climates and soil types
• Hemp a dense-growing plant, decreasing land use
• It is fast growing which leads to high product yield and more product per season.
• It literally improves the soil health for that which it was planted in.
• Hemp plants don’t require pesticides at it is naturally resistant to most pests
• It naturally extracts toxins and pollutants from the soil and groundwater
• Hemp absorbs CO2, making it carbon-negative
• Hemp pulp has been used to make paper for 2,000 years and could help save the trees

What makes hemp oil a superfood?

• Hemp is high in omega-3 fatty acids
• Hemp is a “complete” protein and easily digestible
• It doesn’t contain whey, lactose or animal products
• Hemp contains 9 essential amino acids and natural antioxidants

Why don’t we use hemp now as a substitute for palm oil?

While it is inexpensive to grow it is significantly pricier to process hemp than other plant oils. As with all things related to the cost of processing, state-of-the-art-technology can win the battles associated with laborious operations. It is only a matter of time when hemp oil processing costs will be in line with other extraction processes. If the price we’re paying for losing critical forests, increasing global warming, and expanding the endangered species list becomes high enough in the minds of consumers, food producers, and government officials, perhaps we’ll think about smarter ways to bring hemp oil into the mainstream.