The Great Book of Hemp: The Complete Guide to the Environmental, Commercial, and Medicinal Uses of the World's Most Extraordinary Plant

by Rowan Robinson

Hemp, Cannabis sativa , has been called the world's most versatile plant. Materials made from hemp fiber have been discovered in tombs dating back to 7000 B.C. During the Middle Ages hemp was used to treat fevers, insomnia, and malaria. Columbus's ships had sails of hemp, and during colonial times it was universally grown because its strong fibers made superior ropes, sails, cloth, and paper. In fact, hemp was used for money in most of the Americas from 1631 until the early 1800s, and the original drafts of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written on hemp paper.

As a food, the oil from hemp seeds has the highest percentage of essential fatty acids and the lowest percentage of saturated fats. Britain and Canada have recently lifted bans on growing industrial hemp and today it is reappearing in the marketplace in an amazing array of from lip-salve, jeans, salad oil, and cheese to paper products, composite fiberboard, and biomass fuel.

This illustrated, easy-to-read guide covers all aspects of

• The history of its cultivation worldwide

• Its role as a source of renewable energy and as an alternative for paper manufacturing and fossil fuels

• Its versatility as a fiber

• Its many nutritional and medicinal uses

• Examines the physiological and psychological effects of marijuana use in recreation and therapy

• A comprehensive resource section includes information on organizations involved in legalizing hemp, product suppliers, and an annotated bibliography.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1995

Reviews

[anónimo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hemp is the key to a sustainable world.

[Nate Jordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a book that's almost twenty-five years old, it is still remarkably relevant. That fact alone is proof there is a huge deficit in hemp information and education. There simply is not a lot of information out there that is consolidated in bound form, and what is out there (ie. American Hemp by Jenn Hobbs and Hemp Bound by Doug Fine being the most popular by far) is focused on the consumer. The uptick to this situation is it leaves an open playing field for new books, new writers, etc., and perhaps it's time for an updated/revised edition of this valuable work.

[Timothy Wood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read about all aspects of hemp in use, cultivation, politics,and-most notably-in history, in addition to more. Did not cover the topic of cultivation and processing though...Although it does state 'uses' in the title, I feel it does not deserve the title of 'great book' or 'complete guide' since it lacks a more complete aspect on the topic. There are a few good statistics, but if you want to learn the history and not really a complete processing of hemp in contemporary farming then it is not for you. It is well written however, and I would love to give it 5 stars, but the title just feels that misleading. Necessary read for those considering (and new to) the hemp industry...but since there is no real competition in this field it is not really a persuasive read that the other star is given (IE: -1 star for incomplete subjects, and -1 star for lack of persuasion that truly great books deserve).

Nevertheless. If you have some time and want to learn about the subject of hemp, I say go for it. There isn't a real competitor on the field of general knowledge.

[Laurel Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big business, industry!

I was looking for more info about all those products that you can make out of hemp herds and fibre. I got more info about drug wars against poor people and so on. Just how much law enforcement countries have to have and costs. I can't believe we support the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. We have so many environmental problems with big chemical companies, oil companies, and depletion of ourselves, our homes, our lives with their products and we can't deal with it. Well here is hemp, what about this history of a plant we know nothing about except the propaganda we are fed in order to make someone rich whom cares nothing about us, our health or the country we live in.

[Pantelis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Προσοχή: ναι-μεν είναι πλήρες, είναι όμως και σαφέστατα υπέρ της κάνναβης. Δεν έχω μπει στον κόπο να ελέγξω μια προς μια όλες τις αναφορές του συγγραφέα για τις χρήσεις της κάνναβης, αλλά είμαι εκατό τοις εκατό σίγουρος πως τουλάχιστον όσον αφορά τις "ιατρικές χρήσεις", υπερβάλλει για να κάνει το φυτό να δείξει πιο "φιλικό". Πέφτει στην παγίδα του "α! η κάνναβη μπορεί να λύσει όλα τα προβλήματα του κόσμου!", κι αυτό δεν μου αρέσει.