#HEMP is Trending
#HEMP is Trending
After seven decades of prohibition, the world's oldest industrial crop - hemp - is back in the mainstream, thanks to today's trends toward sustainable industrial products, natural medicine, and plant-based protein.
In the United States alone, the hemp-based food product market alone has grown from $400 million in 2014 to an estimated $2 billion by 2022. CBD is projected to be worth a staggering $22 billion by 2022 and we are only just dreaming up the potential applications for industrial hemp in today's modern economy.
Across North America, farmers are turning once more to the versatile, healthy and environmentally-friendly hemp crop to answer a multitude of 21st-century challenges.
Sustainability
Let's start from the ground up (literally). Hemp is an earth-friendly crop - it requires fewer pesticides and herbicides, regenerates and restores the soil, and is relatively drought resistant. Further, hemp stalks can absorb a large amount of atmospheric C02. One ton of hemp removes 1.63 tons of carbon from the air (that’s better than trees can do!). And did you know that hemp can be used as a natural, biodegradable alternative to plastic, building materials, and as a biofuel?
Entrepreneurs and inventors are busy realizing ways to use this environmental superhero for such materials as fabrics, wood, paper, car components and plastic polymers. A lot of global experts are looking at hemp as "the next big thing."
At a time when we are all increasingly concerned about water and land use and our consequent ability to nourish a growing population, hemp just makes a lot of sense.
At Blue Sky Hemp, we practice "whole-plant utilization" which means that we harness the full value of the grain for superfoods, flower for CBD extraction and the stalks for a wide variety of industrial products. Whole-plant utilization means the lowest cost for our customers - who can also feel good about a zero-carbon footprint.
Industrial Applications
Commercial hemp fibre is a major focus for Blue Sky, driven by the world’s need for more sustainable industrial products and the amazing opportunities presented by this wonder-crop.
The range of applications for industrial hemp is endless. Illustrating the point is an article from 1938 Popular Mechanics that highlighted 50,000 different uses for hemp fibres! At that time the bulk of uses were more traditional (textiles, paper, rope, sails etc). What is truly exciting is how this old-world plant also has potentially amazing uses in the modern economy.
- Supercapacitors: Advances in futuristic nanotechnology, combined with the 8000-year-old technology of hemp agriculture, now combine to create amazing 'green' batteries for a fraction of the price of alternatives.
- Building Materials: Companies like Alberta based Just Biofibre, have had success marrying carbon fibre frames to hempcrete blocks to produce an incredibly high strength building products that sequester CO2 and are largely fireproof.
- Car Manufacturing: German car companies like Mercedes, Audi and BMW choose to blend plant-based materials with thermoplastics to achieve superior composites that can hold any shape and a resulting material that is 2-3 times stronger than steel.
Plant-Based Proteins
Looking to add protein, fibre and Omega 3&6 to your diet, but not so keen on eating meat? You're not alone. Market analysts believe the worldwide plant-based protein segment could grow from US$4.6 billion in 2018 to US$85 billion by 2030.
The consumer trend toward plant-based proteins has led major restaurant chains (like A&W, Denny's White Castle, and McDonald's) and food retailers to dramatically broaden their offerings. In fact, new food and drink products described as "plant-based" grew 268% between 2012 and 2018 in the US. And Agriculture Canada reports that hemp as an ingredient in packaged food and beverages has skyrocketed worldwide over the past several years. If you’re hungry for investment opportunities, hemp presents a pretty tasty option.
Natural Medicine
It’s not just the food and beverages industry that hemp is shaking up - droves of natural medicine consumers are once again discovering the plant's many therapeutic applications.
An oil extracted from hemp, cannabidiol (CBD), has been shown to offer a range of health applications in dealing with anxiety, depression, inflammation, sleep disorders, heart disease, pain management - even acne. CBD is non-intoxicating, making it a safe and effective option for patients who may be concerned about the mind-altering effects of other cannabinoids (like THC).
Recent studies suggest that CBD may increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, suggesting a vital step toward battling drug-resistant bacteria and a massive new market.
The CBD market is projected to be worth more than US$20 billion by 2022, thanks to growing knowledge about its health benefits, the relaxing of legal regulations domestically and abroad, and declining public confidence in pharmaceutical companies.
Taken as a whole, the three macro trends discussed above - sustainability, plant-based proteins, and natural medicines - are creating the perfect ecosystem for the astounding growth we are seeing in the hemp industry. To learn more about opportunities in the hemp industry, please browse this website.
Blue Sky Hemp Ventures is a growing force in the Canadian hemp processing industry, providing a range of sustainable, high-quality, and exceptional value hemp products throughout North America and around the globe.
