Hemp vs Cotton: The Ultimate Showdown - Marijuana News - International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums

Tudo · 07-31-2013, 06:44 PM

Hemp vs Cotton: The Ultimate Showdown

By Joe Martino
Colllective Evolution
July 31, 2013

Hemp has been making a lot of noise lately, especially with the growing awareness surrounding the use of hemp oil for treating cancer. Although the word ‘hemp’ still often gets confused and lumped into the same definition as Cannabis, a similar but psychoactive plant, it’s important to realize hemp can be a major game changer for our world if used to its potential. As we go through this post, you will be wondering ‘why don’t we use this stuff all the time.. for everything?!’ Simple answer, farming hemp was banned in the US and other countries in the 1937 because of the threat it caused to certain companies and their businesses. More about that here.
Although hemp has many practical uses, let’s focus on one that would affect us every day; clothing. For this, we will compare hemp to cotton, as cotton is a very popular resource used in clothing production. We’ll need to focus on various areas that have to be taken into consideration when comparing the two so we can determine not only what is better for us, but also what is best for our environment as it’s important to view things holistically. Let’s do it.
Water

Cotton: To grow cotton you require about 1400 gallons of water for every pound you intend to produce. That’s a lot of water! Some areas of the world that produce cotton are running out of fresh water due to the production of cotton as well as clothing. Some areas of the world have even experienced desertification as a result of producing cotton.
Hemp: You require about half the amount of water to produce hemp as you would if producing cotton. Hemp is a strong and reliable plant that grows very quickly. Not only that, hemp produces about 200% – 250% more fibre in the same amount of land compared to cotton.
The victor: Hemp
Pesticides
Cotton: One of the biggest downsides to cotton is how much pesticides are used to grow the plant. Although organic cotton farming is beginning to catch on a bit more, the production of cotton worldwide takes up about 25% of the world’s pesticide use. The other unfortunate factor is that these chemicals can end up being absorbed into our skin as we wear clothing.
Hemp: The beauty of hemp is that it requires no pesticides to grow. In fact, it doesn’t require any chemicals at all to grow. The growing nature of the plant competes with weeds and over-powers their ability to sustain themselves. This allows the hemp plant to grow freely and quickly.
The victor: Hemp
Comfort & Longevity
Cotton: Generally very comfortable to begin with, as you continue to wear cotton it ‘breaks in’ to become even more comfortable. There is no denying how soft cotton can be, but it is also true that cotton fibres break down over time and the more it is washed the faster it breaks down.
Hemp: The hemp fibre used in clothing is a strong natural fibre that, like cotton, gets progressively softer with each passing day you wear it and each time you wash it. Although it may not start off quite as soft, it is still soft and certainly would not be considered uncomfortable. The plus is that the fibre is much stronger and durable. Repeated washed will not break the fibre down anywhere near as quickly as cotton. Creating more hemp clothing would mean we would need to produce much less clothing.
The victor: Hemp
Breathability & Wicking
Cotton: Breathability is certainly a strong suit for cotton. It also does not hold odours for very much. This is quite possibly one of the biggest downsides to synthetic fibres, they don’t dispel odour well and don’t often deal with moisture well either. While cotton has a natural wicking system, it also holds moisture a little longer than what might be considered most desirable.
Hemp: Performs very well when it comes to breathability and wicks moisture away from the body effectively. Hemp also carries anti-bacterial properties that trump any other natural fibre. This means hemp will not mold or grow mildew very easily. Since it also does not hold odours, hemp clothing edges out cotton slightly on this one
The victor: Almost a tie, but hemp is our pal on this one again
Aesthetics
Cotton: Without the use of dyes, cotton comes naturally in white, cream and off-white. Cotton can be dyed naturally or synthetically to achieve a desired color. The growing knowledge that cotton is very taxing on the environment and not healthy for our skin is creating quite the demand for organic cotton. In terms of the fashion market, organic cotton is showing up more and more.
Hemp: Given the various processes available to remove fibres from the stem of a hemp plant, hemp can be naturally creamy white, black, green, grey or brown. Without even requiring the use of dye, hemp comes in a varietyof colors. Of course, you are still able to dye hemp both naturally and synthetically. Hemp is quickly becoming more and more popular in the fashion market as designers see the potential in the material while being a very environmentally sound option. Since it is durable and lasts a long time, it can be attractive to certain designers.
The victor: Hemp
Final Decision

Winner by knockout and growing undisputed champion of natural harmony, HEMP! This isn’t to say that cotton, especially grown organically, is not a good material, it simply isn’t better all around than hemp. In some cases, cotton could be a must use if something specific is being produced. The biggest differences are in the facts that hemp requires much less water and no pesticides to produce. Not only that, it boasts a lot more fibre per acre. Concerned about excess CO2 in the atmosphere? Hemp is spectacular at sequestering CO2! Take the time to check out some hemp clothing around the internet or see if there are some local stores who sell it. Although options can sometimes be limited right now, look out for more hemp clothing as awareness continues to spread!
https://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/07/j...e-war-on-hemp/

mexcurandero420 · 07-31-2013, 07:29 PM

Hemp brings also superfood and medicine and is non-GMO.

Keep on growing

HidingInTheHaze · 07-31-2013, 07:59 PM

You gotta love big business monopolies ability to suppress progress for profits.

90% of cotton is GMO, somebody is lining their pockets while keeping hemp illegal, I wonder who that could be

minds_I · 08-12-2013, 11:42 PM

Hello all,

Quote:

Originally Posted by HidingInTheHaze

I wonder who that could be

Hmmm, I don't know who it could be , hmmm,may be....SATAN!.

Buahahahahaha

minds_I

hush · 08-12-2013, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Although the word ‘hemp’ still often gets confused and lumped into the same definition as Cannabis, a similar but psychoactive plant,

Why do people insist on making misleading statements like that? Hemp is cannabis. Cannabis is not necessarily hemp, but hemp is always cannabis. This isn't rocket science.

siftedunity · 08-13-2013, 01:17 AM

what makes me laugh is that many people think that because its good to smoke, we should eat it and make clothes with it and everything else aswell. theres hemp fields in the uk... its farmed! its not that valuble to do anything with because theres better materials out there. but don't believe that its a wonder plant that will save the world. If it was that valuable, and there was a profit to be made, someone would be making it!

I saw a post the other day saying it would solve world hunger and poverty...lol what next.

HidingInTheHaze · 08-13-2013, 02:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siftedunity

what makes me laugh is that many people think that because its good to smoke, we should eat it and make clothes with it and everything else aswell. theres hemp fields in the uk... its farmed! its not that valuble to do anything with because theres better materials out there. but don't believe that its a wonder plant that will save the world. If it was that valuable, and there was a profit to be made, someone would be making it!

I saw a post the other day saying it would solve world hunger and poverty...lol what next.

I've eaten hemp cereal and it was actually quite good.

Hemp really is a super food, it is high in easily digestible protein, amino acids, omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. It's easy to cultivate just about anywhere, and it's cheap.

People will talk down about hemp seed while they eat buckets of corn and corn products a day. Corn is garbage with no nutritional value and it's the #1 GMO crop that's hosed down with all sorts of horrible monsanto brand pesticides and herbicides. Corn is a cheap filler and nothing more.

Eat hemp seed and you will improve your health, eat GMO corn and you'll probably get tumors.

mexcurandero420 · 08-13-2013, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by siftedunity

If it was that valuable, and there was a profit to be made, someone would be making it!

Look at the history of the UK.Were they not world ruler of the 7 seas.All those ships needed sails, rope etc .I don't think that it was made from cotton.

Keep on growing

JT McNutty · 08-13-2013, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HidingInTheHaze

Eat hemp seed and you will improve your health, eat GMO corn and you'll probably get tumors.

Any proof about that statement? I'm not saying that weed should be illegal, but when you make statements like that, you are making the community look bad. There has been no proof that GMO crops are dangerous in any way.

Hammerhead · 08-13-2013, 08:19 AM

I love to eat hemp seeds as a snack.. they are tasty too lol...

07-31-2013, 06:44 PM	#1
Tudo Troublemaker Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 3,744	Hemp vs Cotton: The Ultimate Showdown Hemp vs Cotton: The Ultimate Showdown By Joe Martino Colllective Evolution July 31, 2013 Hemp has been making a lot of noise lately, especially with the growing awareness surrounding the use of hemp oil for treating cancer. Although the word ‘hemp’ still often gets confused and lumped into the same definition as Cannabis, a similar but psychoactive plant, it’s important to realize hemp can be a major game changer for our world if used to its potential. As we go through this post, you will be wondering ‘why don’t we use this stuff all the time.. for everything?!’ Simple answer, farming hemp was banned in the US and other countries in the 1937 because of the threat it caused to certain companies and their businesses. More about that here. Although hemp has many practical uses, let’s focus on one that would affect us every day; clothing. For this, we will compare hemp to cotton, as cotton is a very popular resource used in clothing production. We’ll need to focus on various areas that have to be taken into consideration when comparing the two so we can determine not only what is better for us, but also what is best for our environment as it’s important to view things holistically. Let’s do it. Water Cotton: To grow cotton you require about 1400 gallons of water for every pound you intend to produce. That’s a lot of water! Some areas of the world that produce cotton are running out of fresh water due to the production of cotton as well as clothing. Some areas of the world have even experienced desertification as a result of producing cotton. Hemp: You require about half the amount of water to produce hemp as you would if producing cotton. Hemp is a strong and reliable plant that grows very quickly. Not only that, hemp produces about 200% – 250% more fibre in the same amount of land compared to cotton. The victor: Hemp Pesticides Cotton: One of the biggest downsides to cotton is how much pesticides are used to grow the plant. Although organic cotton farming is beginning to catch on a bit more, the production of cotton worldwide takes up about 25% of the world’s pesticide use. The other unfortunate factor is that these chemicals can end up being absorbed into our skin as we wear clothing. Hemp: The beauty of hemp is that it requires no pesticides to grow. In fact, it doesn’t require any chemicals at all to grow. The growing nature of the plant competes with weeds and over-powers their ability to sustain themselves. This allows the hemp plant to grow freely and quickly. The victor: Hemp Comfort & Longevity Cotton: Generally very comfortable to begin with, as you continue to wear cotton it ‘breaks in’ to become even more comfortable. There is no denying how soft cotton can be, but it is also true that cotton fibres break down over time and the more it is washed the faster it breaks down. Hemp: The hemp fibre used in clothing is a strong natural fibre that, like cotton, gets progressively softer with each passing day you wear it and each time you wash it. Although it may not start off quite as soft, it is still soft and certainly would not be considered uncomfortable. The plus is that the fibre is much stronger and durable. Repeated washed will not break the fibre down anywhere near as quickly as cotton. Creating more hemp clothing would mean we would need to produce much less clothing. The victor: Hemp Breathability & Wicking Cotton: Breathability is certainly a strong suit for cotton. It also does not hold odours for very much. This is quite possibly one of the biggest downsides to synthetic fibres, they don’t dispel odour well and don’t often deal with moisture well either. While cotton has a natural wicking system, it also holds moisture a little longer than what might be considered most desirable. Hemp: Performs very well when it comes to breathability and wicks moisture away from the body effectively. Hemp also carries anti-bacterial properties that trump any other natural fibre. This means hemp will not mold or grow mildew very easily. Since it also does not hold odours, hemp clothing edges out cotton slightly on this one The victor: Almost a tie, but hemp is our pal on this one again Aesthetics Cotton: Without the use of dyes, cotton comes naturally in white, cream and off-white. Cotton can be dyed naturally or synthetically to achieve a desired color. The growing knowledge that cotton is very taxing on the environment and not healthy for our skin is creating quite the demand for organic cotton. In terms of the fashion market, organic cotton is showing up more and more. Hemp: Given the various processes available to remove fibres from the stem of a hemp plant, hemp can be naturally creamy white, black, green, grey or brown. Without even requiring the use of dye, hemp comes in a varietyof colors. Of course, you are still able to dye hemp both naturally and synthetically. Hemp is quickly becoming more and more popular in the fashion market as designers see the potential in the material while being a very environmentally sound option. Since it is durable and lasts a long time, it can be attractive to certain designers. The victor: Hemp Final Decision Winner by knockout and growing undisputed champion of natural harmony, HEMP! This isn’t to say that cotton, especially grown organically, is not a good material, it simply isn’t better all around than hemp. In some cases, cotton could be a must use if something specific is being produced. The biggest differences are in the facts that hemp requires much less water and no pesticides to produce. Not only that, it boasts a lot more fibre per acre. Concerned about excess CO2 in the atmosphere? Hemp is spectacular at sequestering CO2! Take the time to check out some hemp clothing around the internet or see if there are some local stores who sell it. Although options can sometimes be limited right now, look out for more hemp clothing as awareness continues to spread! https://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/07/j...e-war-on-hemp/
	Quote 2 members found this post helpful.

08-13-2013, 08:19 AM	#10
Hammerhead Tired Farmer Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 33,984	I love to eat hemp seeds as a snack.. they are tasty too lol... __________________ #hammerheadgenetics
	Quote

07-31-2013, 07:59 PM	#3
HidingInTheHaze Banned Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 2,959	You gotta love big business monopolies ability to suppress progress for profits. 90% of cotton is GMO, somebody is lining their pockets while keeping hemp illegal, I wonder who that could be
	Quote

08-13-2013, 01:17 AM	#6
siftedunity cant re Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: away where the flowers grow Posts: 3,322	what makes me laugh is that many people think that because its good to smoke, we should eat it and make clothes with it and everything else aswell. theres hemp fields in the uk... its farmed! its not that valuble to do anything with because theres better materials out there. but don't believe that its a wonder plant that will save the world. If it was that valuable, and there was a profit to be made, someone would be making it! I saw a post the other day saying it would solve world hunger and poverty...lol what next.
	Quote