https://youtu.be/MhUPCeLAZi8?t=15s
Plants absorb nutrients in soil. Many will also soak up metals in the ground that are harmful to animals. These metals often have no detrimental effect on the plants. In addition, plants filter toxins from the air. “Phytoremediation” is a term for the use of plants to detoxify soil.
The Power of Industrial Hemp
After the accident at a nuclear power plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine in 1986 that caused widespread radioactive contamination, a task force was put together to repair the environmental damage. Working with the knowledge that some plants are very effective at removing metals and other toxins from soil, plants in the mustard, sunflower, and corn families were sown in and around Chernobyl. The sunflowers were found to remove as much as ninety-five percent of toxic contaminants in twenty-four hours. In 1998, the task force planted industrial hemp. (8)
“Phytoremediation can be used to remove radioactive elements from soil and water at former weapons producing facilities. It can also be used to clean up metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and toxins leaching from landfills.” (9)
A scientist involved in the Chernobyl clean-up stated:
“Hemp is proving to be one of the best phytoremediative plants we have been able to find.” (10)
There are many benefits to using hemp for phytoremediation. Industrial hemp:
In fact, industrial hemp:
- grows fast and has deep and wide roots
- is tolerant of heavy metals (11)
- stalks can be harvested and used in various products, e.g., building materials, paper, cloth, biofuel (12, 13)
- can grow in a variety of climates (14)
Hemp is in the same family as marijuana but it contains low levels of THC, the psychoactive substance found in marijuana. It is therefore not a recreational drug. Instead, industrial hemp has over fifty thousand practical uses and can be used to make clothing, textiles, medicine, food, and more! When employed for phytoremediation, however, toxins accumulate in hemp leaves; it’s therefore not recommended to re-purpose them for food or personal care products (including CBD oil) in this case. The stalks, however, are definitely viable for other types of products. (15)
The Future of Hemp
The stigma and misinformation surrounding the cannabis family of plants must be eradicated if we and the planet are to benefit from its remarkable and amazing plant. For his part, when asked by a journalist if hemp is the future of his farm, Fornaro replied, “Yes. Absolutely.” (16)