Hemp and CBD in everyday life: Superfood, natural cosmetics & sustainable solutions

The vegan burger alternative "Beyond Meat" is entering into a multi-year partnership with some of the most influential fast-food chains like McDonald's, KFC, and others. A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that vegan athletes showed slightly better endurance than their meat-eating competitors. And "Veganuary" was one of the largest marketing campaigns of all time. There are many reasons why one of the world's most famous plants has huge potential for the future of humanity:

• Hemp in industry as a building material or insulation (ecological, sustainable, and increasingly being used again).
• The fact that hemp is a relatively fast-growing plant and consequently binds large amounts of CO2 and converts it into biomass gives this crop a special significance in times of climate change.
• Cannabis in modern and traditional medicine
• Cannabis and CBD oils as cosmetic care products
• But especially as food, hemp is experiencing a renaissance, as the various components and active ingredients of the plant are healthy and offer many advantages for a balanced diet.

VERSATILE SUPERFOOD & CBD OILS

Climate change has been increasingly troubling humanity for years and is thus also influencing the mindsets of consumer society. Eating large amounts of meat is part of a food culture that has developed over decades. However, especially in some wealthier countries in the world, eating habits and consumption have drastically changed in recent years. Even the long-popular plant-based alternative soy has partially fallen out of favor, as large areas of rainforest have been cleared for soy cultivation in recent decades. An alternative that is gaining more and more favor not only in Europe is hemp products. Whether classic hemp seeds, hemp proteins, natural cosmetics, or cannabidiol (CBD) oils – the products derived from this crop are experiencing a well-deserved upswing in various sectors. Hemp is versatile and flexible in the kitchen, super healthy, and adds a certain "something" to every meal with its slightly nutty flavor. But hemp, CBD, and co. are also increasingly being used in cosmetics due to their strong antioxidant and associated nourishing properties.

The Growing Hemp Industry Worldwide

The cannabis industry is booming. CBD products such as CBD oils and CBD creams are very well received by consumers as natural cosmetics. In a rather turbulent time, and just before a possible legalization of cannabis across the USA (in most US states, cannabis is already legal – for medical and/or commercial use), more and more people and institutions are investing in the industry. Many new companies and positions have already been established – the upward trend continues. Worldwide, more and more countries are relaxing their laws and differentiating between illegal consumption of THC-rich cannabis, medical use of hemp under drug legislation, and non-THC-relevant industrial hemp for cosmetic use or as food. In November 2020, the European Court of Justice also clarified that the versatile and natural active ingredient CBD does not constitute a narcotic. Unfortunately, in the past, permissible EU industrial hemp and illegal "drug hemp" have repeatedly been lumped together. The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs also voted in December 2020 for a reclassification of cannabis in the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. The stars for the cannabis market are therefore looking good, and they should, as sustainable innovative opportunities are opening up in various industrial sectors. However, much still needs to be done. Education is probably the word of the hour, as the image of the plant and its active ingredients that has been destroyed over the last few decades must be scientifically substantiated and fact-based once again. Especially when it comes to the active ingredient CBD and the CBD cosmetic oils produced from it, it is important to further sensitize consumers and emphasize the true value of cannabidiol and hemp.

Sources:
The GEICO study, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2013.
Simonsohn B (2015), "Super Food Hemp", Protein Wonder and Remedy
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Image source: © 2020 Tabea Walch