Since the 1930s, Cannabis paper - also known as hemp paper - has flown under the radar with tree paper dominating the paper industry. Made from the hemp plant, cannabis paper has always had a stigma attached to it. But since the legalization of cannabis in numerous countries, including the USA, the cannabis and hemp industry has flourished. Today hemp products, including paper, have slowly but steadily grown in popularity.
But why use hemp paper instead of tree paper? The answer is simple: it is an eco-friendly, sustainable, and high-quality product. Here are all the benefits of cannabis paper:
- You Get More Paper With Less Hemp Plant
A single hemp plant can produce more paper than a single tree because it contains a higher cellulose content! Cellulose is the main ingredient in all papers. Wood is made up of 30% of cellulose, while hemp has 85% cellulose content. This makes hemp far superior to wood.
- Requires Less Land & Time To Produce
Two things are essential when it comes to the production of paper: land for growing and time to produce the plants. For both of these factors, hemp trumps trees! One acre of hemp produces the equivalent amount of paper that up to ten acres of trees. And unlike tree paper that takes 20 to 80 years to grow, hemp plants only take four months to mature.
- Cannabis Paper Requires Less Harmful Chemicals To Produce
Lignin is found in both wood and hemp, and it is essential to remove this ingredient from the plant pulp before it can be processed into paper. It can only be extracted from the plant with toxic chemicals. Hemp contains 5-24% of lignin, while wood contains 20-35% making the hemp plant more eco-friendly as it is made with fewer toxic chemicals.
- Higher Quality Paper
The quality of hemp paper is far superior to tree paper as it does not yellow, crack, or deteriorate. So whether you use it for notebooks, a print project, or a birthday card, you are guaranteed a higher quality product.
- Hemp Paper Can Be Recycled More Than Tree Paper
Paper - newspaper and magazines - is one of the most recycled products in the world. But most paper that is recycled is made of wood, which means it can only be recycled three times. Unlike tree paper, hemp paper can be recycled up to seven times, making it more recyclable.