US benefits from Turkey’s ‘male hemp’
The cultivation of male hemp (a variety of cannabis) is allowed in 19 regions in Turkey with permission from the Food, Agriculture and Livestock Ministry.
Unfortunately, it is unknown that hemp is used as a raw material in thousands of industrial products and that the infrastructure to make this a valuable market has not been developed. Because there is not enough production, farmers cannot benefit from this agricultural product that would bring in millions of dollars to the country.
Hemp was cultivated in Turkey the last time in the Narlısaray neighborhood of the Vezirköprü district of the Black Sea province of Samsun.
Only 70 acres of area are cultivated with hemp here. An American hemp expert comes to the region and buys the product. He probably also takes the seeds to the U.S.
Investigative author İsmail Tokalak saw that hemp would be very beneficial to the country and has been working on it for almost two years. The author of books about agriculture, health and food, Tokalak succeeded in producing organic cement and brick samples from hemp litters. Tokalak draws attention to the importance of hemp and says the government, investors and industrialists must pay serious attention to it.
He tries to expand the area of hemp fields which will be cultivated in Turkey in March 2018.
He is disappointed in the fact that while we are unaware of this precious source, a U.S. citizen comes and makes business from it in our country.
Hemp has thousands of usage areas and one of its most important features is that it can produce biodegradable organic biopolymer, which is the raw material for plastic.
Bioplastic produced from biopolymer is used in many different areas such as packaging, cosmetics and toys without harming the environment and human health.
Today, bioplastic, which is often produced from petroleum and has high costs, is one of the fastest developing products in the world market.
This industry is expected to be worth $20 billion until 2020.
If we can make this with hemp fibers, we can create a big added-value and pave the way for our country
Today, even though there is no narcotic drug on its leaves, its commerce is banned.
Many different kinds of medicines are made from hemp leaves; its trade must be set free as soon as possible.
The cultivation of hemp is environmentally friendly; it protects the nature. Its seed is a nutrition tank and a remedy for many diseases.
Industrial products that can be produced from hemp:
- Its yarn is antibacterial.
- The textiles made from its yarns can be used in hundreds of places including the medical industry.
(Unfortunately, the last hemp yarn factory was closed down years ago due to the lack of raw material.)
- The hemp tree is used as wood material for the interiors of luxurious cars.
- Hemp fiber is used as insulation material in constructions.
- Fiberwood, which is stronger than chipboard, is made from hemp.
- The natural cement made from hemp is mixed with water, and bricks for constructions are made.
- It is much lighter and stronger than bricks and concrete; it lasts for 600 years.
- It is a soundproof material.
- When you use hemp as an insulation material, you reduce the fuel consumption.
- It is fireproof. Houses built with this material are not only healthy but also more secure.
- It is very effective in drying marshes.
- It decontaminates radiation.
- One-acre hemp produces oxygen as much as a 25-acre forest.
- It gives off oxygen to the environment five times more than a tree does.
- It protects forests because it is more suitable than a tree to make paper.
- Its seeds are rich and nutritious in terms of omega complexes. The oil from its seed is a remedy for many diseases.
- The cannabidiol substance in its leaf is used in the production of medicine. Sativex, which is sold with prescription to cancer patients in Turkey, also has this substance in it.
