Hemp

Hemp
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Plantae
Subkingdom	Viridaeplantae
Phylum Information
Phylum	Tracheophyta
Sub-phylum	Euphyllophytina
Infraphylum	Radiatopses
Class Information
Class	Magnoliopsida
Sub-class	Dilleniidae
Order Information
Superorder	Urticanae
Order	Urticales
Family Information
Family	Cannabaceae
Sub-family	Cichorioideae
Tribe Information
Tribe	Cichorieae
Genus Information
Genus	Cannabis
Species Information
Species	C. sativa
Population statistics

Hemp (also known as industrial hemp) is of the same species as marijuana, yet is not psychoactive- attempting to smoke it will only produce a headache and lung problems. Before the Industrial Revolution, hemp was heavily relied on to provide all manner of textiles. Since then, despite its wide versatility, it is usually only the second or third-best useful resource for all of such.

Due at least in part to the Environmentalist movement, hemp has regained attention in recent years as a possible substitute for petroleum-based plastics. The goal is "composite bioplastics" which are made from organic materials such as hemp, and expected to decompose relatively quickly. Hemp is often considered a good source, because it is composed of 65-70% cellulose, the substance which is needed for the creation of bioplastics. Wood only contains about 40%, while flax consists of 65-70% and cotton contains up to 90%. However, although cotton is a better source, Hemp is favored because it is seen as a more environmentally-friendly crop. At present, pure bioplasics are rare, but some industrial plastics do contain a small amounts of this material.