For the better part of the last decade, hemp products have risen in popularity for many uses — from quelling anxiety to helping one sleep better at night. The rise of hemp products has given way to various hemp-based businesses offering everything from hemp oil to balms and salves or even hemp-infused supplements. The rise of hemp products has happened among several other generational touchstones: the unmasking of how dangerous cigarettes are, and the growing acceptance of cannabinoids.
The benefits and uses of hemp are varied, and depend entirely on the individual. Jorge Olson, CMO of Hempacco (HPCO), is just one example of an entrepreneur who is bringing the benefits of hemp products to the people. His company is disrupting the tobacco industry, which has held court with consumers for decades.
“According to a Gallup report, more people smoke cannabis than tobacco,” Olson explains. “This is great for us, especially for hemp smokables and our paper products that are used to roll cannabis, including hemp blunts, rose petal blunts, and hemp cones and tubes. This is how we’re disrupting the $1 trillion tobacco market.”
Aside from market disruption, hemp is bringing anxiety relief, pain cessation, restful sleep, and even nutritional and supplemental value to users.
The benefits and uses of hemp products
“Each cannabinoid brings a new function, such as relaxation, sleep, energy, or mental focus,” says Olson. “You might have one type that you smoke at a party and something different you smoke when you’re relaxing at home afterward. This is how we’ll start taking market share.”
The benefits of hemp are varied and well-documented, and the hemp plant itself has been cultivated since ancient times for its fiber, oil, and seeds. People have relied on the plant’s benefits for thousands of years, and it seems like each generation has a way of rediscovering the benefits in its own way.
For instance, hemp oil is rich in vitamin E and can be an immunity booster, and can help people promote moisture retention in the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Smoking hemp may not have quite the popularity surge of hemp oil or hemp-infused lotions and balms, but it is still a relied-upon method of relaxation, helping inflammation, soothing anxiety, and even kicking a dangerous tobacco habit.
Hemp is just one of many different varieties of cannabinoids that support the various needs of its users. “We know that different cannabinoids have different functions,” Olson explains. “For example, CBD relaxes you and has anti-inflammatory properties, CBG (cannabigerol) gives you a focusing energetic function, CBN (cannabinol) works before bed, and Delta-8 has extreme relaxation properties. Every month, more types of cannabinoids are mapped and tested.”
Hemp seeds also have nutritional value and are considered a “whole protein” source, which has allowed many vegans to incorporate hemp into their diets as a protein supplement. Even non-vegans have embraced the nutritional benefits of hemp seeds, since they contain no trans fats.
As people begin to understand the benefits of hemp use, the more widespread its use will become. “As more cannabinoids are discovered, the hemp plant, the cannabis plant, and new cannabinoids need to start going through clinical trials to test their function,” says Olson, “then need to be made available to the people who need them. A great start is making CBD and other cannabinoids federally legal.”
Hemp use in the modern age
Unlike generations past, today’s generations are fully aware of the dangers of cigarette smoking. Even though hemp and marijuana are both derived from the same plant, hemp contains minuscule amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the chemical that gives marijuana users the feeling of a “high.”
This makes hemp a more natural and much safer alternative to not only marijuana, but also tobacco cigarettes. Hemp cigarettes do not contain addictive nicotine or other harmful chemicals that tobacco cigarettes contain, making them a better alternative in the long run.
In addition, we know more about hemp today than in the past. With this knowledge, new products have emerged that have found favor with not just consumers who are most likely to gravitate towards natural products, but more mainstream customers as well. The global hemp market was valued at $4.26 billion in 2021, and studies predict exponential growth in the coming years as new uses and benefits are uncovered.
Olson and his team at Hempacco are excited about the future of hemp, and view the popularity of hemp products as a way to usher in a healthier future. With more officials championing the banning of flavored tobacco products, the company and others like them have a window of opportunity to introduce flavored hemp products and other smokeables.
With the growing acceptance of hemp as a natural, beneficial product, the market will only continue to expand with innovation and creativity at its forefront. With all the benefits the hemp plant possesses, the sky may be the limit as to what products can potentially be brought to the market.
