This isn’t new technology. In 1941, Henry Ford demonstrated that his car built from hemp-based plastic could withstand many more blows from a sledgehammer without denting than could a steel-bodied car. Cars made with the built-in benefits of cannabis are less likely to be crushed in an accident, and they also weigh less, resulting in significantly better fuel economy.
For the magickal community, cannabis plastics bring advancements. The incenses, essential oils, and loose herbs we buy for use in magick could be packaged in eco-friendly, biodegradable bags and bottles made of hemp-based plastic, better preserving and even boosting the magickal power of the product. Instead of cutting down trees to make tarot cards, altars, and incense burners, why not make those products out of fast-growing, truly renewable hemp?
As our dumps steadily fill up with refuse that will last many lifetimes, we look for alternatives that are kinder to the earth, and products that leave a minimal impact on the planet. Biodegradable, recyclable pot plastics fit the mold.
Better Biofuel
With carbon emissions from gasoline- and diesel-powered vehicles doing their share in overheating the atmosphere and keeping our skies smog-filled, cleaner burning biofuels have become the solution for a growing number of drivers. Carbon monoxide emissions from standard diesel are 47 percent higher than carbon monoxide emissions from biodiesel, a fuel created from heated plant parts called biomass. With hemp growing to heights of 15 feet in seventy to ninety days, it’s the world’s top producer of biomass, capable of yielding up to ten tons per acre in only a few short months. Using the hemp plant as a biofuel creates a closed carbon cycle, as the plants absorb as much carbon dioxide while living as they release when burned, an effect that offers hope to a planet facing the formidable challenge of reducing the impact of global warming.
Another advantage of hemp biodiesel becomes clear in the face of a crisis such as the 2010 BP oil spill. If a similar amount of pure hemp biodiesel had made its way into water, over 85 percent of the fuel would have fully degraded naturally in just twenty-eight days.
Hemp is a traditional ingredient in the witch’s broom, but it can power our everyday, non-magickal vehicles in a way that doesn’t hurt Mother Earth.
Cannabis Cities?
As witches in tune with nature, it can be a bit depressing to contemplate the sheer volume of concrete that is plastered on our planet. Good for skateboarding, yes, but that concrete tends to leave scars on the environment that stick around long after the skateboarders are harassed by the police and sent home. Traditional concrete can emit low-level radiation for generations after its original manufacturing, and the amount of sand, rock, and toxic coal byproducts required to make traditional concrete is remarkable. In comparison, concrete and other building materials made from cannabis are safer and are derived from a renewable, sustainable resource.
Hemp can be made into virtually any building material, from concrete and insulation to pipes, plywood, paint, and stucco. Hemp-made homes are energy-efficient and durable while minimizing the need for more environmentally taxing and toxic materials. Buildings utilizing hemp materials in the walls and structure have a natural elasticity that may be especially well-suited for areas prone to earthquakes; instead of breaking or cracking, a hemp-made structure is more likely to sway and flex when the ground shakes.
There is also the magickal benefit to consider. As a witch, do you feel that living in an environmentally friendly, hemp-made home would support your magickal and psychic powers better than would a house made of polluting products derived by ravaging the environment? What benefits would you enjoy? What, if any, would be the drawbacks? Building our cities out of cannabis might seem like a pipe dream, but it’s a pipe dream well worth pursuing.
Cannabis and the Sun
Could cannabis help humans combat negative health effects caused by ozone depletion? Some theorists say yes, linking the effects commonly caused by UVB radiation sickness to benefits shown in many people who take cannabis medicinally. An interesting feature of the cannabis plant is that the more UVB radiation it receives, the more THC it produces, and according to Alan Gordon, founder of the American Drug History Institute (and holder of a degree in Drug Policy, Hemp, and the Environment from Pennsylvania State University), THC provides the human body with relief from UVB radiation sickness symptoms and offers future protection against the sun’s most damaging rays. Further research may lead to valuable discoveries.
Providing fiber, fuel, food, and medicine, and containing a tremendous amount of inherent magickal power, cannabis is one of the most useful plants on Earth, and it’s a key to healing the planet. As witches, we are stewards of nature, and if we really want to, we have the power to change the world.
Resources, Accessed August 2010
Benhaim, Paul. “Hemp Plastics Show Their Mettle.” Hemphasis. http://www.hemphasis.net/Building/plasticmettle.htm.
Hemphasis. “Chronology of Hemp Throughout History.” http://www.hemphasis.net/History/history.htm.
Briggs, Jeremy. “Hemp: A Complete Food.” Hemphasis. http://www.hemphasis.net/Nutrition/nutrition.htm.
Body Ecology. “Hemp: Is This Nutty Food Source Good for You?” http://www.bodyecology.com/08/04/10/hemp_nutty_food_source_good_for_you.php.
North American Industrial Hemp Council. “Hemp Facts.” http://www.naihc.org/hemp-information/286-hemp-facts.
Soiferman, Ezra. “Hemp Facts.” Hemp Farm. http://hempfarm.org/Papers/Hemp_Facts.html.
Loos, Jessica. “Freedom Fighter of the Month: Alan Gordon: UV-B, Pot, the Law, and You.” High Times No. 271. March 1998: letters.
Melanie Marquis is a lifelong practitioner of magick. She is the author of The Witch’s Bag of Tricks and the founder of United Witches global coven. A regular writer for the American Tarot Association and for Llewellyn’s popular annuals, her work has appeared in many publications including Pentacle Magazine, Witches and Pagans, and Circle. A full-time mother, witch, and environmentalist, she’s passionate about finding the mystical in the mundane through personalized magick and practical spirituality. www.melaniemarquis.com, www.unitedwitches.org, www.facebook.com/melaniemarquisauthor.
Illustrator: Kathleen Edwards
*EJF. 2007. The Deadly Chemicals in Cotton. Environmental Justice Foundation in collaboration with Pesticide Action Network. U.K. London. ISBN 1-904523-10-2.
