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While fossil fuels impelled the advancement of humankind, it is no secret that it is also the key to human demise. From resource wars to a warming climate as a result of dense pollution- researchers are looking for an answer and hemp oil could be it.

Fossil fuels are something that has become a topic in some of the most important economical and environmental debates across the globe. While they have been a staple in our resources, their detrimental role to the wellbeing of the globe is finally coming to surface. So, can hemp oil replace fossil fuels?

Hemp retains many potentials over fossil fuels. Hemp crops can be harvested in as short as 4 months. Their crops attract very few insect pests, decreasing the need for toxic pesticides and also calls for less fertilizers than most crops do. Hemp is also defiant to fungal diseases which is a huge attribute to the farmer.

The hemp seed contains 30% of oil on a consistent basis. This oil has been used for generations as fuel for lamps. Hemp seed oil can be processed into a multitude of different alternative fuels:

Hemp Biofuel

Hemp seed oil can be converted into hemp biofuel that is applicable in the use for vehicles. In order to make hemp biofuel, the seed’s oil needs to go through a process named transesterification.

According to the Hemp Gazette, hemp can produce more than 800 litres of biodiesel per hectare, per year. This far surpasses the average soybean, peanut or sunflower crop that is utilized today, a promising feat.

Hemp biofuel outperforms any conventional diesel and is superior to any other plant based fuel in the market today. Researchers believe that the main reason why hemp biofuel isn’t being widely used today is because of its high cost and lack of availability.

Hemp oil has so many more potentials than just biofuel. It can also produce ethanol, methanol, biogas, and solid fuels from hemp biomass. iHempPX is a promising source for your hemp biomass investments.

Hemp Ethanol

To transfer hemp oil into hemp ethanol, it needs to go through a process named cellulolysis. The cellulose must be treated beforehand to make it compatible with hydrolysis. The molecules are then broken down into sugar using enzyme cellulase. Then the sugars are separated from the lignin. Then it goes through a sugar fermentation, an ethanol distillation process and finally the ethanol concentrate is increased through the use of molecular sieves.

Hemp ethanol is a viable solution and could be used to augment our dependence on fossil fuels, preparing the earth for more sustainable ways to fuel our needs while not contributing to the greenhouse gases that are warming our climate.

Hemp Methanol

Methanol has been widely used for products such as adhesives, plywood subfloors, solvents and even windshield wiper fluid! Half of methanol use is implemented in energy-related applications, carrying a wide variety of uses. Hemp methanol is a sustainable future for fuel.

According to Bloom Medicinals, hemp methanol is made from the woody, pulpy matter of the hemp plant and is put through a dry distillation process. The matter is heated up into a gas that will either condense into a liquid or a charcoal, depending.

The Future For Hemp Oil and Fossil Fuels

With climate activists gaining rampant speed in their efforts to cool the climate and save the earth’s environment, there is much more attention to alternatives to fossil fuel than there ever has been before. With the Paris agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change that aims to limit global warming below 2 degrees celsius. There are promising efforts being conducted on a global level to make the critical changes in the way that humans consume in order to conserve the globe’s environment.

So, can hemp oil replace fossil fuels? If countries with prime growing climates like Colombia and Uruguay, commit to investing in the industrial hemp industry- there could be a bright future for an alternative to fossil fuels utilizing hemp. Hemp is a consistent, sturdy and quickly overturned crop- that could be widely distributed if enough farmers pivoted their focus onto hemp. While we aren’t there yet, there are many activists working tirelessly to convince the people of the world to think outside of the box, and accept hemp as the answer.

To find out how you can start implementing cannabis into your daily life, check out the Way of Leaf, where you can find articles that range from cannabis basics, to recipes, all the way to what seeds to purchase for your first cannabis garden.