Chronicle Editor
Mbulelo Mpofu, Chronicle Reporter
SOUTH Africa’s visual cannabis magazine, Seven Leaf was one of the most-visited stands at the recently-held Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) as masses flocked to learn about the benefits of industrial hemp.
Industrial hemp is a botanical class of cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants on Earth.
Nomsa, a representative of the magazine said hemp is beneficial medicinally, nutritionally and as an ingredient for textile products.
“Industrial hemp is important therapeutically since it contains a compound called cannabidiol (CBD) and hemp seeds are high in protein. Farmers can also use hemp as a cover crop, reducing the need for herbicides and also adding diversity to crop rotations.
“Besides the obvious, hemp is also used to make textiles, building material, livestock bedding, paper products, bioplastics and milk. The general misconception with cannabis is that it makes one high but since hemp seeds contain less than three percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), this means that it is non-psychoactive, she said.
In 2018, the Government gazetted Statutory Instrument 218 of 2020 [CAP. 18:24 Agriculture Marketing Authority (Industrial Hemp) Regulations, 2020 that regularised the growing, processing and supply of industrial hemp (cannabis) by farmers in Zimbabwe for industrial purposes. – @eMKlass_49
Online Reporter