Hemp oil is a plant-based oil extracted from the plant Cannabis sativa. Since Cannabis sativa is also the source for marijuana and has been illegal to grow in the United States since 1937, hemp oil has gone largely unnoticed as the beneficial nutrient-rich combination of fatty acids that it is. Nutritionist Natalie Savona refers to hemp as a true superfood. Does this Spark an idea?
Nutritional Supplement
Hemp oil contains essential fatty acids that are necessary for optimal human health. According to author and physician Andrew Weil, hemp oil contains 57 percent linoleic acid and 19 percent linolenic acid in the three to one ratio that matches human nutritional needs. Linoleic and linolenic acids are essential fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and may lower the risk of heart attack. Hemp oil can be ingested directly or taken in capsule form and is sold at most health food stores.
Cancer and Other Disease Treatment
Cancer sufferers may turn to hemp oil as an addition to a cancer treatment plan. According to the National Health Federation, in 2008 the American College of Physicians issued a policy statement endorsing the use of medical marijuana for cancer patients. Specifically, Marc Sircus, of the federation writes that medical science strongly favors laden hemp oil as a cancer therapy because it contains tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which acts as a pain reliever. In addition to oral methods of ingesting hemp oil, it can also be administered transdermally (applied to the skin).
Hemp advocate Rick Simpson, in a 2010 Salem News article, stresses the safety of hemp oil as medicine. He says that, unlike traditional pharmaceuticals, a person could consume a bucket filled with hemp oil and not die. Additionally, he states that hemp oil is a valuable treatment for a range of diseases from glaucoma to arthritis. However, Simpson is not referring to the hemp oil that is extracted from hemp seeds and can be purchased at natural food stores. Instead, he says the potent disease-fighting oil is that which comes directly from the plant matter of cannabis.
Beauty Products
The fatty acids in hemp oil make it beneficial in a variety of skin and hair care products. Hemp oil contains gamma-linoleic acid, in addition to several other essential fatty acids, which allow the oil to easily permeate the skin. Hemp oil, when applied topically, nourishes both the skin cells and has anti-inflammatory properties. Hemp oil can be found in lotion, soap, lip balm, shampoo, conditioner and other beauty products.
Fuel
Hemp oil is also useful as a source of fuel. In a 2007 Biodiesel Magazine article titled "Hemp Biodiesel: When the Smoke Clears," Canadian hemp grower Paul Bobbee describes his experience with using hemp as biodiesel. Bobbee, when faced with a hemp surplus, converted the excess plant matter into biodiesel and found that it had better fuel properties than biodiesel made from canola or soy oil.
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