The term hemp is the vernacular English language word designating the plant Cannabis sativa, a plant that can be used to make a wide range of products, and be refined into a variety of commercial items, including paper, rope, textiles, clothing, biodegradable plastics, paint, insulation, biofuel, food, medicines, and animal feed. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants on Earth and was also one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 50,000 years ago. The term "hemp" has also traditionally been used as a generic name to refer to various fibrous plants, which have no botanical relation with Cannabis. These include Manila hemp, bog hemp, sisal hemp, New Zealand hemp, Deccan hemp, or Madras hemp (also at times called Indian hemp). Regarding the Cannabis species, there remains two approaches depending on the region and the epoch, with term having various acceptions:
All forms of Cannabis (particularly in older texts), with types differentiated binomially (Winter hemp, Summer hemp, Indian hemp…); Some varieties of Cannabis: a subgroup of the varietals or cultivars of the Cannabis species; Only Cannabis plants grown as a source of fiber and/or seed (and not of the psychoactive resin contained in the plant's tops), Only Cannabis plants grown for certain "purposes", including contemporary industrial hemp which includes all parts of the plant (and might therefore include tops with substances such as cannabidiol) The legality of hemp varies widely among countries, and with it, the definitions of the term. Globally, two approaches exist to understanding what the term "hemp" covers:
In most developed Western countries, governments regulate the concentration of the psychoactive component tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and permit only a limited number of hemp cultivars, bred with an especially low THC content into commercial production. This is articulated with the view that a chemotype I (for higher-THC cannabis) represents a distinct cultivar as compared to the hemp chemotypes (II, III, IV, V) even though they are both Cannabis sativa. This amounts to a binomial separation, contained in U.S. legislation, where "hemp" and "marijuana" are mutually exclusive terms when referring to the plant and to its products. In many other regions of the world, in particular where hemp is a traditional crop, the distinction between chemotypes is not practiced by farmers and not contemplated in the law. In addition, local varieties, climate conditions, specific cultivation practices, and the absence of a system of intellectual property over seeds might impede any clear differentiation between "hemp" and non-"hemp" types of Cannabis, leading the UN Trade and Development to refer to these as "multipurpose hemp" where both lower- and higher-THC products can be harvested from hemp plants. In this view, hemp and marijuana are only distinct when referring to the finished products, but do not distinguish plant types.
Etymology
The etymology of hemp derives directly from the classical Greek κάνναβις (kánnabis) borrowed into Latin cannabis, and separately into Slavic and from there into Baltic, Finnish, and Germanic languages. Earlier etymologies are uncertain In the Germanic languages, following Grimm's law, the "k" would have changed to "h" with the first Germanic sound shift, giving Proto-Germanic *hanapiz, which developed into the Old English form, hænep, henep. Barber, however, argued that the spread of the name "kannabis" was due to its historically more recent plant use, starting from the south, around Iran, whereas non-THC varieties of hemp are older and prehistoric. Another possible source of origin is Assyrian qunnabu, which was the name for a source of oil, fiber, and medicine in the 1st millennium BC. Cognates of hemp in other Germanic languages include Dutch hennep, Danish and Norwegian hamp, Saterland Frisian Hoamp, German Hanf, Icelandic hampur and Swedish hampa. In those languages, "hemp" can refer to either industrial fiber hemp or narcotic cannabis strains.
Uses
Hemp is used to make a wide range of commercial and industrial products. Hemp seeds are consumed directly as food and are also pressed into oil used for cooking, nutritional supplements, cosmetics, and as a drying oil in paints and varnishes. Hemp seed meal, a by-product of oil extraction, is increasingly evaluated for use in animal feed, including poultry, swine, cattle, fish, and companion animals, due to its favorable protein and fatty acid profile. The bast fibers are applied in textiles and blended fabrics, furnishings, and specialty papers. They are also processed into composites for construction materials such as hempcrete, fiber-reinforced insulation panels, and biocomposites for furniture and automotive parts. Hemp fiber is additionally used in specialty products such as musical instruments, including guitars and amplifiers, and in pulp for paper and biodegradable packaging. The inner woody core (hurds or shives) is employed in animal bedding, garden mulch, litter, and as a component in lightweight building blocks and particle boards. Hemp oil and extracts are also used for non-intoxicating cannabinoid products, such as cannabidiol (CBD), in dietary supplements, cosmetics, and wellness formulations.
Food
Hemp seeds can be eaten raw, ground into hemp meal, sprouted, or made into dried sprout powder. Hemp seeds can also be made into a slurry used for baking or beverages, such as hemp milk and tisanes. Hemp oil is cold-pressed from the seed and is high in unsaturated fatty acids. In the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs treats hemp as a purely non-food crop, but with proper licensing and proof of less than 0.3% THC concentration, hemp seeds can be imported for sowing or for sale as a food or food ingredient. In the US, hemp can be used legally in food products and, as of 2026, was typically sold in health food stores or through mail order.
Nutrition
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