The Probert Encyclopaedia of Nature

HEMP

Hemp is an annual herb of the genus Cannabis, with an erect, hairy stem and palmately divided, long-stalked leaves with serrate edges, formerly cultivated for its fibres that are used to make rope. The plant is dioecious: the male flowers are arranged in panicles and produce large quantities of pollen; the female flowers grow in leafy spikes in the leaf axils and are pollinated by the wind. The fruit is a shiny, greyish-green achene. The oil and leaves of hemp contain tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabinol and cannabidol, which have sedative, analgesic and antispasmodic properties. The derivatives of hemp (hashish and cannabis being the oil and dried leaves respectively) are widely smoked for their narcotic effects and are also effective in the treatment of many illnesses including multiple- sclerosis, though their use is banned in the UK, where it is an offence to grow, possess or sell hemp without a government license.
Research Hemp