The Environmental Impact of Traditional vs. Hemp Rolling Papers

The Environmental Impact of Traditional vs. Hemp Rolling Papers

Nowadays, sustainability is more crucial than ever. With climate change persistently affecting the world, individuals are seeking environmentally friendly alternatives in all aspects of life, including how they smoke. One tiny but mighty decision is what rolling paper we use. Conventional rolling papers are produced from wood pulp and contribute to forest destruction. Hemp rolling papers provide a greener choice, however.

This blog investigates the environmental consequences of hemp rolling papers versus traditional ones in plain, easy-to-understand language.

What Are Rolling Papers Made Of?

Rolling papers are slender sheets that people utilize to roll tobacco or herbs. The majority of traditional rolling papers consist of wood pulp. It requires approximately three tons of trees to produce only one ton of standard paper. That's a significant amount of deforestation for something that we use once and then discard.

Hemp rolling papers are produced from the stalks of the hemp plant. Hemp is much faster growing than trees, requires less water, and does not need toxic chemicals in processing. This makes hemp paper a cleaner and greener option.

Ecological Cost of Conventional Rolling Papers

Let us look more closely at how conventional rolling papers are bad for the Earth.

Deforestation: Producing traditional paper involves cutting down trees, which contributes to habitat loss and biodiversity decline. Forests have several animals and plants that live in them. When we remove them, we are destroying their habitats.

Water Usage: Wood pulp paper production consumes significant amounts of water, much more than required for hemp paper.

Chemical Contamination: Wood pulp contains a significant amount of lignin, which must be removed using strong chemicals, such as chlorine bleach. These chemicals contaminate rivers and lakes

Slow Tree Growth: Trees may take 20 to 80 years to mature before they can be harvested to produce paper. After being cut, they're gone forever unless reseeded, which doesn't always occur.

Why Hemp Rolling Papers Are Better for the Planet

Now, let's discuss hemp rolling papers and how they are suitable for the planet.

Quick Growth: Hemp only takes 3 to 4 months to grow, so it is a renewable crop. In the time it takes trees to grow to maturity, we can produce numerous cycles of hemp.

Less Land: A single acre of hemp can yield as much paper as 4 to 10 acres of trees in 20 years.

Less Water Use: Hemp requires approximately half as much water as trees when processed.

Fewer Toxins: Hemp contains lower levels of lignin, so it does not require as many toxic chemicals to make paper. It's also lighter in color by nature, which means less bleach is needed.

Greater Recyclability: Hemp paper can be recycled seven times. Regular paper can typically be recycled three times.

Challenges with Hemp Rolling Papers

Although hemp rolling papers are more environmentally friendly, they are not yet standard. Why not?

Increased Manufacturing Expenses: The equipment used for producing paper from hemp is costly and less widely available than that for wood pulp.

Legal Hurdles: The cultivation of hemp remains strictly regulated in most nations due to its relationship to marijuana despite the fact that hemp has a minute amount of THC.

Ignorance: Most people have no idea hemp rolling papers even exist or how much more environmentally friendly they are.

A Little Background: Hemp's Ancient History

Hemp has been used to produce paper for millennia. The ancient Chinese left behind records of using hemp paper more than 2,000 years ago. Even significant documents, such as the original drafts of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, were written on hemp paper.

This centuries-long history demonstrates that hemp is not some new concept; it's an age-old substance that we are just starting to re-accept for environmental reasons.

Some Great Benefits of Hemp

These are just some more compelling reasons to make the switch to hemp rolling papers.

Saves Forests: Consuming hemp instead of trees helps preserve our forests and their inhabitants.

Carbon Capture: Hemp removes more carbon dioxide from the air than trees, which decreases the amount of greenhouse gases present in the atmosphere.

Stronger and Longer-Lasting: Hemp paper is stronger and does not yellow or crack as quickly as regular paper.

What Can We Do?

We can all do our part to help safeguard the environment. Making the switch to hemp rolling papers may seem like a minor step, but if we all do it, it can create significant changes. This is what we can do:

Raise Awareness: Educate friends and others regarding the environmental advantages of hemp rolling papers.

Support Hemp-Friendly Brands: Purchase products from brands that use environmentally friendly hemp materials.


Advocate for Policy Reform: Encourage legislation that allows farmers to cultivate industrial hemp more easily.

Conclusion

Cheap and plentiful, traditional rolling papers are a bargain. But they're an expensive price to pay for our planet. Deforestation and pollution damage are real. Hemp rolling papers provide a greener, cleaner, and more eco-friendly alternative.

Switching to hemp rolling papers is a small decision that can make a big difference.