Jason L. Merrill, U.S. Department of Agriculture chief scientist said in 1916...
“Hemp hurds are favorable
in comparison with those
used with pulp wood.”
H
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emp paper can be made from hemp plants’ long bast
fiber or the short bast fiber (hurd or pulp). Fiber
paper is thin, tough, brittle, and rough. Pulp paper
is not as strong, but is easier to make, softer, thicker, and
preferable for most everyday purposes. The very first paper
in the world was made from hemp, and as a plant, hemp
is more suitable for paper as it has a higher cellulose and
lower lignin content.
Hemp paper is also much more eco-friendly and
sustainable than tree paper, as hemp can be produced much
quicker than trees. The quality of hemp paper is actually
higher than wood, as hemp pulp is much better for paper
than wood pulp. Hemp was widely used across the world
in the 1800s, but declined in the early 1900s as hemp
production and trading became prohibited...