Hemp is a plant with a very ancient history. It was already used thousands of years ago in the East for its innumerable properties. It is rich in natural nutrients and antioxidants that make it a valuable source of well-being. Today, it is renowned not only for its properties, but also for its versatility, as all kinds of products can be made from its parts.

There are many varieties of hemp, each with its own peculiar characteristics, but the most famous are certainly sativa, indica and ruderalis. The former, in particular, is probably the best known and most widely used, but at the same time it is the one about which there is most confusion, because it is immediately associated with marijuana and everything illegal that revolves around it.

In this article, we will try to learn more about sativa hemp, explaining its peculiarities and effects and listing which types of products, 100% legal, can be made from it.

What is canapa sativa? 

Canapa sativa has been cultivated since ancient China, but according to recent research, it seems to have been well known in the Mediterranean area as well. However, the first in-depth studies on this plant were carried out in 1700, when the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck analysed and classified it, placing it in the equatorial zone of Asia, America and parts of Africa – where it is still found today.

Canapa sativa belongs to the Cannabaceae, a category of dicotyledonous angiosperms, i.e. plants with a true flower (in this case without petals) and a seed protected by a fruit. It is a very strong and robust plant of the cannabis family, and is both male and female. It can be up to 7 metres tall and boast long branches and very narrow leaves, easily recognisable at a glance. It adapts without too much difficulty to its environment and withstands long summers, i.e. heat, humidity and pests, from which it protects itself thanks to its thick buds.Its robustness and high water resistance made the plant perfect, in times past, for making ropes, but today, thanks to its low THC content, it lends itself better to industrial processing; it is exploited all over the world for its extreme versatility, for medical uses or to create products of various kinds.

What does hemp do?

Hemp inflorescences are rich in cannabinoids, mainly CBD and THC. These are two very different substances; THC is the psychotropic substance, the one considered illegal and which also generates strong altering sensations. On the other hand, CBD is the more beneficial component, with multiple positive properties and is able to make one feel relaxed and relieve pain and inflammation.

So, if you ask yourself what effect canapa sativa has, the answer is that it depends on what kind of hemp you are talking about. Moreover, depending on the method of intake, the effects may be more or less long-lasting: burning and inhalation generates a rapid action that wears off after 2-3 hours, while ingestion implies a slower but longer-lasting action, up to 10 hours.

Hemp containing THC provides physical manifestations that involve a number of contraindications, such as dry mouth, reddening of the eyes, dilation of the pupils, dizziness and difficulty walking, increased blood pressure, muscle relaxation and grogginess. On the psychic level, on the other hand, one experiences a different perception of time and space, difficulty in concentrating and disorientation. However, these effects are transient and not harmful, and are also accompanied by a general feeling of well-being and good humour (but much depends on the mood and context of the moment).

Light cannabis, i.e. legal weed, does not cause any psychotropic alteration because it has low THC content in favour of CBD. Let’s find out more about its effects in the next section.

What are the effects of canapa sativa?

The sativa hemp variety boasts a number of beneficial properties due to its abundance of nutrients. It is rich in Omega 3 and Omega 6, Vitamins A, E and the B group, has about 20 per cent protein and is a very important source of carbohydrates, fibre and antioxidants, which make it easy to use for food and cosmetics.

When taken, the sativa has a stimulating effect on brain activity, as it stimulates creativity and abstraction, causes positive emotions and a general sense of bliss, relaxation and détente. All this is possible due to its high CBD content, which has pain-relieving and antidepressant properties.Finally, thanks to the massive presence of terpenes (over 100) in the female variety, it is the bearer of heady, fresh and herbaceous aromas, which also allow it to be used in perfumery.

How to tell if hemp is indica or sativa?

There are several types of hemp and it is not always easy to distinguish between them, particularly if we consider sativa and indica; yet looking closely at them we can see many differences.

First of all, indica grows far away from hot and humid areas, in high-altitude, cold and dry places such as Nepal and India, where it is typical. By adapting to these climates, it has the ability to flower more quickly while taking up less space and is therefore more functional for indoor cultivation and obtaining multiple harvests in a short time.

Visually, it is also easy to recognise that the indica, unlike the sativa, does not grow very tall (2 metres at most) and composes a dense but rather bushy structure, producing broad, lush fan-shaped leaves.

What are hemp products?

The most interesting peculiarity of hemp is its ductility, because having the possibility of using all its parts, one can make many types of products which, we stress, are perfectly legal.

As we have already pointed out, hemp was used extensively to make ropes and textile fibres, until the negative reputation that began to hover over marijuana came to a halt in the 20th century. Only in recent times, in order to revalue less elaborate and more ecological materials, is the sativa hemp variety beginning to be used again in the industrial and pharmaceutical sectors.

Let us look specifically at the main uses of the plant:

• Textiles: since ancient times, hemp stems have been used to make fibres and fabrics, first in Asia and later in Europe. In Italy, this material was adopted in the naval sector during the era of the Maritime Republics, to create ropes and sails for ships, but also in the civil sector to make tablecloths, carpets and household linen, especially in Emilia Romagna.

At present, the plant’s fibres are widely used for the creation of eco-friendly clothing, packaging accessories – cloths, bags and ropes – and plumbing tools – mainly gaskets.

• Bioplastics and paper: from hemp fibres, a special type of biological plastic is made, which is less polluting, because it is oil-free, and much easier to handle and dispose of.

Cellulose is also used to make a special paper, which is rougher and more porous than ordinary paper, but which above all curbs the abuse of wood and the various chemical processes required to transform it.

In both cases, the possibilities for recycling are greater than for materials that are normally exploited.

• Technical fibres and green building: recently, hemp has been used to make technical fibres to replace aluminium and fibreglass, but also cement and bricks, due to its insulating capacities.
• Cosmetics: the richness in nutrients and the presence of CBD in hemp make it possible to produce highly effective cosmetics for skin and hair. With it, anti-ageing, antioxidant and moisturising creams and lotions are produced, as well as shampoos and masks for dry or sagging hair and inflamed skin.
• Supplements: Recently, hemp has been widely used in the creation of capsules, CBD oils, candies and many other products that can be supplemented on a daily basis for all-natural wellness.

Legal products containing CBD can be used to alleviate pain, inflammation, insomnia and psychological discomfort.

Discover all CBD products on our website and enter the natural and legal world of sativa hemp.