The 2018 Farm Bill has changed hemp history. It’s projected that by 2025, the industrial hemp market will be worth over $26 million. Thus, there’s never been a better time to learn about hemp and everything the plant entails…which just so happens to be a lot.
The National Advisory in Hemp and CBD (NAIHC) contends that there are over 25,000 products that can be created from hemp! Did you know that hemp was once such a significant part of American society it was considered illegal not to grow it? Hemp was only made illegal because of its relation to marijuana; the new Farm Bill has overturned that decision and will allow hemp to re-enter the market, stronger than ever before.
What better way to learn about the wildly popular plant than by reading a good book about it?
There are quite a few hemp books to choose from that offer a world of information about the multi-purpose plant. Below are 5 of the best hemp books out there, each offering a different understanding of the special plant.
Top 5 Books for Anyone Interested in Hemp
1. The Emperor Wears No Clothes
Written by Jack Herer over the period of twelve years beginning in 1973, The Emperor Wears No Clothes has gained somewhat of a cult following. Perhaps the most famous book ever written about hemp, it’s one that helped kickstart the hemp movement in the 1980s after it was published in 1985.
The timing of The Emperor Wears No Clothes first release coincided with the Reagan “Just Say No” era when hemp was shrouded in misinformation by the American public and was deemed a dangerous plant that only produced psychoactive marijuana. Needless to say, this is one of the most groundbreaking hemp books ever written–– it exposed the truth and offered an alternative approach to decades of skewed stereotypes.
A Quick Synopsis
In The Emperor Wears No Clothes, Herer takes a detailed look at countless thought-provoking facts and interesting conspiracies about hemp. Discover why hemp was initially prohibited, as well as why it continued to remain illegal for almost an entire century.
Over the years, the book has been continually updated not only to provide an accurate history of hemp but has also aimed to help readers better understand the war on the plant. You’ll find in-depth information on the petrochemical industry’s strategy to prohibit hemp as a renewable resource for energy, textiles, food, fuel and medicine. Illustrations, photos and charts are included throughout the book that support the claims Herer writes so passionately about.
The Emperor Wears No Clothes – the best-selling book about hemp of all time – is recommended to anyone interested in learning more about hemp in an intellectually stimulating, eye-pleasing, easy-to-read format.
2. The Great Book of Hemp
If you’re looking for something simple yet thoroughly informative, The Great Book of Hemp is one to add to your cart. As one of the highest-rated hemp books available, readers are immediately introduced to the idea that “hemp is happening.” Although it was written in 1996, there couldn’t be more truth to the statement that opens this captivating account of hemp.
Readers will learn nearly everything there is to know t in the span of just over a couple hundred pages of The Great Book of Hemp. Pick up this best-seller and you’ll find author Rowan Robinson speaking directly to you through a personable writing style that flows easily across the pages.
Want to gain a better understanding of how hemp can be used as a renewable resource? You’ll find tons of information about the environmental benefits of hemp. Perhaps you’re more interested in the health side of hemp. You’ll find over 30 pages on hemp health alone. The Great Book of Hemp also tackles the spiritual side of hemp, as well as a detailed history of the plant and much more.
While some consider it a bit outdated, The Great Book of Hemp still contains significant information and countless facts about the plant in an easy-to-read way.
3. Hemp Bound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution
We love author Doug Fine’s approach to the countless ways hemp might be used in America’s legal hemp future. In Hemp Unbound: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Next Agricultural Revolution, readers are taken along for the ride on a journey throughout the US that starts in Denver, Colorado in a hemp-powered limousine.
As one of the best-selling hemp books available, you’ll find a funny and entertaining approach to the plant that is suspected to soon start the agricultural revolution Doug Fine is so passionate about.
As a quick read of just over 100 pages, you’ll likely find Fine’s comic writing style keeps you turning the pages while you become informed about the industrial and agricultural developments that are happening on an increasingly wider scale nationwide.
While Fine is convinced that “this one plant, properly utilized, can help form the backbone of climate stabilization regimen while revitalizing the US (and worldwide) small-farm economy,” he notes that he’s a seasoned journalist that doesn’t want to come across as one of those “hemp can do anything including getting rid of ring around the collar people.” We love his approach and truly believe this is one of the better hemp books we’ve read in a while.
4. The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp Lime
Looking to build but reduce your carbon footprint? You’re going to want to check out The Hempcrete Book: Designing and Building with Hemp Lime. Described as a “book about ‘natural building’,” readers are introduced to some of the key topics and concepts about building with hempcrete.
Not only will you find a brief history of hemp and its many uses, but also how hemp can effectively be used in construction projects as an environmentally friendly option to materials that utilize fossil fuels. You’ll learn about sustainable building, with detailed instructions on getting started with some of the basics.
Whether you’re a self-builder or a professional contractor, you’ll become aware of how to source and make hempcrete and other hemp-lime composites, as well as how to use them in restorations, remodels, and new building construction.
The wealth of information offered in The Hempcrete Book is organized excellently, and we are confident that it can help turn your eco-friendly building ideas into concrete hemp reality.
5. The Hemp Manifesto
Author Rowan Robinson has done it again with The Hemp Manifesto. If you found The Great Book of Hemp wasn’t exactly the information you were seeking, you’re likely to find it in Rowan’s second book, which takes a different approach by offering 101 real-life uses of hemp.
This pocket-size book is one that can be read cover-to-cover or opened randomly for quick tidbits about the many uses of hemp. The book is full of ideas about how hemp can be used in various settings, with short concise text “designed to fit into the back pocket of a pair of hemp jeans.”
Find out why hemp is a “win-win situation,” the “budding prospects” of hemp and 99 other reasons the hemp revolution is here to stay. You’ll also learn plenty of interesting hemp facts. Did you know, for example, that the US Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper? The Hemp Manifesto offers a look into the ways hemp can positively impact society.
Hemp Books to Help Increase Your Understanding of America’s Most Popular Plant
With the wild popularity of CBD, interest in hemp is resurging. Now that the 2018 Farm Bill has changed the hemp industry, there’s never been a better time to increase your understanding of hemp. Sure, there’s a wealth of information on the internet, but there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a good book.
These five books about hemp are currently the most popular ones about hemp on the market, and we hope you find as much pleasure reading them as we have. Have you read any of these hemp books we’ve included on this list? Maybe you’ve read one we missed? We’d love to hear about any hemp-related books you’ve discovered in the comments below! And as always, if you have any questions and would like to talk to our customer service team, contact us today!
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Todd Smith is Joy Organics Chief Partnerships Officer and Co-founder. Before Joy Organics, he worked in the wellness and nutritional industry for over three decades and helped generate over 1 billion dollars in supplement sales. He has applied that knowledge and experience to empower over 1000 businesses through Joy Organics’ partnership programs. Todd is also the author of a book, podcast, and blog titled Little Things Matter.
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