Industrial Hempseed Oil

Hempseed oil was once an essential, everyday part of the average household. Our ancestors’ homes were lit by oil lamps (such as the one still filled with clear green hempseed oil displayed in the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum). They used soaps and detergents with a hemp oil base to wash themselves and their clothes, while hemp oil’s nourishing and preserving qualities made it a perfect treatment for leather items.

The Versatility of Hemp Oil
The oil extracted from hempseed can be used for nutritional or industrial purposes without further processing. Hempseed oil’s versatility made it a widely used and valuable product of hemp farming up until the early 20th Century. Hemp oil was used in paints, varnishes, sealants, lubricants for machinery and printing inks. Oil paints with a hemp oil base were used by the Dutch Masters to create the works of art on display in the Museum Gallery.

Hemp Oil for Horses
The use of hemp oil in caring for horses is one of the less widely known aspects of the cannabis plant. For centuries, hempseed oil has been used to treat horses’ hooves, as it is very effective in preventing splitting and flaking of the hoof - a condition which can lead to serious problems if the split becomes infected. Hempseed oil is also used to treat saddles and harnesses, keeping the leather supple and resistant to weather and sweat, so both the horse and rider are more comfortable. Leather Oil and Hoof Oil can both be seen in the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum Gallery.

The Future of Hemp Oil
Hempseed shows a remarkable range of variation in its constituent oils , some of which are more useful for industrial purposes than others. Breeding programs have already begun, with the aim of selectively breeding and improving those strains whose seeds show a high content of the desired constituents. There is currently a great deal of interest in the potential of hempseed oil as a fuel and as a binding agent in hemp plastic, as oil-based fuels and plastics cause enormous environmental damage and are likely to increase in price as oil becomes more scarce.