The oldest known artifact of human industry is a piece of hemp fabric from Mesopotamia that dates back to 6000 BC. The word canvas comes from the word cannabis. Hemp was probably the first plant to be grown by humans and was instrumental in the discovery of agriculture. It was first grown for religious purposes but humans quickly figured out many other uses for this amazing plant that would become the most beneficial and valuable crop on earth.
All of the sails on ships sailed by Columbus and others were made from hemp because no other fabric was strong enough. It has always been easy to grow all over the earth without pesticides or herbicides and was the world’s number one agricultural commodity from the advent of agriculture up until the invention of the steam engine and cotton gin. When the “hemp gin” was being invented, Popular Mechanics magazine predicted hemp would be the "new billion dollar crop” with thousands of applications. That same year the U.S government made hemp illegal under the name marijuana so that this new industry would never be able to flourish. Instead we supported the petroleum and chemical industries much to the detriment of our environment. Today, half the pesticides we use in this country are dumped onto cotton fields and then run off into the land, streams and our drinking water.

You might be thinking, “So what if hemp is super strong and great for the environment? I need to be comfortable and look good!” We at The Hempest understand which is why we have the largest and most fashionable selection of hemp gear on the planet. Please check out these photos from our latest fashion show if you are worried about comfort or looks and you will see its possible to look great and help save the planet at the same time.