The hemp plant doesn’t recognize borders. Its merits for the environment and diversity across geography have been discussed in many of my previous blog articles. Despite its industrial benefits, there is no consistency in how the plant is treated worldwide — not even in recognition of its origins, which is why we continue to perpetuate the artificial separation between hemp and cannabis. As with so many things, education — or the lack thereof — plays a defining role in how nations develop or suppress their hemp economies.
Whether hemp is embraced, restricted, or cautiously emerging often depends on a nation’s political, religious, or economic stance. These layered realities create a patchwork of regulation, opportunity, and misinformation that deeply impacts how the plant is taught, cultivated, and integrated into society.
Take Pakistan, for example. In a country where religious and cultural values shape much of public policy, the plant has long been misunderstood, lumped together with narcotics under sweeping drug laws. Despite this, Pakistan has a long-standing cultural familiarity with cannabis and is currently re-evaluating hemp as a potential economic asset. In 2020, the government approved its first industrial hemp policy, promoting hemp’s export potential. However, cultivation licenses are restricted to university R&D and the military. Widespread education remains minimal, and investment in farmer training or domestic product development is still at a nascent stage and continues to be torpedoed by armed conflict in the territorial regions where cannabis mostly grows.
Contrast this with Italy, where hemp has a long cultural legacy. Historically cultivated for fiber and food, hemp saw a sharp decline in the mid-20th century due to changing laws and imported stigma. Yet in recent years, Italy has re-embraced hemp’s potential — especially in organic agriculture and green construction. Several Italian universities have started incorporating hemp research into agricultural and materials science curricula. Still, the country’s policies can be ambiguous, particularly around cannabinoid content, and this regulatory uncertainty is slowing progress despite the plant’s growing popularity.
Then there is the United States — a country with both deep prohibitionist roots and some of the most dynamic hemp startups in the world. The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized industrial hemp with THC levels under 0.3%, unlocking a wave of innovation and entrepreneurship. Yet with each state setting its own rules and inconsistent educational frameworks across institutions, the industry remains fragmented. While land-grant universities in states like Kentucky and Colorado lead research and extension programs — notwithstanding setbacks under the current administration — other regions still treat hemp with suspicion, slowing its integration into public education and farming practice.
Hence, a key takeaway is that hemp’s success is often tied less to agronomic potential and more to the narratives surrounding it. These narratives are shaped by who controls education, how policies are written, and what histories are remembered or erased. Whether hemp is embraced as a regenerative crop or feared as a controlled substance is a reflection of a society’s willingness to re-educate itself — scientifically, culturally, and politically.
What’s needed now is a global commitment to hemp literacy — a collaborative effort to share best practices, build transparent regulatory frameworks, and support education at all levels, from farmers to policymakers to students, keeping social and climate justice always at the core of this development. The future of hemp won’t be determined in the field alone, but in the classroom, the parliament, and the media.
Hemp, after all, doesn’t divide — it regenerates. It invites us to rethink the systems we’ve inherited and to co-create new ones that are more aligned with planetary health, economic fairness, and social equity.
When it comes to hemp and cannabis, geography is more than a backdrop — it is a defining factor in shaping what sustainability looks like on the ground. Climate, soil, native plant genetics, and local culture all influence how the plant can best serve communities and ecosystems.
For countries where cannabis grows wild and has deep cultural and agricultural roots, it’s essential not to blindly follow the regulatory frameworks or industrial models developed in Europe or North America. While those regions have made progress in reviving hemp industries, their approaches are often shaped by very different legal histories, climates, and economic structures.
Instead, policy development should be rooted in local knowledge, biodiversity, and environmental realities. Preserving and working with original cannabis genetics — many of which are better adapted to their native environments — may offer more meaningful and regenerative outcomes than importing distant standards. In the pursuit of social and climate justice, the path must be as diverse as the plant itself.
As a Climate Impact Storyteller, Maren Krings leverages her expertise in photography, filmmaking, content writing, and keynote speaking to highlight the potential of hemp for climate resilience and social justice. She holds a B.F.A. in Photography from the Savannah College of Art & Design, a degree in Climate Change Studies and Environmental Science from the University of Exeter, and multiple certifications in related fields.
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