IN HARMONY WITH NATURE
MJiLOVE has been created out of our passion for hemp. Cannabis is one of the most versatile plants grown in Yunnan province China. Its seeds, stems, leaves and racemes are a source of agricultural raw materials used in the food, cosmetic, textile, automotive and construction industries. It is also our natural ally in efforts for clean air and environment.
We became the earilest company in China to obtain a license to grow cannabis sativa. These years we also started its extraction. Our production plant is located in Yunnan province , the centre of the Chinese hemp industry, where we continue the tradition of processing this unique plant in harmony with nature, both for people and for the Earth.
HEMP HISTORY IN CHINA
One of the earliest written records of hemp being used as a medicine comes from ancient China, a knowledge attributed to the mythical emperor Shennong and his book “Ben Cao Jing.”
In 2000 BC hemp was so important to ancient China that it was considered one of the ‘5 grains’, 5 cultivated crops that were thought to be sacred. The Chinese Emperor Fu Hsi, whom the Chinese credit with bringing civilization to China, made references to “Ma”, the Chinese word for Cannabis, noting that Cannabis was a very popular medicine that possessed both yin and yang.” These discoveries continued through Chinese history, causing marijuana to be referenced by other emperors and medicinal records as a plant with “healing” properties.
“Modern humans emerged some 250,000 years ago, yet agriculture is a fairly recent invention, only about 10,000 years old … Agriculture is not natural; it is a human invention. It is also the basis of modern civilization.” This point was also touched on by Carl Sagan in 1977 when he proposed the possibility that marijuana may have actually been world’s first agricultural crop, leading to the development of civilization itself.
Whether the Chinese emperor, the prophet Moses or the US founding fathers: the hemp plant was part of people’s everyday lives for millennia — and not just as an intoxicant.
HEMP – THE GREENER WORLD
1 hectare of hemp absorbs as much as 15 tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year, which is the same amount as that of a hectare of rainforest. This is one of the reasons why cannabis sativa can play an important role in creating a new, greener and more sustainable world.
#ECO
Hemp is good for the Earth.Its cultivation and processing generates a negative CO2 balance – the plants absorb more carbon dioxide from the air than is produced while manufacturing them into finished goods. Moreover, with its ability to bind heavy metals in the soil, hemp helps to restore the soil to its healthy state. For this reason, the plant is ideal as a catch crop, a crop grown between main crops that improves the biological activity and fertility of the soil. Unlike many other popular crops, hemp is very disease resistant and does not need any pesticide support; it suppresses weeds and deters pests on its own. It also requires less irrigation than other fibre crops. MJiLOVE wish hemp can reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by industry, transport and agriculture and to improve Asian biodiversity.
#ZEROWASTE
Stems, leaves, racemes and seeds – almost 100% of hemp is processed, so the amount of generated waste is minimal. Cannabis sativa can be also used as a natural substitute for artificial materials. Bioplastic made from hemp is 3.5 times stronger and lighter than synthetic plastic! It can be recycled, but it is also 100% biodegradable.
In the automotive industry, hemp fibres are used to make clutch components and brake discs. In the construction industry, it is used as a component of fibreboard, glass fibre and eco-concrete. Hemp fibre clothing isn’t only found at weekend organic fairs. Levi’s describes hemp fibre as an ecological alternative to cotton and uses it to manufacture its “Sustainable” clothing lines. Nike and Adidas offer popular models of hemp fibre coated boots. Patagonia, an iconic outdoor clothing producer, not only uses hemp to produce clothes, but is also actively involved in the development of organic hemp farming in the United States. Hemp fibre is gaining recognition as a greener alternative to cotton and synthetic fabrics nowadays, when the climate change impact of the production of our goods is becoming a factor of choice for an increasing number of consumers.
HEMP IN THE COSMETIC INDUSTRY
On the wave of the “return to nature” trend, hemp returns to cosmetics in style. Hemp oil, also called dry oil, has been known in traditional medicine for hundreds of years and it is made in the process of cold-pressing cannabis sativa seeds. It gets absorbed quickly and leaves no greasy film on the skin. It is used as an ingredient in creams, lotions, soaps, hair shampoos, face masks and even toothpastes, being particularly valued for its conditioning effects.
Cannabidiol (CBD), which is extracted from hemp, also possesses cosmetic qualities. CosIng, the European database of cosmetic ingredients, lists antioxidant and protective effects that improve the skin condition and inhibit sebum secretion. Preliminary studies indicate that CBD may also show antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and anti-seborrheic activity and has strong antioxidant properties. Having this in mind, it is not surprising that the number of CBD cosmetics products is increasing by more than 30% with every consecutive year.
HEMP AS AN ALTERNATIVE FOOD SOURCE
100 grams of cannabis sativa seeds contains more protein than 100 grams of low-fat cottage cheese or chicken breast. With more and more people giving up or reducing meat consumption due to the negative impact of animal husbandry on the climate, this is one of the healthy alternatives to animal protein. Cannabis sativa seeds contain up to 40 grams of protein per 100 grams. It is a complete protein source. It contains all 9 exogenous amino acids that are not produced by the human body and need to be supplied with food. In addition, hemp protein is very well absorbed. Its biological value (BV) of 74 is only slightly lower than the BV of animal protein (BV=79) or milk protein (BV=77). Hemp seeds and its products, such as hemp oil or hemp flour, are also a source of other valuable nutrients like essential unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals and antioxidants, and can satisfy many nutritional needs. Because of that, many stores offer hemp products next to other “Superfoods” (i.e. foods with exceptional nutritional qualities) like goji berries, acai, curcuma, spirulina or raw cocoa seeds.
CANNABINOIDS
In our view, the most fascinating property of hemp lies in cannabinoids that can be found in its leaves and stems. The most commonly known, CBD (cannabidiol) is only one of more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis. At Asia, we have become specialists in this field. Over many years, we conducted hundreds of studies on the content of cannabinoids at each stage of the hemp life cycle.
We examined the plants just after they germinated, when their first leaves emerged from the soil, throughout different phases of growth and just before their harvesting. The plants were also tested during various stages of drying and processing. We analysed many different cannabis sativa varieties for their cannabinoid, flavonoid and terpene content in order to identify their cannabinoid and terpene profile. Then, we were working for years to perfect natural extraction methods, allowing us to obtain the most valuable elements of hemp. For this purpose, we built our own laboratories and constructed special equipment for hemp extraction, unique on the scale of the country and whole Asia. The resultant cannabis sativa extracts are used as an ingredient of natural dietary supplements, including our flagship RAKKHUN oils.