Cannabis is now more than marijuana or hashish. Insulating material or clothing can be made from its fibers.

Oil is made from seeds, and tea is made from leaves. Hemp can also have a positive effect on the soil, according to Dr. Wilhelm Sheckel of Brandenburg.

Cannabis plants reach two meters in height annually in the fields of Wilhelm Scheckel in Wittstock / Doss in Brandenburg. From May to August, he grows 110 hectares. hemp at his Zempovsky Organic Ranch. “With hemp, the soil is healthy,” Shekel says.

The soil in the Muritz region is not good enough. To increase its fertility, the farmer practices comprehensive feeding of cows in combination with a seven-year crop rotation. Since 2015, hemp is also part of it.

“Farmers often grow this crop because there is a market for it. In the future, we should grow it, because it improves the soil, ”Shekel is convinced.

Hemp not only suppresses weeds, it is also an effective storage of CO2. “Through the root secretions of the hemp plant, carbon enters the bowels, which are enriched in humus,” says the agronomist. Thanks to the leaves in several tiers, the soil is very well shaded, which provides a favorable microclimate.

Tillage without plowing ensures that hemp can take root deep in the soil. “I get valuable compost from hemp straw, which I use to feed livestock,” Shekel emphasizes another advantage.