Hemp seeds, in particular, are excellent for food. They’re a complete protein (!), high in minerals, and rich in essential fatty acids. They can be used similarly to flax seeds – raw on salads, granola, etc., ground into a meal, or baked into breads. They can also be sprouted, made into milk, or prepared as tea.
Sometimes they’re hulled, producing “hemp hearts.” Eat them plain, sprinkle them over yogurt or cereal, add them to a smoothie, etc. (For the most part, I believe hemp seeds and hemp hearts are interchangeable.) I bet they could also be used as the dry ingredient in peanut butter balls.
Hemp protein powder is also comprised of hemp seeds. It’s an excellent alternative to most protein powders, being complete, easily digestible, vegan – and a natural food produced without bizarre extraction or the addition of weird chemicals.
What is sometimes referred to as hemp oil is actually hemp seed oil. It, too, is used much like its flax counterpart. Heating it will damage the delicate oil, so it’s best used cold (like in salad dressings), or in low-heat applications. It’s also best protected from light (stored in a dark bottle). Hemp seed oil is good for your hair and skin, too. In fact, some people have used it as a topical treatment for skin cancer! (THC is not found in the seeds, by the way, so hemp oil does not contain THC.)