First new hemp strain bred for US farmers

By Chris Conrad
Source: theleafonline.com

A new industrial hemp cultivar has passed the THC hemp trials managed by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the first hemp seed variety bred for the US to pass a Department of Agriculture hemp trial in any state.

Thomas Jefferson was a jealous hempseed breeder who allegedly brought Chinese seeds in from France in the 1790s to mix with the European strains. Later the US Department of Agriculture adopted an aggressive program to breed plants that were drought resistant and climate or soil specific for different parts of the United States and came up with some of the best hemp strains in the world. That all came to an end with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, when hemp farming was essentially banned. The national seed banks died out when the federal Drug Enforcement Agency took control in the 1970s and destroyed them in the name of the Drug War.

Act of Congress opened the way for new hemp seedlines

In February 2015, Congress passed the hemp amendment to the Farm bill and opened new avenues for cannabis hemp. Two years later, Rely™ by New West Genetics has become the first modern hemp variety bred for the U.S. to pass Colorado Department of Agriculture hemp trials. The plants have a stable THC content below 0.1 percent, compared with the federal standard of 0.3 percent or less.

“This is a landmark victory for New West Genetics, as well as hemp production in the United States overall,” said Wendy Mosher, CEO for New West Genetics. “The use of regionally bred hemp seed for production is imperative for the US hemp industry to succeed, and we hope that the results for Rely™ act as a catalyst for other U.S. hemp product makers to recognize the benefit of regionally bred varieties – better yield, disease resistance, sustainability, etc. and demand those be used for their products.”

Genetic markers used to speed up selection process

Normally it would take decades to breed a new annual crop, each successive generation tested for quality and stability. New West Genetics focuses on developing and improving cannabis grown for the U.S. marketplace. Its initial focus is on creating hemp varieties adapted for various market traits as well as bred for largescale harvest.

Its well-respected team of scientists utilize Next Generation sequencing to analyze the genetics of hemp with the intent to improve varieties with marker based selection, which in turn speeds up the breeding process.

New seed line is aimed at the food and oil markets

With these varieties, the company promotes hemp seed and flower as a healthy alternative to other similar ingredients – for instance, hemp seed is the only plant-based oilseed that has an exact match of Omega 3:Omega 6 ratio that fish oil has, making it a much more sustainable option.. All-natural nutrition company EvoHemp recently contracted New West Genetics to include its grain in their line of hemp seed products.

Rely™ is a novel variety that has been bred specifically for high yield grain production in the Western Region of the US. The seed was tested by the Colorado Department of Agriculture to ensure its compliance with federal law regarding the maximum THC level allowed for industrial hemp plants.  Results determined by the Department of Ag that Rely™ has stable low THC, below .1 percent in all of their trial locations making it a reliable option for farmers and product makers. In the coming months, Rely™ will be entered into trials with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to select and adapt for the Southeast U.S. region.

“It’s an exciting time for hemp in the United States,” Mosher added. “New West Genetics is at the heart of a movement to reintroduce hemp as an integral part of American industry, and we look forward to unlocking the potential of this incredible plant.”

For more information about New West Genetics, please visit http://www.newwestgenetics.com.

Company eyes Dove Creek for hemp plant

By Jim Mimiaga
Source: cortezjournal.com

Purchase would provide jobs, boost economy

Abdel Berrada discusses the hemp test plot at the Southwest Colorado Research Station in August.

Florida firm is interested in purchasing an abandoned sunflower processing plant in Dove Creek to process hemp crops.

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Photo courtesy of Vote Hemp

A hemp field in Canada comes into maturity. Hemp is used for industrial products and does well in arid climates like the Southwest.

Enlargephoto

Sam Green/The Journal

A sunflower processing plant went bankrupt in Dove Creek in 2010.

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JERRY McBRIDE/Herald file Piles of sunflower seeds sit covered in front of the San Juan Bioenergy plant near Dove Creek in this 2010 photo. Piles of hemp could replace the seeds if a company moves forward with plant to purchase the plant to process hemp oil.

Bayfront Capital, of Bradenton, Florida, is negotiating to purchase the private pressing facility located on land within a business park owned by the Dove Creek Development Corp., officials report.

“It looks promising, with hope that the purchase and land lease could be completed by the end of the year,” said DCDC chair Gus Westerman.

The firm has also expressed interest in purchasing an idle cement factory in the business park to manufacture specialized hemp crete, a type of building brick infused with hemp.

Bayfront has been meeting with Dolores County commissioners and the community about the plan the last few months.

“It’s generated a lot of curiosity and excitement,” Westerman said.

The proposed business plan would generate up to 17 new local jobs – five for the cement plant and 12 for the hemp processing plant.

“To get two idle businesses going again would put people to work and have a trickle-down effect into the entire local economy,” said Dan Fernandez, boardmember for Dove Creek Development Corp.

The company told county officials that they have lined up contracts for hemp from elsewhere that would be shipped to Dove Creek for processing. They reportedly plan to focus on pressing seed for oil at first.

Westerman, who is also the Dolores County agriculture extension agent, said there are currently no hemp growers in Dolores County, which requires a permit from the Colorado Department of Agriculture. That could change if the plant goes on line.

“This could be motivation for farmers to plant hemp,” Westerman said.

Colorado legalized hemp under Amendment 64, passed in 2012. Hemp is a form of cannabis and is a genetic cousin of marijuana, but has just minuscule amounts (.3 percent) of THC, marijuana’s psychoactive ingredient.

Hemps seeds can be processed for fuel, cooking oil, soaps and lotions. The fibrous stalks can be made into clothing, rope, paper and as a substitute for plastic. Cannabidiol can be extracted from hemp flowers and leaves for medicinal purposes with less side effects of traditional pharmaceuticals.

So far, 29 states have legalized growing hemp.

The Southwest Agricultural Research Center in Yellow Jacket is in its second year of experimental hemp trials, under a research provision in the U.S. Farm Bill.

Researcher Abdel Berrada said 13 varieties have been harvested and are being studied to determine yields. Samples will also be tested to insure the crop is within the .3 percent THC limit.

For best yields, hemp prefers irrigation. Last year, the research center harvested 500 pounds of seeds per acre. This year, they expect 1,000 pounds of seeds per acre.

If grown for fiber, hemp requires good amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to encourage vigorous stalk growth. Last year’s crop yielded 2 tons of fiber per acre.

“In one test plot, we are using deficit irrigation to see if the stress will effect THC levels and cause them to go over the standard,” Berrada said, but the results are not in. “That’s important, because if a farmer’s hemp crop is over the standard, it could be destroyed.”

The previous sunflower processing plant went bankrupt in 2010 due in part to a poor market for sunflower seed combined with the 2008 recession.

jmimiaga@the-journal.com

TOP 5 WORLD HEMP PRODUCERS

By Mark Miller
Source: hightimes.com



In the United States, hemp is still illegal. It’s a stupid and shortsighted policy, and other nations are putting us to shame. Here are five of them.

China

The planet’s leading cultivator, China has (wisely!) never banned industrial hemp. The country produces approximately 44,000 metric tons annually and is number two in hemp-seed production, accounting for 38 percent of the global total. China also leads in producing and exporting hemp textiles and related products. It’s the primary supplier of hemp products to the United States and has secured over half of the 606 hemp patents recorded worldwide.

France

The French are the front-runners in hemp-seed production, accounting for a whopping 59 percent of the global total. France also produces the lion’s share of Europe’s pulp and paper, the most important hemp market in the EU, accounting for over 50 percent of fiber applications. French hemp cultivars are suited for grain and fiber production, the specific varieties that industry trends demand.

Chile

South America’s most prodigious producer of hemp, Chile also sets the pace by hosting the continent’s largest hemp trade fair. Chilean hemp production measures about 4,385 tons annually, and the nation ranks as the world’s third-most-important producer of hemp seed. However, the seed isn’t native to Chile, which imports its four primary cultivars from Italy, China and the US state of Kentucky.

South Korea

Second only to China in worldwide hemp-fiber production, South Korea produces 14,000 tons of hemp annually. Hemp originated in Asia, and its versatility allows it to grow both upland and in paddy fields. However, regulations have hindered the expansion of hemp agriculture in South Korea, which is fueling a domestic demand for hemp seed and fiber from countries like Canada.

The Netherlands

It shouldn’t be too mind-blowing to discover that Holland, the land of cannabis coffeeshops, also happens to be among the EU leaders in hemp production. Hemp output here has risen dramatically, to 6,614 tons annually. However, there’s concern that insufficient cropland will limit output, so Dutch companies like HempFlax have begun farming operations in Romania.

How Is Hemp CBD Oil Different From Marijuana CBD Oil?

By Zoe Wilder
Source: merryjane.com

Understand CBD’s variations and how to obtain them.

At 5 years old, young Charlotte Figi had been suffering roughly 300 grand mal seizures weekly for years when her father, Matt, looking for alternatives to her mostly unsuccessful traditional allopathic treatments, found a video online extolling the benefits of CBD oil in the treatment of Dravet Syndrome. Under Colorado’s fledgling medical marijuana program, Charlotte’s parents found a strain of high cannabidiol (CBD), low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabis flower named R4 being sold at a Colorado dispensary. They bought a few ounces and worked with friends to extract oil from it. High-CBD, low-THC cannabis is a desirable medicine, both for the therapeutic benefits of CBD and the low presence of THC, which minimizes psychoactivity. Charlotte responded favorably to her very first dose, bringing the frequency of her seizures down to one per week.

Her parents then met the Stanley brothers, owners of Colorado’s largest dispensary at the time and cultivators of a high-CBD strain of cannabis very few people were purchasing. Together, they developed the dormant strain into a continual harvest and constant supply of medical marijuana CBD oil to treat Charlotte, and subsequently, other patients seeking similar relief. The strain became what’s known today as Charlotte’s Web. When the news of this process, and others like it, aired on CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta’s documentary Weed in 2013, people across the globe, especially parents of children suffering seizures, flocked to the Internet to find this “miracle” CBD oil. Little was to be found.

Capitalizing businesses quickly jumped in to fill the void created by the Federal Controlled Substances Act, which strictly prohibits the use and sale of marijuana because of the presence of THC, not CBD. Under the law, hemp-derived CBD is completely legal, but CBD doesn’t appear out of thin air. In order to produce CBD oil, you must first harvest high-CBD cannabis plants, legally. In the United States, this requires growers to be licensed in their state either as an industrial hemp farmer or a medical/recreational marijuana grower. Not all states provide these licenses, and where some do, each type of license has a completely different set of parameters, rules, and regulations, including whom you can sell your products to.

Needless to say, the rabid overnight demand for CBD oil combined with the intricacies of a nation involved in a drug war created a very confusing topic, and an opportunity for businesses to sell snake oil. Still today, people are discovering the wonders of CBD and yearning for information on how to obtain it. In an effort to untangle this web, here’s a go-to guide for understanding the differences between hemp-derived CBD oils and marijuana-derived CBD oils.

Hemp CBD Oil

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid known largely for its muscle relaxant properties. Isolated on its own, CBD is non-psychoactive and it’s been reported to be effective in treating seizures, even in young children.

CBD is found in both the drug producing Cannabis Indica and hemp producing Cannabis Sativa. Hemp CBD oil is derived from industrial hemp, the C. Sativa species of cannabis, which produces nearly no amount of the cannabinoid Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but does produce some amount of the cannabinoid Cannabidiol (CBD). Industrialized hemp production is legal at the federal level, with laws and licensure varying from state-to-state.

Not All Hemp CBD Oils Are Created Equal

Not many cannabis researchers or cannabis professionals will refute the efficacy and wonders of the cannabinoid Cannabidiol. It can be a potent and powerful product with amazing therapeutic benefits. However, the ways in which cannabidiol is extracted from industrial hemp plants, then manufactured, concentrated, formulated, etc., and delivered or administered to a customer or patient, is largely suspect. Some customers have even reported becoming violently ill from poorly manufactured hemp CBD products, many of which either contain mysterious inactive chemicals or ingredients different than those listed on the label.

Hemp CBD is regulated by the FDA as a dietary supplement, and like other dietary supplements the FDA is “not authorized to review dietary supplement products for safety and effectiveness before they are marketed.” This is in direct opposition to most modern day medical and recreational marijuana markets. Both regulated medical and recreational markets typically have stringent production and testing guidelines and manufacturing regulations, and these guidlines typically exclude the sale of hemp-derived CBD through medical and recreational dispensaries.

This is from the FDA’s website:

“In late February 2015, FDA issued several warning letters to firms that market unapproved drugs for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of diseases. Some of these firms claim that their products contain cannabidiol (CBD). FDA has tested those products and, in some of them, did not detect any CBD. It is important to note that these products are not approved by FDA for the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of any disease, and often they do not even contain the ingredients found on the label. Consumers should beware purchasing and using any such products.”

A list of FDA warning letters and test results for Cannabidiol related products and manufactures can be found here.

Conversely, the Stanley Brothers, creators of the original Charlotte’s Web now manufacture CBD Hemp Oil under the name CW Hemp. Because Charlotte’s Web products contain less than 0.3 percent THC, they are allowed by U.S. Federal law to ship their acclaimed Hemp CBD oil products straight to your doorstep.

Many Medical Marijuana Producers Are Producing Consistent, Top Quality CBD, Too

Charlotte’s Web is not the only high-CBD strain or CBD product out there. Strains like AC/DC, Harlequin, Cannatonic, Sour Tsunami, Ringo’s Gift, and many others exist.

Since 1996, there have been several medical marijuana markets growing in the western United States. In the region, states like California, Washington, and Oregon created an avenue for seasoned cannabis cultivators to farm cannabis medicines for their patients. Nearly two decades later, these states and several others, including Colorado, are expanding into the country’s first full-fledged recreational cannabis markets. Growers in these markets have been producing both high-THC and high-CBD strains of marijuana and merging them into edibles, concentrates, and topicals of all forms to assist customers and patients with their therapeutic needs.

These markets are now becoming known for having stricter testing standards than standard produce agriculture, and now nearly half the country’s states have some form of medical marijuana program or more. In these markets, medical marijuana cardholders can typically access CBD products containing much higher concentrations of Cannabidiol than hemp-derived CBD products, and due to stringent testing, oftentimes purer CBD products as well. When obtaining CBD products through a regulated medical or recreational marijuana marketplace, customer service representatives should be able to display and explain a product's origins, ingredients, and test results. State-certified labs provide these insights, and some even provide full cannabinoid and terpene analysis, too.

CBD Works Best Combined With Other Cannabinoids

Cannabis contains hundreds of compounds, 80 of which are currently categorized as cannabinoids. CBD and THC are the principal cannabinoids in cannabis, both commonly occurring in the relatively largest concentrations, and they are incredibly synergistic.

Embracing the full-spectrum of cannabis’ naturally occurring phytonutrients is part of a process called whole plant medicine. This practice is highly regarded in the holistic and alternative medicine communities, existing in stark contrast to the practice of fractionated medicine, a process involving the heavy use processing and chemical synthesis popularized by the pharmaceutical industry.

Long before people began hybridizing cannabis to create the highest THC strain to wow judges at cannabis competitions, naturally occurring fields of cannabis most likely contained plants with moderate concentrations of both primary cannabinoids CBD and THC along with other naturally occurring therapeutic cannabinoids like CBG, CBN, plus various terpenes, flavonoids, and all other phytonutrients found in healthy cannabis plants. Thanks to Israeli researcher Raphael Mechoulam, the synergies of all these compounds working together is now known as “The Entourage Effect.”

While not sanctioned for children because of its euphoria-producing properties, adding any amount of THC to a therapeutic dose of CBD largely enhances CBD’s effects. Medical cardholders in many states can now access CBD products with varying ratios of CBD to THC. Everything from 20:1 to 1:1 ratios, even 2 parts THC to 1 part CBD, make for an incredibly therapeutic array of options for patients seeking the benefits of Cannabidiol.

Hopefully this guide will help you better understand the intricacies and the processes involved in accessing varying forms of CBD.

Harry Hartmann Fiberreed Clarinet Hemp Reed

Source: wwbw.com

Hemp reed for French (Boehm) system.

Harry Hartmann's Hemp Fiberreed for clarinet (boehm system) features superior hollow fiber layered with hemp fiber & crowned with layers of hardwood. It has an all-new special cut to enhance the natural sound of hemp. It displays an Earthy dark low-end and a full high register. Hemp fiberreeds run soft. WWBW suggests that you order one strength harder than other Hartmann models.

Minister’s no-show stirs Canadian producers

Source: hemptoday.net

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA) has again lashed out at Health Canada, the government’s health agency, for its continuing refusal to expedite hemp production permits despite requests for change dating back seven years. CHTA has been pushing for changes to what it calls “outdated and unnecessary regulations which are seriously curtailing the growth” of Canada’s hemp industry.

“The situation is untenable. Our farmers are suffering financially and value added revenue opportunities are not being developed,” said Kim Shukla, Executive Director of CHTA — which, for example, cites the Canadian hemp industries’ inability to capitalize on new market opportunities in South Korea despite Canadian efforts that have set formal trade relations with that country. Health Canada essentially ignored a CHTA request last spring specifically looking to capitalize on the South Korean market.

“The loss in farm-gate revenue was about $9 million and flies in the face of the good work done by Export Canada,” said CHTA President Russ Crawford.

In the latest brushoff of the CHTA by Health Canada, the agency cancelled an appearance by Health Minister Jane Philpott at the annual Alliance conference last week in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — leaving a gap in the conference program that was ultimately filled with a session critical of Health Canada before other supporting Canadian agencies — Ag Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association (CSGA) — who were in attendance, sources told HempToday.

Frustrated producers point out that the government moved to change the laws on marijuana because the majority of the population felt that the current laws are unreasonable and have become unenforceable, and point to the current situation in which it is easier to buy marijuana seed than hemp in Canada. The industry has been outspoken in its request that hemp not be bundled with marijuana in a “cannabis file” as the government’s Task Force on Marijuana makes its recommendations. Hemp is different than marijuana and does not require the same degree of regulatory oversight, CHTA notes.

While Philpott declined to address the CHTA conference, Health Canada issued a statement on its priorities regarding industrial hemp that noted: “While the early focus (regarding hemp) was on identifying possible efficiencies, the regulatory requirements are now being more broadly assessed to ensure that they are commensurate with any potential health and safety risks that may be associated with industrial hemp.”

Yet Health Canada failed to indicate “what any of those possible risks could be or when meaningful change might be made,” CHTA said, noting that the Canadian government moved to change the laws governing marijuana primarily based on a majority feeling among the public that those laws had become unreasonable and unenforceable.

For now, CHTA says it’s board is looking at a more aggressive approach to provoke change — by simply ignoring Canadian hemp rules.

North Dakota company to process industrial hemp seeds

By Luann Dart
Source: farmprogress.com

Healthy Oilseeds plans to crush, roast and dehull hemp seed.

All the producers in North Dakota who grew industrial hemp last year have opted to have Healthy Oilseeds, owned by Roger Gussiaas, Carrington, N.D., process it for the food market.

He will be processing about 80,000 pounds of hemp seed and hopes to extract about 2,000 pounds of oil from the seed and make flour from the leftover meal. He will also mill hemp flour from some of the whole seed and roast some of the seeds. He may also dehull some of the seeds and market the meats.

HEMP TRIAL: Roger Gussiaas, Carrington, harvests the Finola variety of industrial hemp on his farm.

“I think [industrial hemp] has tremendous potential. It has the great fiber you can use for clothing or paper products, and it’s also a very good oil,” Gussiaas says. “It’s a crop that has so much potential in the Upper Midwest.”

About 25,000 different products are being made from industrial hemp.

Approximately 400,000 acres of industrial hemp are grown globally, and the United States consumes 200,000 of those acres.

“It has the ability to be another crop in the cropping system,” says North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “It all depends on how much the value chain wants to use it and where they want to use it. I think it has a lot of potential.”

“Hemp is one of the only foods in the world that is high in protein, but also has the same amino acids as meat, so it’s very nutritious,” says Clarence Laub II, one of the five farmers who were licensed to grow industrial hemp this year.

He plans to market his crop as oil and flour with his own label at a store in Bismarck and through other venues.

NDDA hopes to continue the program next year, provided there’s enough money in the budget. Growers had to follow regulations established by NDDA. Anyone handling the crop on the farm had to have a background check and be fingerprinted, and the remaining plant material had to be destroyed.

Industrial hemp is a variety of the cannabis plant species, and differs from other cannabis varieties in its levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the chemical which causes marijuana’s psychological effects. Visually, industrial hemp and other cannabis species look the same.

But with an oil content of 30% to 35%, industrial hemp may find its way into the cropping system.

“I think North Dakota could be a really strong supplier,” Gussiaas says. “I think it could be a really good crop for us.”

Dart writes from Elgin, N.D.

State legislators consider hemp in Iowa

By Mark Tauscheck
Source: kcci.com



Could Iowa soon see a new cash crop, among our fields of corn and soybeans?

The big topic at the State Capitol Monday was hemp.

Three of the six members of the Hemp Program Study Committee are farmers, and they seemed receptive for the most part.

"Hemp can make paper, polymers, plastics, it can make batteries, houses," Colorado hemp farmer Rick Trojan said.

Hemp is a new industry made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill that allows states to license hemp growers as long as they are affiliated with a research component.

"I've got enough orders for the next 10 years," Kentucky hemp farmer Mike Lewis said.

Lewis said business has been so good in the past two years that a textile mill is being built in his tiny town to produce hemp yarn.

"From the mindsets of the people of my town has been a compete 180. We were kind of in that fringe element that we were just trying to grow dope, and now realizing we are trying to bring real jobs and real skilled labor back into our communities," he said.

America is the No. 1 consumer of hemp, which is why more states are taking a hard look at starting controlled operations.

Hemp is a variety of cannabis that has virtually no psychoactive effects.

"…that's where industrial hemp can be confusing, because you have this section of the farm bill that allows it, but it is still a schedule 1 narcotic by DEA..." said Robin Pruisner, of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship 21.

"We're producing textiles and this is a four-year low budget journey by a bunch of small scale organic farmers so just imagine what Iowa could turn up on that," Lewis said.

Some Iowans use hemp extracts or oils to treat seizures. They can possess it but cannot legally bring it across state lines.

Sen. Tim Kapucian, a Republican from eastern Iowa, said he thinks we will see something from the Iowa legislature in regard to an industrial hemp program this session.

Seeking out Hemp Experts for a More Productive Future

By Kathy Garton
Source: marijuanatimes.org

The Ukraine takes their commercial hemp technology very seriously. Since its inception in 1931, the Hemp Breeding Department at the Institute of Bast Crops in Glukhov, Ukraine has been one of the world’s largest centers for developing new hemp varieties, focusing on improving fiber quality, per-hectare yields, and low-THC content. Today, The Institute of Bast Crops has the largest hemp research center in the world and is a great place to learn about the latest technical advances in commercial hemp varieties.

France took the lead in worldwide hemp production after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, The Institute of Bast Crops continued to investigate breeding, agronomy, mechanization, processing and economy of fiber hemp. Primary processing of hemp is one of the most recent subjects.

As the United States moves closer to reestablishing hemp crops, working closely with the experts seems a no-brainer. The Institute of Bast Crops has 5 departments that could help to mold America into a leader in farming, manufacturing, trade and green energy. These departments include:

1. The Department of Selection and Genetics.
2. The Department of Agricultural Technology
3. The Department of Mechanization and Harvesting.
4. The Department of Technology and Quality Standards.
5. The Department of Large Scale Processing

In addition to receiving the right education and training, government and corporate entities could gain experience from working with soil that is compatible with that of the North American midwest. Directions of activity found at the Institute include:

1. Breeding of fiber flax and hemp
2. Production of original seeds of the Institute’s varietie
3. Technology of growing bast crops
4. Mechanization of harvesting fiber flax and hemp
5. Primary processing of flax and raw hemp materials
6. Standardization of the products made from bast crops
7. Economy of the vast branches of flax and hemp
8. Primary and elite seed-growing of many grain crops and grasses
9. Trials of manufacturing with machinery and processing equipment

Seeking a green planet that is able to provide answers to the economy, ecology and world relations is within our grasp. All that is now necessary is for someone to step up to the plate and make it happen. With a renewable hemp program in place, we could reverse the errors that have been made in the past and create a better, more sustainable planet for the future.

Almond Hemp Chocolate Truffles

By Dr. Vincent Pedre
Source: today.com

Dr. Vincent Pedre, author of "Happy Gut," shares his recipe for these quick, no-cook truffles that are dairy, soy and gluten-free. They're the perfect guilt-free treat!

Ingredients

• • ½ cup almond butter
  • 6 tablespoons coconut oil, refrigerated until solid
  • ½ cup hemp seeds
  • ½ cup almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, plus more to coat
  • Unsweetened coconut flakes, to coat
  • Finely chopped almonds, to coat

Preparation

Mix together all the ingredients (except the coconut flakes, almonds, and extra cocoa powder) in a mixing bowl and form into 1-inch balls.

Roll each ball in the coconut flakes, almonds, or cocoa powder separately to make a variety of truffle balls. Place on a serving dish or set aside in an airtight container.

Tip: The hemp seeds add texture to these truffles. If you like a smoother consistency, grind the seeds in a food processor or spice grinder first.

Five things you should do for clear skin

By Ponytail Journal
Source: vogue.com.au

Lauren Yates from Ponytail Journal explains how to nip those pesky spots before they appear.

We are all completely different and therefore we should have different standards of beauty for each and every one of us.  So if you’re like me and have a genetic history of acne in the family, you’ll have good moments and bad, but comparing yourself to others won't ever do you justice.

Getting your skin mapped will open up clues as to how you need to care for your unique skin.  I did this for the first time almost a decade ago and couldn’t believe how much this helped me. Ever since, I have looked for all-natural organic alternatives to these prescribed products.  Some work, some don’t, but life is partly one big trial-and-error isn’t it?  Here are some of my favourite products to keep the healthiest skin possible.

1. MaskingSeven years ago I discovered the incredible impact on my skin that regular masking had. Weekly masking will have your skin refined, and your pores unclogged, looking super smooth.  A basic clay mask with kaolin clay or any other superfine clay will not be aggressive and is gentle as anything. I use pink clay for sensitive skin by Cattier, but keep in mind that these masks not only draw out impurities but moisture too, so it’s important that we replenish that lost moisture.

2. Black SoapA black soap cleanser is all natural and made to balance oil levels, while very subtly lifting off dead skin cells, trapped dirt, and oil.  It also puts a lot of moisture back into the skin with shea butter, as well as iron and vitamin B from plantain skins.  So whether you’re concerned about spots, lines, or bumps, this ultra gentle exfoliant will take care of business.

3. ZincMy friend who is a naturopath suggested zinc for when I'm in need of serious damage control after a break out.  I was amazed to find how effectively an oral zinc supplement can help nip breakouts in the bud, and a bottle goes with me on all my travels.

4. Hemp ProteinHemp protein is a new discovery of mine that I now swear by. It contains all the best fatty acids, omega-3s and omega-6s - the building blocks for healthy cells.  It goes into my daily morning smoothie and I definitely notice how much better I look, feel, and function. Bob’s Red Mill Hemp Protein is a delicious nutty powder that blends into my morning drink or great sprinkled onto muesli.

5. MacaThis is your best friend if you are trying to bounce back from a hormonal imbalance. Our hormones control so many factors in health: how much you eat, how you feel, how much oil your glands produce, and even how your fat is metabolised.  Abnormalities in your life like overeating or breakouts around the chin, jaw, and neck are key indicators that your hormones are out of whack. Maca is a superfood that stimulates production of the right hormones in the body, and it has pretty immediate effects.  If you feel your skin is behaving hormonally, you might want to give a teaspoon of maca a try.