Hemp - The ultimate cash crop, health food and environmental savior rolled into one

by: Carolanne Wright

Source: naturalnews.com

(NaturalNews) A new ecovillage in Scotland has utilized an innovative material within its structures - namely, negative carbon hemp. While most environmentally progressive buildings strive for a carbon neutral rank, these houses take eco-friendly a step further, literally pulling carbon dioxide from the air. But smart building materials aren't the only use for hemp, it's exceptionally handy in other areas as well. In fact, hemp is a wonder plant that has the potential to alleviate many of our health, financial and environmental problems across the nation, which makes the political resistance to its cultivation in the U.S. all the more perplexing.

A multitalented plant

The American founding fathers knew a good thing when they saw it, which is why each of them actively grew hemp on their own land. George Washington strongly believed that hemp could help win the war with Britain, while also providing the fledgling nation with an extraordinary cash crop. In contemporary times, it has been noted that one acre of hemp pumps out more oxygen than 25 acres of forested land. As an added perk, hemp grows easily in a variety of soils - without the need for pesticides. The many uses for hemp are quite impressive, including:

Building materials - Hemp is incredibly functional for building applications - from wall construction to flooring to roof insulation. A proprietary material called Hempcrete is completely recyclable, waterproof, fireproof, does not rot when above ground and resists mildew as well as mold.

Food - Containing 5 grams of protein, 86 mg of magnesium and 10 percent daily value of iron, a 1.5-tablespoon serving of hemp seed is hard to match. The seeds are also a terrific source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (EFAs), which help reduce inflammation, repair DNA damage and support healthy brain function. Hemp oil is another good source of these important EFAs.

Clothing - Dating back to 8,000 BCE China, hemp has a long history of textile use. The rugged fibers are an ideal material for shoes, jeans and athletic wear, although innovative designers are blending hemp with silk for a softer fabric.

Plastics - By striking a sledge hammer to the side of a car made of hemp and soy plastic, Henry Ford demonstrated its resiliency back in the 1940s. Currently, hemp is utilized in the manufacturing of CD and DVD cases, shower curtain liners and other small consumer products.

Paper - As a fast growing and sustainable plant, hemp is an exceptional renewable resource for paper production - much more so than trees.

Bio-fuel - The oil extracted from the hemp plant can be converted into biofuel - a cleaner-burning alternative to petroleum.

Toxic waste management - Acting like a sponge, hemp has been successfully used to absorb toxins and rehabilitate soil after chemical spills and nuclear accidents.

If hemp is so great, why isn't it planted everywhere?

Technically, it's not forbidden to grow industrial hemp in America - although the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) doesn't make it easy. Treehugger reports:

"Growing hemp is kind of like driving, you can't drive without a license and you can't grow hemp without a permit. The difference is that it is almost impossible to get a permit from DEA to grow hemp." - Vote Hemp.

And yet, "Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth and protection of the country," declared Thomas Jefferson. So it's curious that modern day red tape continues to hinder the cultivation of this cash crop in America, especially when hemp could easily solve many of our pressing nutritional, financial and environmental troubles.

Sources:

http://www.greenbuildingpress.co.uk

http://inhabitat.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.treehugger.com

http://www.hemp.net

About the author:
Carolanne enthusiastically believes if we want to see change in the world, we need to be the change. As a nutritionist, natural foods chef and wellness coach, Carolanne has encouraged others to embrace a healthy lifestyle of organic living, gratefulness and joyful orientation for over 13 years. Through her website www.Thrive-Living.net she looks forward to connecting with other like-minded people who share a similar vision. 

Raw Vegan Banana Hemp Seed Sushi Slices

Source: onegreenplanet.org

These Raw Vegan Banana Hemp Seed Sushi Slices are going to be one of the easiest snacks you’ll probably ever make.

It’s also one of my boys’ favorite snacks. A simple banana, peanut butter (or your favorite nut butter), and hemp seeds. They love them because they are shaped like real sushi slices, which they also happen to absolutely love. And…they are actually the ones who came up with the name “banana sushi.” They are just so darn cute too! You can make them in a matter of minutes and they provide lots of nutrition and energy in a bite-sized snack. I used organic peanut butter, but you could also just use your favorite nut butter. We eat so many hemp seeds that I buy the Nutiva brand in bulk in a 3 pound bag. I keep what we use on a daily basis in a glass mason jar with a BPA-free lid and store the rest in the freezer. Hemp seeds are really amazing.

They contain 11 g of raw vegan protein, 25 percent DV of zinc, 50 percent DV of magnesium, 50 percent DV of phosphorus, and 15 percent DV of iron.

I add them to smoothies, raw desserts and try to sprinkle them on whatever I can, especially salads.

Raw Vegan Banana Hemp Seed Sushi Slices

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 organic banana
• 1 – 2 tablespoon organic peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• 1 – 2 tablespoon organic hemp seeds (Nutiva brand)

PREPARATION:

1. Peel banana and spread peanut butter over the top half of the banana.
2. Sprinkle hemp seeds on top and slice into bite-sized pieces.
3. Enjoy!

Guest opinion: The regulatory restrictions on hemp

By Randy Luallin and Ralph Shnelvar
Source: dailycamera.com

With the passage Amendment 64, it is clear to me that the people want a robust and profitable industrial hemp industry in Colorado.

I, (Randy Luallin) attended the Industrial Hemp Forum hosted by Representative Jared Polis in Ft. Collins. After hearing about some of the rules that farmers must follow to grow industrial hemp, the odds are significantly against it. Usually when an industry is encouraged by the community they are offered incentives in the form of tax breaks, free land, and other aids to get it off the ground. Not so with industrial hemp. Despite the rhetoric by the newly-formed Colorado Department of Agriculture Hemp Commission that they want to be "partners" in the research and development of this brand new industry, their regulations speak just the opposite.

The commission's guidelines force the individual farmer to bear all the costs for the research and development of industrial hemp. (The state agricultural schools are not allowed to do research and development).

Instead, the farmer first must pay a registration fee and then pay a fee for each acre cultivated. What other crop do you know has this requirement? The farmer must then have the seeds smuggled in through undercover and illegal operations. After bearing the cost to purchase, plant and grow the crop, the farmer must then pay for the inspection and diagnosis of the THC content. If the THC contend is over 0.3 percent the crop then becomes illegal and unmarketable.

If the THC content is over 1 percent, the federal authorities will be called in and the farmer stands the risk of arrest as a felon and the loss of his property.

On top of all these other risks, no one will sell crop insurance for this crop.

Against the Colorado backdrop of governmental antipathy, certified seed of THC balanced industrial hemp are available in Canada, the European Union, and Asia.

Why should Colorado reinvent the wheel? The commission and the feds should allow for importation of certified seed into Colorado.

Colorado should actively become a partner by minimizing the regulatory burdens. Colorado should promote this business by getting out of the way. A profitable industrial hemp industry would contribute to Colorado's tax base as well as providing jobs.

Consumers and users of industrial hemp attended the forum and are poised to purchase this crop in Colorado. The market is there.

As it stands none of this will happen under the current environment of hostile rules and regulations. Would you as a farmer venture take the risk of fines, forfeiture, and imprisonment.

We are asking the governor to recall the commission and re-evaluate what the commission is doing in light of what the citizens want when they passed Amendment 64.

Our government should create an environment where risk takers should have a chance to profitably fill market needs.

Let's make Colorado be a constructive partner with farmers who want to re-introduce industrial hemp in Colorado.

Randy Luallin and Ralph Shnelvar are Libertarian Party activists in Boulder County.

Hemp Might Finally Make a Comeback in America

BY NORA CAPLAN-BRICKER
Source:  newrepublic.com

The New York Times wrote Thursday about Colorado’s “marijuana refugees”: Families who uprooted their lives to the move to the state when it legalized pot because the drug has crucial medicinal effects on their children’s illnesses. “I put what fit in my car and drove out here,” Marisa Kiser, whose toddler, Ezra, has had seizures almost since birth, told the Times. No one could have predicted that the state’s legislation would create a community-in-exile of more than 100 families who help look after one another’s children, trade medical tips—and even, in some cases, shared their first Thanksgiving dinner in this new land.

Colorado’s new law is reaping other changes, too, among them the first legal crop of hemp that America has seen in nearly 60 years. Hemp is a cannabis plant, as is marijuana, but it contains almost none of THC, the component that gives pot its potent effect. Still, hemp—which can be used in “products from rope to auto parts to plastics, shampoo to vitamin supplements”—has paid for the stigma attached to its sister-plant: Though it is legal to buy and sell hemp in the U.S., growing and harvesting it have been prohibited. In every state that discusses legalization, hemp’s economic potential comes up: Data from Canada’s legal hemp industry suggests the crop yields revenue of $390 an acre, and the Hemp Industries Association estimates that products from the forgotten cannabis already constitute a $500 million industry in the U.S., according to The Denver Post. “I think that once people see the value of hemp, it'll become a no-brainer,” said farmer Ryan Loflin, the Colorado man who has already planted 60 acres of the plant.

Though Colorado’s law legalized hemp farming, and the state is in the midst of crafting regulations for the plant, the federal government could still go after hemp farmers like Loflin. “Federal law does not permit the sale or import of nonsterilized seed suitable for growing,” writes the Post. “It's the hemp farmer's equivalent of what recreational-marijuana activists call 'the year of the magical ounce' —a reference to the unanswered question of how people can obtain marijuana for current legal use before state-permitted retail facilities open in 2014.” As momentum grows behind marijuana legalization, hemp legalization may develop its own tide, and the economic argument may make it an easier sell; last February, a handful of Democratic representatives introduced a hemp bill into the U.S. House of Representatives—and even Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voiced his support. For now, though, Loflin seems to be the only farmer willing to flout the federal mandate. “You have to be willing to bet the farm," admitted Tom Murphy of the pro-legalization group Vote Hemp in an interview with The Miami Herald. 

Like pot, hemp has a following in part for what it represents. Because it requires less water and land to grow than cotton, it has long been a favorite of the environmental movement, and has become not only a tool but a totem of sustainable and healthy living. On the flip side, hemp may have a hard time shedding the suspicions of the traditional farming community. “We're a conservative bunch around here,” a Colorado banker said when asked about funding hemp farms. “I imagine we'd probably stick with our core crops of corn and milo and wheat.” But old dogs can learn new tricks. He added: “In a few years, who knows what might happen?"

Hemp production sees steady growth in Canada

Industry seeks move from Health Canada oversight to AAFC

By: Phil Franz-Warkentin

Source: grainews.ca

Canada's hemp growers grew a record-large crop in 2013, and while acreage to the multi-use crop is still very small compared to most other options, further increases are expected next year.

The longer-term outlook may see it even compete with canola at some point in the future, from where one industry promoter sits.

"We had an excellent hemp crop this year," said Kim Shukla of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, based at Steinbach, Man. Canadian farmers grew a record 66,700 acres of hemp in 2013, which compares with about 54,000 acres the previous year, according to Health Canada data.

Yields were good, with no challenges reported during the growing period, said Shukla.

The biggest acreage increase was in Saskatchewan, where the bulk of Canada's hemp crop is grown, with Alberta and Manitoba also seeing increases, she said. "The economic return has been great for producers," she said, noting the acreage increases were the result of both new growers and existing producers expanding their acres.

Coming out of the CHTA's annual meeting last week in Saskatoon, the industry appears to anticipate another acreage increase in 2014, said Shukla, the association's executive director since 2009.

In addition to the interest from farmers, the processors can currently sell every pound that enters the marketplace. "We're definitely nowhere near being long on product," she said.

Most of the current processing capacity in Canada is for hemp seed, but there are also developments to increase hemp fibre processing capacity.

Due to industrial hemp's association with its cousin marijuana, farmers need to be licensed through Health Canada and pass a criminal record check in order to grow the crop. Testing is also required to confirm the plants' level of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, is below the allowable 0.3 per cent.

The Red Tape Reduction Commission, conducted by the federal government in 2011, pointed to hemp three times as an industry where improvements could be made. Consultations took place last month and the industry has until Dec. 20 to submit proposals for changes.

Impediments

The hemp sector, Shukla said, is ultimately looking for Canada's hemp production and regulation to be put under the auspices of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, rather than Health Canada.

Industrial hemp was legalized for commercial growth in Canada in 1998, and regulations on growing the crop were stringent in the beginning due to the uncertainty over what to expect, she said.

In subsequent years, there have been no issues with protecting the public, which would be the domain of Health Canada.

On top of the licensing process, other impediments limiting production include the fact that GPS co-ordinates for every piece of land growing hemp must be registered with Health Canada.

"If there is a knoll, or a river, or a fence that separates one field from the other, that field needs to be registered separately," said Shukla.

Applications with Health Canada also need to be made in the winter, while planting decisions are often not finalized until spring.

With AAFC overseeing hemp, there would also be no sampling for THC at the field level, with the only testing to done at the foundation seed level and then again by processors selling for human consumption, Shukla said.

If hemp production remains under the control of Health Canada, she doesn't anticipate any changes to regulations until 2016. "If it is fast-tracked, we would expect it could happen much sooner," with some sense of direction likely this spring, she said.

A loosening of the regulations surrounding hemp production would open the door for a significant acreage increase. "It could be a canola," said Shukla.

"The grounds we have for making that bold statement" include the fact that hemp can be grown across Western Canada and has multiple applications for more markets than canola, such as textiles and food uses, she said.

-- Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for Commodity News Service Canada, a Winnipeg company specializing in grain and commodity market reporting.

Healthy seeds for weight loss

By Vanessa Luis 
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Boost your energy levels and get great skin and hair by including pumpkin, hemp, flaxseeds, chia seeds and sesame seeds in your diet.

These tiny seeds are loaded with nutrients like fibre, proteins, vitamins, iron and omega -3. They can be added to your salads and smoothies and are a healthy snack option, as they keep you satiated for a long time and aid in weight loss.

Pumpkin seeds: Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, which helps the body to produce the hormone testosterone. This hormone aids in building muscles and helps burn fat. Pumpkin seeds also contain iron and magnesium, which are important to keep up energy levels. They are also good for your digestive system and their rich protein content promotes lean body mass.

Hemp seeds: Hemp seeds are good for weight loss as they contain omega-3 fats that help burn body fat. They are also high in magnesium and iron, which can boost energy levels and their potassium content prevents bloating.

Chia seeds: Chia seeds are full of magnesium, potassium, iron and omega -3 and they are low in fat. Every two spoons of chia seeds contain five grams of fat. When consumed they can keep you full for a long time and are said to be energising as well.

Flaxseeds: Flaxseeds are a good source of omega-3 fats. This helps your body burn fat and also regulates insulin levels. They also contain phytoestrogens, that act like estrogen in the body and help your hormones stay steady, which results in weight loss.

Sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are high in minerals and proteins. They also contain magnesium, vitamin E and calcium, which are good for your body's metabolism and regulate blood sugar levels. Since it contains fibre, it keeps you full for a long time and also improves digestion.

Kentucky Officials Send Letter to DEA Urging Hemp Legalization

By JONATHAN MEADOR
Source: wfpl.org

James Comer

A group of Kentucky officials have sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Agency asking for clarity on a state law that would permit the cultivation of industrial hemp.

Agriculture Commissioner James Comer drafted the letter, which was co-signed by Sen. Rand Paul and Reps. Thomas Massie and John Yarmuth, as well as Kentucky Industrial Hemp Commission chairman Brian Furnish. 

"Simply put," the letter states, "it is our position that neither federal nor state law, nor current [Department of Justice] guidance, prohibits the production of industrial hemp in Kentucky. We respectfully request that agency inform us immediately if it disagrees with the clear language of federal [Controlled Substance Act] policies regarding state law and marijuana. "

The Kentucky General Assembly passed HB 50 this year, which allows for the cultivation and research of the crop in the event that the federal government waives its ban on hemp. Therefore, Comer says, in order for hemp production to move forward, the industry still needs an assurance from the federal government that the crop is legal, unlike its cousin, marijuana.

“For the sake of the processors who are wanting to move into the state and make an investment, and for the sake of the farmers who are gonna be growing it, that we have certainty and assurances from the federal government that they’re not gonna get anybody in trouble,” Comer said.

In an opinion on the matter in September, Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway issued said that under the federal Controlled Substances Act hemp is indistinguishable from marijuana, and therefore illegal from a law enforcement perspective. Unlike marijuana, hemp can't be used as a drug because it doesn't contain enough of marijuana's psychoactive ingredient, known as THC.

Comer says he and Conway will meet "soon" to discuss the issue, which has emerged as a kind of proxy battle between the potential 2015 gubernatorial candidates. Neither Comer nor Conway have officially announced their candidacies.

A spokesman for the DEA said they have not officially received the letter yet and declined to provide comment.