Hemp's outlook has backers seeing green

By Shelley Widhalm
Source: reporterherald.com


Don't Smoke My Hat owners Kasey Weeks, left, and Jesse Weeks chat about their hemp-based products like such as yarns and handmade hats with Nathan Leite and Steven Silva during the NoCo Hemp Expo on Saturday at The Ranch. (Steve Stoner / Loveland Reporter-Herald)

Justin Petty of Los Angeles isn't too keen on laundry, so he likes to wear his T-shirts for a week.

Petty can wear the shirts multiple times made by the company he co-owns called Recreator Hemp Apparel, because of their material: hemp. Hemp is twice as durable as cotton and is hypo-allergenic and microbial, which prevents the buildup of odor, he said.

"We like to think of hemp as having the performance capacity of synthetics, but it's natural," Petty said.

Recreator Hemp Apparel, a KickStarter project that launched a year ago, imports the fabric from China because of legal issues and then cuts, dyes, sews and prints its line of T-shirts in Los Angeles.

Petty had a display of a few of the shirts at one of the more than 70 booths set up Saturday at The Ranch for the second-annual NoCo Hemp Expo. The first event, held in Windsor, had a turnout of 15 to 20 vendors.

"There's a lot more interest in the industry, and the awareness is increasing," said Morris Beagle with Colorado Hemp Co. and the organizer of the expo. "It's something that farmers want, and there's been hemp advocacy for decades. ... The entire cannabis movement has reached a new level of awareness, and it's bringing everything to light."

Many Uses of Hemp

More than 1,000 people attended the eight-hour hemp expo and trade show, featuring samplings of hemp-made products, artists painting and sketching on hemp canvases, musicians busking and vendors selling hemp food and beer.

There were 40-plus speakers and panelists, including featured speaker Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., who spoke on the Industrial Farming Act of 2015. Entrepreneurs, such as farmers and coffee growers, hemp world experts and hemp activists spoke in two presentation rooms on the local and national politics of hemp, the technological future of hemp, the genetics of hemp and the medicinal uses of hemp.

Hemp can be made into food, energy drinks, tea, beer, bath and beauty products, paper, clothing and material to build anything from instruments to homes.

Samantha Sandt and Jake Browne founded Denver-based Hemp Box in May 2014 to provide a distribution channel for companies that make health and beauty products out of hemp. They sell hemp-of-the-month club memberships to send off boxes filled with hemp products made worldwide, such as seeds, granola bars, lotions, shampoos and soaps.

"It's great for dry skin," Sandt said about the benefits of using hemp as an ingredient in lotion. "It has Omega 3 and 6, all essential-9 fatty acids, and it's a complete protein."

Hemp can be eaten in three ways, shelled or unshelled or as a hemp seed oil, Sandt said.

Laina Corazon, partner of Hemp I Scream! in Denver, had ice cream cookie sandwiches for sale with the ice cream made out of hemp milk and the cookies out of hemp flour, millet and oats.

"It's high protein, easily digestible and it's delicious," Corazon said. "It doesn't have to be cooked in order to be digested."

From Flags to Guitars

Shelby Floyd had hemp at his booth and demonstrated the steps he uses as a student farmer to help produce fiber to make American flags for Freedom Seed & Feed in Lexington, Ky. He used a hemp-brake to separate the fiber from the herd and a comb device to remove what remained.

"It makes the fibers finer. It gets the rest of the debris out," Floyd said.

Josh Rabe of Loveland Hemp Co. had photos on display of the process he's using to use hemp for wall insulation for his first customer, a homeowner who lost a home in the High Park fire.

"This is 100 percent natural," Rabe said, explaining that hemp takes carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and becomes stronger over time. "It's sustainable and fire resistant and mold-and mildew-resistant."

At the booth for Canadian Hemp Guitars, David Ketelaar, sales director, showed off the bodies of the ukuleles and guitars the company builds out of hemp, instead of the typical wood varieties.

"You're going to get different tonalities from different woods," Ketelaar said. "When you play this, there's a different sound. There's a different texture to the sound. ... They're lightweight, and they're durable."

Colorado expo offers hemp products, but no seeds or plants allowed

By Anna Gauldin
Source: denverpost.com


Products made from hemp, like this bel, will be available at the upcoming NoCo Hemp Expo. ( Jenny Sparks, Loveland Reporter-Herald)

More than 70 vendors will sell hemp-based products in Loveland on Saturday, while dozens of speakers discuss the benefits of the crop on a local, national and global scale.

There will be live artists sketching on hemp paper and stations where kids can make jewelry from hemp materials. But don't expect to find viable hemp seeds or plants for sale.

The second annual NoCo Hemp Expo will take place at The Ranch Events Complex in Larimer County, where the sheriff is in the midst of a legal battle over the constitutionality of Amendment 64, the 2012 measure that made recreational marijuana — and hemp — legal in Colorado.

"Here in Colorado, hemp is 100 percent legal," said Morris Beegle, president of the Colorado Hemp Company and founder of the expo. "We've got extensive regulations set up by the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Being able to grow, to plant, all that is 100 percent legal."

However, under federal law, hemp has been banned for decades as a Schedule I controlled substance because of its association with marijuana. While both are cannabis plants, hemp contains less than 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive chemical that allows marijuana users to get high.

"You can do virtually anything with hemp, except get stoned," Beegle said. "(It can be used for) clothing, fabrics, biofuel and energy, food, building materials, medicine, paper. The list goes on and on."

Between Amendment 64 and additional legislation passed in 2014, Coloradans are now allowed to grow hemp for commercial, research and development purposes.

Also last year, federal legislation cleared the wayfor state departments and universities to begin growing the crop for research purposes in states that allow hemp production, including Colorado.

But Beegle said some law enforcement agencies are choosing to back the federal law prohibiting commercial production.

Among them is the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, which has jurisdiction over the Loveland events center. Beegle said that two weeks ago, law enforcement officers contacted the venue and said the event would be shut down if live plants or seeds were sold.

"Their position is that you can't tell the difference between a hemp plant and a marijuana plant or a hemp seed and a marijuana seed," Beegle said. "But this is a hemp expo. You can get marijuana seeds anywhere throughout Colorado. Hemp seeds, on the other hand, are hard to come by. We've got sellers that have a license to sell hemp seeds, and those people are being denied the right to do commerce."

In recent months, some Colorado legislators have expressed support for federal legislation to allow commercial hemp production, including U.S. Rep. Jared Polis and U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner. Polis will speak at Saturday's expo.

Also Saturday, the Colorado Hemp Company will release a report titled "First Legal Harvest: Hemp Returns to Humanity." Beegle said the 28-page monograph will be printed on hemp paper.

He's expecting at least 1,000 people, compared with about 300 last year.

"We've got people flying in from all over the country," Beegle said. "This is the largest hemp-specific gathering that's ever taken place in this country. ... We're trying to educate the public, law enforcement, politicians, farmers — letting them know there's a viable crop they can start putting in the ground that's good for the community and good for the planet."

Noco hemp expo

The event will take place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Ranch Events Complex in Loveland. Tickets are $20 at the door. More information can be found at NoCoHempExpo.com.

Stealthy Healthy – How to Sneak Superfoods into Your Diet

Source: timesunion.com

I’m once again happy to welcome my good friend and health coach extraordinaire, Claire, for our monthly dose of health wisdom.  This month, she shares some tips to sneak “superfoods” into your diet.

I struggled with the opening line of this post for a while. Who needs another article talking about superfoods and how eating insects will make you live forever? Okay, slight exaggeration there, but trust me, I totally get the over-saturation of healthy food info out there. That’s why I am going to be real with you and share some super simple ways to enjoy some nutrient-rich powerhouses.

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a superfood is a super nutrient-dense food, loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and/or phytonutrients. Since my coaching philosophy is centered on empowering women, this doesn’t leave a lot of room for counting calories or figuring out the phytonutrient level in foods. It does however mean being deliberate about making smart food choices. Below are my three favorite superfoods and my favorite simple ways to enjoy them.

My three favorite “superfoods:

1- Hemp seeds are a delicious, healthy, and versatile snack. Hemp seeds are a great form of vegetarian protein. With a slightly nutty flavor, they are loaded with fiber and essential amino acids. The best part? Hemp is sustainable and naturally resilient to most pests. It and can also thrive on less water than most other crops.

2- Spinach gets such a bad rap, but its mild flavor and nutrient-density earns it a place on my list. Spinach is rich in vitamin K and A, and is a good source of iron and calcium. It’s a low-calorie nutritional powerhouse that tastes just as delicious in salads as it does sautéed.

3- Quinoa. There’s no chance you haven’t heard about this amazing seed. Often mistaken for a grain, the part of quinoa that we eat is actually a seed. It’s also a complete protein, meaning that is contains all essential amino acids. It is high in protein, B-vitamins, iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin E. It is gluten free and easily digestible.

My three favorite ways to eat them (in order)

1- Oatmeal – On its own, oatmeal is an incredibly healthy food choice. It also lends itself nicely to additions such as sliced apples, bananas, chia, flax, and of course, hemp seeds. If you like oatmeal and haven’t tried hemp seeds yet, this is a great combination to start with. Add between a half and a full tablespoon of hemp seeds to your steel cut oats, give it a good mix and enjoy!

2- Smoothies – It seems as though smoothies are all the rage these days. However too often I hear clients wondering why they feel hungry or crashing after their all-fruit smoothies. Fruit is great in moderation, but loading up on just fruit in the morning can cause a blood sugar spike leading to a crash, making you feel tired and hungry. Try blending some nuts, seeds, and spinach in to your next smoothie for improved satiation and a boost of nutrition. I promise, you won’t even notice the spinach!

3- Substitutes – Try quinoa anywhere you would normally eat rice. Quinoa works great on its own as a side dish, or as the star of the show, like in quinoa “fried rice.” One of my favorite ways to enjoy quinoa is just cook it normally and then add it to a frying pan with black beans, cumin, and a little olive oil. 

Eating well doesn’t have to mean extra time in the kitchen or crazy complicated recipes. What is your favorite way to get superfoods in to your diet?

Adams County rep co-sponsors Pa. House hemp bill

If passed, the bill will help bring Pennsylvania closer to hemp cultivation, says state Rep. Dan Moul

By Lillian Reed
Source: eveningsun.com

State Rep. Dan Moul is co-sponsoring a bill in the House of Representatives that could legalize hemp cultivation in Pennsylvania.

The bill, which has not yet been presented to the House for consideration, would permit cultivation and processing of industrial hemp in Pennsylvania under the state's Department of Agriculture or through an agricultural pilot program with an institution of higher learning.

Given hemp oils and raw materials are currently being imported from countries like China, the decision to co-sponsor the bill was any easy one, said Moul, R-Conewago Township.

"One of my assistants has a bottle of hemp lotion on her desk so we're already buying it," he said. "If farmers can find another crop to grow to help them, I'm all for the farmer."

Though the proposed bill would not allow the average farmer to cultivate hemp just yet, its approval would be a step in that direction, Moul said.

Following the passing of the federal Agricultural Act of 2014, which opened the door for hemp cultivation, more than 20 states jumped on the opportunity to begin production, he said.

State Rep. Russ Diamond, a Republican representing parts of Lebanon County and primary sponsor for the legislation, said various groups helped develop the bill.

The Keystone Cannabis Coalition, a nonprofit that hopes to advance cannabis and hemp reform in Pennsylvania, is providing assistance with the bill. Diamond consulted research from the Hawaii Industrial Hemp Research Project as well.

"Pennsylvania has a history of growing hemp and we also have especially fertile ground for this crop," he said. "So we thought let's just jump on this before the other states have the chance."

Another bill pertaining to hemp cultivation in Pennsylvania, Senate Bill 50, is being reviewed by legislators, Diamond said. Still, he said, there are differences between Senate Bill 50 and the draft.

While the Senate 50 authorizes the state to license private growers, the House bill does not. Diamond said he chose to omit private growers from the legislation because the Farm Bill was vague in describing who could actually plant the seeds.

"We thought let's just take it out and take baby steps first," Diamond said.

The Farm Bill makes a chemical distinction as to what qualifies as industrial hemp, he said, adding that his bill uses the same qualifications.

Industrial Hemp, known scientifically as Cannabis sativa L., contains no more than .3 percent of the psychoactive agent tetrahydrocannabinol, according to the House bill.

THC levels in hemp's cousin, the marijuana plant, tend range from 7 or 8 percent to as high as 20 percent, according to the Hawaii Industrial Hemp Research Project. This means industrial hemp is incapable of getting a user high, according to the project.

In Adams County, McSherrystown Borough councilman David "Scotty" Bolton has pushed for local support of hemp cultivation.

Bolton penned a resolution that was signed by the Adams County Boroughs Association in November. At least 19 municipalities in the county have adopted the resolution, Bolton said.

The bill draft will remain open to co-sponsors for about two more weeks before it is officially presented to the House for consideration, Diamond said.

Moul said he expects the bill will be reviewed by the House agriculture committee, on which he sits as a member.

Though there is still no guarantee the bill will make it to a vote, Moul said, seeing other states jump at the opportunity leaves him optimistic.

'Father of Industrial Hemp' Pens New Memoir for His Family That Illuminates an Historic Time

Source: benzinga.com

Former state senator Lloyd Casey introduced the first bill to legalize hemp and saw his efforts come to fruition in 2012.

"Family First – A Father's Legacy" was written by Lloyd Casey from 1980 to 2010. It is the story of his extraordinary life and the legacy he leaves to his family.

Casey was a state senator in Colorado who became a champion for allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp and actually coined the phrase when he introduced the first bill to legalize it. Although a part of the "Greatest Generation," he was an idealistic individual with a maverick streak. His efforts for hemp legalization came to fruition in 2012, when the crop became legal to grow in Colorado. Marijuana became legal for personal use at the same time. At the bill's signing, which Casey attended, Gov. John Hickenlooper referred to him as the "Father of Industrial Hemp." His efforts brought about this landmark legislation.

Seven children were born to Casey and his wife from 1950 to 1969. He wrote his memoir so they would know more about him and have a written account to pass on to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

But his book is also a tribute to a man who fought for his beliefs and never gave up, even when the odds were highly against him.

About the Author: Lloyd Casey was born in 1926 in Anaheim, California. He lived in Nevada as a child, enlisted in the navy in 1944, and served on a destroyer as a radioman in the South Pacific. He graduated in 1950 from St. Vincent college in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He and his wife Grace, now married for 65 years, have five sons and two daughters, 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. "My story begins in January 1980, as I tell our seven children, ages 30, 28, 26, 24, 21, 17 and 11, that my intention is for them to know more about their father. During the course of the year, I wrote about my childhood, service in the navy, how I met their mother, and my misadventures while trying to make a difference for the better."

FAMILY FIRST – A FATHER'S LEGACY (ISBN: 978-1-62709-134-3) is available in softcover as well as digital editions and can be ordered through the publisher's website or at Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.

North Dakota Takes Bold Step Forward On Commercial Hemp Industry, Tells Feds To Stay Out

By Nick Wing
Source: huffingtonpost.com

North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) signed a bill into law on Friday that lays the groundwork for a commercial hemp industry and explicitly cuts the federal government out of the state's licensing process.

House Bill 1436 establishes guidelines for the state's industrial hemp program and allows people to apply to grow the plant for either research or commercial purposes. With its provision for commercial hemp, the law goes beyond the federal Farm Bill, passed by Congress last year, which allowed some states to cultivate the plant, but only for research purposes and in more restricted pilot programs.

The new measure builds on previous legislation that had legalized industrial hemp farming in North Dakota, but had gone largely unimplemented. Harsh federal restrictions on hemp have left some growers open to prosecution, making many states wary of pushing forward with cultivation. In addition to North Dakota, twelve other states have passed legislation to establish commercial industrial hemp programs, and a handful more have approved hemp production for agricultural uses or academic research. However, a number of those states have not actually moved ahead with officially establishing commercial hemp operations.

North Dakota will join the five states -- Colorado, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vermont -- that actually implement the hemp laws they have on the books. The Hemp Industries Association, a nonprofit trade group consisting of hundreds of hemp businesses, recently reported that those states collectively planted approximately 125 acres of hemp crops last year.

In an update to North Dakota's earlier hemp legislation, HB 1436 takes a bold stance against federal authorities, holding that a "license required by this section is not conditioned on or subject to review or approval by the United States drug enforcement agency." Instead, the North Dakota Agriculture Department will oversee the process for issuing licenses and monitoring and testing the hemp grown in the state.

Federal drug policy doesn't differentiate between hemp and other strains of marijuana that contain much higher concentrations of the psychoactive compound tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Since the passage of the 1970 Controlled Substances Act, all forms of marijuana have been considered Schedule I substances by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Drugs in this category are deemed to be among the most dangerous, with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse and severe psychological or physical dependence. (Other Schedule I drugs include heroin and synthetic stimulants once known as "bath salts.")

According to a 2005 Congressional Research Service report, the U.S. is the only developed nation that hasn't developed an industrial hemp crop for economic purposes.

Hemp has a variety of uses, from textiles and paper to oils, cosmetics and food products. The HIA estimated the total retail value of hemp products sold in the U.S. in 2014 to be at least $620 million. Due to federal restrictions, the overwhelming majority of the hemp used in these products currently comes from imported sources.

Earlier this year, bipartisan groups of lawmakers in both the House and Senate introduced versions of the Industrial Hemp Farming Act, which would end the federal ban on hemp production.

The legislation would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana and would allow American farmers in all states to grow the crop. Neither version of the bill has received a vote.

CANNABIS CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 30: READY FOR NOCO HEMP EXPO?

By Thomas Mitchell
Source: westword.com





Many cannabis event organizers are focusing their energy on the week of April 20. But that just means a brighter spotlight on this weekend's NoCo Hemp Expo in Loveland, as well as some other events going on around town.

Today at 5:30 p.m., CanopyBoulder, a cannabis consulting business, will be throwing a party in celebration of its spring class schedule at its new headquarters, located at 3269 28th Street, Boulder. For a $5 donation, you can enjoy cocktails and an address from cannabis industry stalwart, Steve DeAngelo. All proceeds will go to Students for Sensible Drug Policy. Find out more here.

The Cannabis Leadership Network will be holding an hour-long presentation on how the marijuana industry can use film and visual storytelling to its advantage on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. at Green Labs. The presentation will be led by former television producer Beth Klepper and will cost $40 for non-Cannabis Leadership Network members to attend. Find out more here.

The Grow School in Denver will be holding Grow-101 courses on Friday, April 3 and Saturday, April 4 at an undisclosed location on Leetsdale Drive. Both six-hour classes are separate, start at 11 a.m. and will focus on the laws, equipment and processes of indoor cultivation. The class costs $149 and only six spots are available in each. For more information, click here.

The 2nd Annual NoCo Hemp Expo will be held in Loveland on April 4 from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. at The Ranch. The expo features over sixty exhibiting companies and more than thirty industry expert speakers covering a vast array of topics related to industrial and medicinal hemp. Check out tons of hemp products, including hemp food, paper products and apparel, freshly brewed Colorado Hemp Beer, CBD hemp products and more. Kids twelve and under get in free. Click here for more information.

Enjoy some Bellinis cocktails, beer, hors d'oeuvres and bong bingo with pot-comic Jeffrey Peterson during Belinis, Beer & Bong Bingo at Green Labs on Monday, April 6 at 7 p.m. Admission is $40. Click here for more information. 21+ The Cannabis Consumer Coalition will be putting on a Ganja Goddess Spa Day on Saturday, April 11 at Get High Getaways Bed & Breakfast, located at 1486 S Brentwood Street in Lakewood. There will be a trio of four-hour spa sessions at $420 to "honor hard-working women in the cannabis movement" that include reflexology, massage, Reiki treatment, hot tub & steam room, facial and ion foot detox. The package features food and beverages, cannabis flower, concentrates and edibles. Black car services are available for an additional $100. Proceeds go to fund the Cannabis Consumers Coalition’s consumer advocacy and educational programs. For more information, click here. For those of you who missed the CannaGrow Expo, Horticulture 360 is a conference for green thumbs on Tuesday, April 14 and Monday, April 15 at the Denver Mart. Monday will be for participating businesses only. The public can check out cultivation vendors, educational talks on growing, and glass shows during the second day, starting at 11 a.m. Tickets are $30. Bring two cans of food to the door and get $12 off your ticket. Learn more here. 18+