Hemp booms in composites

Source: ecocomposites.net

The industrial hemp business is growing every year with the strong fibres increasingly used for insulation materials and biocomposites, mainly in automotive interiors.

Hemp food products are increasing in market volume and with the extraction of cannabidiol (CBD) for pharmaceutical applications, farmers can maximise profits.

At the 12th International Conference of the European Industrial Hemp Association held in Wesseling Germany, from May 20-21, it was said that in Europe, 18,300 ha of industrial hemp was cultivated and processed in 2014, much more than in the previous years.

In 2015 a further increase to more than 22,000 ha has already been reported – a record cultivation area since growing began 30 years ago.

More and more European countries are starting to cultivate hemp and the major part of the increase is due to organic hemp seed production for the food market and the new demand for CBD. In addition, the increasing demand for fibres demonstrates the great versatility of the plant.

A comprehensive carbon footprint study by the German nova-Institute demonstrated that different natural fibres show a similar and very low carbon footprint compared to glass or mineral fibres. 

John Hobson, president of the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) informed participants that European hemp fibres will soon be the first natural fibre worldwide with an established sustainability certification. Hemp shives and seeds will also receive this certificate.

Jimi Hendrix marijuana line to be rolled out

By George Varga
Source: utsandiego.com

Likeness, name and song titles of the iconic rock guitarist, who died in 1970, set to be used array of new marijuana & edible hemp-based products.

FILE- In this 1970 file photo, Jimi Hendrix performs on the Isle of Wight in England. Rock 'n' roll will never die, but it's a hazardous occupation. A new study confirms that rock and pop musicians more often die prematurely than the general population, and an early death is twice as likely for solo musicians than for members of bands. (AP Photo/file) — AP

It appears that Bob Marley and Willie Nelson may have some company in the fast-expanding field of active and deceased music icons with their own line of marijuana-related products.

On Monday, Toronto-based Nutritional High International Inc.announced it has "entered into an exclusive licensing agreement... under which the Company may manufacture and distribute various marijuana and hemp-based edible products using the song titles and bearing the likeness of iconic guitarist Jimi Hendrix."

The products in question, which will be marketed under the Edible Experiences banner, include "Purple Haze" and "Stone Free" lines. Both are named after popular songs by Hendrix, neither of which were about marijuana, but why quibble over technicalities?

The "Purple Haze" and "Stone Free" lines will, according to Nutritonal High, include "hemp oil-infused products, including gummy bears, hard candies and health and energy drinkable products."

Nutritional High also plans to market a Hendrix edible marijuana line, Jimi's Cannabis Collection, in conjunction with Purple Haze Properties, an American company that works in collaboration with Hendrix's brother, Leon, 67. Purple Haze Properties will independently launch other marijuana products, including dried marijuana leaves and Hendrix-branded cafes in "major marijuana markets" in the U.S.

Jimi Hendrix died in 1970 at the age of 27. He choked to death on his own vomit, after ingesting too many sleeping pills in a London apartment. Hendrix completed only four albums in his lifetime, but his popularity and commercial success have both surged to new highs in subsequent decades.

In 2013, "People, Hell and Angels," a collection of 12 previously unreleased Hendrix recordings, became his highest-charting album in 44 years. In 2014, OutKast member Andre Benjamin starred as Hendrix in the bio-pic "All Is By My Side."

According to a press release issued Monday by Nutritional High, "a variety of products under the 'Edibles Experience' banner are in development including the 'Purple Haze' line of THC-based products and the 'Stone Free' line of CBD-based, non-psychoactive health products." The contract gives the Canadian company "non-exclusive rights to manufacture and distribute certain apparel and accessories, in the United States and Canada. The term of the Agreement is for five years, with a renewal option for an additional five years."

Both Hendrix lines are set to be launched by the end of this year in Colorado, where recreational marijuana use is legal, according to David Posner, the CEO of Nutritional High. The company was was founded in April, 2014, and is focused on making marijuana extracts and additives in the legalized pot market in the U.S. Nutritional High could get a a major boost, in what is becoming an increasingly competitive market, by having the rights to use Hendrix's name, image and song titles.

"It's massive," Posner said Monday afternoon from his Toronto office.

"This is the second major signing of an iconic music artist; the first was the Bob Marley's Natural brand. We really wanted to have somebody iconic that our product is based on. There's Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, maybe five key artists associated with the psychedelic age. There's also Bob Dylan."

U.S. firm buys Manitoba hemp company for $133M

U.S.-based Compass Diversified Holdings buys Manitoba's Fresh Hemp Foods Ltd.

Source: cbc.ca


Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods has been bought by a U.S. firm. (Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods/Facebook)

A Manitoba company that specializes in hemp products has been bought by a U.S. firm for $132.5 million.

On Monday, Compass Diversified Holdings announced its plan to buy Fresh Hemp Foods Ltd., otherwise known as "Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods."

Compass Diversified Holdings buys small or middle-market businesses in niche markets, according to the company's website.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods made about $38 million in revenue last year, a 24 per cent increase from the previous year.

The deal will close in the next 45 days, according to Compass Diversified Holdings.

HEALTH EXPERTS CALL FOR SOCIAL-ECONOMIC BENEFIT ANALYSIS ON INDIAN HEMP LEGALISATION IN MALAWI

Source: maravipost.com




The health experts in the country have asked the Malawi government to carry out a research on how beneficial socially and economically will legalisation of Indian hemp or Chamba have over health well-being of the general public.

The appeal comes amid mixed reactions from the general public after, Boniface Kadzamira, Member of Parliament for Ntchisi North on May 18, 2015 put across the floor of the this current budget seating by urging the leadership of this nation to legalise Chamba saying it fetches more per acre than trees with potential to bring foreign currency due to its economic prowess abroad.

This is the second time the issue has been brought into the Malawi's national assembly after in April 2000, John Manduwa, the then deputy minister of agriculture made a similar proposal arguing that Malawi would benefit economically if Chamba could be legalized.

Later in 2013 Rastafarian community held a peaceful demonstration to ask government to consider legalizing the growing and use of the illicit drug which is being illegally grown across the country.

But since then, no any attempt has been made to open up for the general public to debate the issue for possible way as a nation which has also prompted Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), a local media power house in Malawi to host a debate on Sunday evening, June 8, 2015, in the capital that experts on the matter could enlighten the general public which will lead the government to make right choice on the matter.

The debate attracted the legislators, Rastafarian community, health experts and general public who unpacked all issues surrounding the matter.

In his argument, Boniface Kadzamira, Ntchisi North Parliamentarian said Malawi was losing a lot in foreign currency which could finance the current zero-aid 2015/2016 national budget if the crop was legalised which according to him it fetches much money abroad due its product use after processing including clothes, cosmetics, papers, milk, biofuel, fibers boats among others.

"2015/2016 national budget was pegged at MK4.5 trillion but due economic hiccups is now at MK902 billion with a short fall of MK3.6 trillion. So, if the nation could take advantage of the global demand, for sure, Malawi was to have enough money to finance its activities.

"What I am proposing is an industrial hemp not a conventional hemp which has several health hazards than the latter. An industrial hemp don't have much health effects on people's which gives a lee way for the nation to cultivate easily as it doesn't require fertilizer and pesticides for its growth.

"Since 1916 many studies have shown positive side of the crops, this is the reason most developed nations including America, Canada, United Kingdom even here in Africa, in Egypt have legalised its growth. What we need actually as a nation is put mechanism of laws for one to grow it the way tobacco is being done", appeals Kadzamira.

Adding the her voice on the matter, Martha Kwatayine, Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN)'s Executive Director urges the Malawi government to carry the social-economic benefit analysis of the hemp towards Malawi's wellbeing saying Malawians are good at claiming their rights but fail to be responsible.

"No matter how good or the bad the crop might be, cost benefit analysis must be carried so that we have our own stand not taking what was found in other countries. From health point of view, an argument remains that Indian hemp has mental disorders on people and is addictive.

"The nation is struggling with alcohol abuse among young people what more will it be with the hemp. Malawians always want to claim their right but fail to manage it with responsibilities", challenges Kwatayin.

Echoing on the same, Dr Abel Kawonga of Medical Council of Malawi said the level of illiteracy Malawi has, it will be difficult for the general public to categorise between an industrial hemp and conventional hemp which according to him Malawi was not ready to adopt such a crop.

"Illiteracy levels are very high in Malawi, so, what if we bring the crop which has been illegal for years now, will the public going to understand it clearly of its purposes? We are going to have a mad nation. If we insist to have the crop, then, drastic laws and board should be put in place in readiness of it, otherwise, Malawi is not ready for legalisation of hemp", said Dr Kawonga.

According to botanic.com states that hemp has several uses including medicine which can be used for easing pain and inducing sleep or soothing influence in nervous disorders.

Event highlights ways to harness hemp

By Liam Migdail-Smith
Source: readingeagle.com


Reading Eagle: Liam Migdail-Smith | Les Stark, executive director of the Keystone Cannabis Coalition, shows state Sen. Judy Schwank a stone that had been part of an old Lancaster County hemp mill at a Heidelberg Township event on Saturday that showcased uses of industrial hemp. State lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow the plant to be farmed in Pennsylvania. 

Advocates for industrial hemp farming aren't waiting around for Pennsylvania to legalize the crop before planning how the state could benefit from it.

A workshop Saturday in Heidelberg Township sought, among other goals, to match potential hemp growers with product makers who would be looking to buy their crops.

That way, the industry will be ready to hit the ground running once the state gives its OK, organizers said. 

And there's good reason to start planning now, said Les Stark, an Exeter Township resident and executive director of the Keystone Cannabis Coalition.

Recent federal legislation has cleared the way for states to allow hemp growing. A few other states have started their own hemp programs, and if Pennsylvania doesn't join them soon, it will miss a chance to cash in on all the jobs and business a thriving hemp industry could bring, Stark said.

"We are just very worried that if Pennsylvania doesn't act with a degree of urgency, we're going to be left in the dust," he said.

In honor of national Hemp History Week, advocates set up a workshop in a parking lot off Route 422 to showcase the bamboo-like plant's many uses, which range from textiles to beauty products to food.

Headlining the event was a presentation on building with hempcrete, a cement-like material made with hemp and lime. Attendees could also learn about other hemp products and sample soft pretzels, mustard and other foods made with hemp seeds.

Former Philadelphia Flyers left wing Riley Cote helped organize the effort, and had a booth with information on his nonprofit Hemp Heals.

Outlining the efforts to make local hemp-farming legal were three state lawmakers: Sens. Judy Schwank and Mike Folmer and Rep. Russ Diamond.

Hemp was a staple crop in Pennsylvania before it was banned along with its cousin, marijuana. Both names refer to the same plant, cannabis, but different varieties, like feed corn versus sweet corn.

Hemp contains only trace amounts of THC, the compound that gives marijuana its psychoactive effect, Stark said. So it can't be used to get high. But scientists didn't know that when marijuana was banned in the 1930s, all strains of the plant became illegal to grow, he said.

Hemp products are available locally, but the ingredient has to be imported.

Schwank, a Ruscombmanor Township Democrat, and Folmer, a Lebanon County Republican, have teamed on a bill that would allow Pennsylvania farmers to grow industrial hemp. That proposal is being considered by the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, of which Schwank is minority chairwoman.

Diamond, a Lebanon County Republican, has introduced a similar bill in the House.

Schwank said the bill would create a system to start hemp farming's return to Pennsylvania.

"The idea is to get it growing everywhere, get more people exposed to the plant and get supply side of the operation up and running," she said.

Few issues are as much of a no-brainer, Folmer said. But the bill's success will rely on advocates making sure lawmakers understand its purpose.

"This is truly about education," he said.

The hemp push comes as state lawmakers consider allowing doctors to prescribe medical marijuana. And with marijuana now decriminalized in Philadelphia, there have been calls for an expanded, statewide decriminalization.

Saturday's event focused on hemp, though some speakers discussed the other issues as well.

Contact Liam Migdail-Smith: 610-371-5022 or lsmith@readingeagle.com. 

Senator: U.S. Ban On Hemp Makes About As Much Sense As 'A Ban On Portobello Mushrooms'

By Matt Ferner
Source: huffingtonpost.com

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on Thursday called for ending the federal ban on hemp production in recognition of Hemp History Week.

“In my view, keeping the ban on growing hemp makes about as much sense as instituting a ban on portobello mushrooms," Wyden, who introduced a hemp legalization bill earlier this year, said on the Senate floor. "There’s no reason to outlaw a product that’s perfectly safe because of what it’s related to.”

Wyden showed senators a basket filled with products made in Oregon using industrial hemp, including protein powder derived from hemp seeds, hemp butter, hemp-based skin care products, and wood deck finish. Because of the U.S. hemp ban, raw material for those products has to be imported from countries that allow hemp cultivation.

Hemp comes from cannabis sativa, the same plant species as marijuana. However, hemp contains little to no THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana associated with the "high" sensation. Other industrial uses include clothing, rope, fuel and paper.

Still, the federal government has maintained a longstanding ban on hemp under the Controlled Substances Act, which doesn't distinguish between marijuana (the drug) and hemp (the plant).

"Marijuana and hemp are related species, but one should not be confused with the other, much like a chihuahua and a Saint Bernard," Wyden said. "Mixing hemp in on a ban on growing marijuana is based on a lot of misconceptions."

The U.S. is the world's largest consumer of hemp products, but is the only major industrialized country that outlaws hemp production.

Wyden said hemp-based products contributed $620 million to the U.S. economy in 2014. The hemp used in those products must be imported.

"The federal ban on hemp amounts, in my view, to a restriction on free enterprise and it doesn't accomplish anything but stifle job creation and economic growth," Wyden said.

Wyden, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, introduced the Industrial Hemp Farming Act in January. The legislation would lift a federal ban on growing hemp by exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana. It would allow farmers in any state to grow the crop.

Last year's farm bill, signed by President Barack Obama, included a measure that allows industrial hemp production for research by colleges and universities if permitted by state law. To date, more than 20 states have removed barriers to industrial hemp production.

American industrial hemp production peaked in 1943, with more than 150 million pounds from 146,200 harvested acres. Production ceased in the late-1950s as a result of "anti-drug sentiment and competition from synthetic fibers," according to The Associated Press.

Hemp "was once a booming crop in America," Wyden said. "It can, and should be, again."

Hempcrete Workshop planned in Robesonia

Event is part of Hemp History Week

Source: ldnews.com

Hempcrete Workshop planned in Robesonia

Two large, conical shaped antique hemp millstones that once processed hemp fiber in the old Lancaster County hemp mills sit off Route 422 in Robesonia, Berks County, awaiting Saturday's Building with Hempcrete Workshop and Family Day.

Organized by Hemp Heals Foundation and locally based Keystone Cannabis Coalition, the event is being held to celebrate Hemp History Week and promote the current Hemp Legislation introduced to the General Assembly this year. It starts at 11:30 a.m. at 631 W. Penn Ave.

The event this week will feature talks from former Philadelphia Flyer Riley Cote; Sen. Judy Schwank; Lebanon County lawmakers Sen. Mike Folmer and Rep. Russ Diamond; and author/activist Les Stark of the Keystone Cannabis Coalition. A bill to allow industrial hemp farming is making its way through the legislative process in Harrisburg.

The gathering is part of a national series of events called Hemp History Week, with dozens planned across Pennsylvania though Sunday.

John Patterson, a career carpenter of Tiny Hemp Houses in Colorado, will be leading the workshop. Participants will learn the basics of design and framing along with a history of hemp building materials. The core lessons will focus on hempcrete recipes and the proper mixing techniques. Attendees will go home with their own block of hempcrete.

Music will be performed by reggae/rock artist Jay D Clarke .

Schwank and Folmer are the lead sponsors of the hemp farming bill SB50. During a hearing before the Senate Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee in May, the measure received the support of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau and the state Department of Agriculture. Rep. Diamond has sponsored a companion bill in the House.

Cote, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers has been holding the Hemp Heals Music Festival at Penn's Landing since 2013 to raise awareness for the multiplicity of uses for the plant.