5 Reasons Why Hemp Milk is Becoming the New Drink of Choice

By Kathy Garton
Source: marijuanatimes.org

Hemp milk is made from the hearts, or seeds, of the hemp plant. Vegans have been using this drink for years, but only recently have others begun to understand why.

1. Contains Lots of Protein and Vitamins

Essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, plus 10 essential amino acids are found in hemp hearts. This equals high protein in every serving. 46% of the RDA of Calcium is contained in an 8-ounce glass of hemp milk in addition to the following vitamins:

• Potassium
• Phosphorous
• Riboflavin
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Vitamins A, B12, D, E

2. It’s Lactose Free

Hemp milk is a great substitute for those that are lactose intolerant. Approximately 25% of the American population will lose their tolerance for dairy products as they mature. Since this is a genetically influenced condition, a healthy alternative is good news.

3. Contains No Nut Allergens

When we think of nuts and the allergies that some people have, using the nuts, or seeds, of the hemp plant may cause concern. However, hemp nuts are different than tree nuts and do not pose the same threat.

4. It’s Legal To Buy

There is no (or very little) THC delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive component of marijuana, contained in the seeds of the hemp plant. This makes hemp seeds perfectly safe and legal to purchase in the US.

5. It Tastes Great

Many users compare the taste of hemp seeds to that of sunflower seeds. They have a sweet, nutty flavor that is not overpowering and the flavor is easily adjusted by adding natural sweeteners of your choice.

In addition to all of these assets, hemp milk can be made in your own kitchen. Blend one part of seeds to 5 parts of water. Add fruit or honey to perfect the taste and strain.

Although it may be difficult to find hemp milk on the grocery store shelves, more and more manufacturers are popping up to meet the growing demand. Whole Foods Marketcurrently stocks hemp milk at many of their locations. You can also check with local organic grocery stores in your area.

The Greatest Hemp-Centric Expo on the Earth

By Dave Carpenter
Source: cannabisnowmagazine.com

Anyone interested in helping to jumpstart the U.S. economy and reduce the planet’s greenhouse gases should get to Loveland, Colorado April 1-2. The annual NoCo Hemp Expo is celebrating its third year there increasing awareness around the rapidly expanding industrial hemp industry in North America and around the world.

The popular hemp event, north of Denver held at The Ranch Events Complex, is a show designed for businesses and the general public to gather, learn and network, and help expand the budding hemp industry.

Industrial hemp, the non-psychoactive cousin to marijuana, was for millennia (before the 20th century’s War on Drugs debacle) grown for a host of products ranging from paper to rope to protein-rich foodstuff. Currently, hemp is now also used worldwide for nutraceuticals, building materials, textiles, plastics, composites, nanomaterials, bio-fuel, soil remediation and more.

NoCo Expo’s founder Morris Beegle – who has been working as a pro-hemp advocate for over two decades in an effort to familiarize people with hemp’s remarkable mass of applications – says this year’s show will experience a near doubling of vendors from 2015.

“We’ve got over 130 exhibitors this year, which I think we had about 74 last year,” says Beegle. “The interest from the industry side this year has been impressive. Hopefully that interest carries beyond the choir and to the general public, who are the ones we really want to show up and learn about hemp and all that it can do.”

The festive NoCo weekend comes at a time when hemp’s legalization is seeing a resurgence of interest alongside the backdrop of recent legalization in 13 U.S. states – including California, Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah, Vermont and West Virginia.

Beegle says the primary goal of NoCo’s upcoming event is to “increase awareness of industrial and nutritional hemp products, technology, innovation, legislation and politics that impact the advancement of hemp re-entering the mainstream with common-sense regulations.”

Speakers will include an assortment of thought leaders from the national and global hemp industry, including Congressman Jared Polis, Dr. Bob Melamede, Allan Dronkers, Barbara Filappone and author and renown hemp expert Doug Fine.

“NoCo is an absolute weathervane for the worldwide hemp industry,” says Fine, author of “Hemp Bound” and “First Legal Harvest,” who has been a guest speaker at all three NoCo expos. “Someone just forwarded me a link to my words at the first NoCo, and it’s astounding how far we’ve come. [This time] I’ll be talking about nano applications and business ethics in an expanding market.”

Beegle expects 2,500 to 3,000 attendees this year enjoying products, food and beverages made from hemp and a host of thought-provoking exhibits, including a “Let’s Talk Hemp” theater room featuring a Ted Talks-style atmosphere and a “Hemp Tomorrow” stage with a Good Morning America feel.

The event will also feature a variety of demonstrations, including cooking and juicing with hemp, building with hemp, brewing beer with hemp, artisan papermaking with hemp and nanoparticle delivery of CBD. NoCo will also produce a “hemp-printed pocket U.S. Constitution” for folks to brush up on the history of our country and the freedoms we are entitled to – including the unhindered production of said plant.

“We’ve got some really good programming for both days that will cater to both the industry side and the general public side,” says Beegle. “Couple that with all the exhibitors, products, hemp food and beverages, and we have the makings for a one of a kind hemp-centric event.”

For details and ticket information on NoCo, visit nocohempexpo.com.

How-to book on hemp available

Source: albertafarmexpress.ca

The national acreage of industrial hemp has grown about 25 per cent annually since 2009 and now Alberta Agriculture has released a handbook Industrial Hemp Enterprise on what’s involved in growing hemp.

“If you’re new to hemp and interested in growing it, the publication walks you through the steps you need to know such as how to grow it, where to grow it, where to access seeds, what are the markets like and pretty much anything one needs to know,” said Connie Kehler, program manager of the Good Agriculture and Collection Practices program.

Industrial Hemp Enterprise is available online at agriculture.alberta.ca or by calling 780-427-0391.

By James McClure
Source: civilized.life

Ever wonder if there was a way to make a more environmentally friendly car? Henry Ford once did, and he looked to marijuana's non-psychoactive cousin hemp as a partial solution to the auto industry's dependence on forestry and mining.

"Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the fields?" Ford once said.

And he put his dreams of an organic car in motion by launching a research project that resulted in the prototype known as the "hemp car" (a.k.a. the "soybean car"). The demo was unveiled in 1941 in Dearborn, Michigan. Later that year, appeared at the Michigan State Fair.

The vehicle was built primarily of bioplastics. Although the exact recipe for the plastic isn't known, the Ford Museum says that ingredients might have included soybeans, wheat, hemp, flax and ramie. Ford's goal was to make a vehicle that not only blended agriculture with industry but was also more durable. Ford claimed that plastic cars could roll over without being crushed.

Unfortunately, the experiment was derailed when America's entry into World War II halted auto production. After the war, Ford didn't revive the project, and the prototype was allegedly destroyed by E.T. Gregorie - one of the inventors.

But video footage of it survives...kinda. There's a famous clip of Ford demonstrating the durability of the plastic by striking it with an axe. But it's not the hemp car, according the Ford Museum. They says that Ford outfitted his own car with a plastic deck in the rear so that he could show off the durability of the material. But the material itself does contain hemp.

h/t USA Today

Get Ready! Protein-Packed Hemp Seed Veggie Burgers Hitting Shelves

Source: onegreenplanet.org

It seems like there is no shortage of veggie burger options these days! Between the pulses, vegetables, and grains, we asked ourselves: what else can we possibly put in patty form? Well, this past week, Tofurky answered that very question for us and the answer is hemp!

The company’s newest product, the “Hearty Hemp Burger” is such a game-changer, we’re shocked we didn’t think of it ourselves! These patties are primarily composed of organic long-grain brown rice, onions, mushrooms, whole grain oats, and hulled hemp seed! With just one patty containing seven grams of protein, four grams of fiber, and less than five grams of fat, this patty is a meal you can feel good about!

Tofurky’s decision to branch from the conventional veggie patty ingredients to include hemp seed reveals of a larger trend in the industry towards cleaner protein. And what is as nutritious as hemp? The “superseed” has an impressive list of benefits! Some of the most notable health benefits include the fact that a mere 1.5-tablespoon serving of hemp seeds contains five grams of protein, 86 milligrams of magnesium, and 10 percent daily value of iron, hemp seeds contain all ten of the essential amino acids, and hemp is extremely digestible. No bloating feeling after this burger!

These new burgers are a great option for people who don’t necessarily want to recreate the taste of hamburgers but really want a hearty vegetable burger. These burgers provide ample sustenance and  have a mild flavor profile. Mellow brown-rice taste, with hints of garlic and rosemary, make it a versatile patty that you can adorn in a number of ways! Vegan pesto aioli, chunky mango salsa, or a giant dollop of guacamole would all taste great on this burger. You probably don’t need any help in that department, though!

Hemp boosters play long game in face of regulatory uncertainty

By David M. Nichols
Source: bizlex.com

One measure of the enthusiasm engendered by the revival of industrial hemp in Kentucky is the forward thinking on display, even in the face of regulatory and technical headwinds.

There is no more conspicuous an example of this resilience and determination than in the push for organic hemp, a subset of the fledgling industry that was buoyed by a commitment from John Roulac, CEO of California- based “superfoods” purveyor Nutiva, to eventually buy organic hemp produced in the commonwealth.

“For [Roulac] to come to Kentucky to speak in our building, to our potential growers about organic hemp is a very big deal,” said Andy Graves, CEO of local processors and promoters Atalo Holdings Inc. “The learning curve on the organic side is very steep. John knows that. … For him to come, it’s a huge deal. And for him to commit to buy our crop is a very big deal.”

But not all the news was good. On the eve of the recent “GoOrganic!” seminar at the Hemp Research Campus in Winchester, the U.S. Department of Agriculture pumped the brakes on the whole enterprise.

“Organic certification of industrial hemp production at this time is premature and could be misleading to certified organic operations, given that the legality of the various uses of this product has not yet been determined,” reads a USDA edict issued Feb. 16 clarifying its policy. “Until USDA guidance regarding industrial hemp production under the Farm Bill is completed, (National Organic Program)-accredited certifying agents may not certify the domestic production of industrial hemp.”

But any disappointment voiced by seminar leaders at the agency’s cautious move was tempered by confidence in the industry’s momentum, if not inevitability.

“They just dropped this kind of bomb on us the past couple weeks but I think hopefully I’m optimistic next year the USDA will be certifying organic hemp,” said Roulac, who was the seminar’s keynote speaker. “This is a crop that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew and it has a rich history in Kentucky.”

The event was organized by Atalo Holdings and the nonprofit Kentucky Hemp Research Foundation. Dozens of prospective hemp farmers and entrepreneurs heard from experts who explained the processes and costs — both in the fields and in regulatory red tape — that go into organic certification.

Carrie Stilwell, a specialist with the certification agency California Certified Organic Farmers who is based in Asheville, North Carolina, spoke to the costs and time involved getting certification. Despite the pause in certifying hemp, she said, farmers still can prepare for the day that is lifted or changes.

“And that doesn’t mean you can’t get your farm certified,” she said, noting that certification of farms is related but differs from certifying a crop.

Perhaps most important, the seminar was sponsored by viable companies that use organic hemp in their products, including Nutiva and Dr. Bronner’s. Nutiva’s Roulac noted that organic commands a premium that is about double the cost of non-organic, making the cost of certification worth it to growers who can manage the details. He said a domestic crop would help his company and U.S. farmers.

Comment from the original posting:

Walter Ison ·

Designer at Self-Employed

This constant ducking and weaving so Big Pharma can line up its lethal weapons is disgusting to say the least. The stupid stoner stereotypes are patronising and rude directed at the medicinal cannabis front. People are in pain and dying! we don't need more time wasting fascist dictatorship b.s. Get on with it. Over 2000 domestic industrial and medicinal uses !!! There is absolutely no reason a group of plants this powerful should remain in the Big Pharmas camp. Organic please! Give us back the plant.

Like · Reply · 1 · Mar 26, 2016 9:24pm

Nike Brings Back Hemp Sneaker for 4/20

By Jen Hobbs
Source: ora.tv

As American farmers battle the DEA for the right to grow hemp, Nike plans to release a sneaker made from the banned plant. 

In 2004, Nike introduced SB Dunk Low made out of hemp. Here's the "Red Hemp," which some collectors have deemed as one of the top 100 NB shoes designs Nike has manufactured. Just about every feature on this shoe was made from hemp. 

This year, just in time for 4/20, Nike will be introducing an all new SB Dunk Low sneaker called the "Hemp" Dunk Low -- 

The shoe features an all-textile upper (presumably hemp) in a natural shade of light tan. 

This product comes at a unique time in our nation's history. You see, industrial hemp is currently being grown in over 30 countries, but the United States is one of few industrialized countries that has outlawed hemp cultivation entirely...but all that could change relatively soon.  

Currently, millions of dollars worth of hemp are imported every year for American industries. Companies like Nike use hemp fibers in sneakers; our automobile industry uses hemp fibers to produce plastic and car door panelling. In 2014, we spent an estimated $500 - $620 million dollars on imported hemp.

The funny thing is, most of our hemp is coming from our closest neighbor to the north— Canada — where the country's 15 year hemp industry banks millions per year in revenue. 

According to The Toronto Star: 

In the first four months of 2015, Canada exported $34 million worth of hemp seeds and oil.

If hemp is such a valuable commodity, why can't American farmers grow it? Why must American industries pay to import something that could be grown and cultivated state-side? We're looking to the 2016 presidential hopefuls to find new ways to improve the economy and generate jobs, so why isn't an entirely new industry like industrial hemp (an industry that makes other countries millions of dollars) on the table?

To this day, hemp is classified as a schedule 1 narcotic - right up there with heroin. That means according to the DEA, hemp is just as deadly and dangerous as heroin, even though there is no humanly possible way to get high off of it. Hemp contains less than .3% of THC, and hemp can be cross-bread to eliminate nearly all traces of THC (this has actually been done in Ukraine, the world's fourth largest provider of hemp seeds).

Interestingly enough, at a time when American consumers and industries are turning toward hemp products (and American farms are getting smaller and smaller nationwide), our officials have found a way around the DEA by passing the 2014 Federal Farm Bill. Section 7606 of the Farm Bill allows each state to research industrial hemp and determine whether commercial production of hemp would be beneficial for American farmers and businesses. This means that American farmers are now allowed to grow hemp under "agricultural pilot programs." 

This program came just in time for Kentucky farmers, who were looking for another crop to replace tobacco. As less and less Americans smoke tobacco, the crop has become less and less profitable. Kentucky farmland is actually ideal for hemp cultivation, so the crop is a natural fit and solution.   

You can learn more about Kentucky's recent shift from tobacco (at one time a billion dollar industry) to industrial hemp in this video:

The 2014 Farm Bill is allowing Kentucky to go back to hemp production, something farmers had done in World War II to produce ship rigging, parachute chords, uniforms, and many other wartime necessities. 

Today, there are 33 states (as well as Puerto Rico) utilizing the 2014 Farm Bill to pass pro-hemp legislation, but the DEA has repeatedly tried to hinder industrial hemp progress. Since the 2014 Farm Bill passed, the agency has confiscated hemp seed going to farmers in Kentucky and Colorado. The DEA did this even though the farmers in both states were already approved to receive the seed through their state's department of agriculture (which is in accordance with the 2014 Farm Bill's guidelines). Kentucky's Department of Agriculture had to go so far as to sue the DEA to get the seed back. 

Kentucky Republican Representative Thomas Massie was appalled by the DEA's actions and saidthis at the time:  “You can buy a granola bar — in whichever city you’re in — with hemp seeds on it. Everything made of hemp is legal to bring into this country.” Yet, here was the DEA confiscating hemp seeds!

In an effort to stop the DEA from interfering with the 2014 Farm Bill (a piece of Federallegislation), the Industrial Hemp Farming Act was introduced in the House and Senate in January 2015 (H.R. 525 and S. 134). 

If the Industrial Hemp Farming Act is passed, then hemp would no longer be classified as a schedule 1 narcotic. Instead, it would be classified as an agricultural crop and all current restrictions on the cultivation of industrial hemp would be removed. The DEA would finally step aside to allow America's farmers to fulfill America's demand for industrial hemp. 

Today, Americans can purchase nutritious hulled hemp seeds and hemp milk online and in health food stores; they can purchase lotion and beauty products made with hemp. If the Industrial Hemp Farming Act is passed, then those products could be made in America from American industrial hemp - instead of with hemp from Canada, China, France, Ukraine, Russia, or the many other countries we currently rely on for hemp products. If the act is passed, industrial hemp could become a stable part of the American economy, and American corporations - such as Nike - could rely on American farmers to provide materials sometime in the near future.