Albemarle supervisors show interest in hemp as cash crop

By Aaron Richardson
Source: dailyprogress.com

Hemp, a robust, fast-growing plant with uses ranging from food to fiber to biofuel, could be the cash crop economically ravaged areas like Southside Virginia need to jump start their economies, its proponents say.

Albemarle County could soon join a long list of Virginia localities, including Charlottesvile, that have signed resolutions to separate industrial hemp from marijuana. The supervisors will consider a resolution at their February meeting.

Earlier this month, Montgomery County Supervisor James D. Politis was invited before the Albemarle Board of Supervisors to make the case to legalize industrial hemp.

Politis' presentation painted a sunny picture of the weed, made infamous by the 1937 film "Reefer Madness."

Politis said it has almost 25,000 different uses, and could be planted extensively across the commonwealth, particularly in areas that were once known for sprawling tobacco farms.

But there's a problem. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration doesn't differentiate hemp, which is used to make shirts, biodiesel and building material, from marijuana, its potent, illegal cousin.

Both plants are a form of cannabis sativa, which became a Schedule I controlled substance with the Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

Two bills -- one in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate -- that would have excluded hemp from the definition of marijuana failed in 2012.

According to the DEA, there is no difference between industrial hemp and marijuana. To the administration, because both plants contain tetrahydrocannabinol -- the substance that makes smokers high -- they fall under the same category.

" Hemp and marijuana are actually separate parts of the species of plant known as cannabis ," reads a post on the DEA website.

According to hemp's allies, that isn't the whole story.

"Under the Marijuana Tax of 1938 and the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, all cannabis was put in the same category," Politis said. "But there are as many kinds of cannabis as there are canines and felines; some of them will bark at you, some of them will bite you."

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, industrial hemp is less than 1 percent tetrahydrocannabinol. The cannabis people smoke -- better known as pot, weed or grass -- contains between 3 percent and 15 percent of thc.

"I think the objections to hemp in the past have been that the police have a hard time telling them apart in the field," said Supervisor Dennis S. Rooker. "But I think we are denying farmers a significant opportunity that is going to be an expanding opportunity in the world, and I think that the basis for that denial is very weak."

Supervisor Kenneth C. Boyd was less enthusiastic than Rooker.

"I'm actually open to anything that is going to promote economic vitality, but as is always the case, I'm sure there is another side to the story," he said. "I'm a little bit anxious to hear from law enforcement because the argument that I have heard in the past is that [hemp] is similar to marijuana and can be used as a substitute for marijuana."

The United States currently imports tons of the plant in the form of fiber, seed oils and car parts. In 2012, the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center valued the industry at $419 million.

Those imports come primarily from Canada and China, Politis said.

Hemp production is legal in Canada, China, much of Europe, Russia and Australia, according to the DEA.

Dr. Oz's 3 Anti-aging Cooking Oils in the Kitchen That Can Help You Live Longer

By Timothy Boyer
Source: emaxhealth.com

Foods containing anti-aging antioxidants are very important for health conscious individuals looking for additional ways to eat and live healthy. However, what few realize is that aside from olive oil, that there are actually better oils for cooking your food and applying to your salads that have anti-aging properties that can help you live longer too.

“Lots of healthy oils have incredible anti-aging powers, but you may not know about some of them. Today I am revealing the most potent oils you are not eating,” says Dr. Oz as he introduces special guest Nutritionist Monica Reinagel, author of a book titled “Nutrition Diva’s Secrets for a Healthy Diet.

”How do we know which of the oils have true powerful anti-aging properties?” Dr. Oz asks Ms. Reinagel.

“Well, when you are shopping for oils at the grocery store, look at the label and look for the words ‘cold pressed’ or ‘expeller pressed,’” says Ms. Reinagel. “Because that tells you that the oils have been extracted without heat and without chemical solvents, because these can degrade the nutritional quality and the anti-aging benefits for these oils,” says Ms. Reinagel.

Listed below are 3 new anti-aging oils recommended by Ms. Reinagel that few people are aware of that play an important role in anti-aging antioxidants:

Anti-aging oil #1: Hemp Oil

Hemp oil is extracted from the seeds of the hemp plant that is known for its durable fiber that sailors of long ago used in making rope for their sailing ships. Today, you can find a wide assortment of clothing and accessories made from hemp that is popular among counter-culture individuals who are pro-legalization of marijuana. Although the plant that hemp oil is derived from is related to the type of Cannabis grown for marijuana, it either has no or very little of the psycho-active delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). In spite of this, growing hemp is illegal in the US. However, in its oil extract form, it is commercially available from seeds grown in other countries.

Used as cooking oil known for its nutty taste, the chief benefit of hemp seed oil is that it is rich in alpha-linoleic acid that reportedly can reverse the atherosclerosis developing in your arteries.

“Hemp oil helps keep your heart healthy as your age,” says Ms. Reinagel. “It’s one of the richest vegetable sources of omega-3 fatty acids,”

Aside from using as a healthy anti-aging cooking oil, hemp oil can also be integrated into your butter. Ms. Reinagel recommends making a spread of hemp seed oil by mixing one stick of butter with ½ cup of hemp seed oil in a blender into a smooth consistency that spreads over bread without tearing.

“You’re going to get a spread with all the taste of butter, but with only half the saturated fats,” says Ms. Reinagel.

Anti-aging oil #2: Avocado Oil

“Nutrients in avocado oil help protect your eyes from age-related degeneration,” says Ms. Reinagel as she points out that macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in people over the age of 55. To combat age-related degeneration of the eyes, foods that are rich in carotenes are recommended.

Avocado oil according to Dr. Oz is an antioxidant, anti-aging prevention oil due to its property of assisting your body in taking in carotenoid nutrients.

“When avocado oil is consumed in salads, the oil from the pressed pulp of the avocado enhances your body’s absorption of carotene―a pigment that helps keep your eyes healthy,” says Dr. Oz.

Ms. Reinagel recommends that you substitute avocado oil for olive oil in your salad dressing recipes, and that doing so will increase your body’s absorption of carotenes from carrots and lycopene from tomatoes by as much as 4 fold.

Anti-aging oil #3: Peppermint Oil

“Peppermint oil benefits the whole digestive system―it helps to soothe and relax the stomach and the intestines,” says Ms. Reinagel who adds that some research shows that peppermint oil may help relieve irritable bowel syndrome.

Because peppermint oil is an essential oil, it has to be taken in much smaller doses than other types of cooking oils.

“Use it by the drop, and not the spoonful. If you go overboard on the peppermint oil you can get heartburn,” cautions Ms. Reinagel.

Her recommendation for taking peppermint oil is to add just two drops of peppermint oil to a cup of hot coco for a tasty, decadent treat; or, it can also be added to your coffee and tea.

When shopping for peppermint oil, she tells viewers to be sure that they pick a bottle that says “peppermint oil” on the label and not the ones that say “peppermint extract” as the two differ from each other.

One last bit of advice she offers viewers is to be sure to store your hemp oil and avocado oil in a cool dark space as heat and light will degrade the anti-oxidants in both of the anti-aging oils—storage in the refrigerator is preferable.

Hemp pushed as cash crop

By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
Source: chieftain.com

The flat farmlands in Southeastern Colorado are covered with bountiful melons, corn, wheat and other market produce.

And with the passing of Amendment 64 this fall, marijuana's far-less potent cousin — hemp — may soon be popping up as a cash crop in fields across the dusty plains.

A group called Hemp Cleans wants to bring the hemp-farming industry to Southeastern Colorado.

The group has scheduled a public discussion on the issue Jan. 26 in Walsh at 7 p.m. at the Gem Theater.

They have set up a discussion of the legal structure of the Colorado Industrial Hemp Remediation Pilot Program Act of 2012 as well as the 2013 version of the bill, sponsored by state Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village.

Can you lose weight using hemp?

By Dr. Dionne Payn
Source: hemplifestylemagazine.com


Losing weight and keeping it off can be hard. There are so many
diets being promoted and if you have tried any of them and failed
you might be feeling unmotivated to try any more.

There are so many benefits to losing weight and eating a healthy
diet including increased mental clarity, increased energy levels
and a greater sense of personal happiness. If getting rid of excess
weight is important to you, I hope I can convince you that it can
be easy, fun and satisfying and you can do it using a tasty
nutritious food such as hemp.

What is hemp?

When we talk about hemp, we are referring to varieties of the plant
Cannabis sativa that contain low amounts of THC, the compound
responsible for the psychoactive effect. On the other hand,
marijuana refers to varieties of the Cannabis species that contain
high amounts of THC. 

Over the years there has been a lot of suspicion that hemp and
marijuana are the same, and that consumers could get high from
eating hemp foods. The opium and poppy seeds situation is a useful
analogy, as in we don't worry that we are taking an illicit drug
when we bite into a bagel with poppy seeds on top.

In fact, in countries where it is legal to grow hemp, such as
Canada, Europe and Australia, the levels of THC in hemp are
regulated to be extremely low and farmers have to test THC levels
in their crops. If high levels of THC are found, the crops are
destroyed, long before any hemp products find their way onto
supermarket shelves. 

In addition, many hemp food producers in the US participate in 'The
Test Pledge', a certification process that means companies commit
to implementing quality control measures to limit the amount of
trace THC in hemp seed and oil. This ensures that consumers cannot
fail a drugs test as a result of eating hemp foods.

How can hemp aid weight loss?

Hemp in particular, hemp seeds, are a highly nutritious food source.

• Hemp contains the 10 essential amino acids that we need to
  consume from our food. The proteins in hemp are more easily
  digestible than in meat, dairy, soy or other high protein foods.
  Protein can help to balance out blood-sugar levels so you feel
  fewer cravings for unhealthy foods.


• Hemp is a great source of fibre which keeps you fuller for
  longer, is great for the digestive system and takes the edge of
  those food cravings as well.


• Hemp contains Omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids which help to
  regulate blood sugar and insulin levels (1) and reduce the risk of
  chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes and cancer.  Theses
  essential fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha-linolenic
  acid (omega-3) are present in hemp seeds in the optimum 4:1 ratio
  for human health.


• Hemp is a rare plant source of the omega 6 essential fatty acid,
  gamma linolenic acid or GLA, which has been shown in scientific
  studies to help control weight (2). 


• Hemp seeds are perfect for people who are allergic to nuts,
  gluten or lactose. There are no reported allergies to hemp.

How to eat hemp

Hemp seeds are the basis for nearly all hemp food products. On the
plant, the hemp seeds are covered with a crunchy outer shell. Once
harvested the seeds are crushed for the oil and the meal that
remains is milled to produce hemp flour and hemp protein.

Hemp seeds can be eaten with the shells on, in which case they are
lightly toasted and naturally flavoured for a crunchy snack. Hemp
seeds with the shells removed are called hulled hemp seeds (also
known as hemp hearts) and they are quite soft with a nutty taste.

Hemp seeds can be sprinkled onto anything, muesli, porridge,
salads, stir-fries (after cooking), they are great in smoothies,
side dishes such as hummus, pesto, tapenades etc, and can be used
for sweet treats too.

Hemp oil is great and can be used as a salad dressing, in smoothies
and even, as British chef Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall suggested,
drizzled on toast with a bit of salt. Hemp oil should be kept in
the fridge and not used for cooking, as high temperatures destroy
the delicate essential fatty acids and any health benefits as well.

Hemp protein is ideal for people looking to build muscle tone and
can also be added to smoothies or sports drinks as a daily and
healthy supplement.

A daily tip for weight loss using hemp

Start your day with a smoothie. Not only do you get the vitamins,
minerals and health boosting plant nutrients from the fruit, you
will also find that you feel full for most of the morning.

Plan to eat a big salad later that day, either at lunchtime or for
your evening meal. Some suggestions for salad vegetables include
lettuce, grated carrots, beetroot and zucchini, with finely chopped
raw broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage to bulk it up. Other salad
vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumber and herbs add flavour. If you
like a bit of crunch feel free to add nuts, seeds (including hemp
seeds) and dried fruit. 

If you fancy a warm salad, add cooked sweet potatoes, eggs and
green beans for a really tasty meal.

Hemp seeds are a nutritionally dense food and if you follow the
recommended serving of 3-4 tablespoons of hemp seeds per day, you
may find that you make healthier food choices for your remaining
meals.

Recipe ideas

Hemp super smoothie

3 - 5 pieces of fruit (banana, mango, berries, pineapple, peaches,
kiwi fruit - whatever is in season)
2 tbsps hemp seeds or hemp protein
1 tbsp hemp oil
200 - 300 mL water

Place all of the ingredients in the blender and blend until it
reaches your desired consistency. Add more water and blend again if
required.

Serve and enjoy!

Hemp, Ginger & Garlic Salad Dressing

150ml hempseed oil
1 tablespoon of tahini
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 clove of freshly grated garlic
1 tablespoon of Tamari 
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

Put the above ingredients into a glass jar and shake vigorously.
Hey presto - delicious salad dressing in minutes!

References
1. Dietary fish as a major component of a weight-loss diet: effect
on serum lipids, glucose, and insulin metabolism in overweight
hypertensive subjects. Mori, TA et al. 1999. American Society for
Clinical Nutrition, 70: 817-825

2. Gamma-Linolenate reduces weight regain in formerly obese humans.
Schirmer, MA and Phinney, SD. 2007. Journal of Nutrition 137:
1430-1435.

Disclaimer

Please note, the content in this article is for information
purposes and is not medical advice. If you have any specific
questions about weight loss or any medical matter you should
consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.

Farmers wanted to grow hemp

By Veda Dante
Source: byronnews.com.au


CROP WANTED: Paul Benhaim of Hemp Foods Australia says he can use as much seed as he can get his hands on.

BANGALOW-based Hemp Foods Australia is calling for local farmers to help cater for the growing worldwide demand in hemp products.

The company grows industrial hemp under government licence, but has been unable to keep up with consumer needs.

"We are using as much Australian-grown hemp seed as we can get our hands on," said managing director Paul Benhaim. "We are actively looking to expand contracts to support more Australian farmers and supply our operational manufacturing plant," Mr Benhaim said.

"This is a great opportunity for farmers to grow something other than sugar cane or cattle, which is also organic and sustainable."

De-hulled hemp seeds, hemp oil and hemp protein are among the products being produced in the Bangalow facility, which has been supported by the Department of Trade & Industry.

If you are a farmer interested in cultivating hemp seed on organic certified land, then register your interest by calling 6687 1260.

Hemp push gaining momentum; local law officials remain wary

By STEPHANIE MOJICA
Source: centralkynews.com

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer and U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are hoping to make industrial hemp production legal in Kentucky for the first time in decades and other government officials have publicly voiced support for the initiative.

Kentucky farmers produced more than 90 percent of the nation’s industrial hemp supply during the 1800s and the early 1900s. Production slowed during the World War II era. By the 1970s, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had outlawed hemp production; industrial hemp is classified as Schedule 1, the same classification as marijuana and cocaine.

"Kentucky needs jobs,” Paul said. “Everybody says they are for job creation, but supporting industrial hemp is their chance to prove it.”

Two legislators filed bills Friday in support of Comer and Paul’s initiative. Also Friday, the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce board voted in support of hemp farming, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

State Sen. Paul Hornback (R-Shelbyville) sponsored Senate Bill 50, which calls for federal officials to empower state authorities to decide whether industrial hemp is legal. Each farmer would have to apply for a license and pass a criminal background check. State police would receive copies of each approved license.

State Rep. Terry Mills (D-Lebanon) filed House Bill 33, which would give law enforcement officials a similar method of tracking legal hemp growers.

Some law enforcement officials say that with the current economic climate, it is time to at least explore changing the legality of growing hemp for industrial purposes. The versatile crop can be turned into paper, clothing, food, biofuels, lotions and many other products. Hemp has the potential to become the third most profitable crop in the state, according to Comer.

“If there is a way to keep the legal side of hemp away from illegal marijuana, then I have no problem with legalizing hemp,” Lancaster Police Chief Rodney Kidd said. “But I am not into ‘go grow and be happy.’”

The potential problem of keeping hemp and marijuana separate led Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rodney Brewer to publicly voice his opposition to Comer and Paul’s initiative.

"It’s incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to the casual observer or even the astute observer to tell the difference between hemp and marijuana as its being grown" Brewer said. He added that problem becomes even more difficult when police use helicopters to search for marijuana fields, a common practice. 

Comer and Middleburg farmer Troy Kleffman disagreed with Brewer’s assessment, saying that farmers would not be able to grow hemp near marijuana because of cross-pollination issues.

Marijuana is a short, bushy plant with lots of leaves while industrial hemp is tall, with a thick stalk and few leaves. When grown near each other, hemp and marijuana cross-pollinate, which destroys the THC-laden buds on the marijuana plants that provide the high. 

"Industrial hemp is an enemy of marijuana," Comer said. "Law enforcement should be for industrial hemp."

Danville Police Chief Tony Gray has not extensively researched the issue of bringing hemp production back to Kentucky, but has concerns about the possible connection to marijuana. 

The level of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana, is much smaller in hemp than the street drug.

“The THC concentration of the illicit marijuana is 6, 8, 12, 14 percent,” said Ed Shemelya, a 30-year veteran of the Kentucky State Police. 

“Hemp is classified as 1.5 or less.”

Gray’s primary concern is that many people already view the street drug marijuana as “safe” and that legalizing hemp could further some people’s cause to legalize ingestible marijuana.

“I am not in favor of legalizing marijuana for people to smoke or otherwise ingest” Gray said. “There are some potential challenges for law enforcement if hemp is indeed legalized and it would be interesting to see how lawmakers would deal with such issues.”

Legislators would need to devote extensive time to developing ways for law enforcement officials to determine which farmers are authorized to grow hemp, Kidd said.

Hemp industry poised to grow in Colorado with new legal status Read more: Hemp industry poised to grow in Colorado with new legal status - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_22368156/hemp-industry-poised-grow-colorado-new-legal-status#ixzz2I7Q87DRq Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse

By Steve Raabe
Source: denverpost.com

No, not pot. The fanatics get their kicks from buzz-free hemp.

A genetic cousin to marijuana, hemp is a look-alike plant with one key difference. It contains almost no THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that makes users high.

But what hemp lacks in THC, it makes up for by being a remarkable workhorse of industrial utility. From auto bodies to textile fibers to nutrition bars — even as a cleaner of toxic contamination — hemp struts its stuff.

Boosters say hemp is poised to become a big industry in Colorado because Amendment 64 allows its legal cultivation pending legislative authorization.

Lynda Parker's eyes light up, the all-natural way, when she talks about it.

"My friends tell me I'm too evangelical," says the retired Dex saleswoman. "But there's hardly a problem in the world that can't be solved with hemp."

She ticks off an abbreviated list, just a tantalizing hint, of the practical applications. "Hemp is food, animal feed, fiber, fuel, shelter," she says. "It cleans the air, the water, the soil. Hemp could be enormous for Colorado because we're the first state to legalize it."

Hemp's most common uses are food products derived from seeds and seed oil. Fiber from the stalks of hemp plants are used in clothing and industrial applications, including as a strengthening agent in concrete.

Parker is part of an early-stage, loose-knit coalition formed to raise hemp's profile. Other members range from a medical-marijuana activist to a Ph.D. candidate at Colorado School of Mines. Their common thread is a belief that hemp is going to be big — bigger, perhaps, than legal marijuana.

The Colorado Center on Law & Policy estimates that state-sanctioned marijuana sales initially could be as much as $270 million a year, producing state and local taxes of $47 million a year. Yet a mature hemp industry — from farm to factory to storefront — might be 10 times larger than legal marijuana, backers project. Could anything possibly dampen the potential of this beneficial botanical?

Well, yes. The federal government for one.

Like marijuana, hemp is still illegal in the eyes of the feds, despite Colorado's clear electoral mandate to legalize it.

Federal officials have said little about how they will react to Colorado's new law. Some analysts say it's unlikely they will target individual users, but the outlook is less certain for federal crackdowns on larger enterprises, such as farm-scale growing. 

Hemp backers say that would be an extreme injustice, given that hemp has no narcotic properties. But federal law does not differentiate between the cultivation of hemp and marijuana. Even in Colorado, the Amendment 64 implementation task force is unlikely to set up hemp regulations until next year because it has its hands full with the complexities of marijuana rule-making. 

Test crop planned There are plenty of hemp products on the market — clothing, food, beverages, construction materials. But because of the federal prohibition on growing, all hemp must come from imported sources. Canada is the largest supplier to the U.S. 

If Colorado were to establish a hemp-farming industry, it would be limited by a federal ban on interstate transportation of the crop. The harvested hemp would need to stay inside Colorado, where currently there are few major industrial customers. 

That limitation does not deter Mike Bowman, a Yuma County farmer and alternative-energy activist. He plans to plant a test crop of 100 acres of hemp, possibly as early as this year, on land typically reserved for corn.

Hemp requires much less water than corn, Bowman notes, thus providing a potential solution to over-pumped aquifers on the eastern plains. 

In Canada, he said, hemp is a more profitable crop than wheat. According to the Alberta provincial government, hemp seed production can yield up to $1,000 per acre. Canadian wheat in 2012 yielded an average of $315 an acre. But the threat of federal intervention in the U.S. and the misperception that equates hemp to marijuana are formidable hurdles.

"If hemp had a different name, it would be a lot easier," Bowman says.

Parker and other hemp proponents plan to visit eastern Colorado farm towns this week to talk up the potential.

Supplies of Colorado-grown hemp would be welcome by Ari Sherman, president of Boulder-based Evo Hemp. In a small commercial kitchen, Sherman and his four associates make nutrition bars containing hemp seed, fruits and nuts.

The company imports several hundred pounds of seed each month from Canadian suppliers.

"The transportation costs are huge," Sherman says. "It definitely would help us to have supplies from Colorado. And to create a product where the majority of the ingredients are from Colorado would be great."

The 1½-year-old company distributes about 700 bars a week to small grocers. It recently signed a deal to supply Whole Foods stores in the Rocky Mountain region and is talking with King Soopers parent Kroger Co.

There's money to be made in hemp, but that's not what drives industry proponent Parker.

"I'm a product of the '60s," she says. "If we make some money, I won't reject it, but I do this out of my passion for hemp."