Hemp bill could benefit University of Minnesota research

ByRoy Aker

Source: mndaily.com

Legislation that would authorize the University of Minnesota to perform agricultural or academic research on hemp is moving through the state Capitol this session, gaining support from some faculty members.

Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis, is sponsoring a bill that would authorize higher education institutions to perform industrial hemp research by allowing the Commissioner of Agriculture to administer the growth and cultivation of the crop through a pilot program.

Plant biology professor David Marks said the College of Biological Sciences is currently restricted to industrial hemp research in a small-scale growth facility and that the state’s legal restrictions make it challenging to study.

“There’s all kinds of different possibilities,” Marks said. “The door would be opened if we could grow more plants.”

He said that if the University would make larger-scale hemp research legal, researchers would study genetic mutations of the industrial crop and study new uses. Research funding would also be more accessible then, Marks said.

Due to provisions in the recently passed federal farm bill that allows academic researchers to cultivate industrial hemp, Kahn said support for the proposal this session is strong. Individual states need to pass laws for the research to be legal in respective areas.

If Minnesota made it legal, Kahn said, industrial hemp research would benefit the economy because of the high demand for the crop’s oil, seed and fiber used in pharmaceuticals, foods and building materials.

Currently, Minnesota manufacturers process hemp into various products by importing the raw crop from Canada or China, where growth is legal.

But opponents of the bill say that by loosening the restrictions to grow hemp, people who are allowed permits could potentially grow illegal marijuana on the plots, Kahn said.

Because people with the licenses would be required to disclose the location of their plots, Kahn said, law enforcement would be able to easily track any illegal growth.

Marks said that the argument is flawed because cross-pollinating the two types spoils the marijuana crop and industrial hemp contains fewer mind-altering ingredients than marijuana.

The plant biology department is exploring the genetic differences between industrial hemp and marijuana by looking at the crops’ levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, a mind-altering ingredient, he said.

According to the bill text, only 0.3 percent of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, would be allowed in the industrial hemp. The average THC concentration in marijuana is 1 to 5 percent.

“The main thing about hemp is that it doesn’t contain enough tetrahydrocannabinol to be considered a drug,” Marks said.

Regardless of its lower levels of THC, the Department of Justice currently views hemp the same as marijuana, Marks said.

Thom Petersen, a representative of the Minnesota Farmers Union, said to a House committee meeting Friday that if the bill passes, farmers could benefit financially because hemp is a highly valued crop.

Currently, North Dakota State University is allowed to import and resell industrial hemp seed, and any resident is allowed to grow the crop if it meets certain stipulations, according to a state statute.

Legislators will review the proposal in the Ways and Means Committee in the coming weeks, but an official date for a hearing hasn’t been set yet. A Senate version of the bill is gaining traction as well.

Fort Collins, Boulder firms register to grow hemp

By Steve Lynn
Source: bcbr.com

FORT COLLINS - Several companies in Northern Colorado and the Boulder Valley have registered to grow hemp, a variety of the cannabis plant that can be refined into textiles, biofuel, paper and other products. 

Since Colorado voters passed Amendment 64 in November, growing hemp became legal along with the retail sale and possession of small amounts of marijuana. Producers began registering with the state earlier this month to grow hemp, though federal law still bars commercial growth. 

"I think it's a really interesting crop," said Tom Smith of Fort Collins-based Summit Plant Laboratories Inc., which registered with the state of Colorado to grow the plant. "I think there's a lot potential for it, for Colorado agriculture."

Morris Beegle, owner of Colorado Hemp Co. in Loveland and organizer of the NoCo Hemp Expo 2014, said he welcomes the birth of Colorado's hemp industry. He is confident that federal barriers to raising the crop will be addressed. 

"Everything's in motion now and there's really no turning back," he said. "It's going to be a great alternative crop for farmers to start mixing in their rotation."

The hemp expo takes place April 5 at Ricky B's Sports Pub in Windsor. 

The following are businesses and people who have registered to grow hemp, according to the Colorado Department of Agriculture: 

>Centennial State Distributors LLC, Lafayette 
>Mile High Hemp LLC, Brighton
>Global Heritage Seed Co. LLC, Boulder
>Summit Plant Laboratories Inc., Fort Collins
>American Hemp Enterprises Ltd., Del Norte
>B&W Enterprises LLC, doing business as Hemp Farms of Colorado, Berthoud
>New West Genetics LLC, Fort Collins
>Pueblo Farms LLC, Littleton
>Joel & Jared Stanley, unknown location
>Grow Hemp Colorado, unknown location
>Jeanette VanDenBerg, unknown location

State regulators have said they will conduct random tests on hemp fields to ensure they contain lower levels of the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.

Producers must register with the agricultural department by May 1 if they would like to grow industrial hemp during the 2014 growing season. 

The annual registration fee for commercial production of industrial hemp is $200 plus $1 per acre. For research and development, the annual registration fee for production of hemp is $100 plus $5 per acre. All registrations will be valid for one year from date of issuance.

Gone Hemp: Earth Dog collars use hemp for durable, cuddly purpose

By Elana Ashanti Jefferson
Source: thecannabist.co


Earth Dog decorative hemp collars (Provided by Earth Dog)

When given the choice, Lola prefers no collar. And since the only time this cuddly, 25-pound lap lover needs restraint is when a silly human leaves a sandwich unattended, the terrier usually gets her way when it comes to collars.

It’s not as though she doesn’t have any to wear. She has the pink rhinestone number from when she was a pup, and the handmade vintage bow-tie collar for holidays.

Most recently, Lola’s tags dangled from a Walk-e-Woo cherry and sparrow rockabilly-print nylon collar. The look was trés chic for a pooch, but apparently nowhere near as cozy as lounging away the day in a thick, brindle birthday suit. Lola shares her opinion on collars by nudging me with her button nose, then rigorously scratching at the fashion until it finally comes off.

So it is no small feat that for a week now, my canine queen has worn her springy pink hemp collar from Earth Dog with nary a complaint. Earth Dog is a Tennessee-based hemp pet products company that also sells leashes, dog beds and dog toys. I suspect that Lola took to her hemp collar because the fabric is softer and more lightweight than leather or nylon.

What else makes for a great dog collar? Durability, style and price top my list.  Hemp fibers stand up to rough use, and Earth Dog has amassed a fetching selection of pooch apparel. The price is higher than what pet parents pay for collars at the big-box stores, but comparable or even less than other boutique collars.

The cost, however, may be negligible to socially-conscious hemp consumers: Ten percent of Earth Dog’s profits support spay and neuter programs.

Earth Dog’s decorative adjustable hemp collars are $22-$27 at earthdog.com.

Health Benefits Driving New Hemp Demand & More Acres

by Kelvin Heppner
Source: portageonline.com


Mike Fata speaking at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Tuesday

The number of hemp acres in Western Canada could hit the 100 thousand mark this year, according to the CEO of the world's largest hemp food manufacturer.

The opportunities in the hemp sector were profiled as part of the annual Agriculture Awareness Day at the Manitoba Legislative Building on Tuesday.

Mike Fata of Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods said they continue to see rapid growth in demand for their hemp food products, and as a result they're contracting more acres with farmers.

"I think this year we'll see, for the whole industry, upwards of 100 thousand acres in the ground, and we feel we're just scratching the surface. Having a ten-fold increase of that is not out of the question," said Fata, who co-founded the hemp food company in 1998.

According to Health Canada, a record 67 thousand acres of hemp were grown in 2013. That was up from around 54 thousand in 2012.

Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods purchases hemp seed directly from producers, and turns it into four main food products that are sold through major retailers. The company holds approximately a 60 percent share of the hemp food market.

Fata noted hemp has several health attributes that are attractive to consumers.

"Hemp is very rich in essential fatty acids - Omega threes and it's also a good source of vegetable protein. As well it has a great nutty flavour, so hemp foods taste good," he explained. "My passion is really about health and nutrition, so we want to offer healthy and nutritious hemp food products to the masses."

Hemp could be noxious weed, some farmers worry

By Jim Camden
Source: spokesman.com

OLYMPIA – “Weed” is not an official weed, at least not in Washington.

So says the state Noxious Weed Control Board, which recently discussed whether various forms of cannabis, from recreational marijuana to industrial hemp, should be considered for its list of plants that need to be controlled.

True to its nickname, some strains of cannabis do act like weeds. Their seeds can be spread by wind, birds and varmints, sprout and take root. Unwanted plants can shoot up in ditches, pastures and fields of other commodities. That’s a problem now in some Midwestern states where hemp was grown commercially decades ago.

Hemp – scientific name cannabis sativa – is on the North American Noxious Weed List, along with toadflax, henbane, Dyers woad and field bindweed. It is not on the considerably longer state Noxious Weed List, which is updated yearly in a process that involves extensive public notices, hearings and testimony.

Some Central Washington farmers are concerned about recreational marijuana, which will soon be grown legally throughout the state, and hemp, which is being touted as a new industrial crop. They’d like to see some kind of plan to keep it from cropping up in other crops.

That came up for discussion at a recent state weed board meeting in Chelan, said board Chairman Tony Stadelman, of Quincy. “It was just keeping us up to speed on what’s going on,” he added. “Nothing was decided.”

Plants that are grown for either the recreational or medical marijuana markets aren’t expected to cause a problem, said Alison Halpern, the board’s executive secretary. Pot farmers who know what they are doing only grow the female plants, which are high in the chemicals that either produce the “high” desired for recreational strains or the palliative properties found in medicinal strains. They are grown from cuttings or “clones” and harvested without producing seeds.

Industrial hemp is different. Those strains, which are low in those chemicals, are grown for fibers, and female plants are often pollinated and go to seeds that are harvested. “It has the potential to become weedy,” Halpern said.

That concerns some farmers who grow timothy hay and grass – the lawn kind – for markets that demand certified weed-free products.

The state Agriculture Department is taking a “wait and see” attitude on hemp, spokesman Hector Castro said. The Legislature debated legalizing it this year as a new crop, but like most legislation for its more-publicized cannabis cousin, those efforts died when time ran out on the session.

Between the Liquor Control Board monitoring recreational marijuana and the state Agriculture Department controlling hemp, if it’s legalized, “hopefully they’ll take care of it,” Stadelman said. If not, there could come a day when the board will need to come up with rules to control weed that’s gone to weed.

Green Technology Spotlight: World's First Biodegrable, Carbon Capturing Winery

Source: sustainablebusiness.com

Hemp is used in hundreds of products, but here's a new one: a hemp wine cellar.

Château Maris, a bio-dynamic and organic French winery, has created a net-zero energy building by using bricks made from organic hemp and lime. Topped by a green roof with solar panels, it produces as much energy as it consumes.

The bricks create a 9,000-square-foot wine cellar that's both energy self-sufficient and biodegradable. They not only maintain consistent temperature and humidity, they also absorb carbon from the surrounding environment. And there's no need for systems that heat, cool or ventilate the structure.

Hemp has amazing qualities - the material both insulates and is  "breathable" - keeping the building warm in winter and cool in the summer at a consistent 54°-63°F. Two exterior walls connected by an air tunnel also insulated against extreme temperatures. If more airflow is needed to lower the heat created by fermentation, there's a manual duct in the cellar's roof that can be opened and closed.  

Why Hemp?

Wouldn't it be great if all business went through such a careful analysis of the materials they use? Here's how the two owners decided on hemp.

After five years of research, they chose a hemp/lime combination after evaluating other natural options such as stone, rammed earth and even straw. Why? Because they examined the lifecycles of potential materials and hemp was the least expensive and locally produced.

Hemp doesn't require irrigation or fertilizers and its rapid root growth creates good soil structure, controlling erosion. They are using hemp straw - what's left after the crop is made into an assortment of products from rope to clothes to paper. It's inexpensive because Europe provides some subsidies for the crop and it fit the bill for low-carbon transport because hemp farms are nearby.

Even better, the hemp bricks are very light, making them easy to transport. A two-foot thick brick weighs 33 pounds. And when lime is added to harden hemp straw into bricks, the chemical transformation into limestone carbonate captures and sequesters carbon.

They basically created a biodegradable building that sequesters carbon - an estimated 44 kilos per square meter - for the next 20-25 years.

Château Maris is applying for LEED-Platinum certification. In addition to using LEDs for all lighting, they capture rainwater,  recycle gray water, and have plans to run 100% on wind and solar.

To top it off, the wines are in recycled glass bottles with recycled paper labels, and the company donates $1.50 from each bottle sold from three wines to the Jane Goodall Institute, Rainforest Foundation or International Polar Foundation.

This year, the winery plans to sell 300,000 bottles, at such notable restaurants as NYC's Waldorf Astoria. "Our sales are at record highs and we continue to grow rapidly driven by the growing interest in products that are sustainable and organic," says co-owner Kevin Parker, who previously headed Deutsche Asset Management. He is now also CEO of Sustainable Insight Capital Management, which creates client portfolios around companies with superior environmental, social and governance practices.  

Hemp: Two weeks after registration begins, twelve producers approved to grow

By Melanie Asmar
Source: westword.com



It's been two weeks since Colorado farmers could begin registering with the state Department of Agriculture to grow industrial hemp, and the department reports that twelve producers have completed the process.

As of March 17, seven producers had registered to grow hemp for commercial purposes and five producers had registered to grow it for the purposes of research and development. And there are even more would-be hemp farmers reportedly in the pipeline, waiting for their applications to be approved.

Producers have until May 1 to register if they'd like to grow hemp during the 2014 growing season. Theregistration application can be found on the Colorado Department of Agriculture website. The annual fee for growing the previously outlawed crop for commercial purposes is $200 plus $1 per acre, while the fee for growing hemp for research and development purposes is $100 plus $5 an acre. Research and development plots are limited to ten acres or less.

Colorado took its first steps toward legalizing industrial hemp when voters passed the marijuana-centric Amendment 64 in 2012. In addition to legalizing marijuana use for adults over the age of 21, the measure directed the state legislature to "enact legislation governing the cultivation, processing and sale of industrial hemp" by July 1, 2014. In May 2013, lawmakers approved a bill that created a nine-member advisory committee tasked with helping the Colorado Department of Agriculture come up with a way to register hemp farmers and inspect their crops by March 1, 2014. In late 2013, the department issued itsfinal regulations for growing hemp in Colorado. Registration began March 1.

But the department wants farmers to understand that while growing hemp is legal in Colorado, it's still illegal at the federal level. That's why it has issued a cautionary press release. Among its warnings: Colorado's hemp seed stock is untested and may contain variable THC levels; hemp fields will be randomly tested and any plants containing more than 0.3 percent THC will be in violation of the law.