Hemp Beauty: Hibiscus Organic Healing Cream Is Fijian Fabulous

By Karen V Stevens
Source: monstersandcritics.com

I’m Feelin’ Fiji

I like using products that give back, products that benefit people who need financial or technological assistance. Like Hibiscus by Kama Fiji, a soothing healing cream that is made in Fiji with organic Fijian materials. Not only is it an amazing product, but a portion of the profits go back to the people of Northern Fiji for education and the advancement of technology.

Kama Fiji’s Hibiscus Organic Healing Cream is infused with CBD hemp oil, the strongest concentrated CBD topical available anywhere at 200mg per oz. Don’t worry, you won’t get high from this hemp oil, CBD is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory solution that helps ease the pain for a wide variety of ailments.

The first thing you notice about Hibiscus healing cream is the heady aroma; it is a mixture of coconut and hibiscus flowers. It might be a little strong for some but it lightens up soon enough. The next thing that you notice is how incredibly smooth it is going on. Imagine liquid silk on your hands, arms, legs etc… that is the feeling you get from this cream.

At first touch you actually might think, oh no, it’s going to be greasy, as hemp based products tend to have an oily touch to them, but you would be greatly mistaken, the cream is smooth and velvety, not oily at all. I wish all my creams and lotions felt as silky as this does.

But the Kama Fiji Hibiscus Cream isn’t just a nice smelling lotion that is soft on the skin, it’s also a healing cream:

Feeling achy in your joints? Rub some Hibiscus on. Skin dry or rashy? Hibiscus will soothe away that itch. Too much sun on your shoulders, this cream will take the sting out of the burn. The formula used in this cream helps relieve discomfort and soreness as well as soothing the pain from headaches and cramping.

Kama Fiji Hibiscus Cream is worth a try, it feels good on the skin and it feels good to give back.

Unravelling hemp's potential

Source: nzherald.co.nz


SCOUTING: Isaac Beach, sporting a hemp briefcase, is looking for partners for a bigger industrial hemp trial in Hawke's Bay. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

With an MBA under his belt Isaac Beach went looking for opportunity.

The event manager, who worked several years with Rhythm and Vines, decided his opportunity was industrial hemp from the cannabis plant.

It is grown legally throughout New Zealand but not in Hawke's Bay. The New Zealand market is for its oil but he saw a potential for the fibre's insulative/building potential, filling an urgent need in social housing.

This week the Government announced a new law that would require retrofitting of ceiling and underfloor insulation in rental homes over the next four years. It would apply to social housing from July 1, 2016, and other rental housing from 2019.

Industrial hemp can be processed into foods, oil, wax, resin, rope, cloth, pulp, paper, fuel and building materials. BMW lines the interior of cars with hemp fibre, making use of its higher than steel strength-to-weight ratio and environmental benefits.

Growing the plant requires a licence. Seed oil can be bought in New Zealand as a food item but not the seed.

"What is interesting around this debate is you can go into a store and purchase poppy seeds," he said.

"If you purchase 500g over-the-counter you can create a substance which is equivalent to 25mg of intravenous morphine."

This week Food Safety Minister Jo Goodhew said New Zealand supported the sale of hemp seed food products and would discuss a standard next year.

Even if not allowed as a food source, Mr Beach said demand for oil alone would make it economic as a crop "but if foodstuffs open up it will provide the platform for local production to start".

Mr Beach said there was an opportunity to provide products for affordable, sustainable housing. Composite hemp stalks are used in construction overseas, such as filling in a timber or steel frame to become insulator and wall lining.

He started networking in New Zealand and internationally "because I knew that the intellectual property for housing did not exist in New Zealand and had to be created".

He said France, which was one of the few countries not to abolish industrial hemp, used stalk fibre for social house.

"There is a fantastic opportunity for New Zealand to move into that space."

His product-to-market strategy includes research and development alongside Crown Research Institutes, with support from Callaghan Innovation.

Wanting hands-on experience with cultivation led to a 2ha trial in Havelock North, planted in October and harvested late February this year.

The location was kept secret in case illegal cannabis was grown with the crop.

"That would have been a disaster because cross pollination would have lifted THC levels."

THC is the active ingredient that makes cannibis psychoactive.

With the support of stakeholders he got permission to grow the crop through the Ministry of Health, "an expensive process".

Once it rained it grew well without irrigation but it was harvested two weeks too late.

"The birds started attacking the plants and within a very short period of time there was a huge loss of seed. That was a very important learning curve."

The harvester required two "decent modifications"before the seed successfully collected. 
There are 35 bales of plant materials plus eight "defective" bales due to teething problems - the harvesting machine needed "two decent adjustments"to collect the small seed.

The harvested seed and fibre are due for testing, another expensive operation.
In April he traveled overseas with a potential investor, visiting hemp industries in Canada, United States, England, Germany, France and Belgium.

"The primary objectives were to identify opportunities for technology transfer to New Zealand and develop international relationships with key partners."

First stop was Colorado, which has legalised marijuana but not industrial hemp.

"I am in no way shape or form an advocate for the legalisation of marijuana. It is not as simple as saying that Colorado do it, because New Zealand has a completely different demographic.
"Everyone in Colorado has a similar interest and there is a lack of diversity across the population - particularly in Denver - so you are dealing with a different beast.

"What I am an advocate of is the use of any plant material to be use in the treatment of disease, particularly if they have strong scientific evidence of efficacy."

Marijuana dispensaries were heavily regulated in Colorado and the industry "booming".

"Federal law does not recognise it as illegal activity so the banking systems won't get involved. You currently have to deal in cash and that is a challenge."

In Canada 66,000ha is grown, much destined for the United States market. Some growers sow the frost-hardy crop in winter.

In England he attended a convention and looked at building applications.

In France he observed de-stemming machines that separate stalk fibre from leaf.

In Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium he attended conventions and visited value-added processors.

Throughout his trip he paid particular attention to combine harvester settings, so that plant and seed could be harvested separately in one pass.

Back in New Zealand he is seeking partners for a bigger trial.

"I think Hawke's Bay has the potential to succeed internationally with this type of agricultural crop because of people like Johnny Bostock and Kevin Bayley - individuals with vast experience in introducing organic crops.

"There is a real opportunity in organic industrial hemp because current demand for organic supplies cannot be met, particularly in Canada and the US. There is huge potential.

"With the current situation in social housing, interest in sustainable crops, sustainable building materials - all of that creates a mixing pot for the emergence of something great with industrial hemp."

Hemp & Bhimal clothes were worn till British arrival

Source: tribuneindia.com


Local people wearing Ghagra, Angra and Pichaura headgear perform at a function in Pithoragarh. A Tribune photo

By BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, July 12

As an ancient society, Kumaon is known for inclination towards clothes, though the attires of poor rural folks and those of feudal were different. Besides clothes of silk and cotton, local people in the ancient to medieval times used Hemp (Bhang or Som plant of the Vedic period), Bhimal and Malu plants to make cheap clothes for themselves. “The turning point in attires came in society when clothes from mills started arriving in Kumaon marts and markets after the First World War,” says PD Pant, an expert on the Kumaon culture.

According to first English land settlement officer Charles Batten (1841), several villages of Ashi Chalsi Patti in the Kali Kumaon region (at present in Champawat district) grew Hemp plants in large numbers. The fibre extracted from the stem of the plant was used to knit clothes for villagers. The clothes were knit by the Koli community of the Kumaon region. Rahul Sankrityayan has written in his book "Vedic Bharat" that the Hemp fibre clothes were available for sale in the Uttarayani fair of Bageshwar. “The tradition of making clothes from Hemp fiber was prevalent not only in north India but also in China, middle Asia and European countries,” writes Rahul in his book.

Koli community of Almora wove fabrics

Batten also mentions about the cultivation of Hemp in the Salam belt of Almora and cotton farming in Bora Row and Kaira Row villages in Almora and the Sor valley of Pithoragarh for the purpose of making clothes. “People from each village and every household in the Kumaon region used to grow cotton, process it and make thread by spinning the fibre in homemade wheels. Thereafter, the thread was given to members of the Koli community, who used to make clothes of it,” says Pant.

According to some experts, common Kumauni villagers had the same exposure to cotton and woollen clothes in the middle ages. While cotton was spun in almost every village, they took woollen clothes for the winter from Bhotia tribal businessmen in exchange of goods. During the winter, Kumauni people used to wear woollen Mirjai which they made themselves from wool obtained from traders in exchange of cereals. These traders used to bring wool from Tibet. “Even the oldest Hindu social lawmaker Manu has mentioned Nepalese woollen blankets that were used in the Kumaon region by the people of his time,” says Pant.

Woollen Laba was women's favourite

Another cultural historian Dr Chandra Singh Chauhan, who is the in charge of the Almora museum, says the common Kumauni in the middle ages used to wear Laba, a  woollen cloth that covered the body from head to  feet. Laba was  made tight by putting an iron weight  at its lower rings. “While men used to wear a black  cotton Laba, Langot (small dhoti) and Mirjai, women used to wear Dhoti, Ghagra and Angra (skirt like cloth) covered by  a Pichora or a shawl.  The  women’s dress used to be complete when they wore a safa or pagri on their heads,” he says.  “The dress later changed and people started wearing Churidar pyjama (wringed  trouser) kurta, round cap, Jawar cap and Mirjai  and dhoti after the British arrived  in Kumaon," says Pant.

Time tested

• Chung,a short-sleeved coat that reaches down to anklets
• Phu, a skirt that was fastened around the waist
• Jujang, a long sheet used with Phu
• Laba, a woollen cloth that covered the body from head to feet
• Langot, a small dhoti, Mirjai & Ghagra
• Angra (skirt like cloth) covered by Pichora
• Rangwali Pichora, a 3x1.25 metre long cotton cloth coloured in dark red on sharp yellow background
• Local people in the ancient to medieval times wore clothes made of Hemp (Bhang or Som plant of the Vedic period), Bhimal and Malu plants 
• Koli community was engaged in making clothes

Bhotias wore homemade coats, shirts, and skirts

According to experts from the tribal  community residing in Dharchula and Munsiyari  subdivisions of Pithoragarh district, tribal people living in Johar, Byans, Darma and Chaundas valleys of the region had a rich sense of  dressing throughout the middle and ancient  ages. As  they were  traders, they became aware of cotton, silk and  other rich woollen fibres the 9th century onwards when they started trading with  Tibet. “While western Bhotia men of the Johar valley used to wear homemade coats, and trousers with caps of woollen stuff, their women used to wear skirt coats, shirts and waistcoats with long head gears.  The  ancient  dress of eastern Bhotia women  of Darma, Byans and Chaundas valleys was short-sleeved coats called Chung, which reached down to  anklets, and a skirt called  Phu that was fastened  around the waist by a long sheet called Jujang. But their dress was said to  be complete when they wore a cap called V Chungti and long woollen boots,” says Sher Singh Pangti, a tribal historian and    manager of the museum on tribal craft at Munsiyari.

Rangwali Pichora for special occasions 

On auspicious occasions, especially during marriage and religious festivities, Kumauni women commonly wore Rangwali Pichora, a 3x1.25 metre long cotton cloth coloured in dark red on sharp yellow background. “Even coloured and dyed clothes were made at home by using several herbs available locally,” says Navin Singh Bisht, a journalist based in Almora.

The dressing sense and preferences of Kumauni people gradually changed and they started wearing dhoti, later  on pyjama and now trousers and Mirjai without buttons that covered the body up to knee. “These middle or ancient era dresses were replaced by short pants for men and sari petticoat and blouse for women while children used to wear a dress called Jhagula in the local dialect after the British  arrived in the Kumaon region  in 1815,” says  Pant.


Girls in traditional jewellry and attire.

Canada’s hemp industry is growing fast, but competition looms

By Ian Bickis
Source: thestar.com

Canada exports of hemp seeds and oil sprinting ahead in food industry. Hemp uses in building and car-part manufacturing could be next. U.S. competitors may soon get regulatory go ahead to do business.

Business is booming for Canada's hemp industry, but industry experts say it could be on the cusp 

of even bigger things.

CALGARY—Business is booming for Canada’s hemp industry, but industry experts say it could be on the cusp of even bigger things.

“This year is a year of change,” says Jan Slaski, a senior researcher at the government-funded Alberta Innovates Technology Futures, who has been studying hemp uses.

Slaski is confident that, after several false starts, Canada will soon start to see traction on some of the more industrial uses of hemp. These range from a building insulation made of lime, water and hemp called “hempcrete,” to its use replacing fibreglass in car parts and new types of textiles.

So far, however, it’s a more immediate use that’s put Canadian hemp producers on the map.

“Hemp has really made its footprint with the food sector,” said Kim Shukla, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance.

In the first four months of 2015, Canada exported $34 million worth of hemp seeds and oil. This is well on the way to bettering the $48 million exported last year and far ahead of the $12 million exported in 2011.

Businesses are gearing up to capitalize on the growth. To meet increasing demand for hemp foods, Manitoba-based Hemp Oil Canada is building a $14-million processing plant to triple its production capacity.

In June, U.S.-based Compass Diversified Holdings bought Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods for $133 million. The buyout came after Manitoba Harvest, which sells hemp-based foods, saw a 500 per cent growth in sales over the past five years.

Both companies have made significant inroads into the U.S., which already accounts for about half of Manitoba Harvest’s sales, according to company spokeswoman Kelly Saunderson.

There’s still strong growth potential in the U.S., where less than one per cent of the population has ever tried hemp foods, Saunderson says. And, here in Canada, less than four per cent has.

“We’re really just scratching the surface,” she said.

Canadian producers have a competitive advantage over Americans: hemp, a distant cousin to marijuana, is still largely banned from commercial growth in the U.S., even though it does not induce a high in those that consume it.

Meanwhile, it’s been legal to grow in Canada since 1998, although farmers still need to apply for a license and jump through a few other hoops.

“This is our great advantage,” said Slaski. “That’s what I’m preaching to the farmers, and all people along the value chain: Take advantage!”

Several Canadian companies have advanced plans to start developing the fibre side of hemp, she added, but the $30 million cost to build a processing plant has been a barrier.

Alberta Innovates has a smaller processing plant in Vegreville, where it is testing production and manufacturing options, and Slaski says he expects to see progress soon.

“We are just at the verge of seeing hempcrete buildings across the province and beyond,” he said.

Canadian entrepreneurs will have to act soon if they don’t want to deal with American competition.

Several states have already started to relax regulations, and, earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that seeks to end the federal ban on cultivation. The bill is in committee.

Hemp Won't Get You High, But Could Boost Your Portfolio Sooner Than You Think

By Adam Heimann

Source: thestreet.com

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Often confused with marijuana, hemp won't get you high, even though it comes from the same plant, cannabis sativa, as something that does. Yet, like marijuana, hemp is seeing a popular resurgence -- among both consumers and investors. 

When it comes to the effects of marijuana, hemp just doesn't cut it. It has very low concentrations of the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in pot -- 0.5% to 0.05%, according to the North American Industrial Hemp Council. Marijuana plants used for getting high typically containaround 15% THC. 

Despite its chemical difference versus marijuana, hemp, like pot, exists in a murky legal gray zone. Today hemp production is not legal nationwide. However, section 7606 of the 2014 farm bill has made it legal to grow industrial hemp under the direction of state departments and at four-year agriculture programs at universities that state that the hemp is only being grown for research purposes. 

Congress introduced the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 in January, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of "marijuana." And it defines "industrial hemp" basically as the cannabis plant with a THC concentration of less than 0.3% on a dry weight basis. States like Colorado, Vermont, California, North Dakota, and others that have passed laws enabling hemp licensure and are waiting for permission to grow hemp from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

The use of hemp products, however, is completely legal.

Barriers for production have not restricted people from getting their hemp fixes. In fact hemp, is being widely accepted as a new super food for health nuts. Benefits of hemp include sustained energy due to hemp’s effect on blood sugar regulation, keeping the body feeling fuller longer, reduction in cardiovascular disease, improved mental focus and may even ward off Alzheimer’s disease. The hemp seed's overall protein content of 34.6% is comparable to soy beans and is higher than that found in nuts or other seeds, meats, dairy products, fish and poultry.

Hemp product sales in the U.S. continue to grow. According to the Hemp Industries Association, total retail sales of hemp food and body care products in the United States are estimated to be around $184 million. When you consider clothing, paper products, and other items, the HIA estimates the market to be somewhere north of $580 million with a growth rate greater than 24%. Having not yet fully tapped a growing market where stateside production is universally acceptable, it stands to reason that this could be just the beginning for companies vying for an early foothold in the space. Meanwhile, the Energy Drink Production industry has managed to achieve double-digit growth over the past five years and is currently achieving a robust rate of 14.3%; valued at $8 billion, it has been a standout in the packaged beverage production industry.

The raw material may also be good for the bottom line. American farmers have been seeing Canadian farmers profit from hemp to the tune of $250 per acre in 2013. And when you compare it to another crop, like soybeans (roughly $71 per acre), hemp only seems that much more attractive. 

While there are companies you can invest in today that are creating hemp products in the U.S., it is much like investing in marijuana stocks -- the assets are very risky and volatile. The best ones are still penny stocks with tiny market caps. The two most-well-known are Totally Hemp Crazy (THCZ) and FBEC Worldwide (FBEC).

Totally Hemp makes a beverage brand named Rocky Mountain High. Since the beginning of the year, shares of Totally Hemp Crazy have rallied from near $0.01 levels to highs of $0.32. FBEC Worldwide is developing an energy-shot-sized product, WolfShot H.E.M.P., which will be launching in August of this year. The stock has gained somewhat over the last two months, with share prices increasing from $0.004 to as high as $0.14 on June 29. 

Outside of the sex appeal of the marijuana industry, hemp-based businesses could have considerable potential. Legalization of cultivation is in motion and comparison countries that have already allowed hemp cultivation have enjoyed significant prosperity, meaning that once the industry starts growing in the U.S., there is great potential. 

But, stay tuned, because as much as marijuana legalization -- and the big business that will grow out of it -- seems like it's coming to all 50 states, hemp is coming even faster. 

How to make your own recovery and energy drinks

By Vicky Ware
Source: cyclingweekly.co.uk

Find out how to use whole foods to create your own recovery and energy drinks with no junk involved. 




You can buy any number of different energy and recovery drink concoctions, but sometimes it’s nice to know exactly what you’re putting in your body, and why. It’s possible to make your own energy and recovery drinks using natural ingredients.

Lentine Zahler is a chef who focuses on using real foods to fuel athletes. “When it comes to nutrition, and sports drinks, the best choices you can make are those where you’re consuming whole, real and unprocessed ingredients,” she says.

When it comes to a recovery drink she advises: “Stick to real food. My favourites are chocolate milk or iced coffee with milk, because they contain some sugar, some fat and protein — all the things your body needs to rebuild.”
The essentials
Experiment to see what works for you
Energy drinks need electrolytes
Try vegan alternatives like pea protein
All foods in moderation

An energy drink could contain coconut water, honey, sea salt plus lemon or lime juice to flavour.

This provides the carbohydrate and electrolytes found in most processed energy drinks, but with a refreshing flavour and no refined sugar. If you want even longer-lasting energy try adding branched-chain amino acids for a protein-based fuel — or even rice or soy proteins which contain these naturally.

Sports nutritionist Laurent Bannock advises whey protein as a recovery drink ingredient. “Whey protein is easy to use and can be added to a ‘recovery’ shake to provide fast digestion and rapidly available proteins and amino acids,” he explains.

For a simple ‘super shake’ recipe he suggests adding oats and spinach to whey and blending as an easily digestible pre- or post-training drink.

An alternative to a dairy recovery drink could contain coconut milk, powdered oats and hemp protein.

Other dairy-free alternatives include almond and oat milks. Powdered oat provides carbohydrate and soluble fibre known to lower cholesterol.
Why use recovery drinks?





Key points

Try different kinds of base liquid for recovery drinks to see what works for you. Milk is a classic choice, but almond, coconut and oat milks also contain nutrients that are great for recovery.

Probiotics are another addition you could make to your recovery drink. These ‘friendly’ bacteria can help support your immune health, meaning your body is fighting fit to recover from exercise.

Energy drinks generally contain easily digestible carbohydrates and electrolytes. Honey and coconut water are a natural source of these nutrients. Honey is also antibacterial and anti-viral thereby giving your immune system a helping hand post-exercise.

If whole milk doesn’t suit you, try whey protein. It’s taken from dairy but some people find it easier to digest. It contains essential amino acids and is thought to support immune health.

Try adding chia seeds to your recovery drink for a boost in fibre and protein. They also contain the electrolytes you lose through sweat such as magnesium and calcium along with iron to rebuild red blood cells.

Pea, hemp or rice proteins are great for satisfying vegan protein requirements.

Vegetable smoothies are another great post-training drink. Adding protein such as pea or hemp protein will give you the building blocks for muscle recovery while vegetables give much-needed micronutrients, antioxidants and fibre.

Environmentalist hopes passion for hemp has ‘healthy’ impact

by Suzanne Pollak
Source: thejewishchronicle.net


Ben Droz likens his passion for hemp to his grandfather’s passion 
for Judaism and tikkun olam. (Photo by Suzanne Pollak)
Laid back is not how you would describe Ben Droz. When he picks up an interest, that interest becomes a passion — photography, trick skateboarding and, of all things, the benefits of industrial hemp.

While attending Goucher College in Baltimore, where he majored in sociology and anthropology and minored in cognitive science, Droz realized he better get moving if he was going to make an impact on the world.

Combining his early love for making necklaces out of hemp fiber and selling them at craft fairs with his urge to be involved in the climate change movement, the 28-year-old Squirrel Hill native began studying industrial hemp. 

He wrote many of his college papers on the subject and then sent those papers along to any hemp-related organizations he could find in order to get a summer internship. 

Vote Hemp in Washington, D.C., hired him as an intern in his junior year, and Droz has been working for the advocacy group ever since. He 

currently is legislative liaison and spends his days lobbying Congress, detailing all the advantages of industrial hemp, which is extracted from the stem of the cannabis plant and used to make rope, fabric, the dashboards of cars, cosmetics and even milk.

Because industrial hemp is derived from the same plant as marijuana, under federal law it is a Schedule 1 drug, grouped with heroin. That is why Droz sometimes has been accused of working for Vote Hemp so he can get high. “I just say, ‘That’s a different issue. That’s a personal issue.’”

But the anti-hemp tide is turning. Twenty-four states now allow hemp production or research. Last year’s federal farm bill included an industrial hemp pilot program.

Even marijuana is experiencing a wave of support and is legal, mostly as medicine, in about one-fourth of the United States.  

Still, in order for a farm to grow the hemp plant, permits most be obtained from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Drug Enforcement Administration. That is often enough to discourage farmers, according to Droz.

“Hemp is healthy. Hemp is healthy for farmers. Hemp is healthy for jobs,” he said, repeating the message he works to get out. Hemp is the new and improved flax, he said.

His enthusiasm for hemp is all-consuming. He carries a briefcase made from bio composite materials including hemp. Hemp socks, shirts and ties populate his wardrobe. “I always have something on” that is made from hemp. “It’s breathable and comfortable” and doesn’t need to be washed as often, he said.

Droz views hemp “as a very concrete way” to help the environment, reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides and increase sustainability. 

Young people no longer dream of buying a house. They want to follow their passion while working to improve the world, according to Droz. And when it comes to the environment, there is no time to wait, he said.

“I am not even worried about my kids. I am worried about me,” said Droz. 

Droz equates his passion for hemp to his grandfather’s passion for Judaism and tikkun olam. While attending West Point, Jesse Cohen, the former chairman of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh who died in in 2012, successfully fought for a place for Jews to worship there.

Droz’s passion does not come with a large paycheck, so he takes on as many photographing jobs as possible, including weddings and b’nai mitzvah, which leaves little free time for hobbies. His skateboarding days, while not totally over, have been curtailed. “It was really hard on my body. I was feeling old. My back hurt. My knees hurt.”

That just leaves more time to spread the word that hemp is “super healthy, a premium product in its early stages.”