My blog is dedicated to the exploration of industrial hemp in America including the rich history of all forms of cannabis, the evolving law and politics of hemp and marijuana, the many products made from cannabis and the capacity, real or imagined, of hemp to re-industrialize rural America and revitalize the American family farm.
Since 1937, when the Dupont Chemical Corporation influenced the federal government to outlaw the Cannabis plant in order to eliminate competition with their petroleum based products, hemp has been illegal to grow in the U.S. but now it’s back! And Hemp can help us save the planet.
Hemp and Marijuana are two types of materials grown from the plant known as Cannabis which has seven sub-species that can be cultivated for specific and diverse attributes.
Hemp is a hardy plant that grows over most of the land on earth. It puts down deep roots, which stabilizes the soil from erosion, and when its leaves drop off, minerals and nitrogen are returned to the land.
Hemp can be harvested after growing 20-feet tall within four months of planting. It naturally repels weed growth and has very few insect enemies reducing the need for harmful pesticides.
When faced with the dire consequences of our headlong dive into progress, America’s ingenuity, creative vision, and talent for innovation can move us towards a clean fuel economy by abolishing fossil-fuels and investing in hemp as the new basis for our 21st century economy.
HEMP AS A SOURCE OF FUEL
Biofuels, which can be used to generate electricity, are produced without environmentally damaging practices like drilling, fracking, or mining.
Plant “biomass” is the fuel for the future. Cleaner than fossil fuels, it can provide gasoline, and charcoal to meet all of our energy needs.
To stop and reverse the greenhouse effect, we need to eliminate the CO2 buildup in the atmosphere. Hemp absorbs high quantities of carbon dioxide, and transfers it into the soil; creating healthier land as it helps to balance global warming by reducing CO2 from the atmosphere.
HEMP AS A FOOD SOURCE
Hemp provides a complete source of vegetable protein, and contains eight essential amino acids.
Its seed, which is low in saturated fat, contains many oils which our bodies can’t make for themselves, but are necessary for our survival.
Hemp protein can be processed and flavored in a variety of ways. Hemp oil can be used to make nutritious tofu, butter, and cheese, as well as other foods.
Companies like Manitoba Harvest, Nutiva and others already offer delicious and nutritious hemp based food products for the American market.
HEMP AS BUILDING
MATERIALS AND PLASTICS
New applications for hemp include the manufacture of strong, long lasting, construction materials like compressed fiber boards which can be used to frame and panel structures, environmentally friendly concrete, as well as composites for automobile manufacturing, and biodegradable soft plastics for home, office and medical use.
HEMP AS A SOURCE
FOR PAPER
The prohibition of hemp led to the unnecessary destruction of forests in The U.S. and the world over. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one acre of hemp can produce four times more paper than one acre of trees.
Hemp offers us an opportunity to make affordable and environmentally safe paper for all of our needs. Paper made naturally from hemp is acid free and will last for centuries.
Substituting hemp for trees, would save forests and wildlife habitats and would reduce the pollution of lakes, rivers, and streams that happen as a byproduct of wood pulp paper manufacturing.
HEMP AS A SOURCE OF FIBER
The hemp plant produces some of the strongest natural fiber known to man.
As hemp is resistant to decay we have evidence of its use beginning over 10,000 years ago when it was cultivated for its long fibrous stems from which rope, paper, cloth and textiles were made.
Hemp fiber is ten-times stronger, softer, warmer and more water absorbent than cotton and can be used to make clothing, bedding, towels, draperies, rugs, tents and sails. It can be spun and woven to be as smooth as silk, or as durable as denim.
Hemp is one of the most valuable, renewable resources that we have, producing over 25,000 different products and it is now currently legal to grow.
Let’s take the initiative in re-establishing a thriving hemp industry.
From farming, to manufacturing, to research, and transportation, the new hemp industry can generate thousands of jobs. Hemp is our best hope for reducing the pollution of our atmosphere and re-establishing a harmonious balance on our planet.
10+ alternatives to consider when bedding down your horse’s stall
Not so long ago (for some of us, anyway), the mention of stall bedding brought to mind just one image: a warm, deep—but not so absorbent—cushion of golden straw that rustled with the horse’s every movement. And although straw (most commonly the unused stems of barley, oat, rye, or wheat crops) has historically sufficed for both horse (and even human) bedding, times are starting to change. There are many, many more bedding options available for your horse’s stall.
The ideal bedding is:
Absorbent
Comfortable
Conveniently disposable
Cost-effective
Dry
Dust- and allergen-free
Easy to remove manure and urine from
Environmentally friendly (produced and shipped with minimal environmental impact and compostable)
Readily available
Sanitary (free of pathogens and other harmful substances)
Storage-space saving
Unappetizing to horses
Over the years, the list of bedding materials has grown to include a host of products that offer varying degrees of each of these qualities. Some are widely available, while others are byproducts of local or regional agriculture and industry and, so, are more geographically limited.
Traditional, widely available bedding materials include sand, shavings, sawdust, and pelleted wood products that fluff up quickly when walked on and/or lightly sprayed with water, forming a cushion from which caretakers can pick out soiled and wet spots easily with a manure fork. New materials can be added as needed, cutting down on the frequency of labor-intensive stall stripping.
Read on to learn about more options you might already know about and use, as well as some that might be new to you. Some can easily fly solo, and others work best when combined—either as a base layer or mixed in—with one of the more traditional bedding materials.
Coir Husk
Made from shredded coconut husk and fiber, coir is very absorbent.
Photo: iStock
Made from shredded coconut husk and fiber, coir is very absorbent. So absorbent, in fact, it’s also used on toxic (oil, etc.) spills. Coir decomposes quickly and is dust-free and unpalatable to horses. Coir reduces the odors and air contaminants associated with dustier beddings, as well as the excessive moisture associated with less absorbent materials.
Online reviewers, however, report that when the raw fiber is baled, it’s very difficult to spread, making disk and pellet forms more desirable. Other downsides are where its sourced (tropical climates where coconuts grow) and the consequent expense of import.
Corn Cobs
Found in agricultural regions everywhere, but most commonly in the Midwest, corn cobs and stems make an outstanding bedding if they are crushed, ground, or shredded. Online reviewers say this option is softer, much less dusty, and more absorbent than wood pellets. “Clumpability” results in quicker stall cleaning and less product waste. And reviewers note that although your horse might nibble on the bedding initially, he’ll usually quit after a day or so.
One ground product compacted into pellet form composts in about six months, which compares to wood shavings, which can take up to two years. Evidenced by an online video, at a ratio of 1 cup of water to 1 cup of product, the corn cob pellets absorb 99% of water in 34 seconds, whereas wood pellets, coarse-ground corn cobs, and wood shavings didn’t fully absorb the water even after 50 seconds, 1 minute 10 seconds, and 1 minute 25 seconds, respectively. A 40-pound bag costs about $6.
Hay
The obvious problem with using hay for bedding is that your horse is bound to eat it. You also lose the ability to monitor his feed intake.
Other than the nutritional factor, hay is pretty much equal to straw in its bedding qualities, but you can bet it’ll be more expensive.
Hemp is soft, lightweight, dust-free, and absorbent, but it has a higher up-front cost than some other bedding materials.
Photo: Courtesy American Hemp LLC
Hemp
Although hemp is a cannabis plant, the type used for bedding is called industrial hemp and differs from the marijuana plant in its almost-nonexistent THC content, as well as in its usefulness for commercial and industrial applications. However, many states continue to prohibit growing hemp for any use. In 2015 eight states allowed hemp growing: Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermont, and 20 more were creating or revising their hemp-growing laws.
Hemp is more highly renewable than timber products. Arch Kingsley of Long Leaf Stables, in Camden, South Carolina, has used hemp bedding, made by shredding the “hurd,” or inner layer of stalk, for more than a year. He says it’s nearly dust-free, very absorbent (manufacturers say it can sponge up about four times its weight), and makes a superb bedding for his horses. Kingsley also attributes his horses’ clean respiratory bills of health to his hemp-bedded stalls.
The bedding is soft, lightweight, and unpalatable, and although it’s more expensive up front due to being sourced primarily from Europe and Canada, Kingsley says it lasts a lot longer than other bedding types.
“It does require a finer technique when mucking a stall,” he says. “We pick the piles and always remove the wet spot. But with hemp, you can take the less saturated material and mix it back in with the drier areas. If you use it conservatively, it’s more economical. And it’s low in acid (so has a more balanced pH) and quick to compost. It supports the health of the horses and the stable.”
The cost of hemp bedding varies from $23 per 33-pound bag to $510 for a 30-bag pallet ($17/bag), plus shipping. Half and full truckloads of 480 and 1,000 bags are also available.
Leaves
Chopped mature leaves are pretty much free and can make a satisfactory bedding, but they can become compacted and heavy when wet. Also, be sure not to use any part of black walnut trees, as they’re toxic to horses.
Paper Products
Shredded paper products, including corrugated cardboard and phone books, are lightweight, economical, highly absorbent, and allergen-, dust-, and odor-free. They’re available bagged or baled, and horses won’t eat them. However, paper is highly flammable. The other downside is the possibility of ink rubbing off on lighter-colored horses and on stall and stable walls. Although many inks these days are nontoxic vegetable dyes, cleanup can be an issue, as can the blowability factor in windy locations when dry and the product’s weight when wet.
On the plus side, paper’s high carbon content tends to reduce odors, and paper composts readily. It’s widely available in most areas. Cost varies according to the product’s source and processing.
Peat Moss
Reviews are mixed on this natural product, but most agree that peat’s time as horse bedding has come and gone. Natural in this case doesn’t equate with environmentally friendly; peat comprises the lower layers of living sphagnum moss (like what you buy at the craft store to line the wire plant containers on your patio) that has decomposed underground in wet, boggy conditions for thousands of years. The living moss has to be scraped away to mine the peat, and doing so damages the wetlands the moss grows in and disrupts the bog’s biodiversity.
Peat moss is also low on the absorbency scale, and its dark color makes it difficult to differentiate wet and dirty spots from unsoiled areas. Some users report a high incidence of hoof problems with peat use.
On the upside, peat reviewers say it’s low in dust, minimizing respiratory issues, and it cuts down on odors. It’s cushy for your horses, and its fine fibers readily compost—and most any gardener would be eager to take your waste for fertilizer. Three cubic feet costs about $12 at home improvement stores.
Pelleted Straw
Wheat straw compressed into pellets is reportly twice as absorbent as paper bedding products, absorbing 300% of its weight in moisture. Users gave its dustiness mixed online reviews. It’s steam-processed at 195°F, reducing bacteria, molds, and yeast and is also packaged for small animals. It costs about $9 per 30 pounds.
Reused Composted Bedding
Composted bedding, seen being turned here, is the new kid on the block.
Photo: Courtesy Green Mountain Technologies
Researchers have recently documented improvements in allergy- and respiratory-related conditions in horses bedded on reused composted bedding. “It’s a fairly new concept,” says Hannah Mueller, DVM, of Cedarbrook Veterinary Clinic, in Snohomish, Washington. “We were fortunate enough to use it on trial, and my hope is that it gains in popularity.”
The developer of reused composted bedding uses several types of systems, depending on a facility’s size and needs. Moisture and aeration, which are composting fundamentals, produce heat that destroys harmful microbes and within two weeks turns waste products—whether food or agricultural wastes—into reusable compost that makes excellent bedding, says Mueller.
She studied three hospitalized horses: one with bedding-caused hives, one with a tracheotomy due to an upper airway obstruction, and one with equine asthma (historically referred to as recurrent airway obstruction, or RAO, or heaves). All three improved when the bedding in their stalls was changed from pelleted wood to reused composted bedding.
The hivey horse’s skin symptoms resolved within a week, with new hives discontinuing within just a few days. “Instead of aerosolizing the allergens, the composted bedding kept them down to a reasonable level so the horse’s respiratory system was happy,” says Mueller. “I was expecting the other horses’ breathing issues to resolve, but this horse’s improvement was an unexpected surprise.”
The horse with the tracheotomy produced significantly less mucous, and his condition improved greatly within a week. Mueller saw the same scenario in the horse with equine asthma. “The composted bedding kept the dust down and improved breathing, keeping airways from constricting and causing an asthma attack,” she says.
“It was important anecdotal evidence, and I’d like to see it in a double-blind study to prove the results we had,” she adds. “Startup costs are high, but once installed, the system saves money over time. It’s more environmentally friendly and beneficial for the horses because it holds a level of moisture in the bedding that keeps dust and allergens down.”
Seed Hulls and Plant Byproducts
The thin seed coats (as opposed to hard shells or pods) and other byproducts from cottonseed, oats, peanuts, rice, wheat, and other agricultural crops are generally available in the geographic area in which they’re grown (rice on the West Coast and in the Southwest; wheat in the Northwest and Great Plains; peanuts in the South). Mixing the lighter hulls with a more absorbent bedding keeps the surface dry, while moisture drains into the heavier layer and can be lifted out. The combination composts relatively slow, however.
Online reviewers say rice hulls dry out quickly (so on the flip side, they aren’t super absorbent); are easy to use because the dry hulls readily fall through the muck rake; result in fewer hoof problems; and as a bonus, put a great shine on horses’ coats. However, horses reportedly like to eat rice hulls (so, an impaction worry) unless mixed with a less palatable material or soiled.
One example of a seed hull product, made from rice hulls, contains diatomaceous earth and montmorillonite clay to increase absorbency and combat odors and flies and costs $9-14 per 50-pound (6 cubic feet) bag.
Take-Home Message
When evaluating various types of bedding for your particular horse(s) and operation, keep in mind that the less product used, the less you’ll have to purchase, store, move, and dispose of. To select the best bedding for your (and your horse’s) needs, evaluate those factors along with the health risks and benefits of all the products available in your area.
Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize cannabis three years ago, and will soon be host to a new, unique museum totally dedicated to marijuana.
This Friday, the Cannabis Museum will open its doors in the capitol city of Montevideo for the first time. Organizers say the project is part of “continuing the rich history of freedoms that Uruguay has always adopted in an avant-garde way.”
Amsterdam, which also has a museum dedicated to marijuana, is contributing items for display, according to museum Director Eduardo Blasina.
The museum will be the first one dedicated to marijuana in Latin America and the southern hemisphere. Its mission, in part, is to promote “biological and cultural diversity,” according to the museum’s Facebook page, while also serving as a “cultural club.”
“It’s a way to connect people who love nature, art and science,” Blasina said.
Uruguay fully legalized production, use and sale of recreational marijuana in 2013, including allowing users to grow up to six pot plants for personal use.
The region is seeing a movement toward legalizing marijuana. Just last year, Columbia legalized medical marijuana, and Chile harvested its first medical marijuana crop.
Eight states have legalized recreational marijuana in the United States so far, with medical marijuana being legal in more than half of the country's 50 states.
By Andrew Doyle Source: somersetlive.co.uk If your impression of cannabis is of 'factories' being busted by the police or wide-eyed dope-smokers and psychotic skunk casualties, think again.
One mother has written a children's book about the positive side of the hemp plant, widely known as cannabis, in a bid to help change society's attitudes to it and reclaim all that's good about the plant.
In her story, Elkie Visits the Hemp Fairy, Chloe Forfitt creates an alternative world where the hemp plant has a central role in everybody's life.
Mum of one Miss Forfitt, 37, explained how the idea came about.
"We were listening to a song called Land of Sensi by Macka-B - he sings about a land where hemp plants are used for everything.
"My daughter Elkie said it sounded like a lovely place, asked if we could go because it sounded like everyone was so well and happy."
In the song the reggae star sings: "How can a tree that's so versatile be illegal?" He goes on to extol the virtues of "sensi" - another term for cannabis.
The idea is to convey the message that hemp should be a central part of our lives instead of being sidelined.
"We're not talking about using it has a recreational drug - this is about the health benefits of the plant itself, it's importance as a food and medicine and how it can be used for clothes," said Miss Forfitt.
"Children see through the hypocrisy of the situation - it's a wonderful plant that does so much good."
The story is about a little girl who meets a fairy in her grandfather's garden. With her she visits Hemp Land and is shown many of the marvellous things that hemp can do.
"This is a book to change the profile of one of the world's most useful plants," writes Miss Forfitt on a gofundme page set up to launch the book - you can get a copy by visiting the page and donating £10 to 'help get the Hemp Fairy flying'.
Mr Cannabis actively promotes the health benefits of cannabis - indeed it's essential role in people's well-being.
From his shop, Hemp in Avalon, he sells a completely legal, non-mood altering form of hemp for medicinal purposes as well as clothes, food and other products from his shop in the town and has spoken before of his desire to see the plant decriminalised.
"The expert opinion is that a diet rich in cannabis is not only beneficial it's necessary for optimum health," he said.
"It's a plant that provides everything we need."
A key reason for the health benefits of cannabis are the natural cannabinoid receptors we all have, according to some schools of scientific research.
The plant is widely licensed in the UK and other countries for medicinal production and in the US 29 states have either legalised or decriminalised it.
Miss Forfitt, who is a Steiner-Waldorf-trained teacher, as well as an illustrator and writer, is keen to promote this message and says she's not advocating drug use.
"It's about respect for the plant as a food and a medicine - it's a natural phenomenon," she said.
Neither she, nor Free Cannabis, advocate the use of high THC (the psycotropic element) mass-produced drug which can cause mental health problems.
They advocate the decriminalisation of the naturally occurring plant, which they say should be part of the eco-system.
"It's about the planet and the and the things that we need to do to balance what we use and work towards a sustainable future," said Miss Forfitt.
*The book gets its official launch at Hemp in Avalon in Glastonbury on December 17.
Cannabis plants grow to about 3 meters tall. (Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
Only farmers with permits to grow cannabis to make hemp "shimenawa" rope used for ritual Shinto purification are legally allowed to do so in Japan. But in response to an increasing number of applications for such permits from rural communities suffering drastic depopulation -- based on the belief that cannabis cultivation could help revitalize local economies -- the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has stepped up its oversight of applications.
A legally approved cannabis grower was found to be smoking marijuana and arrested in October. In November, 37-year-old Toshihiko Ueno, who had received permission to grow cannabis by saying on his application to the Tottori Prefectural Government that he wanted to "revive the tradition of hemp cultivation," was indicted for violating the Cannabis Control Act. He had begun growing marijuana in the Tottori Prefecture town of Chizu after receiving his permit.
The possession and transfer of marijuana is banned under the Cannabis Control Act, but cultivation of the plant is allowed with prefectural permission. The Chizu Municipal Government assisted Ueno in drafting and submitting his application, and Ueno sold hemp coal, seeds and oils that had been processed to have no psychoactive constituents in them. His business seemed to be doing well.
However, people hoping to smoke marijuana gradually descended upon the town. According to the health ministry, Ueno held "tours" in which he would allow visitors to enter his usually fenced-in cannabis farm and help with weeding and harvesting. The tours appeared online as "cannabis therapy." Ueno was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of marijuana that was different from what he had grown himself.
Cannabis plants waiting to be shipped.
(Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
In the fall of 2015, the Hokkaido town of Higashikawa decided that it wanted to use cannabis to make building materials, biofuel, and herbal remedies, and along with a civic organization, proposed that the central government designate the town as a special national strategy zone for regional revitalization.
However, with the arrests made in Chizu, Tottori Prefecture, the Higashikawa Municipal Government decided to terminate its discussions with the central government out of concern that it would be misconstrued as trying to grow cannabis for the purpose of smoking it. In the Kansai region, a village resident contacted prefectural authorities asking whether efforts being made by the village government to make hemp a signature product of the village were legal.
On Nov. 25, it emerged that 22 people had migrated to a mountainous community in Nagano Prefecture and were illegally growing marijuana, in a case in which the local municipal government had no involvement.
In November, the health ministry created pamphlets calling on local governments to be careful about using cannabis as a way for revitalizing local economies, and instructed all municipalities to conduct strict assessments when issuing permits. The ministry points out that there have been no examples of cannabis cultivation developing into a large-scale industry, and to be careful of those suggesting that growing marijuana is "profitable" or that "its possibilities are infinite."
Some are wary of such increases in oversight. A hemp promotion association in Ise, Mie Prefecture, comprising Kogakkan University -- attended primarily by those who enter the Shinto priesthood or other related careers -- and other organizations, is seeking a cannabis cultivation permit in order to conduct Shinto rituals using hemp made in Japan. "The recent cases are unwelcome," Hitoshi Nitta, a Kogakkan University professor and board member said in reference to the slew of arrests. "Authorities should clamp down on cannabis in drug form, but it feels as though hemp, as a fiber, has been dragged through the mud."
The cover of a pamphlet created by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare warning
against the temptation of using cannabis as a tool for revitalizing local economies. (Mainichi) Former actress Saya Takagi, 53, who was recently indicted on charges of marijuana possession, had attracted public attention in July when she ran in the House of Councillors election on a platform of making medical marijuana legal. Marijuana is used in some states in the U.S. for medical purposes, such as alleviating pain caused by cancer, but "medical marijuana" as such does not exist in Japan.
Meanwhile, the use of morphine is approved in Japan. However, the amount used is approximately 1/15 that of the amount used in the U.S. "Patients resist the use of narcotics," says Motohiro Matoba, who heads the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center's Palliative Care Department in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward. "There are side effects, such as nausea, so families often oppose the use of narcotics, too."
Because of this, the health ministry takes the position that medical narcotics that are currently approved for their safety and effectiveness are sufficient, and that it is too early to engage in discussion of medical marijuana.
Did you know that Marijuana can also be used for things other than recreation? Say, for science and technology? Yep, that’s what Hemp, the industrial... Marijuana has been around with us since the ancient times – Even up until now, about 266 million people who smoke it every year. However, did you know that Marijuana can also be used for things other than recreation? Say, for science and technology? Yep, that’s what Hemp, the industrial strain of Cannabis sativa, is used for. From food to fuel to textures, it has been used to create materials for the benefit of our society- and we aren’t just using it for this purpose now; we’ve been using it like this for about tens of thousands of years, you just didn’t notice it. Unlike its sister strain, it definitely won’t get you high, but it has some amazing properties nonetheless. Hemp has been around in America for quite some time too- The first American flag was sewed by Betty Ross with hemp. It was also farmed at Mt. Vernon by none other than George Washington himself. However, its full potential was never realized; we all know that drug restrictions banned marijuana, but unfortunately, this suppressed hemp too. Because of this misleading conflation, the Hemp industry was in shambles for about 60 years. That is, until a farm bill was passed in 2014, which finally defined it as an agricultural crop, leaving a door of opportunities to open to American farmers. Hemp fibers. Source: BBCI And thankfully, the drug laws are loosening around Hemp in other countries too. China is the world’s leading Hemp producer, and Canada has capitalized it during the America’s war against drugs. This means that after so long, we can finally introduce Hemp back into our technology driven society, and use it to create future innovations. Okay, so what exactly makes Hemp so special? What amazing properties does it have that can change our world and create big leaps in science and technology? Well, to start off, Hemp is remarkably environmentally friendly. Not only does it not deplete the soil’s nutrients (unlike cotton), but it actually puts back nitrogen into the soil. It also takes less water but produces more plants per acre (one acre of hemp produces four times the paper an acre of trees does.) It also has low lignin content and natural brightness, hence reducing the need for pulping and bleaching, meaning fewer chemicals are needed to produce paper from it. Hemp can also grow in a wide variety of soils and climates, so it can be harvested in all 50 states of the US, and in other countries as well. It also has one of the strongest plant fibers, and is naturally resistant to weeds and pests. Add that to the fact that it harvests quickly, as it grows 10 to 20 feet in just four months, then you have every farmer’s dream crop. Moving on to its seeds, Hemp seeds are incredible source of protein. More than 25 percent of their calories come from high-quality protein, which, compared to other foods like chia and flax seeds, is considerably huge. Various studies have also been conducted, showing that they possible have the ability to reduce the risk of heart disease, as well as easing the pain of PMS, and helping digestion. And last but not the least, Hemp is also ideal plant for ethanol production. Ethanol is the cleanest-burning liquid bio-alternative to gasoline. Combusting ethanol releases water vapor and just the right amount CO2, which plants can then absorb (and unlike Gasoline, doesn’t release harmful gasses like methane). These properties make Hemp such a wonderful plant- almost too good to be true, especially in the world of environmental concerns like climate change and global warming. It’s no wonder that farmers love it so much. Hemp Fiber Graphene. Source: Earthtechling Okay, so Hemp is a very good substitute for cotton and paper, but where are these high-tech innovations that we’re talking about? Well, first of all, there’s graphene – an amazingly thin nanomaterial that’s so thin but so strong that it’s an ideal material for several gadgets and gizmos. Hemp fiber is also very thin and strong that Dr. David Mitlin, a scientist from Clarkson University in New York, says his team was able to mimic the graphene’s stunning qualities using hemp waste. What’s even better is that graphene-like hemp costs only a very small fraction of the price of traditional graphene: $500 for a ton compared to graphene’s $2,000 per gram. It’s no surprise that Dr. Mitlin thinks that this product could outperform graphene. Hemp Nanosheets Process Illustration. Source: Truthonpot Furthermore, Hemp is the main ingredient for a new amazing product- hempcrete, which is a kind of concrete, except it’s made out of hemp and lime. Hempcrete is almost like a super-concrete: Unlike normal concrete, Hempcrete has a negative CO2 footprint, which then improves air quality by reducing the greenhouse effect. It has natural insulation that can keep a home warm or cool, hence reducing need for energy consuming heaters and air conditioners. It is also ideal for earthquake-prone areas, as it is resistant to cracks even under high pressure. Oh, and did I mention that It’s even mold, fire and termite proof? Hempcrete. Source: ireadculture And lastly, you can also create bacteria-fighting fabrics with Hemp. Back in 1990, Chinese scientists were creating blended hemp fabrics in order to prevent fatal infections in hospitals, as this Hemp fabric has and outstanding resistance to Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as staph. In the US alone, about 2 million people get infected with staph whilst hospitalized, and about 90,000 people die. If this product can be pushed through, it would mean saving hundreds of thousands of lives all over the world. And Luckily, EnviroTextiles, a Colorado-based company currently working on developing such a fabric. Preliminary studies has shown that hemp-rayon fabric blend they created is 98.5% resistant to staph, and 65.1% resistant to pneumonia. EnviroTextiles is also offering to create UV and infrared resistant Hemp fabric, which is ideal for military purposes. These are only a few of the many high-tech innovations that hemp can help create. Hemp holds unlimited potential not only as a form of environmentally friendly, easy and cheap to produce crop that can be used as a substitute to our otherwise environmentally hazardous everyday materials, but also as a plant that can help spark an evolution in science and technology for the benefit of our society.
So long as they don’t carry buds, cannabis plants are legal in Austria. Although cannabis as a recreational drug is as illegal as in most other countries, you can easily purchase White Widow, Jack Herer, or Lemon Haze “cuttings” in Vienna and many other Austrian cities. The Austrian Narcotic Drugs Act only punishes cannabis cultivation for the purpose of drug production — a very significant distinction.
The the 40-year-old drug law does not distinguish between flowering and non-flowering plants, but merely defines for which purposecannabis is illegal. Therefore, those who cultivate non-flowering plants are acting in compliance with the law. The producers of the cuttings look accurately to ensure that their mother plants do not develop the slightest sign of it’s gender or any buds.
In the mid-1990s, the pioneers of the first Viennese growshop, “Was Denn? (What’s Up?)”, discovered the loophole in Austria’s Narcotics Act and started to grow and sell cannabis cuttings. The Austrian authorities did not want to know anything about legal cannabis plants in those days. Around the turn of the millennium, shops opened, were closed by the police, and reopened in a repeating process.
Eventually, shops complained about the confiscation of their plants on the basis of the Narcotic Drug Law and repeatedly won court cases. Since 2006, clone-shops have been able to produce in the liberal Vienna and surrounding area without being harassed; in other parts of the region, clone shops have been widely rejected by local authorities.
But since this acquittal for Vienna’s largest Cannabis farmer, Austria is booming with new cannabis shops sprouting like mushrooms all over the country. In the border regions to the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland and Germany, the new and legal business model is very popular.
Cannabis exports remain prohibited despite the EU’s internal market, but border controls are only provided in exceptional cases in the Schengen area, which also includes non-EU member Switzerland. Although the traders regularly remind German and Italian customers of the export ban, the small Alps Republic has become the No.1 export nation of cannabis genetics. Of course, in addition to cuttings, cannabis seeds are legal and even easier to transport than clones to Germany or Switzerland, where even seeds are unlawful.
A cuttle is not more expensive than a seed.
Since the price for a cutting of a well-selected strain is usually below the cost of a seed, most customers in Austria are counting on the faster method of asexually propagated cuttings. A cuttle costs between five and ten dollars, depending on the stage of development and the medium used — a package of 10 feminized seeds costs between 50 and 150 dollars. Regular, non-feminized seeds are becoming increasingly rare; they typically cost twice as much as female seeds..
In addition to a handful of genuine wholesale traders, there are also numerous smaller suppliers who specialize in niches like organic cuttings or the cultivation of seedlings from feminized seeds. At the time of purchase, the trader will inform his customer not to illuminate the plant less than 18 hours, because they could otherwise bloom and become illegal.
Officially, Jack Flash or O.G.Kush are offered as an ornamental plant or for aromatherapy. Producers must ensure that their plants do not show the smallest sign of a developing bud. Even one tiny white hair could be regarded as evidence of an attempt to produce addictive drugs. If a customer ignores this advice and illuminates the plants for 12 hours, the retailer is relieved of responsibility.
Hanf & Hanf Clones
One of Vienna’s largest and oldest clone producers is Hanf & Hanf in the Lasallestreet next to Vieanna’s famous “Prater.” From 50 meters in front of the shop, one can’t avoid the smell of freshly cut mother plants, which are used as a basis for breeding. Owner Drazen offersBubble Gum, Cheese, Shiva Skunk, Herijuana, and White Satin clones in organic, rockwool- or Coco- substrate. Apart from cuttings, most Viennese shops now offer seedlings from feminized or even feminized automatic varieties. In addition, there are LED cuttings with particularly short internodes, outdoor and Sea-of-Green suitable clones as well as the complete box with 16 seedlings for 800 dollars. The consultation is always about “beautiful flowers,” which are cherished and cultivated in the production hall next to the shop by more than 20 gardeners on several hundred square meters. Here is a true sea of mothers, pre-breeding, rooting- and fogging-rooms on two floors. All in all, Hanf & Hanf offers more than 50 carefully selected varieties of Europe’s leading seedbanks. On “Green Friday,” which takes place once a month, all strains are offered at a special price. The founder of Hanf & Hanf regularly has to curb the flow of visitors by locking the door.
The “Hemp-Embassy” presents potent flowers
Last year, the “Hempembassy Association” dared to exhibit potent cannabis plants and buds in their rooms. The flowering cannabis plants are protected against unauthorized access and not grown with the intention of producing illegal drugs, but to inform visitors about the forbidden plant. The intention “not to produce drugs” makes it all legal.
The finished plants are brought to the Simmering waste incineration and destroyed under notarized supervision. In order to spread and shape the political message transparently, the entire flowering process is documented, filmed, and put online by the Hemp Embassy staff. Nobody is supposed to come up with the idea that a single bud grown here is being harvested or sold. The Hemp Embassy in the Esterhazygasse 34 shows eight large displays with clearly visible flowering plants. The plants are, on average, 1.20 m high, and show the charms of their buds in the various stages, separated from the visitors by safety glass. Every display has a string to pull that releases the specific smell of the strain variety through a few tiny holes in the glass.
“The real ambassador is the plant itself. We are not a ‘huray-legalize movement,’ but try to influence the discussion in a rational way,” embassy-initiator Stivi Wolyniec explained.
But despite the liberal clone regulations, Cannabis as a recreational drug or a medicine is strictly forbidden. Unlike in the Netherlands, Italy or Germany, there is not even a medical cannabis program deserving of the name. In the pharmacies, only Dronabinol (Marinol) and Sativex are available. This is exists in the face of the enormous sales and the related tax revenues for Austria.
Hemp Embassy Vienna-Hanfmuseum Wien Esterhazygasse 34
The finished plants are brought to the Simmering waste incineration and destroyed under notarized supervision. In order to spread and shape the political message transparently, the entire flowering process is documented, filmed, and put online by the Hemp Embassy staff. Nobody is supposed to come up with the idea that a single bud grown here is being harvested or sold. The Hemp Embassy in the Esterhazygasse 34 shows eight large displays with clearly visible flowering plants. The plants are, on average, 1.20 m high, and show the charms of their buds in the various stages, separated from the visitors by safety glass. Every display has a string to pull that releases the specific smell of the strain variety through a few tiny holes in the glass.
Hemp Embassy Vienna-Hanfmuseum Wien