HEMP PLANTATIONS CAUSING QUITE A BUZZ

Townshipper Harvests Seeds Used In Strange Brew

COMPTON - Hardly a day goes by without a local newspaper or national media
outlet reporting on the arrest of another illicit marijuana producer. But
some people are out there growing cannabis legally, not for smoking but
pretty much for everything else.

Marijuana is produced from an annual herbaceous flowering plant known as
Cannabis sativa. But just like tomato plants and other flowering plants
that come in a number of different varieties, so to does the infamous
Cannabis sativa plant. One of the varieties of the plant is grown illegally
to produce marijuana. Its 'look-alike' cousin is used to produce hemp.
Unfortunately, only a person trained to look for specific differences
between the two varieties would be able to differentiate between them in
the field.

The major chemical that produces the narcotic qualities of marijuana is
abbreviated THC, and is more properly known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol.

According to the Natural Hemphasis' Hemp Information Service, the flowering
tops and leaves of Cannabis used in the production of marijuana contains
between five and 15 per cent THC compared to a concentration of 0.3 per
cent in the Cannabis plants used to produce hemp. At that low
concentration, psychoactive properties are nonexistent. In both varieties
of Cannabis, no THC is found either in the stalk of the plant or in its seeds.

For this reason, the cultivation of industrial hemp has been made legal in
Canada since 1998. Many other industrialized countries, especially those in
Europe, have also legalized its production.

One notable exception is that of the U.S., where hemp may be grown only in
Hawaii. Because of the close resemblance of the two varieties, Health
Canada -- the organization which issues the required authorization to
produce hemp -- requires that a number of conditions be met by a
prospective producer prior to issuing a license.

Both the stalks and seeds of the hemp plant have commercial value. The
stalk contains long fibers which are used to produce cordage, textiles and
specialized paper products including tea bags, industrial filters and even
the paper that is used to print money.

The seeds also have exceptional nutritional value, being second only to
soybeans as a source of complete vegetable protein. Hemp seeds contain all
eight of the essential amino acids required by humans, and in the proper
proportion.

The seeds also contain 30-35 per cent oils which are 80 per cent
polyunsaturated. This makes them a healthy food for consumption. That
quality, however, does pose a problem. Because polyunsaturated fats tend to
be somewhat unstable, hemp seed oil must be preserved, usually by
refrigeration. Industrially, hemp seed oil is used to produce such
commodities as paints and varnishes, detergents and cosmetics.

It is because hemp oils are not only beneficial, but are also readily
absorbed into the skin, that Canolio Inc., an enterprise based in Ville
St.Laurent, produces body creams and massage oils. Recently, however, the
company has added 'hemp coffee' to its product line. This is a blend of
Colombian coffee and organically-grown hemp seeds. Connoisseurs of beer
might be interested to know that several small breweries are now marketing
'hemp beer' as well!

Compton Grower Provides Seeds For Coffee Company

Compton's Michel Gaudreau is an organic grain producer who was among the
first in Quebec to obtain a permit from Health Canada to produce hemp. To
harvest his 80 acres of hemp, Gaudreau uses the same combine used for his
other grains. The seeds he obtains are used in the production of the Hemp
Coffee produced by Canolio Inc. Gaudreau also roasts some of the seeds.
These are either used as additives to cereals, or are used to replace bacon
bits in salads.

It would seem that a legally authorized field of Cannabis sativa would be
an excellent location in which to add some Cannabis plants of the variety
used in the production of marijuana.

Not so, says Gaudreau. Just like people and animals, the different
varieties of Cannabis sativa exist as separate male and female plants, he
says. Only the female plants are of value to illegal marijuana growers.

From the flowers of these plants, seeds are obtained for the next crop.
If, however, these female Cannabis plants are present in a field where both
sexes of Cannabis sativa used to produce hemp are growing, they will most
certainly become cross-pollinated by the hemp plants. The seeds derived
from the flowers of these plants will produce offspring that are decidedly
reduced in THC content, and therefore of little value to the illicit
marijuana producer.

Nevertheless, Health Canada has imposed limitations on who may or may not
produce hemp. First and foremost, the would-be producer must not possess a
criminal record. He must not employ any minors to assist him in the
production of the crop, nor can a minor be a shareholder in the ownership
of the land.

On two separate occasions, samples of the crop will be gathered and sent
for THC analysis by Health Canada.

The field where the crop is produced must be no less than 10 acres in size,
and be located no closer than one kilometre from a school or other place
where minors assemble. The THC content must not exceed 0.03 per cent in the
plants and the oil thus extracted must not contain more than 10 parts per
million of THC.

In spite of the above restrictions, growing hemp is worth considering. It's
an environmentally friendly crop requiring little if any pesticide application.

It's also a natural herbicide. When dried in the field, 60 to 70 per cent
of the nutrients it takes from the soil are returned and its deep root
system is an effective agent against soil erosion. This means that it is
excellent to grow in rotation with other crops.

Information concerning 'hemp coffee' can be obtained at the Canolio web
site at www.canolio.com.