THAT'S ORGANIC HEMP, THAT IS!

AS the planter of the "pot" mentioned in your article, I would like
to expand the knowledge of your readers.

Cannabis is a genus of plants, just as apples or tomatoes are.

The variety of cannabis being grown is c.sativa, an organic hemp from
Austria and is commonly called industrial hemp.

Cannabis is part of the family called cannabaceae, which also
includes such things as hops used in beer making.

Industrial hemp is a variety of cannabis sativa with a THC (the
psychoactive compound) value of less than 0.3% as regulated by the
EEC (Article 3 (1) of Regulation (EEC) No. 619/71).

Hemp also produces a compound, CBD, which is an antipsychoactive and
research has shown that small amounts of this antipsychoactive
prevent the THC having any effects, i.e., it's a natural antidote to
the variety of cannabis with high THC.

The nutritional analysis of hemp seeds is impressive, being a
valuable source of fibre, proteins and EFAs (essential fatty acids),
particularly omega 3 and omega 6, in a form easily absorbed by the human body.

This can lead to healthier joints and skin.

Hemp oil produced from these seeds is readily available in the local
supermarkets and is cheaper and tastier than cod liver oil.

In addition, hemp is used in making many other products, such as
interior body panels on BMWs, textiles, paper, fuel, animal feed,
plastic and medicine.

In summary, hemp is easy to grow outdoors and has been grown around
the world for the benefit of humans over the last 12,000 years.

It does not need fertilisers or pesticides to grow and conditions the
soil where grown.

It provides an amazingly useful range of products, is renewable and
environmentally friendly.

Maybe it is now time to start undoing the spurious claims made in the
1930s by Dupont Industries and other influential parties, including
Randolph Hearst (newspaper magnate), who had interests in synthetic
materials, logging and the paper industry, which led to a ban on the
growing of hemp and an unwarranted stigma attached to plants of the
genus cannabis.

Terry Monnery Worthing

PS: Having done some research, I now believe it is technically
illegal to grow it without a commercial home office licence.

I am waiting to hear from the police about what further action they
may or may not take.