CANADIAN HEMP TO BE PLANTED THIS YEAR

Hempseed oil will be sold at supermarkets, advocates say

Canadian-produced hempseed oil may soon be found in stores across the country.

Changes in federal legislation to permit the commercial cultivation of
industrial hemp will mean companies like Hempola, of Port Severn, Ont.,
will be more widely distributing hempseed oil later this year.

Hempseed oil is not illegal in Canada, but growing hemp for the seed is. As
a result, hempseed for oil is imported, mostly from China. And the oil is
viewed as a fringeproduct, available in health food stores rather than
mainstream outlets.

Hemp advocates expect that once the law on cultivation is loosened -
perhaps as early as next month - the stigma surroundin hempseed oil will
faU away and the product will be more widely available both as a food and
as an ingredient in cosmetics.

Hempola co-owners Greg Herriott and Kelly Smith say the new legislation
will allow them to acquire 100 per cent Canadian-grown hempseed that they
can turn into oil and market.

Mr. Herriott says a cultivated-in-Canada hempseed would mean a higher
quality product for consumers.

"It would mean we would have control over it," said Mr. Herriott. "Right
now, we don't."

The federal government is expected to give its stamp of appoval to
cultivation in Canada next month.

"In terms of timing, its expected the commercial cultivation of industrial
hemp will become (legal) in early- to mid-March, in place for the 1998
growing season," said Derek Kent, spokesman for federal Health Minister
Allan Rock.

The idea for the project came largely from rural members of the federal
Liberal caucus, said Mr. Kent. Legalization of hemp is being sought by
farmers in southwestern Ontario as an alternative crop to tobacco.

Susan Whelan, Liberal MP for Essex, said she has quite a few tobacco
farmers in her riding who are interested in growing and processing hemp.
Hemp and marijuana are varieties of the same cannabis sativa plant. The
main difference between the two is that most hemp contains only minute
amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that gets people high.
Derivatives of cannabis, like hempseed oil,are therefore controlled under
the Controlled Drugs and Sub stances Act.

Until a new law is passed, the commercial cultivation of hemp remains
illegal. Currently, some cultivation is permitted for scientific purposes,
un der licences issued by Health Canada.

Once the new law comes into effect, there will be strict controls on who
gets a licence to cultivate hemp in an effort to prevent people from
growing cannabis to supply the illegal drug market. Last fall, more than
ioo hectares of hemp were being cultivat- ed, mostly in Ontario.

There's a strict manufacturing practice for hempseed, said Mr. Herriott, so
that by the time the hempseed oil is bottled, there are almost no traces
THC left in it.

The days of hemp derivatives being classified as illegal are now numbered
because the government is moving quickly on the new law that will put
Canada several years ahead of the Americans in establishing a hemp in
dustry, said Ms. Smith.

"It will create jobs and has lots of export potential," said Ms. Smith. The
new regulations should also go a long way in educating people about the
health benefits.

"This is the perfect oil," said Ms. Smith "The oil contains two essential
fatty oils which can help prevent blood clotting, cholesterol, and (it) has
anti-inflammatory properties for people who suffer from arthritis."

As a culinary product, there's nothing like adding a little hempseed oil to
a slice of pizza, said Mr. Herriott. Pouring the oil over pasta or steamed
vegetables or using it as a dip for bread is another way to enjoy the oil.
"There is a nutty flavour to it, similar to walnut or sunflower seed oil."

The oil is not to be used for frying food: "What happens when you fry the
oil is that the oil loses its natural elements and actually creates a bad
fat," Ms. Smith said.

Massage oils, soaps and lip balm are also sold at Hempola. When the new
regulations are in place, Mr. Herriott expects his company to bring in $1
million in sales for 1999, and $2 million for

Hempseed oil and the new surge in its popularity are not news to the owners
of the Arbour Environmental Shop in the Glebe, which has been carrying a
variety of hemp oil and hemp fashions, including jeans, socks, shirts and
knapsacks, for three years.

"It may take time to become suited to our climate and soil, but I can see
it at local supermarkets. I'm not sure when, but it will be there," said
co-owner Sean Twomey.