THE CASE FOR HEMP: GOOD TO WEAR, BAD TO SMOKE

In late 2009, hemp advocates were hoping to piggyback the California
vote to legalize marijuana. The proposition would have allowed the
cultivation of all cannabis, including both marijuana and hemp, but
it failed to pass. Despite hemp's amazing potential, marijuana's bad
rap is holding hemp back.

First let's get our facts straight. The words hemp and marijuana are
often used interchangeably when they actually refer to different
things. Trying to get high smoking hemp would be like to trying to
get drunk drinking non-alcoholic beer. Hemp is the ultra low-THC
(tetrahydracannabinol, the cannabinoid that gets you high) cousin of
marijuana. Technically, 'hemp' refers to about 60 varieties of
cannabis that contain less than 0.3 per cent THC, whereas marijuana
can have as much as 24 per cent THC. Smoking something made of hemp
would certainly not get you high, only a headache.

The truth is that hemp products are often superior to their
alternatives. Thomas Jefferson and George Washington both cultivated
hemp and believed it superior to linen and tobacco. Hemp seed is an
amazing food source that is high in protein. Cold pressed hemp seed
oil has lots of omega-3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, lots of vitamin E and
is low in saturated fat. It's nutritious, delicious and good for your
skin. Agriculturally, it is an environmentally friendly crop that
grows fast and requires no herbicides or pesticides. The outside of
the stem makes cloth four times stronger than cotton, is more
absorbent and dries faster. Gone are the days of rough coarse cloth--
new processing techniques make silky soft hemp cloth. The woody core
of the stem is high in cellulose and makes strong, white paper which
can be recycled more times. It makes absorbent animal bedding or can
be mixed with lime and water which petrifies to make strong, green,
lightweight concrete alternatives.

Many still mistakenly fear that hemp fields could be used to hide
marijuana crops, but this is unfounded. Hemp and marijuana are
harvested at different times and in different manners. In every hemp
crop there are male and female plants. But the stuff people smoke is
called 'sensimilla:' unfertilized female cannabis flowers. Female
marijuana plants grown near hemp would become fertilized and thus
have significantly lower potency and little value.

Way back in 1998 the Canadian government recognized hemp's value and
legalized its agricultural production. In 1998, Canada grew 5,857
acres of hemp for industrial use. In 1999, the total increased
six-fold to nearly 34,657 acres. Consolidated Growers and Processors
Inc. out of California had agreed to buy most of Manitoba's crop,
which was largely responsible for the drastic increase in production.
Then they filed for bankruptcy, leaving Canadian hemp growers without
a buyer for their crops.

There were a few small Canadian companies that tried to fill the
void, but today we really only have one small fibre processing
facility, Stemergy Inc, in Ontario. Farmers in western Canada can
sell their hemp seed to a variety of hemp oil processors, but the
valuable bales of stalks and stems are burnt or left to rot. Experts
agree that the major hurdle for a successful hemp industry is
technological in nature. We just don't have the infrastructure. It's
sad that 12 years after it was legalized here, we still are not
processing this important fibre.

Because of cannabis prohibition in North America, China has surged
ahead in the hemp industry, making it more difficult for Canada to
enter the market. China grows and processes more hemp than any other
country. Hemp has never been illegal there. Chinese farmers are given
hemp seed for free by the government, who are actively promoting and
pushing the industry. Why isn't Canada? Most likely due to the stigma
that cannabis still carries. Because of prohibition, our subconscious
feelings and emotions toward cannabis have been so ingrained that we
are unable to look at hemp objectively.

In September 2008, it was announced that Parkland Industrial Hemp
Growers and Parkland BioFibre out of Manitoba received $6 million in
grants and loans for a $24 million dollar plant. They plan on
exporting the processed raw material to China. Unfortunately, they
are still looking for the remianing funding needed to complete the
project. Two and a half years later, construction has yet to begin.
Others have been searching for an in-field solution, which would
allow farmers to do some initial processing of the raw materials themselves.

Things are slowly changing. You can help. Educate yourself. Buy a
hemp t-shirt. Hemp is not just for hippies, it's for the pragmatic.