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Hemp - information on hemp
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Hemp
Hemp (from Old English hænep, see cannabis (etymology)) is the common
name for plants belonging to the genus Cannabis, although the term is
often used to refer only to Cannabis strains cultivated for industrial
(non-drug) use. Licenses for hemp cultivation are issued in the European
Union and Canada. In the United Kingdom, these licenses are issued by
the Home Office under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. When grown for
non-drug purposes hemp is often called industrial hemp, and a common
product is fiber for use in a wide variety of products. Feral hemp or
ditch weed is usually naturalized fiber or oilseed strains of Cannabis
that have escaped from cultivation and are self-seeding.
Cannabis sativa L. subsp. sativa var. sativa is the variety grown for
industrial use in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere, while C. sativa subsp.
indica generally has poor fiber quality and is primarily used for
production of recreational and medicinal drugs. A major difference lies
in the amount of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, secreted in a resinous
mixture by epidermal hairs called glandular trichomes; the strains of
Cannabis approved for industrial hemp production in Europe and elsewhere
produce only minute amounts of this psychoactive drug. Some botanists
use a different taxonomic classification to circumscribe the various
taxa within the Cannabis genus.
Uses
Hemp is used for a wide variety of purposes, including the manufacture
of cordage of varying tensile strength, clothing, and nutritional
products. The oil from the fruits ("seeds") dries on exposure to air
(similar to linseed oil) and is sometimes used in the manufacture of
oil-based paints,in creams as a moisturising agent, or for cooking. Hemp
seeds are often added to wild bird seed mix. In Europe and China, hemp
fibers are increasingly being used to strengthen cement, and in other
composite materials for many construction and manufacturing
applications. Mercedes-Benz uses a "biocomposite" composed principally
of hemp fiber for the manufacture of interior panels in some of its
automobiles. Hemp cultivation in the United States is suppressed by laws
supported by drug enforcement agencies, for fear that high THC plants
will be grown amidst the low THC plants used for hemp production.
Efforts are underway to change these laws, allowing American farmers to
compete in the growing markets for this crop. As of 2006, China produces
roughly 40% of the world's hemp fiber and has been producing much of the
world's Cannabis crop throughout much of history.[1]
Food
Hemp (the seed) may be grown also for food and milk tea. The seeds are
comparable to sunflower seeds, and can be used for baking, like sesame
seeds. Products range from cereals to frozen waffles. A few companies
produce value added hemp seed items that include the oils of the seed,
whole hemp grain (which is sterilized as per international law), hulled
hemp seed (the whole seed without the mineral rich outer shell), hemp
flour, hemp cake (a by-product of pressing the seed for oil) and hemp
protein powder. Hemp is also used in some organic cereals. Hemp seed can
also be used to make a non-dairy "milk" somewhat similar to soy and nut
milks, as well as non-dairy hemp "ice cream."[2][3] Within the UK, the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) treats hemp
as purely a non-food crop. Seed can and does appear on the UK market as
a legal food product although cultivation licences are not available for
this purpose. In North America, hemp seed food products are sold in
small volume, typically in health food stores or by mail order.[4]
Nutrition
30–35% of the weight of hempseed is oil containing 80% of the
unsaturated essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic acid (LA, 55%) and
Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA, 21–25%). These are not manufactured by the
body and must be supplied by food. The proportions of linoleic acid and
Alpha-linolenic acid in hempseed oil are perfectly balanced to meet
human requirements for EFAs, including gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). Unlike
flax oil and others, hempseed oil can be used continuously without
developing a deficiency or other imbalance of EFAs. Unfortunately the
high unsaturated fat content of hemp oil means that it becomes rancid
rapidly and necessitates storage in dark coloured bottles or chemical
preservation. The high unsaturated fat content also makes the oil
unsuitable for frying. This makes hemp oil difficult to transport or
store and severely limits its potential on the food market, although
some marketing potential exists as a nutritional supplement.[5]
Hemp seed also contains 20% complete and highly-digestible protein,[6]
1/3 as edestin protein and 2/3 as albumins. Its high quality Amino Acid
composition is closer to "complete" sources of proteins (meat, milk,
eggs) than all other oil seeds except soy.[7]
The ALA contained in plant seed oils by itself is sufficient for
nutrition, as the body is capable of converting it into other fatty
acids. However, this conversion process is inefficient, and the broader
spectrum of omega-3 fatty acids obtained from oily fish is easier for
the body to immediately utilize (see fish and plants as a source of
Omega-3).
Typical nutritional analysis of shelled hempseed:
Calories/100 g 567
Protein (Nx5.46) 30.6%
Fat 47.2%
Saturated fat 5.2%
Monounsaturated fat 5.8%
Polyunsaturated fat 36.2%
Carbohydrate 10.9%
Oleic 18:1 (Omega-9) 5.8%
Linoleic 18:2 (Omega-6) 27.56%
Linolenic 18:3 (Omega-3) 8.68%
Cholesterol 0.0%
Total dietary fiber 6.0%
Vitamin A (B-Carotene) 4 IU/100 g
Thiamine (Vit B1) 1.38 mg/100 g
Riboflavin (Vit B2) 0.33 mg/100 g
Vitamin B6 0.12 mg/100 g
Vitamin C 1.0 mg/100 g
Vitamin D 2277.5 IU/100 g
Vitamin E 8.96 IU/100 g
Sodium 9.0 mg/100 g
Calcium 74.0 mg/100 g
Iron 4.7 mg/100 g
Fiber
The use of hemp for fiber production has declined sharply over the last
two centuries, but before the industrial revolution, hemp was a popular
fiber because it is strong and grows quickly. Hemp has been used to make
paper.[8] It was used to make canvas, and the word canvas itself is
derived from cannabis.[9][10] Hemp was very popular as it had many uses.
However, as other coarse-fibre plants were more widely grown, hemp fibre
was replaced in most roles. Manila yielded better rope. Burlap, made
from jute, took over the sacking market. The paper industry began using
wood pulp. The carpet industry switched over to wool, sisal, and jute,
then nylon. Netting and webbing applications were taken over by cotton
and synthetics.
In 1916, U.S. Department of Agriculture chief scientists Lyster H. Dewe,
and Jason L. Merrill created paper made from hemp pulp, which they
concluded was "favorable in comparison with those used with pulp
wood."[9] Jack Herer, in the book "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"
summarized the findings of Bulletion No. 404:[10]
"In 1916, USDA Bulletin No. 404, reported that one acre of cannabis
hemp, in annual rotation over a 20-year period, would produce as much
pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees being cut down over the same
20-year period. This process would use only 1/4 to 1/7 as much polluting
sulfur-based acid chemicals to break down the glue-like lignin that
binds the fibers of the pulp, or even none at all using soda ash. The
problem of dioxin contamination of rivers is avoided in the hemp paper
making process, which does not need to use chlorine bleach (as the wood
pulp paper making process requires) but instead safely substitutes
hydrogen peroxide in the bleaching process. ... If the new (1916) hemp
pulp paper process were legal today, it would soon replace about 70% of
all wood pulp paper, including computer printout paper, corrugated boxes
and paper bags."
The decision of the United States Congress to pass the 1937 Marihuana
Tax Act was based in part on testimony derived from articles in
newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst, who had significant
financial interests in the timber industry, which manufactured his
newsprint.[11] As a result of the Marijhuana Tax Act, the production and
use of hemp discontinued.
Hemp rope is notorious for breaking due to rot.[12] Hemp rope rots from
the inside out, and thus the rope looks good until it breaks. Hemp rope
used in the age of sail was protected by tarring, a labor-intensive
process and the reason for the Jack Tar nickname for sailors. Hemp rope
was phased out when Manila, which does not require tarring, became
available.
There is a niche market for hemp paper, but the cost of hemp pulp is
approximately six times that of wood pulp,[13] mostly due to the small
size and outdated equipment of the few hemp processing plants in the
Western world. Hemp pulp is processed with hydrogen peroxide, avoiding
the sulphuric acid waste problem associated with wood pulping. Kenaf is
another fast-growing plant which can be used as a replacement for wood
pulp. Kenaf paper has been produced in commercial quantities.[14]
A modest hemp industry exists. Recent developments in processing have
made it possible to soften up coarse fibres to a wearable level.
Harvesting the fiber
Smallholder plots are usually harvested by hand. The plants are cut at 2
to 3 cm above the soil and left on the ground to dry. Mechanical
harvesting is now common, using specially adapted cutter-binders or
simpler cutters.
The cut hemp is laid in swathes to dry for up to four days. This was
traditionally followed by retting, either water retting (the bundled
hemp floats in water) or dew retting (the hemp remains on the ground and
is affected by the moisture in dew moisture, and by molds and bacterial
action). Modern processes use steam and machinery to separate the fibre,
a process known as thermo-mechanical pulping.
Fuel
Biofuels such as biodiesel and alcohol fuel can be made from the oils in
hemp seeds and stalks, and the fermentation of the plant as a whole,
respectively, but the energy from hemp is low compared with the volume
of the harvested hemp.
In the Twenties, the early oil barons such as Rockefeller of Standard
Oil, Rothschild of Shell, etc., became paranoically aware of the
possibilities of Henry Ford's vision of cheap methanol fuel,* and they
kept oil prices incredibly low - between one dollar and four dollars per
barrel (there are 42 gallons in an oil barrel) until 1970. Prices were
so low, in fact, that no other energy source could compete with it.
Then, once they were sure of the lack of competition, the price of oil
jumped to almost $40 per barrel over the next 10 years.
Henry Ford grew marijuana on his estate after 1937, possibly to prove
the cheapness of methanol production at Iron Mountain. He made plastic
cars with wheat straw, hemp and sisal. (Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1941,
"Pinch Hitters for Defense.") In 1892, Rudolph Diesel invented the
diesel engine, which he intended to fuel "by a variety of fuels,
especially vegetable and seed oils."
sources: http://www.hemp4fuel.com/ http://www.hempcar.org/petvshemp.shtml
http://www.hempcar.org/biofacts.shtml http://jackherer.com/chapter09.html
Cultivation
Millennia of selective breeding have resulted in varieties that look
quite different. Also, breeding since circa 1930 has focused quite
specifically on producing strains which would perform very poorly as
sources of drug material. Hemp grown for fibre is planted closely,
resulting in tall, slender plants with long fibres. Ideally, according
to Defra in 2004 the herb should be harvested before it flowers. This
early cropping is done because fibre quality declines if flowering is
allowed and, incidentally, this cropping also pre-empts the herb's
maturity as a potential source of drug material, even though the
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content would still be very low with these
strains of hemp.
The name Cannabis is the genus and was the name favoured by the 19th
century medical practitioners who helped to introduce the herb's drug
potential to modern English-speaking consciousness. Cannabis for
non-drug purposes (especially ropes and textiles) was then already well
known as hemp.
The name "marijuana" is Spanish in origin and associated almost
exclusively with the herb's drug potential. That marijuana is now well
known in English as a name for drug material is due largely to the
efforts of US drug prohibitionists during the 1920s and 1930s.
Varieties
There are broadly three groups of Cannabis varieties being cultivated
today:
* Varieties primarily cultivated for their fibre, characterized by long
stems and little branching, called industrial hemp
* Varieties grown for seed from which hemp oil is extracted
* Varieties grown for medicinal or recreational purposes.
A nominal if not legal distinction is often made between hemp, with
concentrations of the psychoactive chemical THC far too low to be useful
as a drug, and Cannabis used for medical, recreational, or spiritual
purposes.
Historical cultivation
While the fibre has been grown for millennia in Asia and the Middle
East, commercial production of hemp in the West took off in the
eighteenth century. Due to colonial and naval expansion of the era,
economies needed large quantities of hemp for rope and oakum. The
endless European Wars, and ever expanding naval fleets, all used the
material. To this end, the young Republic of America became a large hemp
producer. The Gulf and Carolina states had very large hemp industries.
In fact the market was second only to cotton fibre. Machinery was
invented in the United States for producing hemp fibre. An unpleasant
task performed by prison labour was the manufacture of rope and boat
caulking. Before the age of nylon rope, hemp rope had a short lifetime
and was ever in need of replacement. In the 19th century it was
cultivated by binders.
'"From the 1881 Household Cyclopedia':
The soils most suited to the culture of this plant are those of the
deep, black, putrid vegetable kind, that are low, and rather inclined to
moisture, and those of the deep mellow, loamy, or sandy descriptions.
The quantity of produce is generally much greater on the former than on
the latter; but it is said to be greatly inferior in quality. It may,
however, be grown with success on lands of a less rich and fertile kind
by proper care and attention in their culture and preparation.
In order to render the grounds proper for the reception of the crop,
they should be reduced into a fine mellow state of mould, and be
perfectly cleared from weeds, by repeated ploughings. When it succeeds
grain crops, the work is mostly accomplished by three ploughings, and as
many harrowings: the first being given immediately after the preceding
crop is removed, the second early in the spring, and the last, or seed
earth, just before the seed is to be put in. In the last ploughing, well
rotted manure, in the proportion of fifteen or twenty, or good compost,
in the quantity of twenty-five or thirty-three horse-cart loads, should
be turned into the land; as without this it is seldom that good crops
can be produced. The surface of the ground being left perfectly flat,
and as free from furrows as possible; as by these means the moisture is
more effectually retained, and the growth of the plants more fully
promoted.
It is of much importance in the cultivation of hemp crops that the seed
be new, and of a good quality, which may in some measure be known by its
feeling heavy in the hand, and being of a bright shining color.
The proportion of seed that is most commonly employed, is from two to
three bushels [per acre], according to the quality of the land; but, as
the crops are greatly injured by the plants standing too closely
together, two bushels, or two bushels and a half may be a more
advantageous quantity.
As the hemp plant is extremely tender in its early growth, care should
be taken not to put the seed into the ground at so early a period, as
that it may be liable to be injured by the effects of frost; nor to
protract the sowing to so late a season as that the quality of the
produce may be effected. The best season, on the drier sorts of land in
the southern districts, is as soon as possible after the frosts are over
in April; and, on the same descriptions of soil, in the more northern
ones, towards the close of the same month or early in the ensuing one.
The most general method of putting crops of this sort into the soil is
the broadcast, the seed being dispersed over the surface of the land in
as even a manner as possible, and afterwards covered in by means of a
very light harrowing. In many cases, however, especially when the crops
are to stand for seed, the drill method in rows, at small distances,
might be had recourse to with advantage; as, in this way, the early
growth of the plants would be more effectually promoted, and the land be
kept in a more clean and perfect state of mould, which are circumstances
of importance in such crops. In whatever method the seed is put in, care
must constantly be taken to keep the birds from it for some time
afterwards.
This sort of crop is frequently cultivated on the same piece of ground
for a great number of years, without any other kind intervening; but, in
such cases, manure must be applied with almost every crop, in pretty
large proportions, to prevent the exhaustion that must otherwise take
place. It may be sown after most sorts of grain crops, especially where
the land possesses sufficient fertility, and is in a proper state of
tillage.
As hemp, from its tall growth and thick foliage, soon covers the surface
of the land, and prevents the rising of weeds, little attention is
necessary after the seed has been put into the ground, especially where
the broadcast method of sowing is practised; but, when put in by the
drill machine, a hoeing or two may be had recourse to with advantage in
the early growth of the crop.
In the culture of this plant, it is particularly necessary that the same
piece of land grows both male and female, or what is sometimes
denominated simple hemp. The latter kind contains the seed.
When the grain is ripe (which is known by its becoming of a
whitish-yellow color, and a few of the leaves beginning to drop from the
stems); this happens commonly about thirteen or fourteen weeks from the
period of its being sown, according as the season may be dry or wet (the
first sort being mostly ripe some weeks before the latter), the next
operation is that of taking it from the ground; which is effected by
pulling it up by the roots, in small parcels at a time, by the hand,
taking care to shake off the mould well from them before the handsful
are laid down. In some districts, the whole crop is pulled together,
without any distinction being made between the different kinds of hemp;
while, in others, it is the practice to separate and pull them at
different times, according to their ripeness. The latter is obviously
the better practice; as by pulling a large proportion of the crop before
it is in a proper state of maturity, the quantity of produce must not
only be considerably lessened, but its quality greatly injured by being
rendered less durable.
After being thus pulled, it is tied up in small parcels, or what are
sometimes termed baits.
Where crops of this kind are intended for seeding, they should be
suffered to stand till the seed becomes in a perfect state of maturity,
which is easily known by the appearance of it on inspection. The stems
are then pulled and bound up, as in the other case, the bundles being
set up in the same manner as grain, until the seed becomes so dry and
firm as to shed freely. It is then either immediately threshed out upon
large cloths for the purpose in the field, or taken home to have the
operation afterwards performed.
The hemp, as soon as pulled, is tied up in small bundles, frequently at
both ends.
It is then conveyed to pits, or ponds of stagnant water, about six or
eight feet in depth, such as have a clayey soil being in general
preferred, and deposited in beds, according to their size, and depth,
the small bundles being laid both in a straight direction and crosswise
of each other, so as to bind perfectly together; the whole, being loaded
with timber, or other materials, so as to keep the beds of hemp just
below the surface of the water.
It is not usual to water more than four or five times in the same pit,
till it has been filled with water. Where the ponds are not sufficiently
large to contain the whole of the produce at once, it is the practice to
pull the hemp only as it can be admitted into them, it being thought
disadvantageous to leave the hemp upon the ground after being pulled. It
is left in these pits four, five, or six days, or even more, according
to the warmth of the season and the judgment of the operator, on his
examining whether the hempy material readily separates from the reed or
stem; and then taken up and conveyed to a pasture field which is clean
and even, the bundles being loosened and spread out thinly, stem by
stem, turning it every second or third day, especially in damp weather,
to prevent its being injured by worms or other insects. It should remain
in this situation for two, three, four, or more weeks, according to
circumstances, and be then collected together when in a perfectly dry
state, tied up into large bundles, and placed in some secure building
until an opportunity is afforded for breaking it, in order to separate
the hemp. By this means the process of grassing is not only shortened,
but the more expensive ones of breaking, scutching, and bleaching the
yarn, rendered less violent and troublesome.
After the hemp has been removed from the field it is in a state to be
broken and swingled, operations that are mostly performed by common
laborers, by means of machinery for the purpose, the produce being tied
up in stones. The refuse collected in the latter process is denominated
sheaves, and is in some districts employed for the purposes of fuel.
After having undergone these different operations, it is ready for the
purposes of the manufacturer.
History
Hemp use dates back to the Stone Age, with hemp fibre imprints found in
pottery shards in China and Taiwan[15] over 10,000 years old. These
ancient Asians also used the same fibres to make clothes, shoes, ropes,
and an early form of paper.
Hemp cloth was more common than linen until the mid 14th century. The
use of hemp as a cloth was centered largely in the countryside, with
higher quality textiles being available in the towns. Virtually every
small town had access to a hemp field .
In late medieval Germany and Italy, hemp was employed in cooked dishes,
as filing in pies and tortes, or boiled in a soup.[16]
Thomas Jefferson drafted the United States Declaration of Independence
on hemp paper.[17]
In the Napoleonic era, many military uniforms were made of hemp . While
hemp linens were coarser than those made of flax, the added strength and
durability of hemp, as well as the lower cost, meant that hemp uniforms
were preferred.
Hemp was used extensively by the United States during WWII. Uniforms,
canvas, and rope were among the main textiles created from the hemp
plant at this time. Much of the hemp used was planted in the Midwest and
Kentucky. Historically, hemp production made up a significant portion of
Kentucky's economy and many slave plantations located there focused on
producing hemp.[18]
By the early twentieth century, the advent of the steam engine and the
diesel engine ended the reign of the sailing ship. The advent of iron
and steel for cable and ships' hulls further eliminated natural fibers
in marine use. The invention of artificial fibers in the late thirties
by DuPont further put strain on the market. It is reported that DuPont
lobbied the government to make Cannabis a Class 1 drug, a narcotic, in
order to vilify by association hemp, and effect the transfer to
polyester ropes.
Major hemp producing countries
From the 1950s to the 1980s the Soviet Union was the world's largest
producer (3,000 km² in 1970). The main production areas were in Ukraine,
the Kursk and Orel regions of Russia, and near the Polish border.
Other important producing countries were China, North Korea, Hungary,
the former Yugoslavia, Romania, Poland, France and Italy.
In Japan, hemp was historically used as paper and a fiber crop, it was
restricted as a narcotic drug in 1948. The ban on marijuana imposed by
the U.S. authorities was alien to Japanese culture. Until the U.S.
forces ban, cannabis had been freely used in Japan for over 10,000
years. There is archaeological evidence which shows cannabis was used
for clothing material and the seeds were eaten in Japan right back to
the Jōmon Era (10,000 to 300 BC). Many Kimono designs portray hemp, or "Asa"
(Japanese: 麻), as a beautiful plant.
Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany all resumed commercial
production in the 1990s. British production is mostly used as bedding
for horses; other uses are under development. The largest outlet for
German fibre is composite automotive panels. Companies in Canada, UK,
USA and Germany among many others are processing hemp seed into a
growing range of food products and cosmetics; many traditional growing
countries still continue with textile grade fibre production. However,
hemp is illegal to freely grow in the US because the plant is related to
marijuana. The US is the only industrialized country where hemp is
illegal to grow.
Future of hemp
Hemp has made leaps and bounds in 2007 alone. In 2006, hemp was Canada's
most profitable crop, increasing nearly 87%. In America, pro-hemp laws
have been passed in a dozen states, five in North Dakota alone. North
Dakota was extremely close to its first growing season, but the DEA
delayed the applications too late to begin the season. However, under
new ND law, farmers no longer need permission from the DEA to grow
industrial hemp, which now is distinguished from "Marijuana". (Source
Vote Hemp)
In the last decade, hemp has been widely promoted as a crop for the
future. This is stimulated by new technologies which make hemp suitable
for industrial paper manufacturing, use as a renewable energy source (biofuel),
and the use of hemp derivatives as replacements for petrochemical
products.
Hemp Plastic is a new technology based on 20-100% hemp fiber-based
plastics that can be molded or injection molded. The use of fiber-reinforced
composites and other natural plastics are expected to become more
popular as oil prices rise and the world becomes more environmentally
aware.
The increased demand for health food has stimulated the trade of shelled
hemp seed, hemp protein powder and hemp oil as well as finished and
ready-to-eat food products (waffles, granola bars, ice cream, and milk
for example) using these derivatives as ingredients. The use of hemp oil
in the manufacture of body care products has also increased.
THC in hemp
Hemp contains delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the
psychoactive ingredient found in hashish and marijuana. The THC levels
in hemp are minute and have very little intoxicating effects. THC is
present in all Cannabis plant varieties to some extent. In varieties
grown for use as a drug, where males are removed in order to prevent
fertilization, THC levels can reach as high as 20-30% in the
unfertilized females which are given ample room to flower.
In hemp varieties grown for seed or fibre use, the plants are grown very
closely together and a very dense biomass product is obtained, rich in
oil from the seeds and fibre from the stalks and low in THC content. EU
and Canadian regulations limit THC content to 0.3% in industrial hemp.
On October 9, 2001, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruled
that even traces of THC in products intended for food use would be
illegal as of February 6, 2002. This Interpretive Rule would have ruled
out the production or use of hempseed or hempseed oil in food use in the
USA, but after the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) filed suit the rule
was stayed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
on March 7, 2002. On March 21, 2003, the DEA issued a nearly identical
Final Rule which was also stayed by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
on April 16, 2003. On February 6, 2004, the Ninth Circuit Court of
Appeals issued a unanimous decision in favor of the HIA in which Judge
Betty Fletcher wrote, "[T]hey (DEA) cannot regulate naturally-occurring
THC not contained within or derived from marijuana-i.e. non-psychoactive
hemp is not included in Schedule I. The DEA has no authority to regulate
drugs that are not scheduled, and it has not followed procedures
required to schedule a substance. The DEA's definition of "THC"
contravenes the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress in the
Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and cannot be upheld". On September 28,
2004, the HIA claimed victory after DEA declined to appeal to the
Supreme Court of the United States the ruling from the Ninth Circuit
Court of Appeals protecting the sale of hemp-containing foods.
Industrial hemp remains legal for import and sale in the U.S., but U.S.
farmers still are not permitted to grow it.
Strong opposition to trace amounts of THC, a chemical shown by
scientific research to be less addictive and less harmful than nicotine
or alcohol[19], leads some of its critics, like Jack Herer in The
Emperor Wears No Clothes, to charge ulterior motives such as protection
of the synthetic-fibre, wood pulp, petrochemical, and pharmochemical
industries. The US government's position has not been completely
constant, as shown by the wide-spread cultivation of industrial hemp in
Kentucky and Wisconsin during World War II.[20] Critics of the HIA,
however, argue that the necessities of the war and the unavailability of
adequate synthetic substitutes outweighed the social, health, and public
safety risks of producing hemp.
The presence of (some) THC in hemp varieties and the fear that THC could
be extracted from industrial hemp for illegal purposes has hampered the
development of hemp in many countries. Since the early 1990s, however,
many countries, including Canada, Australia, the UK, The Netherlands and
Germany, allow hemp plantings and commercial scale production. Plant
breeders are working on the development of new varieties which are low
in THC.
References
1. ^ Leigh Brown, Patricia. "California Seeks to Clear Hemp of a Bad
Name", New York Times, 2006-08-28.
2. ^ [1]
3. ^ [2]
4. ^ [3]
5. ^ [4]
6. ^ [http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ages001E/ages001Eh.pdf
7. ^ [5]
8. ^ Hand Made Paper in America -- 1690's to 1820's
9. ^ Dewey and Merrill, U.S.D.A. Bulletin No. 404, Washington, D.C.,
October 14, 1916. Page 25
10. ^ The Emperor Wears No Clothes. www.jackherer.com/. Retrieved on
2007-04-02.
11. ^ Additional Statement of H.J. Anslinger, Commissioner of Narcotics.
Retrieved on 2006-03-25.
12. ^ [6]
13. ^ [7]
14. ^ [8] since 1992
15. ^ Stafford, Peter. 1992. Psychedelics Encyclopedia. Berkeley,
California, Ronin Publishing, Inc. ISBN 0-914171-51-8
16. ^ Regional Cuisines of Medieval Europe: A Book of Essays (2002),
edited by Melitta Weiss Adamson ISBN 0-415-92994-6 pg. 98, 166
17. ^ "Hemp Facts", North American Industrial Hemp Council, July 21,
2006.
18. ^ James F. Hopkins, Slavery in the Hemp Industry
19. ^ Which drugs are the most addictive?
20. ^ Hemp for Victory, Kentucky Hemp News
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