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ARTICLE
Alive with Possibilities: Hemp Today
by J. Hail
Until hemp’s 1937 prohibition in the United States (and many national bans worldwide in its wake), hemp was one of
the most widely cultivated plants on earth. For at least 3000 years, humanity made wide use of this fibrous, easy-to-
care-for plant. A history of hemp reveals many uses – hemp has been used as food and clothing, fuel and rope, lamp
oil and paper. Hemp’s high- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alter ego, marijuana, was widely used as a medicine and
for religious and recreational pursuits.
The shared taxonomy between hemp and marijuana helped businesses succeed in lobbying for the 1930s ban of
hemp. As sister of the demonized drug, and itself a threat to well-connected paper, lumber and plastics industries,
hemp was outlawed in Canada for 60 years and targeted for both government – and industry-led misinformation
campaigns.
Hemp cultivation is at long last making a comeback. Since 1998 it has been legal in Canada to grow hemp with a
special license. The number of Canadian acres under cultivation is rising exponentially, from 8,750 in 2004 to 50,000
in 2006. An estimated 25,000 of those acres are in Manitoba, a province well suited to hemp cultivation and in need of
economic revitalization. In 2005, the average Canadian hemp crop netted a profit of $200 to $250 per acre.
Many hemp activists rally around the belief that hemp can save the planet, and that the continued prohibition of
marijuana is simply impeding the conversion to a hemp-based economy. The issue of marijuana legalization is a
large and contentious one, and is beyond the scope of this article. Rather, let us look at some of the claims behind
hemp’s emergent status as wunderplant.
What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
Put simply, hemp is low-THC marijuana; marijuana is high-THC hemp. Hemp and marijuana are different varieties of
the same plant, Cannabis sativa L. Hemp varieties are cultivated for their tall fibrous stalks and nutrient-rich seeds,
and they have just one flowering bud per plant. Marijuana varieties are cultivated for their short dense growth habit (to
keep it on the down low, we presume), multiple flowering buds, and high THC levels (the psychoactive component of
marijuana).
By law, industrial hemp in Canada has a maximum of 0.3 percent THC, compared to the 6 to 20 percent THC found in
most marijuana. If one smoked hemp in the same manner one smokes marijuana, a serious headache and potential
carbon monoxide poisoning are the probable outcomes. It is impossible to “get high” on hemp. Which leads some to
the question…
What’s so great about hemp?
Hemp is naturally resistant to pests and grows in a wide variety of conditions, making it an exceptional choice for
cleaning up our earth. It grows without the aid of fertilizers or pesticides, though chemical fertilizers will stimulate
higher production as they would with any plant. A crop grows from seed to maturity in 80 to 120 days (depending on
climate and its intended use), making it highly renewable. Despite its quick growth habit, hemp does not deplete
soils, and can enrich them to a great extent when unused plant bits are laid down as straw mulch or composted and
returned to the earth. Used in a cycle of crop rotation, it can improve growing conditions for other crops by eliminating
weeds and reducing pest infestations.
British Columbia hemp advocate David Cull suggests that hemp might help control the devastating Colorado Potato
Beetle. Ukrainian researchers found that potato plants grown nearest to a hemp crop remained free of the blight,
while others at a distance were infested. A preparation made by boiling hemp plants killed off the beetles on infested
plants in just 45 minutes. Polish researchers have found that hemp can clean up land polluted with heavy metals.
Soils containing cadmium, copper and lead can be slowly reclaimed through cultivation of fibrous crops and hemp in
particular (Natural Life, Nov-Dec 1997).
Before we give hemp too much credit, the Saskatchewan Hemp Association reminds us that like any crop, hemp is at
greater risk of disease and pest problems when raised in a “plantation-style monoculture.” At this time, all of Canada’s
hemp farmers grow other crops as well hemp, and crops are rotated in a cycle that includes fallow years to optimize
soil and crop health. See www.saskhemp.ca for more information.
In addition to being easy to grow and a natural way to improve soil and clean the air, hemp products can be put to
many uses.
Nutritious Hemp
Hemp seed and hemp oil are rich in protein, fibre, carbs, and unsaturated fat, making them one of the most naturally
‘complete’ food sources. Hemp seed contains all eight essential amino acids and approximately 16 percent more
essential fatty acids (EFAs) than does flaxseed. Moreover, it is widely reputed to have a deliciously nutty flavour.
Mike Fata is the co-founder of Manitoba Harvest, a company specializing in hemp-based foods. “Hemp protein
contains all of the essential amino acids at a ratio closer to ‘complete’ sources of protein like meat, milk and eggs
than all other seeds except soy. And hemp’s overall protein content of 34.6 percent is higher than that found in many
other seeds, nuts meats, dairy products, fish or poultry”.
Fata further states, “sixty-six percent of the proteins in hemp are edestin, which are easily digestible [types of protein],
and act as precursors to such vital body components as hormones, hemoglobin, enzymes and antibodies. Hemp’s
edestin structure is the highest in the plant kingdom, greater than soy. Two scoops of hemp protein powder delivers a
whopping 15 grams of complete protein and five grams of EFAs [essential fatty acids]” (Ginsburg 2005).
Hemp foods are an easy dietary inclusion for the environmentally minded and physically active. Use hempseed oil as
a salad dressing base, toss some seeds onto a salad, or spread hemp butter on your favourite organic breadstuff.
There are also hemp flours, burgers, cheeses and beers. Protein powders, as noted above, are easily digested and
well balanced. Check www.rawganique.com for Canadian-grown hemp foods and other products.
Hemp Cloth
Hemp was a major source of material for clothing long before its prohibition and is again being used for that purpose.
While raw hemp cloth can be rough to the touch, finished hemp (like finished cotton) is very soft. Unlike cotton it is very
hard-wearing, breathable, super-absorbent and can be grown without pesticides or extensive irrigation. This is
notable since cotton is responsible for half of the pesticides used in American agriculture. A Google search for hemp
clothing will turn up numerous companies who now carry this superb textile. Designers are making use of hemp in
high-end clothing, and hemp towels and bedding are becoming common.
Hemp Houses
A variety of construction materials are now being made from hemp, and others stand to invade the market place once
hemp becomes more widely cultivated (hence less expensive). From bricks and roofing shakes to insulations, paint
and wallboards to hemp bale walls coated in hemp-reinforced plasters, it is possible to build most of a house from
hemp.
Starting at the bottom, foundations of ‘hempcrete’ (a mixture of hemp, lime, sand, plaster, and cement) boast seven
times the strength of concrete, half the weight, and three times the elasticity, which prevents cracking and breaking.
Hempcrete is also “self-insulating; resistant to rotting, rodents and insects; and fire proof, waterproof and weather
resistant” (Priesnitz 2006). Pipes can also be made of hempcrete.
Walls can be made of stacked bales or insulated with hemp straw, as in straw bale construction, which provides
excellent insulative value. Hemp plasters are lightweight and add further insulation. For people who do not want to fill
all of their walls with hemp straw, hemp is also being used in more refined insulations where it is prized for its “high
thermal resistance, ability to absorb and release moisture, and lack of mold growth, dust and other pollutants”
(Priesnitz 2006). Hemp fiberboard, as developed at Washington State University, is also lighter, stronger, and more
flexible than wood fiberboard. Light, strong, flexible, and breathable – as it is with clothing, so it is with housing
materials.
Hemp to Burn
As a biomass fuel, hemp has incredible potential. It can be grown almost anywhere – two crops per growing season
in some climates. It produces ten times the methanol that corn does. In 2001, the crew of the Hemp Car, a vehicle
that runs on hemp oil, estimated that six percent of the American land now being cultivated for cattle feed could provide
for all of the nation’s energy needs if replanted with hemp. Grayson Sigler, a crewmember, adds “hemp is the choice
for biomass, outproducing nearly every biomass crop by a factor of four” (Smith 2001). Visit www.hempcar.org for
more info on hemp as a biofuel.
Hemp Plastics
In related news, hemp can also fill in for petroleum in the creation of plastics. When the fibre has been removed from
a hemp stalk, the remaining ‘hurds’ are 77 percent cellulose, a vital component in plant-based plastics. Minimizing
the petrochemical (and carcinogenic) basis of plastics is good for human health.
Hemp Paper
The first papers in human history were made from hemp, and we should not have messed with a good thing. One
acre of hemp produces the same amount of pulp as four acres of trees. We like trees. They clean our air and clear
our minds. Hemp paper has the added benefit of being tough enough for repeated recycling.
What can hemp do to “save the planet”?
Hemp and hemp research are good for the economy. That may seem counterintuitive, given it is touted as an easily
grown replacement for expensive extractive industries like petroleum and forestry. Yet as Canadians move towards
recognition of wealth and progress in terms other than those defined by the GDP (which rates cutting down trees and
polluting watersheds for oil extraction as productive and profitable activities), hemp’s potential is truly remarkable.
This plant can be easily grown and processed to provide food, shelter, clothing, and energy (or fuel). It also makes for
excellent paper, plastics, and lovely organic cosmetics too.
Even by conventional standards, hemp is good for the economy, yielding higher per-acre profits than many crops and
useful in its entirety. As former Health Minister Allan Rock said, “this new crop has a tremendous potential for creating
new jobs in agriculture, industry, research and retail” (Wood Technology, June1998).
An astonishing number of forests (and plant, animal, and insect species) could be preserved if governments
mandated that all new paper be hempen. Even a municipal mandate to use only hemp paper within a local
government would have a large impact. The quick renewability of hemp crops contrasts starkly with the renewability
rates of trees (a few months versus a decade or two). Forests are complicated ecosystems that take decades to
develop and that supports substantial biodiversity, which is threatened by clear cutting.
If the United States’ heavily subsidized cotton production were replaced by organically grown hemp, a 50 percent drop
in the use of agrochemicals nationally would take place. To reiterate, subsidized cotton is responsible for half the
chemicals used in agriculture in that nation. It is a finite planet, despite its misrepresentation in our ‘growth
economics’ paradigm. More realistically, and worse still, someone is over-treating our water with these same
chemicals, which will not break down for many, many years. Is it any wonder that rates of cancer and other diseases
are on the rise, despite medical advancements?
Replacing environmentally irresponsible petroleum extraction with further development of hemp biofuel technologies
and hemp-based plastics would provide great relief for our planet. Petroleum extraction may fire our inflated Albertan
economy but it does so at the expense of spoiling our already limited wetlands and wasting our freshwater sources.
When it comes down to it, oil just does not quench thirst like water does. Besides, petroleum oil is carcinogenic,
tends to induce wars, and the burning of it is heating our planet in a rather unfortunate way. Alternatives must be
explored.
Once hemp replaces petroleum as the primary source for fuel, plastics and cosmetics, and cleans up our earth and
air through its fibrous growing, perhaps there will be less need for cancer treatments. Nonetheless, hemp (or its more
potent sister) offers a potential cure for cancer patients as well. In 2006, Rick Simpson of Nova Scotia made the news
with the alternative medicine he developed from marijuana leaves and buds, which he calls hemp oil. Simpson
claims his oil is “natural and non-addictive” and he provides it for free to the ailing (VonKintzel 2006). Simpson has
affidavits from patients claiming it has cured many ailments when ingested by the spoonful and says it cured his own
skin cancer through topical application. Sure, the claims seem a bit kooky, but they bear further investigation. Beats
radiation and chemotherapy any day. Other medicinal applications of marijuana are extensive but belong to an article
of their own.
What can we do?
Our planet is wearying and warming under the strain of human exploits. A swell of public interest in renewable
sources of energy and raw materials should further nudge governments into revising prohibitive laws around this most
adaptable crop. We can be part of that groundswell.
At a personal level, we can: spread the word about hemp to counteract decades of misinformation and anti-cannabis
propaganda; buy organic hempen textiles and clothing when possible and encourage local retailers to carry hemp
products; be responsible for leaving some trees standing by building houses with hemp products; preserve more
natural ecologies and limit cruelty in animal raising by supplementing meat-heavy or meat-free diets with high-protein
and cholesterol-reducing hemp foods.
We can lobby our MPs and MLAs to: make hemp paper the standard in government offices and look at legislating a
ban on the cutting of trees for pulp and construction materials when alternatives exist; reduce restrictions on hemp
cultivation (unlawful marijuana growers would only decrease their crops’ potency by growing marijuana and hemp in
tandem, a point that neutralizes the usual reason for close monitoring of hemp cultivation*); subsidize research and
development of hemp-based technologies to replace harmful petroleum extraction.
A great deal of further reading is available through the Calgary Public Library and online. I encourage you to read more
and speak up for hemp!
Sources Cited:
Ginsburg, Lynn. “Hemp cultivates faithful following.” Natural Foods Merchandiser
26.3 (Mar 2005): 72(1).
Priesnitz, Rolf. “Hemp for Houses.” Natural Life 108 (Mar/Apr 2006): 14(4).
Smith, Monica J. “Hemp, hemp hooray! (Drug Law Reform, United States.” Mother
Earth News (Jun 2001): 19(1).
VonKintzel, Cathy. “Hemp supporter gets candidates talking.” The Chronicle Herald
(Halifax, NS): 01/19/2006: A6.
“Canada will let farmers grow hemp – carefully.” Wood Technology 125.5 (Jun
1998): 14(1).
“Hemp – the wonder plant.” Natural Life 13.58 (Nov-Dec 1997): 10(1).
* This idea belongs to hemp expert David West.
Hemp images from Wikipedia.
For a complete list of sources, contact jhail123@yahoo.ca.
Biography
J. Hail of Calgary is fervently interested in sustainable housing, xeriscaping, and permaculture in general.
Alive with Possibilities: Hemp Today
by J. Hail
Until hemp’s 1937 prohibition in the United States (and many national bans worldwide in its wake), hemp was one of
the most widely cultivated plants on earth. For at least 3000 years, humanity made wide use of this fibrous, easy-to-
care-for plant. A history of hemp reveals many uses – hemp has been used as food and clothing, fuel and rope, lamp
oil and paper. Hemp’s high- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) alter ego, marijuana, was widely used as a medicine and
for religious and recreational pursuits.
The shared taxonomy between hemp and marijuana helped businesses succeed in lobbying for the 1930s ban of
hemp. As sister of the demonized drug, and itself a threat to well-connected paper, lumber and plastics industries,
hemp was outlawed in Canada for 60 years and targeted for both government – and industry-led misinformation
campaigns.
Hemp cultivation is at long last making a comeback. Since 1998 it has been legal in Canada to grow hemp with a
special license. The number of Canadian acres under cultivation is rising exponentially, from 8,750 in 2004 to 50,000
in 2006. An estimated 25,000 of those acres are in Manitoba, a province well suited to hemp cultivation and in need of
economic revitalization. In 2005, the average Canadian hemp crop netted a profit of $200 to $250 per acre.
Many hemp activists rally around the belief that hemp can save the planet, and that the continued prohibition of
marijuana is simply impeding the conversion to a hemp-based economy. The issue of marijuana legalization is a
large and contentious one, and is beyond the scope of this article. Rather, let us look at some of the claims behind
hemp’s emergent status as wunderplant.
What is the difference between hemp and marijuana?
Put simply, hemp is low-THC marijuana; marijuana is high-THC hemp. Hemp and marijuana are different varieties of
the same plant, Cannabis sativa L. Hemp varieties are cultivated for their tall fibrous stalks and nutrient-rich seeds,
and they have just one flowering bud per plant. Marijuana varieties are cultivated for their short dense growth habit (to
keep it on the down low, we presume), multiple flowering buds, and high THC levels (the psychoactive component of
marijuana).
By law, industrial hemp in Canada has a maximum of 0.3 percent THC, compared to the 6 to 20 percent THC found in
most marijuana. If one smoked hemp in the same manner one smokes marijuana, a serious headache and potential
carbon monoxide poisoning are the probable outcomes. It is impossible to “get high” on hemp. Which leads some to
the question…
What’s so great about hemp?
Hemp is naturally resistant to pests and grows in a wide variety of conditions, making it an exceptional choice for
cleaning up our earth. It grows without the aid of fertilizers or pesticides, though chemical fertilizers will stimulate
higher production as they would with any plant. A crop grows from seed to maturity in 80 to 120 days (depending on
climate and its intended use), making it highly renewable. Despite its quick growth habit, hemp does not deplete
soils, and can enrich them to a great extent when unused plant bits are laid down as straw mulch or composted and
returned to the earth. Used in a cycle of crop rotation, it can improve growing conditions for other crops by eliminating
weeds and reducing pest infestations.
British Columbia hemp advocate David Cull suggests that hemp might help control the devastating Colorado Potato
Beetle. Ukrainian researchers found that potato plants grown nearest to a hemp crop remained free of the blight,
while others at a distance were infested. A preparation made by boiling hemp plants killed off the beetles on infested
plants in just 45 minutes. Polish researchers have found that hemp can clean up land polluted with heavy metals.
Soils containing cadmium, copper and lead can be slowly reclaimed through cultivation of fibrous crops and hemp in
particular (Natural Life, Nov-Dec 1997).
Before we give hemp too much credit, the Saskatchewan Hemp Association reminds us that like any crop, hemp is at
greater risk of disease and pest problems when raised in a “plantation-style monoculture.” At this time, all of Canada’s
hemp farmers grow other crops as well hemp, and crops are rotated in a cycle that includes fallow years to optimize
soil and crop health. See www.saskhemp.ca for more information.
In addition to being easy to grow and a natural way to improve soil and clean the air, hemp products can be put to
many uses.
Nutritious Hemp
Hemp seed and hemp oil are rich in protein, fibre, carbs, and unsaturated fat, making them one of the most naturally
‘complete’ food sources. Hemp seed contains all eight essential amino acids and approximately 16 percent more
essential fatty acids (EFAs) than does flaxseed. Moreover, it is widely reputed to have a deliciously nutty flavour.
Mike Fata is the co-founder of Manitoba Harvest, a company specializing in hemp-based foods. “Hemp protein
contains all of the essential amino acids at a ratio closer to ‘complete’ sources of protein like meat, milk and eggs
than all other seeds except soy. And hemp’s overall protein content of 34.6 percent is higher than that found in many
other seeds, nuts meats, dairy products, fish or poultry”.
Fata further states, “sixty-six percent of the proteins in hemp are edestin, which are easily digestible [types of protein],
and act as precursors to such vital body components as hormones, hemoglobin, enzymes and antibodies. Hemp’s
edestin structure is the highest in the plant kingdom, greater than soy. Two scoops of hemp protein powder delivers a
whopping 15 grams of complete protein and five grams of EFAs [essential fatty acids]” (Ginsburg 2005).
Hemp foods are an easy dietary inclusion for the environmentally minded and physically active. Use hempseed oil as
a salad dressing base, toss some seeds onto a salad, or spread hemp butter on your favourite organic breadstuff.
There are also hemp flours, burgers, cheeses and beers. Protein powders, as noted above, are easily digested and
well balanced. Check www.rawganique.com for Canadian-grown hemp foods and other products.
Hemp Cloth
Hemp was a major source of material for clothing long before its prohibition and is again being used for that purpose.
While raw hemp cloth can be rough to the touch, finished hemp (like finished cotton) is very soft. Unlike cotton it is very
hard-wearing, breathable, super-absorbent and can be grown without pesticides or extensive irrigation. This is
notable since cotton is responsible for half of the pesticides used in American agriculture. A Google search for hemp
clothing will turn up numerous companies who now carry this superb textile. Designers are making use of hemp in
high-end clothing, and hemp towels and bedding are becoming common.
Hemp Houses
A variety of construction materials are now being made from hemp, and others stand to invade the market place once
hemp becomes more widely cultivated (hence less expensive). From bricks and roofing shakes to insulations, paint
and wallboards to hemp bale walls coated in hemp-reinforced plasters, it is possible to build most of a house from
hemp.
Starting at the bottom, foundations of ‘hempcrete’ (a mixture of hemp, lime, sand, plaster, and cement) boast seven
times the strength of concrete, half the weight, and three times the elasticity, which prevents cracking and breaking.
Hempcrete is also “self-insulating; resistant to rotting, rodents and insects; and fire proof, waterproof and weather
resistant” (Priesnitz 2006). Pipes can also be made of hempcrete.
Walls can be made of stacked bales or insulated with hemp straw, as in straw bale construction, which provides
excellent insulative value. Hemp plasters are lightweight and add further insulation. For people who do not want to fill
all of their walls with hemp straw, hemp is also being used in more refined insulations where it is prized for its “high
thermal resistance, ability to absorb and release moisture, and lack of mold growth, dust and other pollutants”
(Priesnitz 2006). Hemp fiberboard, as developed at Washington State University, is also lighter, stronger, and more
flexible than wood fiberboard. Light, strong, flexible, and breathable – as it is with clothing, so it is with housing
materials.
Hemp to Burn
As a biomass fuel, hemp has incredible potential. It can be grown almost anywhere – two crops per growing season
in some climates. It produces ten times the methanol that corn does. In 2001, the crew of the Hemp Car, a vehicle
that runs on hemp oil, estimated that six percent of the American land now being cultivated for cattle feed could provide
for all of the nation’s energy needs if replanted with hemp. Grayson Sigler, a crewmember, adds “hemp is the choice
for biomass, outproducing nearly every biomass crop by a factor of four” (Smith 2001). Visit www.hempcar.org for
more info on hemp as a biofuel.
Hemp Plastics
In related news, hemp can also fill in for petroleum in the creation of plastics. When the fibre has been removed from
a hemp stalk, the remaining ‘hurds’ are 77 percent cellulose, a vital component in plant-based plastics. Minimizing
the petrochemical (and carcinogenic) basis of plastics is good for human health.
Hemp Paper
The first papers in human history were made from hemp, and we should not have messed with a good thing. One
acre of hemp produces the same amount of pulp as four acres of trees. We like trees. They clean our air and clear
our minds. Hemp paper has the added benefit of being tough enough for repeated recycling.
What can hemp do to “save the planet”?
Hemp and hemp research are good for the economy. That may seem counterintuitive, given it is touted as an easily
grown replacement for expensive extractive industries like petroleum and forestry. Yet as Canadians move towards
recognition of wealth and progress in terms other than those defined by the GDP (which rates cutting down trees and
polluting watersheds for oil extraction as productive and profitable activities), hemp’s potential is truly remarkable.
This plant can be easily grown and processed to provide food, shelter, clothing, and energy (or fuel). It also makes for
excellent paper, plastics, and lovely organic cosmetics too.
Even by conventional standards, hemp is good for the economy, yielding higher per-acre profits than many crops and
useful in its entirety. As former Health Minister Allan Rock said, “this new crop has a tremendous potential for creating
new jobs in agriculture, industry, research and retail” (Wood Technology, June1998).
An astonishing number of forests (and plant, animal, and insect species) could be preserved if governments
mandated that all new paper be hempen. Even a municipal mandate to use only hemp paper within a local
government would have a large impact. The quick renewability of hemp crops contrasts starkly with the renewability
rates of trees (a few months versus a decade or two). Forests are complicated ecosystems that take decades to
develop and that supports substantial biodiversity, which is threatened by clear cutting.
If the United States’ heavily subsidized cotton production were replaced by organically grown hemp, a 50 percent drop
in the use of agrochemicals nationally would take place. To reiterate, subsidized cotton is responsible for half the
chemicals used in agriculture in that nation. It is a finite planet, despite its misrepresentation in our ‘growth
economics’ paradigm. More realistically, and worse still, someone is over-treating our water with these same
chemicals, which will not break down for many, many years. Is it any wonder that rates of cancer and other diseases
are on the rise, despite medical advancements?
Replacing environmentally irresponsible petroleum extraction with further development of hemp biofuel technologies
and hemp-based plastics would provide great relief for our planet. Petroleum extraction may fire our inflated Albertan
economy but it does so at the expense of spoiling our already limited wetlands and wasting our freshwater sources.
When it comes down to it, oil just does not quench thirst like water does. Besides, petroleum oil is carcinogenic,
tends to induce wars, and the burning of it is heating our planet in a rather unfortunate way. Alternatives must be
explored.
Once hemp replaces petroleum as the primary source for fuel, plastics and cosmetics, and cleans up our earth and
air through its fibrous growing, perhaps there will be less need for cancer treatments. Nonetheless, hemp (or its more
potent sister) offers a potential cure for cancer patients as well. In 2006, Rick Simpson of Nova Scotia made the news
with the alternative medicine he developed from marijuana leaves and buds, which he calls hemp oil. Simpson
claims his oil is “natural and non-addictive” and he provides it for free to the ailing (VonKintzel 2006). Simpson has
affidavits from patients claiming it has cured many ailments when ingested by the spoonful and says it cured his own
skin cancer through topical application. Sure, the claims seem a bit kooky, but they bear further investigation. Beats
radiation and chemotherapy any day. Other medicinal applications of marijuana are extensive but belong to an article
of their own.
What can we do?
Our planet is wearying and warming under the strain of human exploits. A swell of public interest in renewable
sources of energy and raw materials should further nudge governments into revising prohibitive laws around this most
adaptable crop. We can be part of that groundswell.
At a personal level, we can: spread the word about hemp to counteract decades of misinformation and anti-cannabis
propaganda; buy organic hempen textiles and clothing when possible and encourage local retailers to carry hemp
products; be responsible for leaving some trees standing by building houses with hemp products; preserve more
natural ecologies and limit cruelty in animal raising by supplementing meat-heavy or meat-free diets with high-protein
and cholesterol-reducing hemp foods.
We can lobby our MPs and MLAs to: make hemp paper the standard in government offices and look at legislating a
ban on the cutting of trees for pulp and construction materials when alternatives exist; reduce restrictions on hemp
cultivation (unlawful marijuana growers would only decrease their crops’ potency by growing marijuana and hemp in
tandem, a point that neutralizes the usual reason for close monitoring of hemp cultivation*); subsidize research and
development of hemp-based technologies to replace harmful petroleum extraction.
A great deal of further reading is available through the Calgary Public Library and online. I encourage you to read more
and speak up for hemp!
Sources Cited:
Ginsburg, Lynn. “Hemp cultivates faithful following.” Natural Foods Merchandiser
26.3 (Mar 2005): 72(1).
Priesnitz, Rolf. “Hemp for Houses.” Natural Life 108 (Mar/Apr 2006): 14(4).
Smith, Monica J. “Hemp, hemp hooray! (Drug Law Reform, United States.” Mother
Earth News (Jun 2001): 19(1).
VonKintzel, Cathy. “Hemp supporter gets candidates talking.” The Chronicle Herald
(Halifax, NS): 01/19/2006: A6.
“Canada will let farmers grow hemp – carefully.” Wood Technology 125.5 (Jun
1998): 14(1).
“Hemp – the wonder plant.” Natural Life 13.58 (Nov-Dec 1997): 10(1).
* This idea belongs to hemp expert David West.
Hemp images from Wikipedia.
For a complete list of sources, contact jhail123@yahoo.ca.
Biography
J. Hail of Calgary is fervently interested in sustainable housing, xeriscaping, and permaculture in general.
| An industrial hemp crop in New Zealand. |
| A hemp crop being harvested. |
| April 2007 Issue 11 |
