vh report fall2002 - vote hemppaid to destroy it, while marijuana growers oppose legalization...

We in Hawaii are fortunate to be home to the firstindustrial hemp crop to be cultivated in Americansoil since the federal government's erroneous pol-icy reversal caused the death of the agriculturalhemp industry shortly after WWII. Through statelegislation passed in 1999, the Hawaii Industrial

Hemp Research Project (HIHRP) has progressed successfully over the lastthree years in defining the strain of hemp best suited to Hawaii's climate.The vital research continuing in this project is the first step towards estab-lishing an industry that will bolster the health of Hawaii's economy andenvironment.

Industrial hemp is an ideal crop for Hawaii. Because of our climate andhemp's growth cycle, we have the advantage of being able to produce atleast three crops per year. Although industrial hemp has myriad uses andproducts, I see Hawaii focusing on seed production, building materials andbioremediation.

Why is hemp important for my state? For decades Hawaii has remaineddependent on tourism, the military and agriculture for its revenue base, allof which have seen a downturn in recent years. We are currently strugglingin the wake of our failing pineapple and sugar industries, decreasedtourism and military cutbacks. Hawaii is at a crucial turning point. We havean opportunity to shift from dependence on foreign and federally influ-enced markets to locally-based industry. I see industrial hemp as a key toproviding Hawaii with much needed economic independence and diversity.

Industrial hemp can provide business and employment opportunities acrossthe U.S. It's time to get past the "giggle factor" and look at how corpora-tions already are taking advantage of this versatile crop: tree-free hemp

paper is now available in Staples stores nationally; The Body Shop carriesa line of hemp lotions, soaps and lip conditioners; hemp foods are avail-able at natural food stores everywhere; and Ford and DaimlerChrysler,among others, are using hemp composite automobile parts.

Why is there domestic opposition to industrial hemp when over thirty indus-trialized nations (including Canada, England, France and Germany) permitit to be grown? Why is there opposition when hemp was an important cropfrom the founding of our nation (when it was once even accepted as pay-ment of taxes) up through WWII? We all know about government regula-tions and what they can do to hurt businesses.

On a personal note, I have benefited greatly from the use of hemp oil as atreatment for sun-damaged skin. After having a cancerous basel cellremoved, I started ingesting one tablespoon of hemp oil daily. My derma-tologist credits the hemp oil for the rapid and cosmetically successful heal-ing of my incision. (Editor’s note: this is most likely specifically due to hempoil's exceptional GLA and SDA content; see Gero Leson's “Nutritional Profileand Benefits of Hemp Seed, Nut and Oil” on page 12).

Industrial hemp's versatility makes it an incredible agricultural crop andeconomic booster. I am proud that Hawaii has recognized the value andpotential of this crop and will continue to support its establishment on thelocal and national level.

Aloha,

CCyynntthhiiaa TThhiieelleennHawaii State Representative

LLoouuiiee BB.. NNuunnnnFormer Governor of Kentucky

Editor's note: Louie B. Nunn was the Governor ofKentucky from 1967 to 1971. He was the last Republicanto be elected Governor of the state.

It is time to separate reality from rhetoric. When Iwas Governor, I listened to all sides of the issues,

carefully considered all opinions before me and tried to be fair in myresponses. Being actively involved in public service, I am often asked for myopinion on various matters affecting our state. One of the most recent, theindustrial hemp issue, has also proven to be one of the most important.

Although Kentucky has long been known for its historical hemp industry, itwasn't until recently that I became educated about industrial hemp. Frankly, Iwas opposed to the legalization of hemp for years because I had been of theopinion that hemp was marijuana. I was shortsighted in my thinking, and Iwas wrong.

As Kentucky farmers struggled with the loss of 65% of their tobacco income, Iwas asked to examine information on hemp. What I learned was that hemp isnot a drug and never was. After studying the facts, I believe hemp cultivationhas the potential to make a positive impact on our faltering agriculturaleconomy and to create economic opportunities for our farmers and localindustries.

I am concerned with all the misleading and intimidating rhetoric beingoffered to politicians as facts. We Kentuckians have been so mired in misin-formation about industrial hemp that it has become difficult to distinguishreality from rhetoric.

They say politics makes strange bedfellows, but none stranger than marijuanagrowers and law enforcement. Like bootleggers and preachers, they oppose

legislation for different self-serving reasons.

Law enforcement opposes legalizing hemp production because officers getpaid to destroy it, while marijuana growers oppose legalization becausehemp cross-pollinates and destroys marijuana's potency. And neither sidetalks about Orincon, a company with remote sensing technology able to dif-ferentiate marijuana and hemp from up to 5,000 feet in the air, or other sim-ple in-field tests that accomplish the same results.

But despite these diametrically opposed sides, there is a middle groundwhere common sense and rational people exist together. Today, with the sup-port of farmers and businessmen, legislators in fourteen states includingKentucky have already passed legislation encouraging or allowing the growthof industrial hemp. Is it rational to say all of these folks are involved with theefforts to legalize marijuana? Should we listen when Canada's RoyalMounted Police report no problems regulating hemp, or are they also work-ing to legalize marijuana? I know Kentucky State Police are as well educatedas their Canadian counterparts and could as easily understand and incorpo-rate industrial hemp regulations.

As difficult issues are analyzed with just, unbiased and sensible minds, solu-tions reached are usually fair and beneficial to all. Why should the industrialhemp issue be treated any differently? We should be looking forward to thetime when intelligence and truth overshadow rhetoric and ignorance.

Remember, we can't distinguish between Kentucky white moonshine andspring water just by looking, but we haven't seen fit to outlaw spring water.

Regards,

Cynthia ThielenAssistant Minority (Republican) Floor LeaderHawaii House of Representatives

Louie B. NunnFormer Governor of Kentucky

Creative Director:Michael Aubert Editorial Board:David Bronner

Gero Leson Eric Lineback Eric Steenstra

Contributors:David Bronner, Tim Castleman, Peter Dragla, DavidFrankel, Mari Kane, Michael Karus, Gero Leson,Gretchen Monette, Peter A. Nelson, Bob Newland,Erik Rothenberg, MA Smith

Vote Hemp Board:Eric Steenstra, PresidentEric Lineback, TreasurerCandi Penn, Secretary

David Bronner David Frankel

Erik Rothenberg

Vote HempPO Box 2279Merrifield, VA 22116voice/fax: 866-VOTE-HEMP (868-3436)outside US: 202-318-8999

The Vote Hemp Report

Managing Editor: Arthur HanksProduction Editor:Eric LinebackCopy Editor:David BronnerAdvertising Sales: Jason Freeman

Publisher: Eric Steenstra, Vote Hemp, Inc.

[email protected]

ISSN 1540-5109© 2002 Vote Hemp, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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The subject of why or whether to grow industrial hemp in the UnitedStates is often debated yet much misunderstood. The controversy sur-rounding the plant obscures much of its historical and potentialimpact - and its adaptability to diverse industries.

It never used to be that way. From the first plantings in Jamestown,when it was illegal not to grow hemp, to our founding fathers' hempplantations, to the hemp sails and rigging of the clipper ships thatsailed the 19th century seas, to the hemp canvas-covered wagons ofthe pioneers headed west, to the sturdy hemp Levi's pants of the orig-inal 49ers seeking their fortunes in the California hills, to the massive"Hemp for Victory" government program of WWII, hemp has devel-oped a long and illustrious history in America. In fact, hemp hasbeen used extensively for millen-nia in cultures around the worldand belongs to humanity's com-mon agricultural and commercialheritage.

The seed was known for itshealthy protein and rich oil. Theouter bast fiber from the stalk wasused for clothing, canvas andrope. The useful inner core fiber(or hurds) was used for construc-tion and paper production. Infact, the Declaration ofIndependence was drafted onhemp paper, and the finest Biblepaper remains hemp-based eventoday. In the early 20th century,some researchers were beginningto look at using the cellulose fromhemp as an affordable andrenewable raw material for plas-tics. Henry Ford actually built aprototype car made out of agri-cultural fiber biocomposites,including hemp.

Despite large renewed domesticproduction during WWII, hemp'scultivation and use in the U.S.was discontinued in the mid-20thcentury. This was largely due to misinformed and misguided fears that indus-trial hemp is marijuana, and hemp became demonized during the "reefermadness" craze that swept the country over much of the last century. Despiteeasily discernable and widely accepted differences between the two distinctplant varieties, serious misconceptions continue to persist.

However, common sense has an ability to shine through even the cloudiestsituations. Environmental and economic interests are beginning to cut

through the policy murk, and support for hemp is forming into abroad political base, including:

Farmers: hemp can help farmers looking to diversify their farmoperations. Hemp fits well into increasingly popular organic, low-input and sustainable methods of agriculture.

Reform-minded businesses: hemp's valuable fiber and large bio-mass productivity can help companies "go green" by creating a widevariety of opportunities and supplementing or replacing more com-monly used, problematic and stressed out raw material sources.

Nutritionists and health food advocates: hemp's oil-rich seed hasan exceptionally high content of vital Essential Fatty Acids (or EFAs,omega-3 and omega-6) that nutritionists have found to be deficientin our diets. A diet rich in EFAs can help alleviate and prevent many

common ailments. For similar rea-sons, hemp oil is increasinglyemployed in the natural body careindustry as well.

Environmental, student and com-munity activists: hemp can be a keyto creating a "green" future and sus-tainable value-added industries inour neighborhoods, cities, statesand country.

Green shoppers: hemp is attrac-tive to people willing to vote withtheir dollars and buy products thatreflect their values.

Hemp, of course, is not in itself atotal panacea for the social, eco-nomic and environmental woes thatplague our planet today. Indeed, nosingle crop can be. But, withfocused and sustained research anddevelopment in both the public andprivate sectors, hemp and otherqualified annual crops are poised tospur dramatic - and certainly vital -change. These renewable resourceswill transition our major industriesfrom depending on non-renewable,fast-disappearing resource bases to

being driven and supported on a sustainable economic basis by the annu-al agri-industrial produce of the Earth's fertile fields.

With thirty-one other nations growing industrial hemp and the U.S. repre-senting the largest consumer and industrial market for their hemp products,we are poised to take advantage of an unprecedented opportunity.Americans are becoming aware of the significant possibilities and benefitsthat hemp presents. America is getting ready to Vote Hemp.

Why Industrial Hemp?

The Vote Hemp ReportVH p5

Industrial hemp varieties of the cannabis plant, alsoreferred to as "fiber" or "low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)"hemp, should not be confused with psychoactive "marijua-na" varieties of the plant. In fact, they are quite distinctvarieties or breeds of the same plant species, much like aSt. Bernard and a Chihuahua are very different varieties ofthe same canine species. It is not possible to get "high"from hemp.

The majority of Western countries recognizes this distinctionby differentiating cannabis based primarily on THC contentand permits the farming of low-THC hemp varieties forfiber and seed. This distinction is formally affirmed inArticle 28(2) of the 1961 United Nations' Single

Convention on Narcotic Drugs, to which the U.S. is a sig-natory party. The Article reads "This Convention shall notapply to the cultivation of the cannabis plant exclusively forindustrial purposes (fiber and seed) or horticultural purpos-es."

Hemp has a well-established meaning in the internationalcommunity, referring to non-psychoactive cannabis vari-eties. Regulations in the European Union and Canada con-servatively mandate less than 0.2% and 0.3% THC in theflowers, respectively. In contrast, marijuana varieties gener-ally contain between 3% and 15% THC in their flowers.Because of their minimal THC content, flowers and leavesfrom hemp have absolutely no value as a psychoactiverecreational drug.

In spite of this, the DEA continues to intentionally confoundnon-psychoactive hemp varieties of cannabis with psy-choactive marijuana varieties. The U.S. is the only majorindustrialized nation to prohibit the growing and processingof hemp. However, non-viable hemp seed, oil and fiber areall currently legal for trade in the U.S., and domestic indus-try has continued to import them for diverse uses every yearsince the Marihuana Tax Act, effectively making marijuanaillegal, was passed by Congress in 1937. Industry esti-mates put the total North American retail market for hempproducts at approximately $150 million for 2002.

Note: Throughout this report, the terms “hemp” and“industrial hemp” are used interchangeably.

Modern Uses of Industrial Hemp

Industrial Hemp Defined

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VOTE HEMP, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the accept-ance of and a free market for industrial hemp. Industrial hemp encom-passes all non-psychoactive low-THC varieties of the cannabis plant andis cultivated for fiber and seed for use in diverse industries. Currently, it isillegal for U.S. farmers to grow hemp because it is improperly classifiedas a "drug" under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), along with its psy-choactive high-THC cousin, marijuana. Since changes in law requireshifts in thinking, which requires education in the facts, our primary goalis to educate legislators and regulators, farmers and business owners,consumers and students, and other concerned citizens.

Hemp is a renewableresource for food,fiber, energy andmore. The nascentglobal hemp marketis a thriving commer-cial success.Unfortunately, due tooutdated attitudesand Drug War para-

noia in Washington, the U.S. is the only major industrialized nation toprohibit the growing and processing of hemp. More than 30 countries,including Canada, France, England and Germany, allow farmers to growhemp under straightforward regulatory regimes, and their relevant lawenforcement agencies have not experienced any serious problems withdiversion. From the time of Jamestown through 1937, and again brieflyduring WWII under the Department of Agriculture's "Hemp for Victory"program, American farmers cultivated hemp. Now, a large and well-edu-cated cross-section of citizens is demanding that this right be restored.

Vote Hemp has been educating state and federal legislators and workingfor the acceptance and recommercialization of hemp. Vote Hemp pub-lished a Voter Guide for the 2000 election, listing the positions on hempof all candidates for U.S. Congress and the Presidency, and is publishingan updated Guide for the mid-term elections in 2002.

Vote Hemp played a key role in developing industry self-regulation, work-ing with the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) to develop the TestPledgeprogram through which participating companies assure consumers thatthey need not be concerned about workplace confirmation drug testinterference as a result of using hemp products.

Vote Hemp coordinated the legal fight this past year against the DEA'sOctober 2001 rules attempting to ban hemp foods containing insignifi-cant trace THC despite a clear Congressional exemption (21 U.S.C.§802 (16)) for hemp seed and oil. In March of 2002, the Ninth Circuit

Court of Appeals issued a Stayof the DEA's interpretive rule onbehalf of the HIA and otheraffected hemp food companies,rendering the rule null and voiduntil the Court issues its finalruling sometime later this year.Vote Hemp expects the Courtwill permanently invalidate theDEA's rule and hemp foods willremain legal to import, sell andconsume. In fact, industry saleshave increased steadily sincethe Stay was issued.

Vote Hemp also coordinatedthe submission of over 115,000comments to the DEA from thepublic opposing their regula-tions, as well as a bipartisan

Congressional "Dear Colleague" letter co-signed by 22 members of theU.S. House of Representatives.

Vote Hemp is currently engaged in numerous projects at both the stateand federal levels. These include providing information and support forvarious state legislative efforts and assisting Lakota Sioux farmer AlexWhite Plume in his family's efforts to grow hemp as a value-added renew-able crop on the Pine Ridge Reservation, the land of the sovereign LakotaNation and one of the poorest areas in the U.S.

Stay informed about industrial hemp news and legislation by signing upfor the Action Alert email list at the Vote Hemp web site. Also at the website's Action Alert Center, with the click of a button you can fax or email apre-drafted letter to your elected representatives demanding thatAmerican farmers be allowed to once again cultivate and process hemp.We encourage you while there to make an online credit card donation tosupport Vote Hemp's important ongoing efforts, or let us know how elseyou may be able to help.

Thank you for taking the time to read through The Vote Hemp Report.

Why Vote Hemp?

Vote Hemp has been educatingstate and federal legislatorsand working for the acceptanceand recommercialization ofhemp.

Vote Hemp Voter Guide - http://www.VoteHemp.com/voterguide.htmlTestPledge Program - http://www.TestPledge.comHIA vs. DEA - http://www.VoteHemp.com/news.htmlLakota Hemp Project - http://www.VoteHemp.com/news.html#Lakota

Useful Links

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If a state legislator can get an industrial hemp billpassed today, he or she can accomplish just aboutanything. Acceptance of hemp farming flies in theface of outdated federal laws that fail to distinguishbetween low-THC hemp and high-THC marijuanavarieties of cannabis. Those laws effectively prohibitthe domestic farming and processing of hemp, aplant that still remains in Schedule I of theControlled Substances Act (CSA).

It takes a true hero to succeed, and there havebeen more than a few. In fact, 25 of 53 statehemp-related bills introduced since 1995 havepassed, a success rate of over 47%. Overall, 14states have successfully passed hemp-related legis-lation. 1999 was an especially good mid-term yearthat saw the passage of ten bills. In 2000, theNational Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)adopted a hemp policy that strongly urged the DEA,USDA and the Drug Czar's office to recognize thedistinction between hemp and marijuana. NCSL,which represents thousands of state legislators, alsourged Congress to change federal law to allowfarmers to grow hemp under a regulated system.Clearly, the political seeds planted years ago arenow coming to fruition.

In 2002, hemp bills have been introduced in sevenstates: Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico,Vermont, Wisconsin and West Virginia. The CA, HIand WV bills have passed, the NM and VT billshave died in committee, and the AZ and WI billshave been held until 2003.

State legislators generally begin by drafting billscalling for scientific, economic and environmentalstudies of hemp, usually under the auspices of astate university. Some go one step further by callingfor the planting of test plots. In those cases,researchers must still obtain the required federalpermits from the DEA.

For example, Hawaii, which passed legislation call-ing for University-sponsored, privately-fundedresearch in 1999, received the necessary state andDEA research permits and has gone on to plant testplots for a third straight year now. North Dakotapassed similar legislation that same year, but DEApermits were not obtained until this year. StateRepresentative David Monson (R-ND) is hopefulthat, when they meet again in 2003, the legislaturewill appropriate public funds allowing the state toplant a test crop.

Depending on the state, most opposition to the reg-ulation of industrial hemp emits from local and fed-eral law enforcement agencies and private anti-drugorganizations such as Drug Watch International andFamily Research Council. These groups employ dra-matic rhetoric in an effort to stifle legislative reform.These opponents are even opposed to simply study-ing the issue. Law enforcement agencies usuallyclaim an inability to distinguish between hemp andmarijuana. They also claim that hemp plants mightbe stolen by drug traffickers, or that some farmersmight try to grow marijuana disguised as hemp.Anti-drug groups insist that relaxing restrictionsagainst hemp will send the "wrong message" to kidsabout the dangers of drugs.

These arguments have very little basis in fact andare increasingly seen as outmoded, fear-driventhinking. In fact, in countries where farmers havelegally grown hemp for years, law enforcement hashad no problem distinguishing hemp from marijua-na, and marijuana use has not increased amongthe public as a result. Farmers have to apply forpermits, buy only approved low-THC hemp seed,and provide GPS coordinates of their fields. In con-trast to their concern about the message of hempproducts, anti-drug groups do not seem to be con-cerned that a wrong message is being conveyed bybakeries and grocery stores that sell poppy seedbagels containing trace opiates.

In Hawaii, where hemp cultivation research hasbeen carried on without any major problems forthree years, local law enforcement was hard pressedto find any valid reasons to object to State Rep.Cynthia Thielen's most recent hemp bill. The billmade Act 305, Session Laws of Hawaii 1999, per-manent, allowing privately-funded hemp research tobe continued in the state.

"The only opposition was from Jeanette McDougalof Drug Watch International and the HonoluluPolice Department," said Thielen. "The police didn'tgive 'law enforcement' reasons; they simply said 'theobjectives of the original research have been ful-filled.' Since that was incorrect, their testimony hadlittle impact."

On the positive side, support for hemp comes froma broad spectrum - farmers, manufacturers, laborunions, environmentalists, states' rights advocatesand private citizens, among others - who view

hemp's potential as a sensible proposal forresource sustainability and economic development.Their wide support is buttressed by the experiencesof their counterparts in over thirty other countriesthat allow the cultivation and processing of hemp,as well as by American consumers who demandhemp as an alternative to cotton, petroleum andwood products.

In Arizona, State Senator Hamilton's bill, SB 1431,passed easily last year, but the Governor vetoed itdue to intense pressure from the law enforcementcommunity. There were also questions over whetherthe university study would be publicly or privatelyfunded, so the 2002 bill was altered to require theuniversity to do a study only if they receive privatefunding. The bill then passed in the HouseEducation Committee, but the AgricultureCommittee Chairman blocked it.

"Unfortunately, they [law enforcement] went to theChairman of the Agriculture Committee and he lis-tened to them before we were able to make thateducation effort," said Hamilton, who will be leav-ing the Senate due to term limits. "Education is thekey. Tim Castleman [local hemp expert and activist]and his people had everybody educated on bothsides, and now we're going to have all new peopleto educate."

California's AB 388, sponsored by State Rep.Virginia Strom-Martin, requests the University ofCalifornia "to conduct an assessment of economicopportunities available through the production ofspecialty or alternative fiber crops including indus-trial hemp, kenaf and flax by extrapolating data onproductivity and production costs available from tri-als conducted in other states and countries similarto California's conditions. The assessment shallinclude an estimation of market demand and likelycrop prices, identification of potential barriers

The State of Hemp in America Today:State Legislative Action Buildsby Mari Kane

MMKK:: How did you get thenotion to regulate hemp inNorth Dakota?

DDMM:: I knew we raised hempback in the 1940s duringWWII, and it had been raisedsuccessfully in the state beforethat and was growing wild allover the place - ditchweed,you know. I'm Republican andin the majority party in NorthDakota. A huge majority,pretty conservative, and not

out to raise marijuana. [Laughs.] We had credibility, andthe farmers got on board, and we came out of thereand passed her [the 1999 hemp bill] big-time. And oncewe got her passed in the House, she pretty well breezedthrough the Senate. In 1999, five different [hemp] billsall passed big-time. Now, I think if you ran on a plat-form opposing industrial hemp in North Dakota, you'regoing to get beat. About 80% of the people think it[hemp] is just fine.

MMKK:: You have been pretty busy passing hemp legisla-tion. How did it happen?

DDMM:: We had the first [hemp] legislation to pass in theU.S., in 1997, to have industry do research on hempfeasibility. They reported in 1998 or 1999 and deter-mined it was viable and worth pursuing. We passed sev-eral bills with bipartisan support by huge majorities,especially in the House. 89-7 voted in favor of the billsto send resolutions to Congressmen, the President and

the DEA, saying there is no reason not to raise this[hemp] as a crop. We passed a law to give NDSU [localuniversity] the right to get a license to grow it. One ofthe main laws declared industrial hemp an agriculturalcrop instead of a weed, so it took hemp off the noxiousweeds list. Now, since it's considered a crop, we've gotlicensing procedures put in place very similar to whatCanada has. We also put it under control of theDepartment of Agriculture in North Dakota.

So, we've done pretty much everything in North Dakotathat we can. We're ready to raise hemp here; we haveeverything in place. NDSU applied [to the DEA] for apermit, and I think they have been successful in gettingtheir licenses. But they got them too late to plant thisyear, so it will wait for next year. The problem is, to dothe test plots, they will have to put thousands of dollarsinto security.

MMKK:: Who will pay for that?

DDMM:: We're going to have to come up with the funds nextsession. We meet every two years, next in 2003, andwe'll have to try to appropriate some money in their[NDSU's] budget for security stuff. I've got my work cutout for me now to try and get funding for it. It's kind of achicken-and-egg thing. Until there's a market, peoplearen't going to raise it, even if it were legal at the feder-al level. And until it is legal and people are raising it,there isn't going to be a big market. No industry is goingto build a multi-million dollar plant and then find outthey can't get it raised.

DDaavviidd MMoonnssoonn

The Vote Hemp Report 2002/2003p8

Mari Kane Talks with State Representative David Monson (R-NND)

Almost completing a cycle which has not beenduplicated since 1958, Alex White Plume hasplanted, cultivated, harvested, sold and arrangeddelivery of an industrial hemp crop in 2002. WhitePlume, a Lakota Sioux Indian whose hemp cropwas illegally destroyed in 2000 and 2001 by U.S.federal law enforcement officers, had contractedhis crop to the Madison Hemp & Flax Co. ofLexington, Kentucky. Before they could pick up thecrop, however, a federal judge granted a tempo-rary restraining order preventing the delivery andcompletion of the cycle. Alex White Plume andother family members are now facing several civilcharges and will appear in court in early October.

This news coincides with the political campaign for"Initiated Measure 1" on November's general elec-tion ballot in South Dakota. The "South DakotaIndustrial Hemp Act of 2002" was placed on theballot by the South Dakota Industrial Hemp

Council (SDIHC) which wrapped up its year-longpetition drive on May 7.

Bob Newland, a co-founder of the SDIHC andnominee for South Dakota Attorney General, said,"Alex White Plume has done more than any othersingle person to expose to South Dakotans and theworld the absolute absurdity of U.S. public policyregarding hemp."

With the appearance of the Hemp Act on the bal-lot there, South Dakota is a focal point for hempadvocates. South Dakota voters will choose "yes"or "no" on the following proposed addition to statelaw in November: "Any person may plant, culti-vate, harvest, possess, process, transport, sell orbuy industrial hemp (cannabis) or any of its by-products with a tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) con-tent of one percent or less."

It will be the first time voters have ever directlyvoted on the question of hemp production in theU.S. in a statewide referendum (as opposed toelected state representatives voting in state legisla-tures). The SDIHC conducted a poll of SouthDakota voters in 2001, which demonstrated thatover 80% want farmers to be able to grow hemp ifthey choose to do so.

The proposal, when enacted, will distinguish hempfrom marijuana by THC content and will removeSouth Dakota's barriers to hemp production. Thechange will coincide with a federal bill being con-templated by North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad,which will also define hemp as distinct from mari-juana and will move regulation of hemp from theDEA to the USDA.

"We ache for adjectives strong enough to describe theabsurdity of federal policies regarding hemp," Newlandstated. "Over thirty nations grow, process and trade inhemp. The U.S. and Canada will consume over $150million of hemp products in 2002. Legal Canadian-grownhemp is being trucked past barely-surviving South Dakotafarms. Our politicians talk constantly about finding alterna-tive energy sources, saving the family farm, creating newvalue-added agricultural opportunities, cleaning up theenvironment and reducing our dependence on foreignenergy and fiber supplies. But they ignore the billion-dollargolden opportunity sitting right in front of them - the prom-ise of industrial hemp - which can potentially address allthose concerns."

"I think South Dakotans will overwhelmingly pass theHemp Act in November. I also think they will elect politi-cians who endorse hemp - because they support hemp,not in spite of it."

Under the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, the U.S.recognized the sovereign right of the LakotaNation (Oglala Sioux) to be self-sufficient basedon "cultivating the soil for a living." The nomadicLakota understood they were to raise food andclothing from the soil as a substitute for buffalowhich had provided them sustenance since antiq-uity. Industrial hemp was a staple crop in theregion throughout the 19th century and was welladapted to the climate of South Dakota.

The Lakota had the right to cultivate hemp in1868 and were encouraged by the U.S. to contin-ue doing so. Wild ("feral") hemp, such as that cul-tivated by Alex White Plume, thrives naturallythroughout South Dakota today - remnants from

historic hemp cultivation on the Plains. The Lakotarecognized this history and their sovereign rightsin passing Ordinance 98-27 of 1998, authorizingthe cultivation of hemp at the Pine Ridge IndianReservation while retaining "marijuana" lawsunchanged.

Alex White Plume's hemp crop was intended to beused in a local, community-based hemp housedemonstration project, a working model of agri-culture-based, environmentally sustainable eco-nomic redevelopment. Since Pine Ridge is locatedwithin one of the poorest counties in the U.S., it iscritical to establish such models there. The DEA'scontinued harassment of the Lakota people con-cerning these activities undermines their importantefforts to make a better life with limited resources.

South Dakota Hemp Crop Adds Impetusto State Hemp Petitionby Bob Newland


to profitability, and identification of production,legal, processing and marketing issues that wouldneed to be addressed in future demonstrationresearch or pilot commercial trials."

Wisconsin's AB 679, sponsored by State Rep. EugeneHahn, requires the Board of Regents of the Universityof Wisconsin "to apply for any federal permitsrequired for research involving 'industrial hemp'(defined as Cannabis sativa with THC concentrationnot exceeding 0.3% on a dry weight basis)." It contin-ues, "If the University Board obtains these permits, itmust conduct research on growing and marketingindustrial hemp and annually report the results of theresearch to the legislature. This bill also requires theDepartments of Agriculture, Trade and ConsumerProtection to promulgate rules, in consultation withthe Attorney General, concerning industrial hemp,including rules for the inspection of industrial hempfields and for notifying local law enforcement agen-cies in whose jurisdiction industrial hemp is beinggrown."

West Virginia's Senate Bill No. 447, sponsored byState Senators Facemyer and Bailey, passed onMarch 7, 2002 and was signed into law by GovernorWise on March 28. It decriminalized the growing ofhemp as an agricultural crop and required the

Agricultural Commissioner to promulgate rules andregulations and develop grower licensing require-ments. Senator Facemyer said approval of the billwould only mean that the DEA would work with thestate to set up a research project on growing hempfor a few years. Only after that phase is completemight it be possible for farmers to actually grow it,she said.

Clearly, a large number of states are ready and will-ing to support domestic hemp cultivation and indus-try. Now, more than ever, it is vitally important thatthe federal barriers standing in the way are removed,enabling the forces of the free market to work theirmagic.

Mari Kane is a freelance writer who covers issues relatingto business, the environment and wine. Since 1993, Ms.Kane has written extensively on industrial hemp.

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Lakota Hemp History

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More information on Alex White Plume and the LakotaHemp Project:http://www.VoteHemp.com/news.html#LakotaGeneral information on hemp in South Dakota:http://www.sodakhemp.org/

Useful Links

NCSL Hemp Resolution:http://www.VoteHemp.com/issue.html#NCSLHawaii State Legislators’ Letter to President Bush:http://www.VoteHemp.com/issue.html#Hawaii

Useful Links

America has an energy problem. We consumean estimated 200 billion gallons of petroleum-based fuel annually, and there are legitimatequestions as to how sustainable or environ-mentally and economically affordable that con-sumption rate is.

David Morris, President of the Institute for LocalSelf Reliance (ILSR), writes: "Market economieswork best when they rely on accurate prices.Yet many of the prices we pay do not reflectthe full costs of producing, using and disposingthe goods we consume. The most importantexample of this mismatch may occur in thetransportation sector."

In a 1998 paper for ILSR, “Oil Slickers: HowPetroleum Benefits at the Taxpayer's Expense,”Dr. Jennifer Wahl calculated that the true costof gasoline is about 32 cents more per gallonthan the pump price - or a total of about $84billion per year. This figure includes tax subsi-dies and tax breaks received by the petroleumindustry, the military costs of protecting foreignoil supplies, and the environmental and healthcosts associated with pollution and globalwarming.

Wahl notes in her paper that her figure is aconservative estimate, considering that it was atthe low end of the range ($0.22 - $1.34 pergallon). When she wrote the paper four yearsago, she did not anticipate such increased mil-itary deployment in the Middle East, nor thecosts of future disasters reminiscent of theExxon Valdez.

The U.S. certainly has the lowest gasolineprices among industrialized countries. Trying tochange this subsidy regime through gas hikeswould amount to political suicide. Cheap gasfor Americans is like free bread was to theRoman proletariat. But long-term foreigndeployment of American troops in the MiddleEast is ultimately not the kind of security that islikely to prove stable.

There is, however, a home-grown solution toAmerica's energy needs - and it is not basedon science fiction, wishful thinking or pacifisthandwringing. At a recent (May 2000) NixonCenter roundtable discussion, R. JamesWoolsey, former Director of the CIA, arguedthat new technology developments in the pro-duction of ethanol fuel could revolutionizeenergy markets.

Ethanol is a high-octane, water-free alcoholproduced mainly from fermented sugars orconverted starches found in common andabundant commodity crops such as corn,wheat and other cereals. It is now commonly

used as a gasoline additive, replacing toxicmaterials like methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).While ethanol production is limited by highcosts at present, new research demonstratesthat it is possible to use any plant or plantproduct, commonly called biomass, to makeethanol. Ethanol production is currently abouttwo billion gallons per year, providing 1% ofthe country's liquid fuel. With nine plants thatcame into production this year, annual capacityhas increased to 2.55 billion gallons, andeleven plants under construction will soon addanother 340 million gallons.

New research promises to develop processesthat decisively reduce costs to the point wherepetroleum products would face vigorous pricecompetition. Woolsey identifies new enzymes -biocatalysts - being developed throughbiotechnology as key to unlocking the energypotential of starch, sugar, cellulose and hemi-cellulose found in plant matter, allowing themto more efficiently be fermented into ethanol.Biomass ethanol essentially recycles agriculturalresidue. Because crops like hemp sequestercarbon dioxide, there is no net addition of thisgreenhouse gas into the atmosphere. As thishelps reduce atmospheric climate change, it isa significant advantage over using petroleum.

Another area where biomass holds an advan-tage over petroleum is in the range of productsit can produce. As in oil refineries, biorefinerieswould yield a host of products, the number ofwhich would only increase over time. Manybiorefinery productscan also be producedby oil refineries, suchas liquid fuels, organicchemicals and variousmaterials. However,biorefineries can man-ufacture many otherproducts that oilrefineries cannot,including foods, feedsand biochemicals.These additional capabilities give biorefineries apotential competitive edge and enhanced finan-cial stability.

The processing technologies of refineries tendto improve incrementally over time, eventuallycausing raw material costs to become thedominant cost factor. In this regard, biorefiner-ies have another potential advantage overpetroleum refineries because plant-derived rawmaterials are abundant and cheap domesticresources. The availability and prices of agri-cultural raw materials may thus be more stableand predictable than those of petroleum whichwill become inevitably scarcer and more

expensive with time.

Momentum for the idea is building. Otherresearchers suggest that a gasification process,using heat to "crack" the plant cellulose, maybe another viable way of making affordablebiomass-based energy. And while it is unlikelythat ethanol will displace petroleum in the nearfuture, research being conducted by universi-ties, small companies and the U.S. Departmentof Energy is helping forge the way forward.Automakers are creating "flexible fuel" vehicles- pickups from Ford, Mazda and Chevrolet andsome minivans from Chrysler and Dodge - thatcan run on either gasoline or up to 85%ethanol fuel. The American Lung Associationhas endorsed ethanol as a way of helping toclean the air of our crowded cities.

On the federal level, President Clinton madethe development of biofuels a priority in 1999when he signed Executive Order 13134 whichcreated the Interagency Council on Biobasedproducts. The Council's primary mission is todevelop a comprehensive national strategy,including research and development and pri-vate sector incentives, to stimulate the creationand early adoption of technologies needed tomake bioenergy and bio-based products costcompetitive. Congress subsequently passed theBiomass Research and Development Act of2000 (BRDA) which was sponsored by SenatorRichard Lugar (R-IN), the influential rankingRepublican on the Senate AgricultureCommittee. The BRDA gives the USDA $300million to spend over six years to promote anddevelop biomass technology and crops.

"Cellulosic biomass is extremely plentiful. As itcomes to be used to produce competitively-priced ethanol, it will democratize the world's

fuel markets," writesLugar in a 1999paper ("The NewPetroleum") he co-wrote with Woolsey onthe subject for ForeignAffairs(January/February1999).

In fact, energy democ-racy is a key founda-tion of revitalizing

America's rural fabric, argues ILSR's Morris. Hecoined the term "Carbohydrate Economy" todescribe the emerging industries of the 21st

century that will take advantage of an underuti-lized raw materials base - plant matter.

"A carbohydrate economy reduces pollution,builds stronger rural communities and supportsa rooted farmer-owned processing and manu-facturing sector," writes Morris.

Hemp Biomass: A Domestic and SustainableResource for Today and Tomorrow's Energy Needs?by MA Smith & Eric Steenstra


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Biomass ethanol essentiallyrecycles agricultural residue.Because crops like hempsequester carbon dioxide, thereis no net addition of this green-house gas into the atmosphere.

Hemp foods are expanding onto the shelves of grocery and natural foodstores across North America. By definition, these are foods containing wholehemp seeds or the oil, nut (hulled seed) and/or flour (ground seed cake)derived from the seeds. Examples of currently available hemp food productsinclude salad dressings, nutrition bars,breads, cookies, granola, waffles, nutbutter, chips, pasta, frozen deserts andcold-pressed oil supplements. Theseproducts are sold for much more thantheir "hemp cachet" alone; manufacturerspromote hemp foods for their exception-al nutritional and taste benefits.Examining the composition of hemp seedwill help explain these benefits.

Like other oil seeds, the hemp nut consistsmainly of oil (typically 44%), protein(33%) and dietary fiber and other carbo-hydrates (12%, predominantly fromresidues of the hull). In addition, the nutcontains vitamins (particularly the toco-pherols and tocotrienols of the Vitamin Ecomplex), phytosterols and trace miner-als. Overall, hemp's main nutritionaladvantage over other seeds lies in thecomposition of its oil, i.e. its fatty acidprofile, and in its protein which contains all of the essential amino acids innutritionally significant amounts and in a desirable ratio.

Most oil seeds contain plenty of linoleic acid (LA), an essential fatty acid (EFA)from the "omega-6" family, yet they offer little alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), theother EFA from the "omega-3" family. Health agencies around the worldagree that humans should ingest these EFAs in an omega-6/omega-3 ratioof about 4:1. Since common seed oil and animal fat, both low in omega-3,account for most of our fat intake, Western diets typically have omega-6/omega-3 ratios of 10:1 or more, which is far too rich in omega-6 and cor-

respondingly too deficient in omega-3. Recent clinical research continues toidentify this imbalance as a co-factor in a wide range of common illnesses,including cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, diabetes, skin and mood disor-ders. A 1999 workshop by the U.S. National Institute of Health (see

http://ods.od.nih.gov/news/confer-ences/w6w3_abstracts.html) demon-strated the impressive benefits of a bal-anced omega-6/omega-3 ratio in ourdiet: reduced risk of atherosclerosis,sudden cardiac death and certaintypes of cancers, decrease in thesymptoms of rheumatoid arthritis,mood improvement in bipolar disor-ders and optimized development ininfants.

In clinical studies, these benefits areoften achieved using omega-3-richfish and flax oil supplements. A more"holistic" approach consists of shiftingour general dietary fat intake towardsnuts and oils offering a better omega-6/omega-3 ratio. Hemp nut and oiloffer an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of3:1 or less, depending on plant vari-ety. This exceeds the target ratio of 4:1

and compensates in part for omega-3 deficiencies in the rest of our diet. Noother vegetable oil offers EFAs at such high concentrations and, more impor-tantly, in such a desirable omega-6/omega-3 ratio.

Hemp oil also provides significant amounts of the more rare 'super' polyun-saturated fatty acids, notably gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and stearidonicacid (SDA). These are not essential themselves, but our body only naturallyproduces them from the LA and ALA essential fatty acids, respectively.

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While urban and forestry waste could bediverted into energy processing streams, agri-cultural residues from commonly-grown com-modity crops are most available and will likelyclaim the bulk of future biomass ethanol pro-duction. Because of high transportation costs,most biomass will be processed near the pointof origin. The 50-mile rule (the affordablelimit of transport) will mean that energy pro-duction will be decentralized and value-addedbenefits will spread to numerous rural com-munities, as well as to the original producersof biomass, the family farm.

The current common wisdom holds that agri-cultural industries must focus on multiplevalue-added products from the various frac-tions of crops to maintain economic viability,and biomass ethanol production will provideenhanced rural development by spurring on aplethora of co-products.

Canada's Saskatchewan Hemp Associationhas posited hemp as an ideal candidate forbiomass/ethanol production because:

hemp offers high tonnage of biomass overa single short growing season (3-4 tons peracre),

hemp has excellent opportunities for co-and by-products in seed and fiber processing,and

hemp enhances environmental values onthe farm, and thus is consistent with theobjectives of using plants for energy.

Some value-added end uses for co- and by-products for industrial hemp include compos-ites, fine paper, nitrogen-rich fertilizer, plastics,fabrics and polymers, as well as seed prod-ucts destined for the nutritional, feed andindustrial oil markets. Because of the widerange of quality products that can be devel-oped and the fact that hemp can be grown inall fifty states, it is worth a hard look.

For Midwestern rural economies needing todiversify, for small family farms needing tocreate additional value from their produce,and for everyone sick of the choking smog

created by our millions of cars, biomassethanol production deserves serious consider-ation. And for the overburdened taxpayers ofour nation, ethanol investment appears to bemoney that could be very well spent.

Certainly, while more research needs to bedone to bring costs of production down to alevel competitive with petroleum-based prod-ucts, and while government priorities need tobe strengthened on the issue, there is a strongsense that this is only a matter of time.Industrial hemp indeed has the intrinsic quali-ties and economic value-added potential tobe a significant biomass contributor to a bio-ethanol-fueled future.


Nutritional Profile and Benefits of Hemp Seed, Nut and Oilby Gero Leson

Typical Composition of Hemp Nut

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Institute for Local Self Reliance - http://www.ilsr.org/The Carbohydrate Economy - http://www.carbohydrateeconomy.org/Biomass Research and Development Initiative -http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/

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Supplementation with GLA and SDA appears to alleviate the symptoms of atopicdermatitis and other skin diseases in some patients. Clinical trials of the putativebenefits from ingested hemp oil are currently under way at the University ofKuopio in Finland to assess the extent of these potential benefits. GLA and SDAcontent in hemp seed vary considerably with variety and this needs to be consid-ered when using hemp oil to treat such symptoms.

Hemp oil typically contains less than 10% saturated fatty acids, and no trans-fatty acids, which are particularly detrimental to our blood cholesterol balance.To avoid conversion of polyunsaturated fatty acids to unhealthy peroxides athigher temperatures, hemp oil and nut are best used for cold and warm disheswhere temperature is kept below the boiling point (212° F). Hemp oil should notbe used for frying. When using it for light sautéing, keeping the pan at low heatand with sufficient moisture in the bottom limits both temperature and the forma-tion of peroxides and off-flavors. Hemp nut can be lightly toasted and baked inbread and pastry dough keeping in mind these temperature and moisturecaveats.

Hemp protein is also of exceptionally high quality in terms of amino acid (AA)composition and protein structure, the latter affecting digestibility and utilizationby the human body. Hemp protein contains all of the essential amino acids inmore nutritionally significant amounts and at a ratio closer to "complete" sourcesof protein (like meat, milk and eggs) than all other oil seeds except soy. Hempprotein consists of two globular proteins, albumin (33%) and edestine (67%),with a structure very similar to proteins manufactured in our blood and is thusreadily digestible. Hemp protein appears to be free of antinutrients that arefound in soy to interfere with protein uptake. So, eating hemp seed or nut deliv-ers protein with a favorable AA composition and in a structure readily utilized.

Hemp's nutritional advantage over other sources of fats and protein thus lies inits highly desirable balance of basic nutrients. Simply put, when eating hempseed, nut and/or oil, our body obtains much of what it needs without the caloricballast of non-essential nutrients. Yet, unlike fish and flax oil supplements andassorted protein powders, properly processed hemp seed offers these benefitswith the additional bonus of a nice flavor profile - hemp tastes good. Fresh cold-pressed hemp oil and hemp nut, particularly when toasted, add a nice nutty fla-vor to many dishes and packaged food products. Hemp nut and oil thereforeare attractive both nutritionally and culinarily, rendering them truly modern foodsources.

Editor’s note: Also see page 15 for HIA’s TestPledge quality control program forhemp nut and oil.

Gero Leson, D.Env. is an environmental scientist and consultant with extensiveexperience in food and fiber uses of hemp and other renewable resources.

Typical Fatty Acid Composition of Vegetable Oils

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For a recent referenced overview of the benefits of hemp seed and oil by DarrellTanelian, MD, see www.freshhempfoods.com/pdf/forgotten.pdf

Gero Leson and Petra Pless, “Hemp Foods and Oils for Health,” Hemptech, Sebastopol, CA

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In North America, natural body care productscontinue to be a significant and growing marketfor industrial hemp. An increasing number ofconsumers enjoy the benefits of cosmetics con-taining hemp oil, and the range of availableproducts is exhaustive: bar and liquid soaps,shampoos and conditioners, hand, facial andfoot creams, salves, body lotions, shower gels,massage oils and lip balms. Most visible to con-sumers are the product lines released by main-stream companies such as The Body Shop,Revlon and Alterna. In the natural marketplace,for example, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, SunDog, Raining Rose, Merry Hempsters, Nature'sGate, Jason Natural Cosmetics and Kiss MyFace have all established successful hemp bodycare lines.

“The natural body care segment in the U.S. is agrowing billion-dollar-plus market,” reports ErikRothenberg, President of Atlas Corporation, animporter of refined hemp oil. “Natural bodycare products using hemp oil in the U.S. willconservatively generate over $30 million inretail sales this year.” Hemp body care productscan be found in the body care aisle at any ofthe 10,000-plus natural products stores acrossthe country and have begun to successfully pen-etrate mainstream distribution and retail chan-nels as well.

What is it about hemp oil that has so many con-sumers and manufacturers interested? Morethan 75% of its fatty acids are polyunsaturatedessential fatty acids (EFAs). These impart excel-lent emollient, lubricating and moisturizingproperties to both leave-on and rinse-off bodycare products. Furthermore, hemp oil contains asignificant amount of the omega-6 derivativegamma linolenic acid (GLA). Clinical studieshave shown that external application of theseEFAs (and leave-on products containing them insufficiently large proportions) can alleviate oreven remedy common skin problems, such asdry, scaling or cracking skin, and even slowdown skin aging.

One of the largest manufacturers of suntanlotions and protectors, California Tan, has beenusing hemp oil in some of their products foryears. Many hemp oil-based sunscreen prod-ucts have been developed by others as well.“When hemp was first brought to me,” remem-bers Debbie Pierce, Vice President of Researchand Technology at California Tan, “I thought itwas a marketing gimmick. But research showedme how good it actually is, and as a scientist,hemp is something I can believe in.” RecentCanadian research shows that hemp oil absorbsradiation in the UV-B and UV-C range, confirm-ing its potential as a broad-spectrum UV skinprotector.

Another firm believer in hemp for the body isSue Kastensen, founder of Sun Dog Hemp Body

Care in Wisconsin. Kastensen produces eco-friendly lip balms, liquid and bar body soaps,body lotions and sulfate-free shampoos andconditioners, all incorporating hemp oil. Shelooks forward to the day hemp can be grown inthe U.S., increasing the quality and consistencyof supply and lowering the cost of hemp oil. “Iwould love to see hemp turn into just anothercommodity oil from which to choose,” shestates. What began in 1994 as a hobby forKastensen has turned into a profitable businesswith hundreds of natural products stores andboutiques as customers, that, along with healthyinternet sales, enable her to support the NativeAmerican causes she is passionate about.

One of the most successful and visible lines ofhemp body care in the U.S. is that of The BodyShop. “We are always looking for new ingredi-ents that are naturally inspired, effective andresults-oriented,” says company spokespersonChad Little. “The Body Shop wanted to developa new range of products for dry skin that offersthe best in skin care solutions. Hemp oil con-tains an unusually high concentration of EFAs,making it an ideal natural ingredient for treatingdry skin and hair.” The company's Hemp Hand

Protector is currently one of their best sellers inthe U.S., and the hemp line as a wholeaccounts for approximately $6 million in saleshere. The Body Shop sold an estimated $40million of hemp products worldwide last year.

An example of how hemp oil can help improvewell-established body care products to the bene-fit of both manufacturer and consumer is Dr.Bronner's Magic Soaps, which manufactures thetop-selling liquid and bar soaps in the naturalmarketplace. The company currently uses about40,000 pounds of refined hemp oil and 2,000pounds of unrefined hemp oil per year as asuperfatting ingredient in their soaps. Companypresident David Bronner states, “The hemp oil'sEFAs make the soaps much smoother and lessdrying, improving their afterfeel dramatically.We've seen a remarkable boost in sales volumeover the past few years since we added thehemp oil in 1999. Our customers love it.”

Millions of people, through a plethora of prod-ucts for the body, experience the healing powersof industrial hemp oil every day. It is time to letour farmers and processors take advantage ofthis lucrative market.

Gretchen Monette is a communications consultantand freelance journalist living in Michigan.

The Hemp Industries Association(HIA) initiated the TestPledge pro-gram in August of 2001 to assureconsumers that eating hemp foodscannot cause a confirmed positive

drug test for marijuana. Virtually all manufacturersof hemp nut (i.e. shelled hemp seed) and oil prod-ucts in North America have signed onto theTestPledge program. TestPledge companies com-mit to maintaining quality control measures whichlimit the amount of harmless trace residual THC inhemp oil and nut, thus eliminating the risk of aconfirmed positive drug test.

Based on a study commissioned by a Canadiangovernmental research program and published inthe Journal of Analytical Toxicology last year(Volume 25, Nov./Dec. 2001), TestPledge requiresthat pledging companies test every batch of theirhemp nut and/or oil and commit to the followingtrace THC limits:

Hemp oil: 5.0 parts per million (ppm) Hemp nut: 1.5 parts per million (ppm)

These limits have been the de facto norm forhemp seed processors since mid-1998, after theCanadian Hemp Regulations went into effect.Unfortunately, the Drug EnforcementAdministration (DEA) continues to use past drug-test interference problems from the mid-1990's asa pretext to harass the hemp industry. This policy ishypocritical, as the DEA has not attacked poppyseed bagel makers for promoting opium use,despite the fact that poppy seeds come from thesame species as the opium poppy and contain

trace opiates which have historically interfered withnarcotics drug-testing. The U.S. government hasalso not harassed fruit juice companies regardingtrace alcohol in juice present through natural fer-mentation.

Hemp seed is one of the most perfect sources forhuman nutrition in all of nature. In addition to itsexcellent flavor profile, the nut protein supplies allessential amino acids in an easily digestible formand with a high protein efficiency ratio. Hemp oiloffers high concentrations of two essential fattyacids (EFAs), omega-3 and omega-6, in a perfectratio. This superior nutritional profile makes hempnut and oil ideal for a wide range of functionalfood applications and as an effective fatty acidsupplement. Not surprisingly, hemp nut and oil areincreasingly used in natural food products, such ascorn chips, nutrition bars, hummus, nondairy milksand cheeses, waffles, breads and cereals.

The high and balanced EFA content of hemp oilalso makes it ideal as a topical ingredient in bothleave-on and rinse-off body care products. Inlotions and creams, the EFAs help soothe andrestore skin and give excellent emolliency andsmooth afterfeel to lotions, lip balms, conditioners,shampoos, soaps and shaving products.

Estimated retail sales for hemp food and bodycare products in the U.S. exceeded $40 million in2001, up from less than $1 million in the early1990s.

For further information on TestPledge, go tohttp://www.TestPledge.com

Hemp Body Care Products: Looking Good in the Mirror and the Marketplaceby Gretchen Monette


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TestPledge: Addressing Marketplace Concerns About Drug Testing

Textiles are traditionally one of the mostimportant high-value and well-known marketsfor hemp's long bast fiber. The English word"canvas" derives, ultimately, from the Latinword "cannabis," and the first Levi's jeanswere made from hemp fabric. The canvas onthe covered wagons of American pioneersheading west were hemp, as were the riggingand sails of every American ship that sailedthe high seas during the 18th and 19th cen-turies.

The current annual U.S. market for hempyarn and fabric is estimated to be in the $15million range, and the annual end retail mar-ket for finished hemp clothing and wovengoods is valued at approximately $80 million(source: Hemp Industries Association). Manysmall companies, such as Jus Naturale, TwoStar Dog, Of the Earth and Hempy's, arededicated to hemp fabrics and fashions, andmainstream companies, such as Patagonia,Armani, Ralph Lauren and Men's Wearhouse,are finding hemp to be an important part oftheir fashion mix. Hemp fibers are alsoincreasingly utilized in bed linens, rugs andcarpets: the Fortune 500 carpet companyInterface, Inc. is a global pioneer of sustain-able industrial processes and carpet products,and has produced a prototype wall-to-wallall-natural carpet made of hemp fiber that iscompletely bio-degradable.

Some advocates believe that new technologyunder development called green decorticationcould explode the textile niche that hemp cur-rently finds itself in by creating a better qualityfiber that would beeconomically com-petitive to cotton.Others are workingon developing cot-tonization technolo-gy so that hempfibers can be easilymixed with cottonand spun on existingdomestic yarnmachinery. Nonetheless, the processing ofhemp textiles for the garment industry is cur-rently a challenging endeavor.

Hemp cultivated for fiber is grown at high den-sity that minimizes branching and encouragesstraight vertical growth of the plant. Plants forfiber are cut just before going to seed, and thestalks are then shocked in the field to dry.Within a week the stalks are bundled andtaken to regional processing centers for waterretting, a process of controlled natural decom-position. Retting is necessary as it allows natu-ral bacteria to weaken the pectins that bind theplant's fiber together. This process is monitored

and can take a week or more; afterwards, thefiber is more easily separated. In fiber separa-tion (decortication), the longer exterior fiber(bast fiber, making up about 1/4 to 1/3 of thetotal fiber volume) is separated from the innerwoody core fiber (hurds). The core fiber is sentto other markets like animalbedding or construction,and the bast fiber iscleaned, combed and spuninto yarn, which can thenbe woven or blended intovarious textile fabrics for thegarment industry.

The major challenge facinghemp in this sector is thatthe conventional processingapproach outlined above isto some degree archaic.Because North American hemp prohibitionlast century has stunted research and develop-ment, hemp fiber processing technology hasnot kept pace with other fibers such as cottonor synthetics from petroleum (e.g., nylon andrayon). Current world cultivation of hemp fiberand production of textiles is thus concentratedin Eastern Europe and Asia, regions that neverabandoned hemp textile production andwhere competitive economic advantage favorsthe initial labor intensive harvesting and water-retting practices.

For hemp textiles to be globally competitive,these practices must be replaced by automat-ed harvesting, followed by a modern fiberseparation technology (such as green decorti-

cation), followedby enzymatic orchemical rettingto produce thenecessary finefiber which thencan be open-endspun. The result-ing textiles willhave qualitiessuperior to cotton

(such as improved moisture absorption/des-orption and feel) and will effectively competein the huge natural textile market currentlydominated by cotton.

Geof Kime, founder and president of theCanadian fiber processing companyHempline, states that “there is a need for bet-ter hemp fiber refining equipment andprocesses to make the fiber consistently fineenough to spin, because using spinningequipment for other fibers to spin hemp asprocessed currently tends to lower the effi-ciency of the spinning process. And with thecurrently tight margins of the textile business

in North America, mill managers may not beable to afford this loss of productivity.”

Importers of hemp textiles are in the mean-time bringing excellent fabric and yarns fromAsia and Eastern Europe to a welcomingNorth American marketplace. BarbaraFillipone has ten years of experience workingwith hemp. Fillipone got her start designinghemp apparel in the U.S., but moved into

working directly with foreignhemp textile processors toimprove fabric quality and con-sistency, especially in terms oftexture and color. She hasworked with companies such asDong Ping Textile Mill (China),Ecolution (Romania/U.S.) andEarthgoods (U.S.), and her cur-rent company, Envirotextiles,sources, formulates, manufac-tures and imports hemp textilesand yarns. Fillipone believes

that hemp can satisfy the mostdemanding garment manufacturers. “Lastyear, Ralph Lauren asked me to make hempfabric that would suit their needs,” she says.“You can pretty much make any fabric if youknow the specifications.”

Can hemp be reintroduced as a major textilefabric in 21st century North America as it wasin the 18th and 19th centuries? The technicalperformance of hemp fiber is reason enoughfor the clothing industry; over the past tenyears, hemp fabric has gained market sharebecause of superior qualities such as UVresistance, distinctive feel, antibacterial prop-erties, breathability, strength and endurance.In addition, hemp is one of the most ecologi-cally sustainable crops to grow, requiring littleto no pesticides and herbicides, while on theother hand commercially grown cotton is cur-rently the most pesticide-intensive crop on theplanet, requiring more than 25% of all thepesticides that are sprayed on agriculturalcrops worldwide.

And hemp walks its talk: consumers areincreasingly desirous of items that carry envi-ronmental cachet, and corporate buyers areeager to use something seen as environmen-tally friendly. Because of a high awareness inthe marketplace, there is room to grow. Butmore research and development in process-ing is needed to move hemp textiles forward.The necessary first step, allowing the crop tobe grown domestically, will create the rightbusiness climate for companies to innovateand find the right answers.

Arthur Hanks is a Canadian writer who coversfood, agriculture and environmental issues. Readmore of his writing at HempReport.com.

Hemp Textiles: Worth Working For?by Arthur Hanks


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Because North American hempprohibition last century has stuntedresearch and development, hempfiber processing technology has notkept pace with other fibers.

Fine Hackled Hemp Fiber


Apparently the introduction of the “paperlessoffice” has not done much to curb the consump-tion of paper - nor is it expected to. The TechnicalAssociation of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI)projects that annual global consumption of paperwill rise from 300 million tons in 1997 to over400 million tons by 2010. Improving the produc-tivity of forests and increasing the recycling ofwaste paper will only supply some of that growth.Nonwood or agricultural fibers are a much-dis-cussed alternative for filling the gap, and no otherpulp fiber source has created as much interest inrecent years as industrial hemp.

Proponents praise hemp's high dry matter yieldper acre and the strength of its bast fibers. It alsooffers several environmental benefits:

the ability to replace trees reduces the need fornon-sustainable clear-cutting;

the low lignin content of hemp fibers facilitatesthe use of totally chlorine-free (TCF) bleachingsequences; and

since hemp requires little to no pesticides andherbicides and improves soil conditions, it is a ben-eficial rotational crop.

Characteristics of Hemp FiberHemp stalks produce two different fibers for pulp-ing. The outer bast fiber consists of longer fibers.Early European paper makers recovered thesefibers from rags and beat them into a paper pulp.Over the last century, alkaline chemical pulping ofdecorticated bast fiber became the sole source ofhemp pulp. Most of hemp's biomass (about 75%),however, is in the woody core fiber, or hurds.These consist of very short, bulky fibers that makea chemical pulp with tensile and burst strengthcomparable to that of hardwood kraft pulp.Adding just 10-30% of this pulp to softwood pulpimproves mass uniformity, paper formation andprintability in both fine and printing and writing(P&W) paper grades.

Hemp pulp producers accept up to 30% hurds inthe bast fiber since they act as filler, improvingsmoothness and printability. Yet, the difference inmorphology and lignin content between bast fiberand hurds currently requires mechanical separa-tion (decortication) of the stalks. As with othernonwood sources of pulp, the complex logistics ofharvesting, transporting and storing a bulky, sea-sonal commodity and the comparatively smallthroughput of existing nonwood fiber pulp millshave thus far kept hemp from becoming a cost-competitive source of pulp for P&W paper.

Several novel and promising technologies fornonwood pulping have emerged in recent years,however. These include various solvent extractiontechnologies allowing recovery of by-productsand a chemical-mechanical technology usingtwin screw extruders. Moreover, novel technolo-gies such as thermal depolymerization (TDP) mayoffer cost-effective recovery of cooking chemicalsand dissolved organics from the cooking liquor.All these emerging technologies still await imple-mentation on a production scale.

So far, with cheap wood pulps readily available,large industry players have shown limited interestin the use of bast fibers as a primary feedstock. Alack of capital and market uncertainty have alsohampered the development of independent proj-ects, which highlights the need for governmentincentives and the application of a longer-termperspective by the paper industry.

Hemp in Specialty PapersLike flax and abaca, hemp has a long-establishedhistorical niche in the production of specialtypapers. Worldwide today, approximately 7,500dry metric tons (MT) of hemp pulp are producedannually. Most of this is used for cigarette paper,and a smaller portion is used for other special-ties, such as ultra-lightweight printing paper forBibles. Due to their higher price, bast fiber pulpsfrom hemp and flax have come under increasingpressure from softwood kraft pulp, and some cig-arette manufacturers have switched to this cheap-er supply.

Keeping the Trees in the Forest:Industrial Hemp as a Paper Alternativeby Gretchen Monette & Gero Leson

Because of this price pressure, global use ofhemp in its traditional niche specialty paper mar-ket is not likely to increase significantly until theindustry realizes economies of scale leading to alower price point. As this occurs, hemp's future inthis niche market should brighten considerably.

Nonwood Fibers for Printing and Writing PapersDoes hemp have potential as a nonwood fibersource for P&W and other mass-market papers?Today, the use of nonwood fibers is common inwood-limited countries. China and India, forexample, are the two largest producers of non-wood pulp, which accounts for 80% and 60% oftheir total pulping capacity, respectively.Environmental controls are lacking, and color,runability and printability of the paper are oftenbelow Western standards, but clearly novel pulp-ing and recovery technologies could offer partic-ular benefits in these applications.

In contrast, Western suppliers increasingly offerrecycled fibers and nonwoods to the growingmarket for “eco-friendly” papers. Early eco-papers had a high content of deinked pulp (DIP)from post-consumer recycled fiber. The use ofvarious chlorine-free bleaching processes hasbecome the rule. Small, yet growing, niches havedeveloped for "tree-free" papers whose most pop-ular fiber sources are hemp, kenaf, flax, bamboo,wheat straw, esparto and other grasses.

Getting into the MarketThe higher cost of pulp and relatively highermanufacturing and marketing costs render mostof these nonwood papers still considerably more

expensive than high-end wood furnished papers.So far, this limits their markets to ecologicallymotivated individuals and companies, primarilyfor use in high-end stationery and advertising.Expanding their share of the P&W paper market,for example into the publishing sector, has beenthe main challenge for producers of hemp-con-tent papers. It will require increased awareness ofhemp's environmental benefits and utilization ofthe strength inherent in bast fiber pulps, whichcan improve the quality of recycled paper blends.Most of all, though, it will require a reduction inprice point and access to the retail customer,which can be achieved best through marketeconomies and education leading to changes inconsumer values.

Overall consumption of hemp-content paper isstill small today, yet clearly growing. European

experience demonstrates that the stalks of hempgrown for both seed and fiber are quite suitablefor pulp production. They can therefore providean additional revenue source to farmers and, asa bonus by-product, need not demand a pricethat renders them uneconomical as a pulpsource. As the various value-added markets forhemp develop, the increasing acreage andeconomies of scale will lead to reductions inprice. Over time, as limited traditional woodsources for pulp are depleted, paper makers willbe forced to more seriously consider nonwoodsources. There will ultimately be no need to cutdown another tree for paper pulp. Expect to seemore hemp-content paper in the future.


Living Tree Paper Sets an Example

Living Tree Paper Company employs all the methodsoutlined here for expanding the use of hemp-contentP&W papers. The Eugene, OR firm recognized that tree-free papers will have a real impact in the wood-domi-nated paper market only to the extent that they becomecost-competitive with wood pulp papers and find cus-tomers outside of established distribution channels.Blending of hemp pulp with less-costly deinked recycledpulp, realizing economies of scale through larger pro-duction runs and direct marketing to large companiesfor specialty uses have all contributed to growth in sales.

The company's Vanguard paper line, for example,includes a 10% hemp/90% post-consumer waste blendand is currently the most cost-competitive eco-paper

with nonwood content on the U.S. market. The paperhas also tested successfully in offset and web pressesand was used to print this issue of The Vote HempReport.

Living Tree's hemp-content paper has recently becomeavailable in Staples office supply stores nationwide. Withincreased mainstream distribution and exposure, thecompany expects sales to grow dramatically in the nextfive years. Other North American companies, like Cranein Massachusetts, and Ecosource Paper and Domtar inCanada, also sell hemp-content papers into the sta-tionery, publishing and specialty art markets. In addition,at one time Crane even used hemp in the paper theysupplied to the U.S. Treasury for printing currency.

Editor’s note: see Living Tree Paper’s ad on page 25.

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Much discussion of industrial hemp has centeredon the crop's history and uses created during andbefore the Industrial Revolution, such as textiles,twine and paper. It is time to view hemp fiber asa technologically advanced building block forsustainable manufacturing systems in high-valueapplications. Novel advanced applications forhemp fiber will create innovative opportunitiesthat will utilize more fiber, which in turn will fosternew technologies. Within a decade, global indus-trial hemp production, processing and utilizationwill look much different than they do today.

These prospects are supported by recent trends inthe European hemp industry where the end uses ofhemp look quite different from what they were only10 years ago, when essentially all hemp fiber wasused for textiles and specialty paper. Currently,hemp fiber is used by virtually all European carmakers and their suppliers as reinforcing agents incomposites, primarily interior panels for doors,columns, boot lining, seat backs and others.Hemp fiber is also increasingly used in other tech-nical nonwovens,notably thermal insu-lation materials, whichreplace fiberglassmats, and horticulturalsubstrates used to pro-duce fresh arugulaand cress sprouts forconsumers. Hempfiber is used in theseproducts for both itstechnical and ecologi-cal benefits. Excitingapplications in build-ing products andother molded and extruded materials are alsobeing developed.

Spurred on by market demand, new technologieswill be influential in developing quality and appli-cation-specific fibers. These technologies willinclude breeding for specific fiber characteristicsand advanced production methods such as preci-sion planting/farming and diversified manage-ment. New processes now being developed byresearchers are also leading to greater improve-ment in desired fiber characteristics. Severalnovel manufacturing technologies are alsoemerging, such as injection molded natural fibercomposites. Indeed, all of these developmentswill help create myriad new, performance-basedmaterials from industrial hemp fiber over time.

The automotive composites market currentlyoffers hemp fiber the opportunity to achieve asales volume that will allow processors to pursueadditional, more lucrative value-added markets.Bast fibers, such as flax and hemp, are used inautomotive composites as a replacement forfiberglass and other fibers, such as wood and

sisal. The switch is primarily motivated by techni-cal and economic reasons such as lower weight,safety in accidents, acoustics, recyclability andmanufacturing equipment wear. Currently,between 11-22 pounds of natural fibers arebeing used per automobile in manufacturedparts.

For example, Johnson Controls is one of theworld's largest independent suppliers of automo-tive seating and interior systems and is one ofseveral major manufacturers of hemp-basedcomposites. The company provides parts such asoverhead systems and consoles, door panels,instrument panels and floor consoles to globalcustomers including BMW, Daimler-Chrysler,Ford, General Motors, Honda and Volkswagen.

David Phillips, Director of Material and ProcessDevelopment at Johnson Controls, has coordinat-ed a team developing new interior products withnatural fibers. “Our job is to position JohnsonControls competitively based on consumer trends

and future growth areas,”says Phillips. “We have experi-mented with sisal, industrialhemp and kenaf fibers, andwe have finally developed aproduct that works for ourapplications.” According toPhillips, Johnson Controls hasdeveloped a non-woven mat-ting product made fromindustrial hemp (25%), kenaf(25%) and polypropylene(50%), which is used to man-ufacture molded door panels.

Indiana-based FlexForm Technologies is a Tier 2supplier to the automotive industry. The companycustom manufactures and supplies JohnsonControls and Findlay Industries with nonwovenproducts made from a hemp/kenaf/polypropy-lene composite. Many vehicles use theseFlexForm products; the 2001 Sebring Convertibleuses FlexForm substrate material for the moldingof door panels, and the 2001 Dodge Stratus usesFlexForm material for door inserts. The companyhas also been producing a custom, trademarkedproduct for Findlay Industries called Loprefin™,which is scheduled to be used in the MercuryCougar as well as other automobiles.

Current trends demonstrate that natural fibers,with an increasing contribution from hemp, willcontinue to expand their role in both interior andexterior automobile components. They makegood economic sense by offering properties moretechnically ideal for specific automotive parts,and also impact the environment less while con-tributing to our use of renewable naturalresources. For example, Ford engineers com-pared the CO2 emissions associated with hemp-

reinforced polypropylene to glass fiber-reinforcedpolypropylene for use in undershields in theMondeo and found that the natural hemp fiberwas associated with 31% lower emissions.

There is a significant push to utilize natural fibersin other nonwoven applications for a variety ofreasons. Depending on the end product, naturalfibers can improve strength, weight, moistureabsorption and desorption, biodegradability,hypoallergenicity, freedom from static, other per-formance attributes and ultimately cost of pro-duction. Established and emerging uses of natu-ral fiber-based nonwovens include:

baby diapers, wipes and feminine hygieneproducts,

batting for the furniture industry to replacefoam,

geotextiles for use in road reinforcement andweed blockage,

insulation and sound-absorbing pads,horticultural growth substrates,oil-absorbing products, andspecialty paper pulps.

Over the last decade, hemp fiber has emergedas a constituent for several of these applications,and North American companies have worked todevelop technologies and systems to producehigh-quality hemp fiber suitable for manufactur-ers. Two major producers of hemp fiber in NorthAmerica are Hempline, Inc. of London, Ontarioand Kenex, Ltd. of Chatham, Ontario in Canada.These companies pioneered the cultivation anduse of hemp in North America, and have con-ducted intensive field and processing researchsince the mid-1990s.

Another leader in North America is Flaxcraft,located in New Jersey. Flaxcraft has an extensivebackground in the creation of hemp- and flax-blended textiles as well as high performancefiber-based materials including composites andnonwovens. Flaxcraft has assisted numerousmanufacturers in developing fiber products. Thecompany is also positioning itself to developother value-added materials using hemp andother natural fibers.

There are several forces that favor the futureexpansion of hemp and other natural fibers intechnical applications. Accelerating this processwill require a close partnership between govern-ment, potential producers, industry purchasersand researchers. This will lead to better industryunderstanding of the full potential of hemp fiber,as well as help the farmer and producer betterdiscern what processes and end markets a specif-ic fiber can best penetrate and be adapted to.The leadership of major automotive suppliers andof smaller innovative manufacturers shows thegreat potential for industrial hemp as a fiberinput in the 21st century.

Peter A. Nelson is President and Founder ofAgroTech Communications, Inc. His web site ishttp://www.agrotechcommunications.com.

Performance-Based Industrial HempFiber Will Propel New Technologies inthe 21st Centuryby Peter A. Nelson

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Photo: DaimlerChrysler


Over the last decade, industrial hemp farmersand agricultural researchers in the EuropeanUnion (EU) and Canada have gained extensiveexperience with "modern" methods for hempfarming. To ensure the success of a hemp cropand the quality of the produced fiber and seed,farmers need to consider several important fac-tors:

SSooiillss:: Hemp can be grown in a wide variety ofsoil types. Hemp prefers a sufficiently deep,well-aerated soil with a pH of six or greater,along with good moisture and nutrient holdingcapacity. Poorly-drained and compacted soilsare not ideal.

SSooiill PPrreeppaarraattiioonn:: A fine, firm seedbed helps cre-ate fast, uniform germination of hemp seed.Conventional seedbed preparation and drillingare probably ideal. The seedlings will notemerge uniformly if the seed is placed at adepth greater than two inches.

NNuuttrriieennttss:: Hemp requires high levels of nutrientavailability. Typical plant needs include 80 to100 pounds/acre of nitrogen, 35 to 50pounds/acre of phosphate and 52 to 70pounds/acre of potassium. Note that a hempfield produces a very large amount of plantmaterial (biomass) in a short vegetative period.Much of this biomass remains in the field afterharvest, where it returns to the soil, increasingorganic matter and contributing to future fieldproductivity.

WWeeeedd CCoonnttrrooll:: Hemp is an extremely efficientweed suppressor. A properly-sewn normal standof 200 to 300 plants per square meter shadesout weeds, leaving the fields weed-free at har-vest. As hemp is a low-maintenance crop, pro-ducers save on expensive inputs and applicants.

CCuullttiivvaarrss:: An increasing number of hemp culti-vars achieve tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levelsof less than 0.3% and are now certified for com-mercial farming in Canada and the EU.Cultivars vary considerably with respect to thetime of flowering, plant height (biomass yield),fiber content in the stalks, seed yield, fatty acidcomposition of the seed oil and THC content.Farmers choose a variety largely depending onwhether the crop is grown for fiber or for seed(grain), or both. Most cultivars still originatefrom Europe. However, Canada has begun itsown successful breeding programs.

TTiimmee ooff SSeeeeddiinngg:: Seeding should not begin untilsoil temperatures have reached a minimum of42 to 46°F. Hemp seed germinates within 24 to48 hours and emerges in five to seven days withgood moisture and warm temperature. To maxi-mize stalk yield, hemp grown for fiber should beseeded as early as possible, while hemp grownfor seed can be seeded later to minimize theheight of the stalk, making harvesting easier.

Seeding Rates: For hemp grown for fiber, seed-ing rates of 50 to 70 pounds/acre are ideal,depending on soil type, soil fertility and cultivar.Hemp grown for seed requires lower seedingrates in the range of 35 to 45 pounds/acre.

Rotation: Hemp responds well to most preced-ing crops. Because of hemp's considerable nitro-gen demand, many farmers prefer to plant anitrogen-fixing crop like soybeans the yearbefore. If grown for seed, care should be takennot to have hemp follow spices or other seedcrops.

Harvest: Harvesting for high-quality fiber shouldoccur as soon as the last pollen is shed, which isnormally 70 to 90 days after seeding. Harvestingfor seed should occur about a month later when60% of the seed has ripened. For fiber, the cropshould be cut (usually into pieces two feet inlength), dew-retted in the field, baled and storedor processed. For seed, combine headers shouldbe raised with reduced speed, and waste strawshould be cut later. In Germany, for example, amodified combine is used, allowing single-passharvesting of seed and fiber. Combines are gen-erally modified to minimize the risk of hemp'slong fiber wrapping around rotating parts.

RReettttiinngg aanndd BBaalliinngg:: Good quality hemp fiber isobtained by retting - a natural microbial decayof pectin which connects fiber bundles and gluesthem to the woody core (hurds) of the hempstalk. Retting begins after the stalks are cut andleft in the field and takes 14 to 21 days,depending on the weather. Turning the stalkshelps create an even ret and separates out theleaves and some of the loosened hurds. Thefinest textile grade fiber is obtained by water ret-ting the stalks in pools or tanks of warm water.After retting, the cut stalks are baled into roundor square bales using modified conventionalequipment.

YYiieelldd:: Under commercial conditions, hemp typi-cally produces between 3 to 4 tons of baledhemp stalks per acre, with a typical fiber/hurdratio of 1:3. Hemp seed yields are between 800to 1,200 pounds/acre. In general, yields aresensitive to farming and harvesting methods, cli-mate and cultivar. Experience as a grower helps;new producers should begin on a small scale.

Special thanks to Kenex, Ltd. and Peter Dragla,M. Sc., Ridgetown College, University of Guelph,Kenex Research Associate

Quick Cropping Guide for Hemp in the21st Century

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Canada developed and implemented regula-tions for the cultivation and processing of indus-trial hemp in 1998. Alan Rock, Health Ministerat the time whose office is in charge of thehemp program, stated: “This new crop has atremendous potential for creating new jobs inagriculture, industry, research and retail.”

Great expectations were raised. However, manycautioned that it would take time for the newcrop to become established. Over the first fiveyears, the growth of the Canadian hemp sectorhas been modest, and hemp has proven not tobe immune to the struggles typical of manyemerging crops and industries.

At this point, most hemp production in Canadais for seed. Field production has fluctuatedmarkedly year-to-year, experiencing a high ofclose to 30,000 acres in 1999, and a low inthe current year, estimated to be no more than2,500 acres (complete statistics not available attime of publication). Despite the expandinghemp seed markets, this drop was due to initialoverproduction, leading to stockpiled inventory.

Much of the overproduction in the early years isattributable to the ambitions of the poorly man-aged and now-defunct company ConsolidatedGrowers and Processors (CGP), who promisedtoo much too soon. Observers note that boom-or-bust scenarios are distressingly common withnew crops; alternative crops such as echinacea,ginseng and borage have also experienced sim-

ilar growing pains.

The markets for hemp are growing, however,driving a steady increase in the processing ofhemp and the corresponding development ofmany new businesses, products and marketinginitiatives. Hemp foods and body care items area lucrative common point of entry for new com-panies, and stiff competition is increasing prod-uct quality and consumer education.

Fiber production is concentrated in the provinceof Ontario where there are two processingplants, Kenex of Chatham and Hempline ofDelaware. Both produce long hemp fiber forprocessing into nonwoven and composite mate-rials, primarily for use in the automotive industryfor parts such as dashboards and door panels.Kenex also has a seed processing division. Bothcompanies have tapped into the significant andgrowing market for hemp hurd animal bedding.Hurds are the inner woody core of the hempstalk and have superior moisture absorptionand low dust levels, which are especially prizedin animal husbandry.

In the west, the prairie provinces have concen-trated on hemp seed production and process-ing. This is in line with the region's history ofbeing one of the world's largest cultivators andprocessors of oil seeds, such as soy and canolaoil. A lack of hemp fiber processing capabilityin the west has thwarted other kinds of develop-ment.

In general, fiber processing in Canada faceshurdles including technology and infrastructureshortcomings, insufficient financing and unfa-miliarity with end markets. However, there havebeen significant and promising developments.(Editor’s note: These are discussed at length inPeter Nelson’s article “Performance-BasedIndustrial Hemp Fiber Will Propel New

Technologies in the 21st Century” on page 21.)The large and growing automotive market inthe U.S. for hemp biocomposites (primarily toreplace fiberglass interior paneling) has thepotential by itself to boost the Canadian hempfiber processing infrastructure tremendously.

The unstable American regulatory situationregarding industrial hemp has had a significantnegative impact on the development of theindustry. The two countries are each other'slargest trading partner, and potential corporatecustomers in the U.S. demand on-time deliveryand cannot tolerate shipments being held up atthe border. The deterioration of relations onhemp-related issues spurred the Canadian gov-ernment to send a formal letter of complaint tothe DEA in December of 2001, and forced theCanadian company Kenex to file a NAFTAChapter 11 lawsuit against the U.S. in Augustof 2002. In March of 2002, as a result of VoteHemp's efforts, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court ofAppeals issued a Stay of a DEA ruling purport-ing to ban hemp foods. The U.S. hemp foodmarket thus continues its rapid growth, provid-ing a significant market driver for the expandingCanadian industry.

Canada: Hemp Industry-In-Progress 1998-2002 by Arthur Hanks

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Recent trends in the Europe indicate promising developments in the use ofhemp fiber by industry. According to the European Industrial HempAssociation (EIHA), between fifteen to twenty companies in the EuropeanUnion (EU) and between five to ten companies in Eastern Europe are engagedin the primary processing of hemp.

In 2001, the seven largest companies had a total of about 25,000 acresunder contracted cultivation, producing an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 met-ric tons (MT) of fiber, about one-third ofglobal production. The average yield ofdry stalks in 2001 was approximately6.2 MT per hectare (2.7 tons per acre).This is somewhat lower than the 9 - 10MT per hectare achieved in Hungarybecause hemp grown in the EU isincreasingly cultivated for both fiberand seed, which generally reduces fiberyield but allows for greater returns peracre.

This amount of industrial hemp fiberwas insufficient to meet the growingdemand in the EU. The balance wassupplied by the processing of hempstalks and pre-decorticated fiber fromprevious years, which had been stock-piled due to lower demand. Most compa-nies started the 2002 harvesting seasonwith largely or completely depleted fiber stocks.

According to the EIHA, the rise in demand is due to the increasing establish-ment of hemp as an industrial fiber. Production by the top seven companies ispredicted to grow by 40% next year.

The markets for products from industrial hemp fiber in the EU look much dif-ferent from only six years ago, when virtually all bast fiber was used for spe-cialty pulps. Since then, three markets have emerged which utilize particulartechnical, economic or environmental characteristics of hemp fiber. First andforemost, hemp's most visible application is in automotive composites, whereits use has increased from 0 to 3,500 MT/year since 1996. In this case,hemp's share in a growing market has also increased relative to flax and othernatural fibers.

Second, particularly in Germany, hempfiber is increasingly used in thermal insula-tion mats for homes, replacing fiberglass-based materials. Despite a higher cost,their ease of handling, low environmentallife cycle impact, and superior moisturediffusion and sound proofing propertiesare stimulating demand in other EU coun-tries as well.

The third emerging market is agro-textiles:hemp-based nonwoven growth substratesare expanding their use in the productionof fresh cress and arugula sprouts, sold inretail grocery stores. Considerable growthis expected from the introduction of addi-tional hemp agro-textile products for use

in commercial horticulture.

All hemp processors have relied on the profitable sales of hemp hurds, thestalk's woody core formerly considered a waste product, as animal bedding,particularly for horses. This market and the use of hurds as construction mate-rial have been key to the growth of the industry. Although EU subsidies forhemp in the past favored exclusive cultivation as a fiber crop, processors

increasingly grow hemp for both fiber and seed toincrease revenues per hectare by taking advantageof the growing natural foods market for hemp seedproducts, as well as the birdseed market.

Innovation and growth in all relevant markets forEuropean industrial hemp continues. SuccessfulEU processors appear to be those who work active-ly with downstream firms to develop and launchnew applications and products to become increas-ingly independent of gradually decreasing EU sub-sidies.

In Eastern Europe, the relevant traditional produc-ing countries (Hungary, Poland, and Romania) arestruggling to upgrade their traditional hemp farm-ing and processing methods and establish moderncapabilities. Romania is the primary Europeansupplier of textile quality hemp yarn and fabricwhile Hungary produces high quality twine andhurd-based pressboard. In collaboration withWestern partners, modern farming methods inHungary and modern short fiber lines in Romaniaare being implemented. Thus, Eastern Europe may,in the medium term, become not only the remain-ing producer of textile-grade water retted hemp,but also a primary producer of less expensive shortfiber for the emerging applications of hemp fiber inEurope.

Source: Michael Karus, European Industrial HempAssociation (EIHA); http://www.eiha.org

European Hemp Industry: Fiber Demand for Novel Uses on the Rise

Bast Fibers

Specialty pulp (cigarette papers, other technical applications):Automotive industry (panels, other):Construction sector (insulation mats, other):Other applications (agro- & geo-textiles, mattresses, other):

75.0%17.0%6.5%1.5%

Core Fibers (Hurds)

Animal bedding (95% for horses, 5% for other animals):Construction sector (pour-in insulation, composite board, bricks, other):

92.0%

8.0%

Seeds

Animal feed (Birdseed, fish bait, other):Health food & bodycare (oil, nuts, i.e. hulled seed, other):

95.0%5.0%

Production and Markets for Hemp in the EU


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Photo: Mari Kane

Total EU production of hemp fiber 20,000-225,000 MT

Total EU production of hemp hurds 40,000 MT

Total EU production of hemp seed 40,000 MT

vh report fall2002 - vote hemppaid to destroy it, while marijuana growers oppose legalization...

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