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| A Rose by Any Other Name MAY NOT Smell Just as Sweet | |
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By Andrea Toochin Hemp, Ganja, Weed, Buddha, Mary Jane, Pot, Grass and finally my favorite, Doobage. To most people, these are one in the same: a pastime, controlled substance or even a gateway drug. What's wrong with this picture? A closer look reveals one of these words is out of place. While most of these are nicknames for Marijuana-the drug harvested from the Cannabis plant, one of them, "Hemp" is by definition something else. Although also derived from the Cannabis plant, industrial hemp contains less than 0.3 % of marijuana's active ingredient, THC. To compare, marijuana's high is a result of a THC content in the range of 3% to 20%. Translation: trying to smoke industrial hemp would be, to use pot smokers' parlance, a real downer. That fact, however, has not kept the government from banning the growth or manufacture of hemp on U.S. soil. One of our own founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, had been a huge hemp enthusiast. That's right, the fields of Monticello weren't rolling with amber waves of grain; they were covered in Cannabis as far as the eye could see. How times have changed. More in the Jeffersonian spirit, Canada and some European countries have begun to approve the cultivation of industrial hemp. (Jefferson always was a Francophile - though given that France saved us from becoming a perpetual British outpost, who at that time wasn't ). Far from a sanction of "free love", the move to legitimize hemp production was due to, as Allan Rock,,Canada's Health Ministe, explained, "the new crop's tremendous potential for creating new jobs in agriculture, industry, research and retail." As it turns out, hemp is the renaissance man of plants; hemp seed is actually a fruit that can be used to create clothing, materials, and energy. But hemp's association with Cannabis' more illicit side has unfortunately caused its benefits to be overlooked. Not readily available, a lot of people don't know a whole lot about hemp. That's where we come in-we want to spread the truth about hemp. So what is hemp good for? It's most accessible use is as a food. Its nutritional virtues parallel flax or soy. Could hemp be to nutrition what Yoga is to exercise or Kaballah is to spirituality?
High in protein, fiber and Omega fatty acids, hemp is not only organic, but also Kosher and vegan-friendly. Comprised of 25% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 15% fiber, it mirrors the famed celebrity diet, The Zone. Rumored to be followed by such celebrities as Jennifer Anniston, The Zone does indeed list hemp seeds as a suggested snack. Hemp seeds also contain significant amounts of iron, magnesium, and potassium and are one of the few sources of gamma linoleic acid (GLA), a nutrient found in women's breast milk. Not just for health food nuts, hemp is also an impressive fiber that's even stronger than cotton. For centuries, hemp has been used as a raw material for ropes, boat sails and paper. First attempts to use the fiber for clothing, yielded similar results - harsh, itchy, stiff outfits that looked like potato sacks. But about a decade ago, hemp fibers were refined. Hemp cloth today is supple, fluid and made into clothes by premier high fashion designers like J Jill and Armani. When the Italian ambassador of style uses hemp in his designs, you know it's no longer a nubby, oatmeal-colored crunchy-vibe product. Armani isn't the only high profile company using hemp. DaimlerChrysler claims, "there's nothing strange about building cars from natural fibers." After all, they use hemp in the construction of their interior door paneling, parcel shelves and the covers of driver's seat backrests. Now what would the big 'Old Boys' network say if we told them there was hemp in their S series? Probably the same thing the average American would say if we told them Mickey Mouse's Disney Company sells the occasional hemp product: Nothing -they'd be shocked and speechless. Still, there are lots of healthy foods on supermarket shelves. Plenty of quality materials on clothing racks. What makes Hemp so special? Oh, only the ability to help power a sustainable economy and preserve a healthy environment. Even with our gaping red/blue divide, there are few Americans who don't care about job creation and energy resources. With its various applications, hemp has the ability to provide both. Hemp is unparalleled as an agricultural crop, because it grows like, well, a weed, without the need of Miracle Grow fertilizers or poisonous pesticides. In the absence of flooding or extreme weather conditions, hemp grows rapidly, resisting most bacteria and providing a nearly endless supply of moldable material. Farming hemp could provide jobs, food and fabric for Americans and citizens of developing countries. In addition to providing jobs, hemp can also ensure we have energy for the future. Through chemical processes, hemp can be produced as an organically engineered fuel. So how do you feel learning that this one product only can not only provide a source of healthy food and quality garments, but could also reduce global warming and America's dependency on foreign oil? You probably are experiencing the same mixture of excitement and outrage as I felt. How could a material with potential feeding, clothing and fueling properties go unnoticed? The truth is hemp has been suffering from a bad rep. It's not readily available at mainstream retail outlets. You can't, say, go to Target and pick up a nice hemp pants-suit. When available, hemp products are often overlooked by the general public who associate the plant either with sturdy shipping twine or 'Cheech and Chong' cult classics. Maybe what hemp needs is an image makeover. Come on, everybody's doing it. You can't turn on the TV without catching some kind of makeover show, The Swan The Biggest Loser Trading Spaces Extreme Makeover: Home Edition We also want to give hemp a public image makeover - with a new name. And why not, companies reposition themselves in the marketplace with new names all the time. Phillip Morris is history; now we have Altria. When Martha Stewart found herself in hot water, her company lured disdainful advertisers back by taking her name off her magazine. If they can do it, so can we - after all, we have a much better cause. Canola Oil is made from rapeseeds, but they don't call it Rape Oil for obvious reasons. So though it's made from hemp seeds, we need to find a new name for hemp that evokes its benefits, not its source - a plant associated with toking hippies, bongs, and rolling papers. So the ultimate question is, what should the new name be? Hell, if we know! But we have faith that you guys will have a grand idea or two. So send us (hyperlink info@collagefoundation.org your name ideas. We'll post the best one in our next issue - and try to make it a new household word.
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Fact Sheet from Canadian government
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