as = s

* Wes TDW Kee ane ad Hey wy YY

March 8, 1995

by Laura Pottie The word “hemp” usually conjures images of kids smoking pot, but these

“—N errr *

chlorine, a highly toxic chemical, to remove it. Hemp plants on the other hand,

days its come to mean something totally contain only a small amount of lignin,

different.

Hemp has always been used for a multitude of purposes world- wide, and€anadi- ans are finally jumping on the bandwagon.

Industrial hemp has one im- portant distinction from cannabis

grown for mari- juana: It doesn’t have anywhere near the same amount of THC,

which is the THC

. © RD, ARES FE psychoactive Sunoriona property in marijuana that causes one to feel “stoned."

and it can be extracted using hydrogen

ry a aTay: ara

a a ee

The Other Press

Rope Not Dope

Industrial Hemp Returns to Canadian Market

strongest natural fiber currently known. Clothing made with hemp fiber is a bet- ter insulator and blocks out UV rays better than cotton.

The Doukhobors used to pass on

MODERN USES FOR HEMP

o F@RRELESS LORS IGE = CEMENT MOE ES, STG AN ERE

© ANUMBS RED LRM: = mite

> RRR LO?

[ = assasive pauses

+ BORER Fut 9 PRESS HEOSIONE

oFRSt ASE = WED SQPPRE SOR

> ERNIE CE PESEC RES EE ADH + SE RRR

= SOE GAP EDVE MENT COOP Rosen

Sousre: Mi. Roews ond 6. Leven, news desttuns, Cologne. Germany, 1995

Marijuana typically contains anywhere from 3 - 25% THC, whereas industrial hemp contains only 1% or less. You couldn’t get high on it if you smoked a thousand joints.

The environmental benefits of us- ing hemp products over others are hard to deny. For instance, hemp fiber pro- duces four times the amount of paper per acre as wood pulp, and the hemp plant matures in 100 days, as opposed to trees which take anywhere from 50 - 500 years to mature.

Most plants used for pulp contain lignin, a sinuous substance which must be removed before paper can be pro- duced.

Most trees contain a high amount of this substance and require the use of

A small store with big plans

Environment and tree friendly business off to a good start

AK

NNCIENT

*

peroxide, which is much less harmful to the environment when released as waste.

Hemp paper is also acid-free, which extends its shelf life up to 1500 years. Tree pulp paper decays and yel- lows after only 100 years or so. Today, all Master’s theses must be submitted on hemp paper because of its longev- ity.

One of the big issues today is the drive towards recycling and using re- cycled products, including paper. Hemp paper can be recycled up to seven times because of its strength, whereas tree paper can only be recycled three times. ,

Industrial hemp use is not limited to paper however. Hemp fiber is the

*

FORES

their hemp fiber overalls to their grand- children, a testament to hemp’s longev- ity.

Hemp plants and seeds are also being used in cosmetics. Hemp seed oil helps the body heal by moisturiz-

ing, and when combined with other

herbs can help heal minor skin irrita- tions and cuts.

Hemp seed is also used in the same way as soy to produce oils, non-dairy cheese, milk and ice cream, and can be processed into flour. The seed contains 25% protein, is high in calcium and vi- tamin A, and is reputedly easier to di- gest than soy. :

According to Udo Erasmus, Ph.D. and author of The Complete Guide to Fats and Oils in Nutrition, “Hemp but-

by Laura Pottie

When Keith Lambert tasted a honey and hemp seed treat a year and a half ago, he liked it so much he decided to find out more. This interest devel- oped into Canadian Cannabis Company, Vancouver's newest hemp products store.

Lambert, along with his partner and friend of twenty years, Jason Thon, researched the industry possibilities to- gether. Now they’ ve got their own store with everything from handbags to hik- ing boots, all made from hemp.

The company motto is “Hemp So- lutions for World Problems.”

Canadian Cannabis Company has only been open for a week, but Lam- bert estimates they’ ve already had ap- proximately 1500 people in to check it out.

The stuff isn’t cheap, because they currently have to import everything they sell, but Thon hopes all that will change.

“The Canadian Cannabis Company believes in bioregional eco- nomics," he said.

“We plan to start farming and

¥,9 V0 9.9 © fear ea es

ter puts peanut butter to shame for nu- tritional value.”

Hemp plants are also an environ- mentally friendly crop. Hemp grown in North America requires no pesti- cides, and since the plant grows so tall so quickly, it shades out weeds and thus requires no herbicides.

The hemp leaves are rich in nitro- gen and can be used as an organic ferti- lizer and help to condition the soil to reduce crop rotation times.

Processing hemp and manufactur- ing products from its fibers requires no retooling to existing equipment, provid- ing a viable alternative to our existing paper and textile industries which are rife with environmental degradation.

In addition, a transfer from a pri- marily forest based paper industry to hemp based would result in a net gain

in employment, since growing hemp ~ requires more person labour than does forest management.

Industrial hemp is currently being farmed in China, France, Great Britain, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Spain. Its benefits are being studied in Aus-

tralia, Germany, Hungary, the Nether- ~

lands, Russia and the United States.

Canada issued its first hemp farm- ing license in over 40 years in 1994 to Hempline Inc., who was allowed to plant 10 acres in Ontario.

The Saskatchewan and BC 4

governments are currently accepting applications to farm industrial hemp, and the Liberal party has introduced legislation to lift the federal ban on hemp production.

How Dip THAT Al HEMP High 60?

manufacturing in BC which would have multiple positive effects on the local economy, as well as bringing the prod- uct down to a very affordable price. For instance, a pair of jeans would cost $40.”

Currently a pair of hemp fiber jeans at’ Canadian Cannabis Company costs $70.

In addition to selling finished products, Canadian Cannabis Company sells hemp fabrics which they buy back as a finished product.

“We'd like to practice what we preach”, says Thon. “ We’ll buy back quality products from local artisans and sell them.”

The two men have big plans for the hemp products industry in Canada, and have joined forces with the Hemp Industries. Alliance, an organization which is, among other things, lobbying Ottawa for the legalization of industrial hemp farming.

“We'd like to see a house built entirely out of hemp products, includ- ing the insulation." saysThon.

In addition to Canadian Cannabis

Company’s contributions to the hemp industry, they’re also providing their customers with the same opportunity by « donating a percentage of sales to the Hemp Industries Alliance.

According to Thon, “ If Canada doesn’t get on the ball and realize the potential, Europe will be too far ahead of us for us to catch up. :

“They’ re already two to three years ahead of us in cultivating and manu- facturing technologies.”

Hopefully we won’t have to run out of trees like Europe did before we catch on too.

Canadian Cannabis Company is located at 702 Columbia St, New Westminster, and is open Sunday to Wednesday 11-7, Thursday to Saturday 11-11.