Pubdate: Thu, 19 Jul 2001
Source: The Record
Copyright: 2001 The Sherbrooke Record
Website: www.sherbrookerecord.com/
Contact:  P.O. Box 1200, Sherbrooke, Québec J1H 5L6
Phone: (819) 569-6345
Author: Bruce Patton

HEMP PLANTATIONS CAUSING QUITE A BUZZ

Townshipper Harvests Seeds Used In Strange Brew

COMPTON - Hardly a day goes by without a local newspaper or national media 
outlet reporting on the arrest of another illicit marijuana producer. But 
some people are out there growing cannabis legally, not for smoking but 
pretty much for everything else.

Marijuana is produced from an annual herbaceous flowering plant known as 
Cannabis sativa. But just like tomato plants and other flowering plants 
that come in a number of different varieties, so to does the infamous 
Cannabis sativa plant. One of the varieties of the plant is grown illegally 
to produce marijuana. Its 'look-alike' cousin is used to produce hemp. 
Unfortunately, only a person trained to look for specific differences 
between the two varieties would be able to differentiate between them in 
the field.

The major chemical that produces the narcotic qualities of marijuana is 
abbreviated THC, and is more properly known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol.

According to the Natural Hemphasis' Hemp Information Service, the flowering 
tops and leaves of Cannabis used in the production of marijuana contains 
between five and 15 per cent THC compared to a concentration of 0.3 per 
cent in the Cannabis plants used to produce hemp. At that low 
concentration, psychoactive properties are nonexistent. In both varieties 
of Cannabis, no THC is found either in the stalk of the plant or in its seeds.

For this reason, the cultivation of industrial hemp has been made legal in 
Canada since 1998. Many other industrialized countries, especially those in 
Europe, have also legalized its production.

One notable exception is that of the U.S., where hemp may be grown only in 
Hawaii. Because of the close resemblance of the two varieties, Health 
Canada -- the organization which issues the required authorization to 
produce hemp -- requires that a number of conditions be met by a 
prospective producer prior to issuing a license.

Both the stalks and seeds of the hemp plant have commercial value. The 
stalk contains long fibers which are used to produce cordage, textiles and 
specialized paper products including tea bags, industrial filters and even 
the paper that is used to print money.

The seeds also have exceptional nutritional value, being second only to 
soybeans as a source of complete vegetable protein. Hemp seeds contain all 
eight of the essential amino acids required by humans, and in the proper 
proportion.

The seeds also contain 30-35 per cent oils which are 80 per cent 
polyunsaturated. This makes them a healthy food for consumption. That 
quality, however, does pose a problem. Because polyunsaturated fats tend to 
be somewhat unstable, hemp seed oil must be preserved, usually by 
refrigeration. Industrially, hemp seed oil is used to produce such 
commodities as paints and varnishes, detergents and cosmetics.

It is because hemp oils are not only beneficial, but are also readily 
absorbed into the skin, that Canolio Inc., an enterprise based in Ville 
St.Laurent, produces body creams and massage oils. Recently, however, the 
company has added 'hemp coffee' to its product line. This is a blend of 
Colombian coffee and organically-grown hemp seeds. Connoisseurs of beer 
might be interested to know that several small breweries are now marketing 
'hemp beer' as well!

Compton Grower Provides Seeds For Coffee Company

Compton's Michel Gaudreau is an organic grain producer who was among the 
first in Quebec to obtain a permit from Health Canada to produce hemp. To 
harvest his 80 acres of hemp, Gaudreau uses the same combine used for his 
other grains. The seeds he obtains are used in the production of the Hemp 
Coffee produced by Canolio Inc. Gaudreau also roasts some of the seeds. 
These are either used as additives to cereals, or are used to replace bacon 
bits in salads.

It would seem that a legally authorized field of Cannabis sativa would be 
an excellent location in which to add some Cannabis plants of the variety 
used in the production of marijuana.

Not so, says Gaudreau. Just like people and animals, the different 
varieties of Cannabis sativa exist as separate male and female plants, he 
says. Only the female plants are of value to illegal marijuana growers.

 From the flowers of these plants, seeds are obtained for the next crop. 
If, however, these female Cannabis plants are present in a field where both 
sexes of Cannabis sativa used to produce hemp are growing, they will most 
certainly become cross-pollinated by the hemp plants. The seeds derived 
from the flowers of these plants will produce offspring that are decidedly 
reduced in THC content, and therefore of little value to the illicit 
marijuana producer.

Nevertheless, Health Canada has imposed limitations on who may or may not 
produce hemp. First and foremost, the would-be producer must not possess a 
criminal record. He must not employ any minors to assist him in the 
production of the crop, nor can a minor be a shareholder in the ownership 
of the land.

On two separate occasions, samples of the crop will be gathered and sent 
for THC analysis by Health Canada.

The field where the crop is produced must be no less than 10 acres in size, 
and be located no closer than one kilometre from a school or other place 
where minors assemble. The THC content must not exceed 0.03 per cent in the 
plants and the oil thus extracted must not contain more than 10 parts per 
million of THC.

In spite of the above restrictions, growing hemp is worth considering. It's 
an environmentally friendly crop requiring little if any pesticide application.

It's also a natural herbicide. When dried in the field, 60 to 70 per cent 
of the nutrients it takes from the soil are returned and its deep root 
system is an effective agent against soil erosion. This means that it is 
excellent to grow in rotation with other crops.

Information concerning 'hemp coffee' can be obtained at the Canolio web 
site at www.canolio.com.
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