Pubdate: Sat, 29 Apr 2006 Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON) Copyright: 2006 The Ottawa Citizen Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326 Author: Sharon Boddy, Citizen Special Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/hemp.htm (Hemp) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?330 (Hemp - Outside U.S.) Note: Sharon Boddy is an Ottawa writer. HIP HEMP No Longer Just A Crunchy Granola Fabric, Hemp Is Going High Style James Adams and Sarah Kincaid admit they knew little about hemp when they met. "We knew it was good for your health and for the environment - -- both issues we were interested in -- but that was it," says Kincaid. More research uncovered hemp fibre's reputation for strength and quality, and soon the pair were kicking around the idea of selling hemp T-shirts. The Karma Wear name and its first T-shirt slogan, "You don't have to watch TV to find reality," soon followed. "Once we had the name, it all started to snowball," says Kincaid, who has a background in retail. Their Byward Market store, Karma Wear, opened in February and specializes in high-end fashion. The Parent Avenue shop carries its own line of hip club clothing made from hemp and hemp-blended textiles, as well as imported hemp pants, skirts, dresses, bathrobes, bed linens, shoes and hats, jewelry and cosmetics, even accessories for the family pooch. It will soon sport clothes made from soy and bamboo and recently added shoes and purses made in Brazil from reclaimed canvas, leather, rubber, metal and wood. "We've tested all of the products ourselves," says Adams. "Hemp is the Ferrari of clothing. It's not itchy like wool and it's warmer in winter and cooler in summer." Hemp is a member of the cannabis sativa family, the same plant as marijuana, but it has no THC, the ingredient in marijuana that produces a hallucinogenic effect. "Hemp isn't pot and I won't carry anything with a pot leaf on it," says Kincaid. For years, hemp was not used for clothing because of its rough, itchy texture, but with technological advances in textile manufacturing, hemp fabrics are now much softer and can be easily blended with other textiles such as cotton and silk. "We keep a few of the old-style hemp bags in stock so people can feel the difference," says Kincaid. Karma Wear's own clothing line is made by designer and seamstress Sothea Chhay, who has also done work for Ottawa bridalwear designer Justina McCaffrey. The textiles are all fairly traded and come from a variety of countries, including Canada. "We cherrypick the items from all over the world so that we only carry the best of the best," says Kincaid. Karma Wear's T-shirts, the clothing item that started it all, sport slogans that are upbeat, positive or just plain funny. Adams, a graphic designer, jokes he knows several older men who want to wear the "Cougar Bait" tee. "It's part of our philosophy. The slogans aren't offensive like they are on a lot of other T-shirts you see out there. They're just pure fun." Hemp is the strongest fibre in the plant kingdom -- it's four times stronger than cotton -- and contains natural anti-bacterial and UV protection properties. It can be grown without pesticides and in virtually any climate -- great news for Canadian farmers. "Last year, the Ontario government set up a $50-million fund for tobacco farmers wanting to switch their crop to hemp," says Kincaid. "Canada has some of the best growing conditions and, since it's still illegal to grow it in the United States, the industry here really stands to gain from it." The federal government is also getting in on the act. Working with Vancouver-based Hemptown Clothing Inc., the National Research Council developed an enzyme that breaks down hemp fibre to make it softer. "We are now able to produce hemp fibre of higher quality than that produced in China and Europe," says Wing Sung, a researcher with the council's Institute for Biological Sciences. "With clean strong fibres made available by our process, we can stimulate the development of many different advanced products." Hemp was legalized in Canada for research and commercial purposes in 1998 and at last count has more than 50,000 commercial uses, from paper and paper products to fuel, plastics, body products, insulation, even bug repellent. About three-quarters of Karma Wear's products are imported, but as the Canadian hemp industry grows -- sales of hemp food products alone grew 50 per cent in 2004 -- Kincaid and Adams believe they will eventually be able to purchase more of their products from Canadian producers. "We don't want to ram it down people's throats, but we do want people to be curious and do their own research," says Kincaid. "At the end of the day, I have to sell something I believe in. Anyway you look at it, hemp just makes sense." - --- MAP posted-by: Derek