Colorado gets green light for hemp, but feds see red

While Kentucky is the hotseat of debate, Colorado has decided to go ahead and sow the seed. Who knows what this could lead to, will the feds override the state's right? The federal level is key, and that is why we are promoting so heavily the petition to the White House at www.minawear.com/about-us/

Below is the article by Anthony Gucciardi in the Rim County Gazette:

 

 

Farmers begin planting hemp in Colorado
In the event that Colorado manages to generate acres of hemp without the federal government raiding the super efficient substance that is classified as a dangerous drug, it will provide a serious industry change that may spread to other states and potentially even federal law.

Many farmers in Colorado will be expanding their list of planted crops this Spring after groundbreaking legislation was passed last November that allowed not only for the legalization of marijuana, but hemp as well. Now in case you’re not familiar, hemp is actually a multi-purpose substance that does not produce the high effects of marijuana. In fact, it’s mainly used as a super cheap and highly efficient building material — at least in other nations where ridiculous bans are not enforced on the ‘high-free’ material.

Colorado farmers like Michael Bowman will be planting 100 acres of hemp to be harvested and sold off as not only building material, but a highly nutritious superfood. While marijuana is considerably high in the substance known as THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol), which of course is the compound that produces the ‘high’ effects, it’s also significantly low in what’s known as CDB (cannabidiol). That’s where hemp comes in. Both THC and CDB are known as cannabinoids, but hemp is particularly high in CDB while lacking in THC.

Hemp as a Superfood, Industry Transformer

These cannabinoids have actually been promoted by many first hand sources as not only a health optimizing substance, but a serious solution to cancer. One popular documentary titled ‘Run from the Cure’ by Rick Simpson, which is available for free on Youtube, focuses on the use of hemp oil to conquer cancer.

Rich in essential oils, fiber, and a close to complete amino acid profile, hemp contains beneficial ingredients such as:

• Linoleic acid (44% of the weight of hempseed is actually full of edible oils)
• Omega 3 fatty acids (shown time and time again to fight against anxiety, depression, and even inflammation)
• Omega-6
• A ‘complete’ amino profile that surpasses the profile of eggs, milk, soy, and many meats. This includes the 9 essential aminos that the human body cannot produce on its own.

It is for these reasons that hemp is utilized today in many high quality products like protein shakes, energy bars, and many more food products. Two tablespoons of shelled hemp seeds contain about 11 grams of protein and 2 grams of unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids.

Its versatility allows it to be a prime ingredient even in clothing and fabric-based industries. It could transform the entire industry, replacing unsustainable materials with environmentally friendly hemp.

Feds: ‘We Will Come for Your Hemp’

That is if the federal government doesn’t seize it across the nation. The DEA has its sights set on confiscating all hemp planted and grown in the United States through citing the Controlled Substances Act, which doesn’t differentiate between marijuana and hemp. The agents, which will ignore state law and enforce federal law throughout any state, say that they will be going after farmers who plant non-THC hemp as if they were planting marijuana. After all, they say it doesn’t matter what it actually is.

“It really doesn’t matter whether it looks different or it looks the same,” DEA agent Paul Roach told NPR. “If it’s the cannabis plant, it’s in the Controlled Substances Act and, therefore, enforceable under federal drug law.”

In the event that Colorado manages to generate acres of hemp without the federal government raiding the super efficient substance that is classified as a dangerous drug, it will provide a serious industry change that may spread to other states and potentially even federal law. In the more likely scenario of federal agents jailing hemp farmers and raiding their ‘drug’ operations, an intellectual and legal resistance will be in order to attempt to alter the ridiculous laws surrounding the cultivation of hemp.

2013 starts well for hemp

This year is starting well, with a petition now up at www.minwear.com/about-us/ - and really concerned people signing. Greta Gaines, Cynthia McKinney, Dave Pillar, Dave Brooks - we have a long way to go though. What is interesting to watch is what states they are coming from. All 50 states have a signer now, with the the largest numbers being Texas, Colorado, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida and California. These are the states whose legislators - Ron Paul, Rand Paul for instance (TX/KY) have been out there for the issue - and whose citizens are the most aware.

From Kentuckians we get the most activism, and there are plans for a Kentucky Hemp Museum tour in the near future, to go to some of the aforementioned states.

It can be said that the curren movement started in California - where Jack Herer was based, although he got his facts from Jack Frazier on the East Coast. Frazier's book is one of the best books on hemp - and rather hard to find now. Herer's has sold millions of copies and is rather more into the smoking side of things.

Whatever his enthusiasm for the THC varieities, Herer did wake up millions of people to the hemp issue, and his state has more hemp businesses than any other. (Minawear, though now based in Texas, started in Santa Monica, California). One of these is Nutiva, run by John Roulac, of which I was reminded when I went to buy hemp oil at Whole Foods today. Strangely, they did not stack hemp oil among the many oils they had - but Whole Body did. They no longer had Good Oil, good riddance as that particular brand, as I have noted on this blog, used chemical defoliants - and had upgraded to Nutiva and Manitoba Hemp Harvest.

One might assume I was buying it for food, and while not wrong this logic, I was actually buying it as a drying oil for my paintings.  (Previous posts have noted its qualities and the chemical reactions of oxidation of painting oils). Most I will consume myself - and with that in mind, it seems worth posting the nutritional value of that brand of hemp oil:

Omega-3LA             2.5gm     per Tbsp
Omega-6LA              7gm       per Tbsp
Omega-9LA              2.5gm    per Tbsp
Omega-3 SDA           250mg
GLA                          500mg    per Tbsp
Calories                      125        per Tbsp
Saturated fat                1gm     per Tbsp
Trans Fat                     0gm     per Tbsp
Poylunsaturated Fat   11gm   per Tbsp
Monounsaturated Fat  2gm    per Tbsp
Cholesterol                    0gm    per Tbsp
Sodium                          0gm     per Tbsp

www.nutiva.com

Hemp seed oil vs. fish liver oil

An issue on this blog has been Omega-3 oils, which are found in hemp seed. They are also found in fish oils, and it is always suspect that fish oil is sold so heavily by the likes of Whole Foods while hemp oil is ignored. Maybe something to do with the wealth of the fishing industry? The following piece by Dionne Payn which appeared last year  in HempLifestyleMagazine.com gives us a lot of insight into this issue:



You've probably heard about how good omega-3 and 6 fatty acids are
for human health. The common advice is that to get a good supply in
your diet you need to eat oily fish on a regular basis.

Not many people know that hemp is a fantastic source of omega-3 and
6 fatty acids. But can hemp replace fish oil in the diet? Before we
get into that, let me start by giving you the lowdown on why these
fatty acids are important for good health.

What are essential fatty acids anyway?

Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid and is known as
an 'essential' fatty acid. Our bodies can't make it so we need to
consume it through the food we eat. Our bodies convert ALA to the
longer chain fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

EPA and DHA are very important for good health. They are powerful
anti-inflammatory compounds, which is beneficial as inflammation is
the cause of many degenerative diseases. EPA & DHA also lower blood
pressure and blood triglycerides which can reduce the risk of
strokes and heart disease.

Linoleic acid (LA) is an essential omega-6 fatty acid and is the
precursor to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). We get plenty of omega-6
fatty acids in our diet from sources such as cooking oils (soybean,
sunflower, and canola oil), poultry and eggs.

The problem is that our intake of omega-3 fatty acids is too low,
yet our intake of omega-6 fatty acids is too high. The typical
Western diet has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 15:1 but the
recommended ratio is 3:1. In a number of clinical studies, patients
with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma have reduced
their symptoms just by eating the correct balance of omega-6 to
omega-3.

The general advice is to consume more oily fish such as mackerel,
salmon & sardines, or take supplements that contain concentrated
amounts EPA & DHA. But what if you don't want to eat fish or take
fish oil supplements?

The problem with fish and fish oils

There are a few issues to consider when deciding to consume fish or
fish oils. Firstly, there is the human health aspect. Our oceans
are polluted with methylmercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's)
and dioxins, and these contaminants are found in fish. Fish that
are predatory (eat other fish) are large and at the top of the food
chain, and so tend to contain more toxins.

Governments around the world are advising pregnant and
breastfeeding women to limit the amount of fish they eat as mercury
can cause harm to unborn babies or young children.

For the general population, the medical consensus is that the
benefits of eating fish far outweigh the risk to human health from
these toxins. However to be on the safe side, many people choose to
avoid fish and fish oil supplements altogether.

Then there is the environmental issue. In 2010, Time Magazine
published an article which asked the question, "Is the fatty-acid
craze threatening our ecosystem?" They made the point that the
market for omega-3 supplements doubled to $1 billion US dollars
between 2006 - 2010.

Environmentalists feared that menhaden, a small filter feeding
species of fish, were being overfished to produce fish oil
supplements. This led to 13 out of 15 Atlantic States banning the
fish oil company that caught 90% of the fish from their waters.

Fish oil companies strenuously deny that they are having an effect
on declining fish stocks arguing that only 1% of fish catch is used
for making supplements. However, a Canadian research group argued
that the recommended dose of 100 mg of fish oils per day was not
sustainable and would lead to fish stocks collapsing by the middle
of the 21st century.

Then there is the question of whether it is ethical to kill fish
for food or fish oil. The Vegetarian Society's website states that:

"Fish have a nervous system and pain receptors like all other
animals" and "an estimated 23% of that total catch is killed and
discarded as a result of 'incidental capture".

So if you choose not to eat fish or use fish oils, where do you get
your beneficial omega-3 fatty acids?

Plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids

Because eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
are only found in oily fish, a lot of research has focused on how
much alpha linoleic acid (ALA) can be found in plants.

By far, the best source of ALA is flax seed (over 50%), followed by
hemp (15-20%), walnut (14%), canola (11%) and soy (7%). While ALA
can be converted to EPA & DHA in the body, the conversion between
ALA to EPA is not very efficient; even in healthy people it is only
2-5%.

The reason for this is that ALA has to be converted to a fatty acid
called stearidonic acid (SDA) before it can be converted to EPA.
The enzyme responsible for this conversion is very inefficient and
this effect is worse in the elderly, people suffering from diabetes
or obesity, and people that have a high omega-6 intake.

The good news is that if you take SDA directly, the conversion to
EPA is much easier, which hasn't gone unnoticed by big
Agri-companies. Monsanto have cottoned onto this (excuse the pun)
and have genetically modified the soya bean to produce SDA, while
BASF is working on genetically modifying canola to do the same.

Thankfully for us, hemp is a natural source of SDA and we don't
have to resort to GM foods to get a plant based source of our
omega-3's.

Hemp is one of the few sources of a rare omega-6 fatty acid,
gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA has a similar chemistry to EPA and
has many of the health benefits of EPA.
Ideal dosages

According to the Good Oil Website, a daily dose of 1 tablespoons of
hemp oil will gove you 94% of your recommended daily allowance of
omega-3 and 94% of your recommended daily allowance of omega-6
fatty acids.

A comparison of flax and hemp oil

As I mentioned before, flax contains more ALA than hemp, but does
not contain SDA. Many people that try flax oil find it has a strong
aftertaste which can be a bit off-putting. Flax oil also has a
short shelf life, needs to be used as quickly as possible after
pressing and should be kept in the freezer, otherwise it turns
rancid.

In comparison, hemp contains linoleic acid (omega-6) and alpha
linoleic acid (omega-3) in the optimum 3:1 ratio for human health
and it has a pleasant nutty taste. It does need to be kept
refrigerated to preserve the quality of the oil, but is more robust
and doesn't go off as quickly as flax oil.

Summary

Omega-3 & 6 fatty acids are important for our health and longevity,
and it is great to know that we aren't restricted to consuming fish
or fish oils to get our recommended dose. If you want to avoid fish
for ethical reasons, hemp is a fantastic alternative.

Reading

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_fatty_acid
http://heart-disease.emedtv.com/fish-oil/fish-oil.html
http://www.professional-counselling.com/omega-3-side-effects.html
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/mercury_in_fish?open
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/mercuryinfish.cfm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1953700,00.html
http://www.vegsoc.org/page.aspx?pid=723#
http://ontheshelf.com/attached-file/hempandflax.pdf
http://manitobaharvest.com/articles_studies/3810/Hemp-Seed-Oil---Your-source-for-essential-fat.html
http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/654/are-dietary-recommendations-for-fish-oils-sustainable
http://www.echiumoil.eu/health-benefits.php
http://goodwebsite.wordpress.com/2009/07/

ARTICLE ON HEMP NUTRITION

The following is an article that appeared on Naturak News.com on 9 December, 2009, written by Arnie Sugat.


Researchers claim that if no other food is consumed, hemp seeds could sustain a human life for a few months without causing nutrient deficiency problems. In fact, hemp protein was used in Europe during tuberculosis outbreaks to reverse the wasting away caused by the disease.With a protein structure of 66% edestin and 33% albumin, hemp seeds (latin: sativa) contain all 8 essential amino acids plus 2 conditionally essential amino acids. In addition to its surprising protein profile, it also contains the perfect ratio of omega fatty acids researchers recommend for good health: 3- omega-3`s to 1-omega-6.Why Are Amino Acids Important?A human being needs 21 amino acids to survive: Eight are essential and must be obtained from food; two are conditionally essential and can be synthesized if all the eight essential amino acids are consumed. No other plant or animal source, aside from hemp, contains the first ten amino acids necessary for health. Nor do any of them contain the fatty acid ratio essential for life.Hemp seeds are not unique among plant seeds in having all the essential amino acids. However, they are unique in that they have them in the correct ratio and they are in the form of globulin edestin at 65% of the protein content. The other 35% of the protein content is albumin.The globulins contained in hemp seeds are one of the seven classes of 100% pure amino acids. Globulins make up the portion of seed between the embryo and the seed coat and they are a fraction of all animal and human blood. Edestin globulin comes from seed; globulin is in blood plasma. Globulin and albumin are classified as globular proteins. All the enzymes, antibodies, many hormones, hemoglobin, and fibrogin are made from globular proteins.Albumin, globulin, and fibrogin make up the fluid part of blood plasma. The protein portion of the blood answers the call of tissues in need by providing nutrients, vitamins and minerals.Similarly albumin and globulin provide all the nutrients to the seed embryo until it can begin to provide its own through leaf photosynthesis. The seeds of most plants contain all the necessary nutrients for metabolic activity.Since globulin is the third most abundant protein in the human body, it is no surprise that it acts as a catalyst for many other processes, acts as an enzyme and performs necessary functions within the plasma. It is responsible for the activity of the cells which make up the immune system. These cells are responsible for recognizing and destroying foreign invaders such as toxins, viruses, and dangerous bacteria.Our body also needs other amino acids in sufficient quantity in order to manufacture other globulin proteins and cells structures. Most foods do not contain sufficient quantities of these essential amino acids nor the right kinds. Additionally, amino acids in many foods, especially animal foods, are not available to the body most of the time. Part of the problem is the structure of the foods which contain them, the other because humans are not sufficiently equipped as meat eaters to digest them. This can result in certain globular protein deficiencies which can result in weakened immune systems.Since hemp seeds contain 65% globulin edestin and 35% albumin, both in a highly digestible state, it contains a protein panel similar to that of human blood. In addition to the necessary amino acids, it contains the right 3:1 ratio of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids our bodies need to be healthy. Hemp seeds also contain sufficient quantities of zinc, iron, and magnesium, three of the most common vitamins implicated in vitamin deficiency diseases.

HEMP GIVES A VICTORY TO FISHERMEN

Image right is a fisherman with roach (Rutilus rutilus). This is one of many fish taken by the use of hemp seeds, including the latest tournament in the Cambridge Fish Perservation's Championship (see www.cambridge-news.co.uk/sport/angling/2007/03/09).

Also in this month's UK papers, another research trial with children has concluded that Omega 3 oils are good for learning (along with leaving off junk food); however, it recommended fish oils, the usual story from the fourth estate without a lot of research. Fish oils have been recalled by the Food Standards Agency here because of contaminants, so if anyone is really smart, they will seek plant sources for this, such as hemp, flax and evening primrose oil.

FISHING FOR A BRAIN

In the last post (see below), I went through a discussion about Omega-3 fatty acids, what they were and why they are good. Somehow I forgot to mention one important thing, the last word from a total authority on the subject; the fish themselves. As most anglers know, hempseed brings them to the surface. Little wonder, as hempseed contains gamma-linolenic acid, which is then converted into the two other Omega-3 fatty acids which are so prevalent in marine animals.

FISHY NEWS ON OMEGA-3 ACIDS

Lately we have been hearing a lot about Omega-3 fatty acid. Much of this study started in the 1970s in Greenland when it was discovered that the indigenous Inuit population had a low incidence of cardiac disease although they consumed much fat in their diet. As their source of food was mainly fish and marine animals, it was easy to trace the substances in their food. Omega-3 fatty acids were noted, and since then, much research has been conducted to show that there is much value in these compounds; they have been known to increase skin condition, ease joint inflammation, reduce heart attack and improve concentration.

However, there is some confusion about what exactly Omega-3 fatty acid is. To start with, it is not a single substance: Omega-3 is more of an adjective than a noun; it describes certain fatty acids which have the first double carbon-carbon bond on the third carbon atom of the chain. A description which hadly makes it easy and familiar to most people. To add to the maze of polysyllables, there are basically three Omega-3 fatty acids that are being discussed when the term is used; two of them are called 'marine' Omega-3 fatty acids, as they are found in marine creatures. Their names are eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid.

Both of these are synthesised in the human body from a third, alpha-linolenic acid, which is found in plants, mainly hemp and flax. Hemp oil contains 17-24% of this, in tandem with around 50% linoleic acid (an Omega-6 fatty acid; as you've probably already guessed, it is called this because the first double carbon-carbon bond occurs on the sixth carbon atom of the chain...)

The ratio between them is much discussed, as some say the optimum ratio is 3:1, based on the fact that it occurs in this ratio in humam cells. However, there is much debate as to whether this 3:1 is really optimum, or perhaps a 2:1, or even a 5:1, is really the best.

Whatever the argument about the ratio, there is a wide range of qualified opinion (including Dr. Robert Winston, Dr. Andrew Stall, Prof. John Stein and health columnist Jane Clark of The Times), stating that Omega-3 is pretty good stuff; in fact, it is often called 'brain food'. Little wonder, this appellation, when half of the fatty acid from which our brains are made is an Omega-3, the aforementioned docohexaenoic acid. An article in The Independent on Sunday on 11 June, 2006, gave a number of examples in which children fed 500 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids improved dramatically in their ability to concentrate and do classwork.

While this is rather conclusive, there are scetpics, and also those who say that the supplements given might not be as effective as the foods from which they are extracted, which makes sense. The article was rather well-researched and well-written, but had one major drawback; it made no mention of vegetable sources for Omega-3 fatty acids. Vegans, and anyone objecting the the fishy taste of their supplements, are just two groups sidelined in this. To be fair, this article is not the first to have this fault, it seems from reading on this over the years that journalists are fed lots of information from the fish industry; this impression is given strength as it turns out that Prof. John Stein, who is quoted in the above-mentioned IoS article, is brother to Rick Stein, a fish restaurateur who serves lavish fish dinners to politicians in Washington, D.C. while John gives a lecture on the benefits of fish.

Perhaps the fish industry is promoting health, personally I love fish. A less personable note on fish food comes from the US Food & Drug Administraion, which warns people to restrict their intake of Omega-3 from fish. With all the mercury, lead, nickel, arsenic, cadmium, PCBs, furans and dioxins, one thinks they may have good reason to warn us. Along with their data-based observations is the thought that in some cases the seas are overfished and we need to let stocks replenish.

We would hope that there will be more research into this issue, and that it also becomes lot more clear; just now, to many people it is as cloudy as a pot of rancid oil, and we would like to be able to see the light coming through when we hold it up to scrutiny. Since it does appear that Omega-3 fatty acids are of great benefit, it stands to reason that we ought to have a source of them on hand that we can trust to be heavy metal-, PCB-, furan- and dioxin-free. Hemp oil seems to be the best bet for a number or reasons, as hemp can be grown in almost any country, and grows quickly, giving the population a steady supply of an Omega-3 fatty acid (along with a number of other substances, including essential amino acids and tocopherols) in a single season. That it can do so without pesticides is also very important.

(additional information can be found in the 9 June, 2006 posting on varieties of hemp oil)

ANALYSIS OF HEMP OIL

Hemp oil is considered to be one of nature's healthiest oils. It is known to contain therapeutic compounds, and for this reason is used both in medicine and in cosmetics. It has a high antioxidant quality and contains linoleic acids. These acids, along with eicosanoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, Omega 3,6,&9 EFAs and all eight essential amino acids, make hemp oil a top item in health food shops.

Eicosanoids are hormone-like compounds which play a crucial role in vital processes including control of inflammation, maintaining vascualar tone and the intiation of contractions during delivery.

Tocopherols and tocotrienols are natural antioxidants which help preserve the oil and help reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein, with essential and non-essential, the former being those the human body cannot produce, the latter those which it can.

Field trials conducted in 2000 and 2001 were written up with a view to recording the amount of these substances in different varieties of hemp; the results were publsihed in an article in the Journal of Industrial Hemp, Vol. 10, #2, 2005, in a report by Bertrand Matthaus et al.

Their report takes into account a number of factors, including mean average temperature and rainfall, using a number of varieties, including: Juso-14, Beniko, P60, Glera, CAN22, Bialo, Blu-46, Felina, P59, Fedrina74, Helvetica, Epsilon, CAN31, Futura, Zolo11, P54, CAN33, UNIKO-B, CAN30, Fedora19, CAN28, P57, Lipko, Kompolti, CAN21, 52092, CAN21, CAn29, Juso-31, CAn20, RAMO, USO-14, Fibrimon56, Glu-33,P53, CAN36, Lovrin110, CAN27, P52, CAN32, CAN24, P52, CAN32, CAN24, CAN26, P51, D.o.-14, CAN18, Fasamo, CAN16, CAN23, Ferimon, & CAN17.

For each of the above varieties, analysis is made of their palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, gamma-linolenic acid, alpha linolenic acid, and stearodinic acid content.

The highest variety for palmitic acid was Juso-14, with 6.5 g/100gm in 2000, and 5.9 in 2001; for stearic acid, Juso-31, with 2.8 in 2000 and 2.6 in 2001; for oleic acid, Epsilon, with 11.7 in 2000 and 8.8 in 2001; for linoleic acid, Juso 14, with 58.0 in 2000 and 52.2 in 2001; for gamma-linolenic acid, Juso-14, with 4.1 in 2000 and 2.6 in 2001; for alpha-linolenic acid, CAN17, with 24.7 in 2000 and 21.2 in 2001; and for stearodinic acid, USO-14, with 1.5 in 2000 and 1.4 in 2001. Most levels were lower in 2001; the rainfall was 370mm for 2000, and 340mm for 2001 with an avearge temperature of 16.2 Celsius in 2000 and 15,7 Celsius in 2001.

From these and many other peer reviewed reports published recently, we can see that hemp is a major source of these compounds. As this information is made avaiable to the press and the public, we can expect to benefit from the use of hemp oil in food, medicine and cosmetics. As much of this information is recent however, there are still a number of journalists and even doctors who lack this basic knowledge and ignore hemp, often in favour of the more well known flax oil and fish oils. Recent articles, in such progressive papers as The Independent on Omega 3,6 & 9 oils have been completely neglectful of hemp oil, due perhaps to such ignorance.