Tom Hemp

The story "U.S. hemp food case thrown out of court" was posted today on The Western Producer web site. Speaking about the ruling in the HIA v DEA case Arthur Hanks, executive director of the Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance, said "The opportunity and timing are just excellent."

HEMPhasis Magazine version 1.01 -- Spring 2004 is now online. You can also order print copies.

The story Court sides with hemp supporters by Felicia Fonseca, Daily Lobo (University of New Mexico) is an exceptional example of college newspaper writing.

Update Feb. 19, 2:15 PM, This story was good enough to be distributed on U-WIRE.

I'm bummed. A Staples store just opened in the next town over from me and I was looking forward to buying Living Tree paper there, but they were out. I looked on the Living Tree web site and learned that:

"Staples no longer carries Vanguard Recycled Plus™. We wish to thank all who supported the paper while offered online and in stores. We are now working diligently to establish a new national distribution. In the meantime, you may order from us directly at 1-800-309-2974."

I will report here when they announce their new distribution plans.

I started a loaf of Hemp Oatmeal Bread this morning. It will not be done in time for lunch as I started it late. I use my wife's Breadman Ultimate Bread Machine and it works well. Here is the recipe that I have finally settled on:

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Hemp Oatmeal Bread
Ingredients:

8 oz. water
2.5 oz. milk
2 oz. (1/2) stick butter
2 oz. maple syrup
2 tsp. salt
13 oz. bread flour
6 oz. rolled oats
3 oz. shelled hemp seed
1 Tbsp. yeast

Method:

Put all ingredients in bread maching work bowl in order above. For Breadman I prefer the white 2 lb. medium setting. You can substitute 1 oz. of hemp oil for half of the butter.

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This recipe consistently turns out great loaves in the Breadman. I use the white, 2 pound, medium setting and I scrape down the work bowl a few times during the initial mixing to get the ingredients off the sides and incorporated in the dough ball. I like to use King Arthur Flour. For consistant results I use a scale that I got from King Arthur Flour, which is why the ingredients list is only in weight. I see on the King Arthur Flour web site that they have the New Zojirushi Bread Machine. Sweet!

The Portland Business Journal has a story "To celebrate turning 20, BridgePort brews 'Ropewalk'" about the BridgePort Brewing Company's plans to brew a beer called Ropewalk Amber Ale. The journal notes that "The Portland brewery, started in 1984 by winemakers Richard and Nanci Ponzi and brewer Karl Ockert, said the name of the new beer pays tribute to both the brewery's history as a hemp rope factory and to the idea that the craft brewing business is daring like walking a highwire." Sounds like a good beer. It would have been great if BridgePort had brewed a hemp ale in celebration of it's 20th anniversary.

Thanks to Global Hemp I found out that the Honolulu Star-Bulletin wrote an editorial on February 11, 2004 saying that the DEA should drop ban on hemp cultivation. The editorial board notes that "Unfortunately, U.S. policy seems to be driven by politics instead of science."

I made some hemp Baklava this evening. I used too much lemon juice, the recipe called for the juice of 1/2 a small lemon and I used a whole one. It turned out pretty good, though. Next time I think I will use a little less cloves than the recipe calls for. You must be a subscriber of The Hemp Report to get to their recipes. I was also poking around for hemp news and found this story at the Boston Globe - Hemp's Hip New Status by Barbara Claire Kasselmann. Good story with nice photographs. Update: Monday, February 16, 6:34 PM - The baklava is much better if you let it sit for a day. The spices come together quite nicely and the lemon is not overwhelming. If I were to make it for a party I would make it the day before.

In searching for hemp news I have come across quite a few stories on using hemp seed as bait for fishing in the UK. Bob Nudd seems to be a Master Angler and I've read about hemp seed in his columns. Anyway, while searching eBay I found a Fishing Catapult which is "Ideal for maggot, hemp, caster or even corn feeding." Watch out for the flying hemp seed when fishing in the UK!

Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has posted a position paper on hemp at his web site:

Dennis Kucinich supports legalizing the growing of hemp in the United States. Vote Hemp has graded the candidates' positions and given Kucinich an A+. Read more here: Vote Hemp 2004 Voter Guide - Candidate: Dennis Kucinich

Re-legalizing the Commercial Growing of Industrial Hemp in the United States

Since 1937, Federal laws have criminalized a harmless plant. Outdated attitudes and drug war paranoia in Washington have limited the many uses of this vital plant and have even prohibited its growth in the United States.

That plant is hemp, cousin to the psychoactive marijuana plant. Hemp is classified as a "drug" under the Controlled Substances Act, although it poses no danger to public health or safety. Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species Cannabis sativa L. that contains less than 1% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive chemical that gets people "high." According to David West, Ph.D.,"... THC levels in industrial hemp are so low that no one could ever get high from smoking it. Moreover, hemp contains a relatively high percentage of another cannabinoid, CBD, that actually blocks the marijuana high. Hemp, it turns out, is not only not marijuana; it could be called anti-marijuana." Article 28-2 of the UN Single Treaty Convention on Narcotic Drugs states, "This Convention shall not apply to the cultivation of the cannabis plant exclusively for industrial purposes (fiber and seed) or horticultural purposes." The United States is a signer of this convention.

[MORE]

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/hemp.php

Update: Please click here to download "Re-legalizing the Commercial Growing of Industrial Hemp in the United States" as a PDF file from the Kucinich web site. (2 pages, 43K)