cannabisnews.com: Naughty but Nice 





Naughty but Nice 
Posted by FoM on October 09, 2001 at 07:27:12 PT
By Tim Dowling
Source: Guardian Unlimited
What is it with the hemp people? Why are they so evangelical about hemp? Hemp this, hemp that. You never see anyone getting this excited about, say, jute. I'll admit I was initially intrigued by a pesto sauce bursting with the great taste of hemp, but that only added to my disappointment when I got it home. It tasted exactly like pesto. This probably has something to do with the fact that it is pesto, with a little hemp seed thrown in, for no discernible reason. 
You can serve it tossed with hemp and spelt-flour pasta, made from 90% flour and 10% ground-up hemp. You can see what they're doing: they're just trying to figure out ways to use up hemp. Both the pesto and the pasta are made in the UK for Motherhemp Ltd, a company utterly and completely devoted to the glory of all things hempen. At Motherhemp's website you can purchase hemp oil, hemp tablets, hemp sprouted wheat bread (a shocking £2.29 per loaf), a hemp frisbee (made from plastic and hemp), books about hemp printed on hemp, hemp socks (made from cotton, Lycra and hemp) hemp shirts, hemp beer and hemp moisturiser. Hemp, says Motherhemp, is "one of the most versatile and resourceful plants known to man". While this may be true, there can be no denying that we've learned to get along pretty well without it. Who misses hemp? The website lists some amazing hemp facts: the Declaration of Independence and the Magna Carta both written on hemp, Henry Ford's first car made of hemp, Gogh's sunflowers painted on hemp with hemp paint, etc - which I have no reason to disbelieve, but the case for hemp as a health-giving, world-saving miracle crop is still a tad far-fetched. So why is the hemp lobby so passionate? It's the pot thing. Industrial hemp is but marijuana with a low active ingredient quotient, and hemp production in Britain and America came to a virtual halt when marijuana was first criminalised. Even now you need a licence from the home office to grow it. Hemp-lovers cannot get over the terrible injustice done to hemp by the ban, and they mean to put it right. Only it's not a terrible injustice, because hemp is just a plant, and therefore incapable of feeling hard done by. Don't get me wrong; I think hemp is fine. It's easy to grow, environmentally friendly, and it makes lovely rope. The seeds are also rich in essential fatty acids, which I gather are important. But you can't start a hemp industry by slipping spoonfuls of it into pesto and charging people the earth for it. And it's hardly a testament to hemp's versatility to include some in a frisbee. Trying to push hemp into the nooks and crannies of our lives isn't going to change anything. Give it up, hemp people. It's a lost cause. Go and help flax. Note: Object of the week: Hemp pesto. Source: Guardian Unlimited, The (UK)Author: Tim DowlingPublished: Tuesday, October 9, 2001Copyright: 2001 Guardian Newspapers LimitedContact: letters guardian.co.ukWebsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/ Motherhemphttp://www.motherhemp.com/CannabisNews Hemp Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by mayan on October 10, 2001 at 14:51:13 PT
BLAAH BLAAH BLAAH
This article is so ridiculous it doesn't deserve a response here because we all know that hemp can do anything. I will,however, write a little letter to the guardian unlimited. I urge everyone else to please do the same. 
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Comment #8 posted by FoM on October 09, 2001 at 21:29:50 PT
Thanks ekim 
I know and thank you and I'm very angry. Here's a comment I made to Tim Stone a little earlier. I'm still looking for an article in a newspaper but haven't found one yet. That's annoying me. 
http://www.cannabisnews.com/news/thread11053.shtml#12
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Comment #7 posted by ekim on October 09, 2001 at 21:22:10 PT:
Dea moves to ban hemp oil in foods and soaps
Hempseed oil produces dramatic increase in blood level GLAGreg Herriott, HEMPOLAResults showed dramatic increases of blood GLA from hempseed oil but significant decreases of blood GLA from linseed oil. The Finnish researchers found statistically significant differences between these two food oils relative to each other and to the wash out period of the study.URL: http://www.globalhemp.com/News/2001/September/hempseed_oil_produces.shtmlDea moves to ban hemp seed and oil 
You can also view the text files at our web site at:http://www.votehemp.com/action.html 
">http://www.hempreport.com/downloads/01-25022-filed.txt>">http://www.hempreport.com/downloads/01-25023-filed.txt>">http://www.hempreport.com/downloads/01-25024-filed.txt>   The DEA states in 01-25024-filed:"DATES: This interim rule is effective October 9, 2001. Comments must be
received by DEA on or before December 10, 2001. If DEA determines based
on any comments received that a modification of this interim rule is
warranted, such modification will be specified in the final rule.
   As set forth in this document, a grace period is being provided for
persons to dispose of existing inventories of ``hemp'' products that
are not exempted from control under this interim rule. Any person who,
as of October 9, 2001, possesses a THC-containing hemp product not
exempted from control under this interim rule has until February 6,
2002 to dispose of such product in the manner described in this
document."
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Comment #6 posted by RacerX on October 09, 2001 at 19:13:00 PT
Hemp Oil and Prostate Cancer
I recently read an article that demonstated populations that had a diet high in fatty fish such as salmon had decreased instances of prostate cancer. Researchers credit the trend to the consumption of Omega3 fatty acids present in the fish which Dr Russo mentioned in his post. I have also read that hemp oil is a better source of these acids than fish because hemp oil contains these acids it the most advantageous proportions for utilization in human motabolisms. 
I have seen no connection between these two phenomenon in the media.
Wouldn't it be something if the evil seed of the evil weed was a deterant to one of the most terrifying of middle aged men's fears.
God said it best in Genesis. "And all the herb yielding seed, unto you it shall be meat"
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Comment #5 posted by freedom fighter on October 09, 2001 at 18:42:20 PT
never could understand these animals
How hard is it for these animals to understand this?Hemp is not POT! For Pete's sake, no POTheads would grow evil marijuana under the sea of hemp.. Oh, I am not going to bitch about what the author said. Instead, I am going to scream, why in the bloodly hell did this newspaper have to print this kind of tripe?Just when will these animals get over with this and understand that we will never quit? When will these jerks understand that we can build houses out of hemp so cheaply if it is legal? There are 60 thousand products can be made from hemp.This is just crazy..ff
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Comment #4 posted by bruce42 on October 09, 2001 at 14:37:38 PT
agreed
I think it is true that people fight for hemp because of the marijuana thing. It is pathetic that our government continues to tout that hemp is marijuana when it is so obvious that they do so only to allay the fears of oil, timber, and other fiber industry lobbies that would never stand for any competition. Ask DuPont, ADM, GeorgiaPacific, or BP the last time they felt threatened by the hemp industry. It is very foolish of the author to ignore the facts. As far as the government is concerned, hemp and marijauna go hand in hand and failing to fight for one in favor of the other only weakens the defense of both.Yes, there is a need, yes, let's free the weed.
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Comment #3 posted by p4me on October 09, 2001 at 10:39:36 PT:
uninformed author with grinded ax
Whatever he is talking about is dribble. It just detracts from the number one question- Why is it a felony under federal law punishable with a $10,000 dollar fine and a year imprisonment to have a plant. Canada is doing well with their hemp industry and can we not learn from others. Why the penalties for a plant? This dribble reminds us that there is a dumbing down of the news that is meant to appeal to the uninterested and uninformed on the issue.
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Comment #2 posted by leefmyner on October 09, 2001 at 08:37:33 PT
Is this guy ignorant, or is he getting paid off?
Don't forget the fact that the US ban on growing hemp contributes to the trade defecit, since it all has to be imported.
The author's assertion that hemp is only usefuln in "the nooks and crannies of our lives" is bull. Are cotton and timber only useful in the nooks and crannies? Are we being frivolous by wearing clothes, writing on paper, and having a roof over our heads?...what an ignorant jerk!
He sounds like he's getting paid off by NIDA or the DEA.
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Comment #1 posted by Ethan Russo MD on October 09, 2001 at 07:59:13 PT:
Disservice
I have been necessarily sparse in my comments of late due to intercurrent demands. However, I cannot help but opine here.This is an example of poor journalism. The author ostensibly reviews the topic, but weighs in with an opinion that is totally unsupported by the facts.In an ecologically challenged world, the critical importance of hemp is:1. That it can be grown and thrive with far fewer pesticides than cotton, which though dear to our hearts, tends to be a devastatingly difficult crop with tremendous demands on the environment.2. That it can substitute for most fiber products in all industrial applications.3. That its seed is the most nutritionally complete single food on the planet. Soybeans have more protein (genistein), but in the unfermented state are quite indigestible and anti-metabolic. Hemp's protein is edestin, and is far more digestible. Hemp is the best nutritional source of linolenic and gamma-linolenic acids, essential fatty acids poorly available to our bodies due to a lack of real fresh greens, game meat or wild ocean fish.4. That its seed also can produce an oil that makes an ideal biodiesel fuel with far fewer emissions than petroleum-based diesel. Want to eliminate dependence on foreign oil? Then grow hemp.5. That hemp represents an obvious answer to the decline of agriculture in the Western world, particularly in marginal northern plains in the USA.FREE THE WEED!
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