historyofthehempseed

Great video must watch

2011-11-30T12:52:00.001-08:00

Federal Intelligence Agencies May Help Target Pot Growers

2011-11-11T14:48:00.000-08:00

Federal Intelligence Agencies May Help Target Pot Growers

By Andrew Becker and Michael Montgomery, California Watch - Thursday, November 10 2011

TAGS:

A drug agent stands in a marijuana field near Redding. The 2010 raid led to federal charges against 27 people. (photo: Michael Montgomery/California Watch)“We don’t know what they’re doing with the money, where the money goes, whose bank account it ends up in,” he said of foreign drug traffickers who operate on public land.

“They’re here ruining our national resources, and they’re putting our citizens at risk. Hikers can’t go into the field for fear they’ll be harmed. Wildlife doesn’t have a chance.”

U.S. law enforcement believes that hundreds of millions of dollars generated from public-land gardens flows to Mexico, said David Prince, assistant special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in San Francisco.

While federal officials suspect that Mexican organized crime bosses might be involved, authorities say they have not proven a direct link between marijuana gardens on U.S. public lands and the major Mexico-based drug cartels.

"The amount of money being generated by this activity can't possibly be happening without Mexican cartels wanting to get their hands on it," Prince said. “My presumption is money can’t be made without cartels knowing and taxing at a minimum.”

The intelligence world previously has tried to help with domestic eradication efforts. In the 1980s, state and federal law enforcement in California used the high-altitude U-2 spy plane to help spot pot gardens, with limited success.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Interior Department, which includes the national parks, already work with intelligence and law enforcement agencies to fight marijuana growing. The Interior Department also has representatives at the National Counterterrorism Center and a major drug intelligence-sharing hub. Other spy agencies, such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, have been assigned in individual cases.

This broader involvement, however, would be a new development in the battle against marijuana growers who have exploited remote public lands and a dearth of law enforcement to reap billions of dollars in profits, according to federal law enforcement officials.

A spokesman for James Clapper, the director of national intelligence, declined to comment on pending legislation, as did Interior Department and Forest Service spokesmen.

Tommy LaNier, who directs the White House-funded National Marijuana Initiative, said land managers need assistance to take on a bigger role in addressing the problem, as 65 to 70 percent of pot eradicated nationwide – and as much as 80 percent in California – comes off federal land.

“Bringing in the (intelligence community) to help public land managers have a better understanding of the threats is an essential part of managing the problem of marijuana cultivation on public lands,” LaNier said.

Others, however, question involving the director of national intelligence. They say there are greater security threats that require the office’s attention. Other agencies, such as the Drug Enforcement Administration and the White House drug czar’s office, already know the issue. There also are civil liberties and transparency concerns about having the intelligence community involved in domestic issues.

The provision comes as more federal attention has turned in recent months toward curbing marijuana production in general and on public lands specifically. As law enforcement has stepped up raids, some growers have moved their operations to vast tracts of private farms and timberland. Meanwhile, California Gov. Jerry Brown cut funding in the 2012 budget for the nearly 30-year-old marijuana eradication program known as the Campaign Against Marijuana Planting.

The four U.S. attorneys in California last month announced a coordinated effort to attack the state’s pot industry – including operators who claim to be in compliance with local medical marijuana laws. The top federal prosecutors set a statewide enforcement strategy that lists distributors with ties to international drug cartels as one of their priority targets, according to a February 2011 internal memo.

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has called a Senate drug caucus hearing next month on marijuana cultivation on federal public and tribal lands. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, which Feinstein leads, is expected to take up the authorization bill – and support Rep. Thompson’s provision – in the coming weeks.

Among the intelligence agencies that could be tapped if the bill becomes law are the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for its unclassified satellite imagery of public lands and the Treasury Department’s intelligence office to track illicit money, LaNier said. The National Security Agency could be assigned, on a limited basis, to intercept public two-way radio communications. The CIA would not be involved.

While the provision targets a specific problem rather than a nebulous issue, such as terrorism, it’s another example of the blending of intelligence and law enforcement in the decade after 9/11, said Steven Aftergood, who directs the Project on Government Secrecy at the Federation of American Scientists.

“The barriers between federal intelligence and domestic security that existed in the past have all but disappeared,” he said in an e-mail. “We have a right to ask for greater transparency.”

Jeffrey Richelson, a senior fellow with The National Security Archive, said there is a difference between an occasional task for spy agencies and direct consultation through a full-scale program.

“The question is, what specific constraints are there on the use of imagery – pictures of individuals and their activities?” he said. “Inevitably, it gets you into the area of domestic spying by using overhead surveillance for law enforcement purposes. It always raises questions of what’s the next step? Where does it go next?”

Ronald Brooks, who leads the federally funded Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, acknowledged concerns raised by civil liberties groups, but said the threat of foreign drug traffickers warrants the use of spy equipment focused on federal public land, where there’s no reasonable expectation of privacy. Domestic marijuana eradication, however, is not a traditional intelligence community role, he said.

Brooks said the DEA or White House drug czar may be a better fit to tackle the issue than the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Tom Gorman, director of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program, said another report isn’t necessary, as other agencies already are doing threat assessments.

“I would tell you everything they need to know, they already have,” Gorman said. “If the executive branch doesn’t pay attention (to the report), they just wasted a bunch of time.”

An earlier version of the bill passed by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence also required the spy chief to develop a strategic plan to address the issue. The House stripped out that language because Congress didn’t want the intelligence community to overreach into domestic jurisdictions, Thompson said.

“We’re calling on them (the intelligence community) to provide us with some expertise in dealing with this issue so we can all be working from the same sheet of music,” Thompson said. “It only seems reasonable that we collaborate and we work together at every level.”

Thompson pointed to an anti-marijuana growing operation in and around Northern California's Mendocino National Forest as an example of the growing threat of foreign drug traffickers. Dubbed Operation Full Court Press, the crackdown caught 131 suspects, all but 11 of whom were foreign nationals, according to ICE records. Most were men from the western Mexican state of Michoacán. Less than a third of those arrested were charged with marijuana-related crimes.

Another recent operation in California’s Central Valley netted 86 defendants, almost all of whom were in the country illegally, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Sacramento.

In a separate case that began last year in Shasta County, a sheriff’s office and DEA investigation has led to indictments of 27 people involved in growing marijuana on both public and private lands. Defendants include U.S. citizens and foreign nationals, a third of them in the country illegally or with an undetermined immigration status, according to court documents.

ICE officials anticipate their agency will focus more on domestic marijuana production, a crime that in the past was not a priority for investigators. That's changed in the last two years, as ICE agents have seen more undocumented growers and other crimes, like weapons possession and smuggling of bulk cash and humans.

This story was reported in collaboration with KQED Public Radio.

- Article originally from California Watch.

http://drivetraffictoyourwebsite.blogspot.com/2011/11/must-have-free-accounts-for-beginners.html

A letter I got recently from the white house

2011-11-01T20:23:00.001-07:00

What We Have to Say About Legalizing Marijuana

By Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy

When the President took office, he directed all of his policymakers to develop policies based on science and research, not ideology or politics. So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug's effects.

According to scientists at the National Institutes of Health- the world's largest source of drug abuse research - marijuana use is associated with addiction, respiratory disease, and cognitive impairment. We know from an array of treatment admission information and Federal data that marijuana use is a significant source for voluntary drug treatment admissions and visits to emergency rooms. Studies also reveal that marijuana potency has almost tripled over the past 20 years, raising serious concerns about what this means for public health – especially among young people who use the drug because research shows their brains continue to develop well into their 20's. Simply put, it is not a benign drug.

Like many, we are interested in the potential marijuana may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we ardently support ongoing research into determining what components of the marijuana plant can be used as medicine. To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.

As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.

That is why the President's National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts that protect public safety and disrupt the supply of drugs entering our communities. Preventing drug use is the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. And, as we've seen in our work through community coalitions across the country, this approach works in making communities healthier and safer. We're also focused on expanding access to drug treatment for addicts. Treatment works. In fact, millions of Americans are in successful recovery for drug and alcoholism today. And through our work with innovative drug courts across the Nation, we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment.

Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real. This last fiscal year alone, the Federal Government spent over $10 billion on drug education and treatment programs compared to just over $9 billion on drug related law enforcement in the U.S.

Thank you for making your voice heard. I encourage you to take a moment to read about the President's approach to drug control to learn more.

Resources:

National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Marijuana Facts (ONDCP)
Drug Abuse Warning Network (HHS)
Treatment Episode Data Set (HHS)
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (HHS)

International Cannabinoid Research Society

2011-10-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

If your have sometime to kill read this:

http://cannabinoidsociety.org/SY

The ICRS was formally incorporated as a scientific research society in 1992. Prior to that, Symposia were organized by various researchers in the field since 1970. Membership in the Society has risen from 50 original members in its first year to nearly 500 members from all over the world.

	President:	Aron Lichtman, Ph.D.
	Executive Director:	Cecilia J. Hillard , Ph.D.
	Managing Director:	Jason Schechter, Ph.D.
	Past President:	Mauro Maccarrone, Ph.D.
	President Elect:	Jenny Wiley, Ph.D.
	Treasurer:	Mary Abood, Ph.D.
	Secretary:	Stephen Alexander, Ph.D.
	International Secretary:	Roger Pertwee, MA D.Phil. D.Sc.
	Trainee Representative:	Antonio Luchicchi, Ph.D.
	Grant PI:	Jenny Wiley, Ph.D.
	Newsletter Editor:	Brian Thomas, Ph.D.

The ICRS Board of Directors is made up entirely of duly elected and/or appointed Regular Members of the ICRS organization. Term limits are as defined in the ICRS By Laws. Any and all Members-in-Good-Standing of the International Cannabinoid Research Society are eligible for nomination to the Board of Directors. Upcoming elections will be posted here. MPOSIUM.2011/ICRS2011.Final.Programme.pdf

Some day these with probably be standard plates in every home in America..

2011-10-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

Fukushima Plate warns you of radioactive levels in your food

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Worried about eating radioactive food from Fukushima? Today's your lucky day because Nils Ferber has a really useful concept for you. Meet the Fukushima Plate — a special plate with a radioactive meter and OLEDs that tell you just how safe your food is for eating.
The concept is relatively simple. Each plate is equipped with three ring-shaped OLEDs with each ring indicating a different level of radiation. Simply place the food on the plate and the radioactive meter will measure its radiation and output the appropriate ring indicator. Never eat radioactive food again!
Keep in mind that this plate is just a concept and doesn't exist. In reality, there really shouldn't be much to worry about in terms of the radiation-free food coming from Fukushima or anywhere else in Japan. Eating a strawberry grown about 30 miles from the Fukushima nuclear plants, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said, "Only safe food is being distributed. Please eat it."
But if you still don't believe, maybe you can find someone to make a Fukushima Plate for you.
Nils Ferber, via Gothamist

For the latest tech stories, follow us on Twitter at @dvice

Click Image to Enlarge

(1 of 5)

How the Fukushima Plate works.

This kind of shit still happens..

2011-10-25T21:44:00.001-07:00

Link to where I found this info:

http://www.reuters.com/assets/print?aid=USTRE79O3ZG20111026

Eight New York policemen charged in gun smuggling ring

Tue, Oct 25 2011

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Eight New York City policemen were charged on Tuesday with helping run a gun-smuggling ring in a city whose mayor, Michael Bloomberg, is leading a national campaign against illegal guns.

The men were accused of exploiting their experience and credentials to take part in schemes to illegally transport guns, slot machines, cigarettes and counterfeit goods across state lines, a criminal complaint released by the U.S. District Attorney's Office said.

Five of the men charged were active-duty officers, two were on active duty for part of the time they were accused of involvement in the schemes, and one was retired. All worked in Brooklyn, most in the same precinct.

The goods smuggled had a street value of more than $1 million, prosecutors said, and the scheme was carried out over the past year.

Bloomberg, who helped found the national coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, said that if the charges against the policemen proved true, "it would be a disgraceful and deplorable betrayal of the public trust."

"We will continue doing everything possible to take illegal guns off the street, and to bring justice to anyone who seeks to sell or carry guns illegally," he said in a statement.

FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge Janice Fedarcyk said in a statement that the crimes risked undermining public confidence in law enforcement.

"The public trusts the police not only to enforce the law, but to obey it," she said.

Also charged on Tuesday was a former officer with the New York City Department of Sanitation Police, a New Jersey corrections officer, and two other men.

The complaint accused the defendants of transporting 20 firearms including three M-16 rifles, a shotgun and 16 handguns across state lines from New Jersey to New York. The majority of the weapons had obliterated or altered serial numbers.

The guns were provided to the men in a sting operation in New Jersey by an undercover law enforcement agent and had been rendered inoperable by the FBI. The guns were delivered to another undercover agent in New York.

"The fact that the goods really weren't stolen and the guns didn't work doesn't lessen culpability, especially for those who had sworn an oath to uphold the law," New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a statement.

Kelly, who has been touted as a possible New York City mayoral candidate in 2013, has said some 90 percent of illegal guns confiscated by New York City police come from other states.

More than 500 mayors from more than 40 states are now members of Bloomberg's coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The group says that 30,000 Americans are killed every year by gun violence.

(Reporting by Chris Francescani and Aman Ali; Writing by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Barbara Goldberg, Jerry Norton and Cynthia Johnston)

Watch this Video!!! Down with the FDA!!!

2011-10-24T11:19:00.001-07:00

Go Peter Welch!!!

2011-10-23T09:34:00.000-07:00

Vermont: Rep. Peter Welch joins the effort to legalize industrial hemp

Vermont supporters of hemp received a boost Tuesday when U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., signed on as a co-sponsor of The Industrial Hemp Farming Act.

That measure, introduced five months ago in the House by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, would remove federal restrictions on the cultivation of hemp, a crop Paul calls a non-drug variety of cannabis grown for oilseed and fiber. Hemp and other varieties of cannabis are now classified as marijuana under the federal Controlled Substances Act, and cultivation of hemp in the United States is effectively banned, requiring a special permit from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Hemp is used to make a variety of products, including clothing, drinks, skin butters and auto parts. Virtually all the hemp used in products sold in the U.S. is grown in more than 30 other countries, including China and Canada. Unlike marijuana, according to the pro-hemp lobby, industrial hemp has a psychoactive content so low that it won’t produce a high if smoked.
Vermont is one of nine states that has enacted legislation that would permit controlled hemp cultivation or research — contingent on federal authorization, which the Paul bill would provide.
The local campaign to legalize industrial hemp has been spearheaded by Rural Vermont, a farmers’ advocacy group with about 750 members. Rural Vermont pushed for the state enabling legislation, which passed three years ago, and has been lobbying Welch to endorse the Paul bill.
The organization contends that hemp, as a crop option, would open up “significant economic opportunities” for Vermont farmers and for processors of such “value-added” products as food-grade oils, rope, paper and animal feed.
Welch’s office said Tuesday that he had signed on to Paul’s bill, H.R. 1831, joining 26 other co-signers, many of them liberal Democrats.

Permitting cultivation, Welch’s statement said, “will allow Vermont farmers and small business owners to compete in the growing worldwide market for hemp products.”
Rural Vermont praised the decision.

“It’s a great step for the congressman to take,” said Jared Carter, director of Rural Vermont, “recognizing the opportunity that industrial hemp provides to Vermont farmers.”
Paul has introduced an “Industrial Hemp Farming Act” in each of the past four congressional sessions, but none of the bills has advanced to the Senate. The current bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.
Along with Vermont, the other states to pass measures reducing barriers to production or research of hemp are Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon and West Virginia.

Written by Tim Johnson at the Burlington Free Press. He can be reached by email at tjohnson@burlingtonfreepress.com

Looking for the perfect gift?

2011-10-21T11:15:00.000-07:00

Shirt magic has it all and its made from organic hemp and cotton.

This is just a couple of their items, they have many more..

Hemp Hoodies

The primo super heavyweight hemp hoodie. We carry hoodies in black, dark blue, iron gray, green, brown, or natural. Made of 55% hemp and 45% cotton. They are quite roomy and cut large in size. Super comfy and warm. By far the best hemp hoodie on the market.

Colors black, navy, iron gray, tan, and green. Natural is out of stock

List price: $70.00

Sale price: $55.00

This one is my favorite !!

Product Description

Hemp T-shirt - hemp clothing - hemp - we love hemp - tell everyone with this pro-hemp T-shirt that lists some of the many great uses for the hemp plant - fiber, fuel, medicine, paper, and clothing printed around a large hemp leaf on this high quality hemp T-shirt. This hemp T-shirt is a perfect blend of 55% hemp 45% cotton. Show your support for hemp today by wearing this cool pro-hemp T-shirt.

Screen printed with high quality eco-friendly non-toxic permanent water base inks.

Pro-hemp T-shirt available in short or long sleeve size S-XL

Limited huge XX (comparable to XXX) in stock please call...

These shirts run very large in size.

List price: $25.00

Sale price: $17.00

Check them out when you get a chance be sure to tell them we sent you!!

http://altahemp.com

1-877-HEMPORG 1-877-436-7674 TOLL FREE IN U.S. OR CANADA
530-778-9881 FAX 530-778-0249
PO BOX 789
321 CLARK CREEK RD.
LEWISTON CA. 96052
SHIRT MAGIC / ALTA HEMP HOURS MON-SAT 9-5 PACIFIC STANDARD TIME

Lets do it!!

2011-10-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

United States: California Medical Assn. calls for legalization of marijuana

Submitted by restore on Sun, 10/16/2011 - 16:11

The doctor group questions the medical value of pot and acknowledges some health risk from its use but urges it be regulated like alcohol. A law enforcement official harshly criticizes the new stance.

By Anthony York, Los Angeles Times

The state's largest doctor group is calling for legalization of marijuana, even as it pronounces cannabis to be of questionable medical value.

Trustees of the California Medical Assn., which represents more than 35,000 physicians statewide, adopted the position at their annual meeting in Anaheim late Friday. It is the first major medical association in the nation to urge legalization of the drug, according to a group spokeswoman, who said the larger membership was notified Saturday.

Dr. Donald Lyman, the Sacramento physician who wrote the group's new policy, attributed the shift to growing frustration over California's medical marijuana law, which permits cannabis use with a doctor's recommendation. That, he said, has created an untenable situation for physicians: deciding whether to give patients a substance that is illegal under federal law.

"It's an uncomfortable position for doctors," he said. "It is an open question whether cannabis is useful or not. That question can only be answered once it is legalized and more research is done. Then, and only then, can we know what it is useful for."

The CMA's new stance appears to have as much to do with politics as science. The group has rejected one of the main arguments of medical marijuana advocates, declaring that the substance has few proven health benefits and comparing it to a "folk remedy."

The group acknowledges some health risk associated with marijuana use and proposes that it be regulated along the lines of alcohol and tobacco. But it says the consequences of criminalization outweigh the hazards.

Lyman says current laws have "proven to be a failed public health policy." He cited increased prison costs, the effect on families when marijuana users are imprisoned and racial inequalities in drug-sentencing cases.

The organization's announcement provoked some angry response.

"I wonder what they're smoking," said John Lovell, spokesman for the California Police Chiefs Assn. "Given everything that we know about the physiological impacts of marijuana — how it affects young brains, the number of accidents associated with driving under the influence — it's just an unbelievably irresponsible position."

The CMA's view is also controversial in the medical community.

Dr. Robert DuPont, an M.D. and professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School, said the association's call for legalization showed "a reckless disregard of the public health. I think it's going to lead to more use, and that, to me, is a public health concern. I'm not sure they've thought through what the implications of legalization would be."

Dr. Igor Grant, head of the Center for Medicinal Cannabis at UC San Diego, defended the drug's therapeutic use.

"There's good evidence that it has medicinal value," he said. "Can you say it's 100% bulletproof? No. But the research we've done at the center shows it's helpful with certain types of pain."

The federal government views cannabis as a substance with no medical use, on a par with heroin and LSD. The CMA wants the Obama administration to reclassify it to help promote further research on its medical potential.

But Washington appears to be moving in the other direction. As recently as July, the federal government turned down a request to reclassify marijuana. That decision is being appealed in federal court by legalization advocates.

In recent weeks, the Obama administration has begun cracking down on California's medical marijuana industry, threatening to prosecute landlords who rent buildings to pot dispensaries.

California's marijuana laws have eased over the last 15 years. State voters passed Proposition 215 in 1996, decriminalizing it for medicinal purposes. Federal law still prohibits the sale or possession of the drug for any reason.

The CMA opposed Proposition 215, and it argues that doctors have been placed unwillingly in the center of the feud over the drug.

"When the proposition passed, we as an organized medical community got thrown into the middle of this issue, because the posture of the proposition and its proponents found that cannabis is a medicinal product that is useful for a long list of specific ailments," Lyman said.

The state has since softened its laws on even recreational use of the drug. In 2010, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill that reclassified possession of less than an ounce from a misdemeanor to an infraction.

At the same time, the number of marijuana dispensaries was skyrocketing, to between 1,000 and 2,000 statewide, according to estimates by law enforcement officials. In January, the Los Angeles City Council set strict limits on pot outlets, ordering the closure of hundreds of them.

Opinion polls show that state voters continue to be in favor of medical marijuana but are divided on the question of total legalization. A recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found 51% opposed to complete legalization and 46% in favor.

Last November, California voters rejected Proposition 19, which would have legalized the possession and cultivation of limited amounts of cannabis and permitted local governments to regulate it and tax sales. The CMA took no public position on the measure, its leaders said.

Across the country, physicians have called for more cannabis-related research. The CMA's parent organization, the American Medical Assn., has said the federal government should consider easing research restrictions.

Meanwhile, Lyman said, "there is considerable harm being done."

Car running on pure hemp oil...

2011-10-13T21:00:00.000-07:00

BRING THE TROOPS HOME AND PUT THEM TO WORK IN FIELDS AND PROTECT OUR BOARDERS!!

Plus its way better for the environment Obama!!

Images and text was taken from hempcar.org

Hemp car was an alternative-fuel project car that utilized hemp biodiesel for fuel.

Industrial hemp would be an economical fuel if hemp were legal to cultivate in the United States. Industrial

hemp has no psychoactive properties and is not a drug. Hemp Car demonstrates the concept of hemp fuels

on a national level and promotes the reformation of current law.The car toured America, with stops in

Canada, frequenting alternative-energy, environmental, and hemp-legalization events. The car departed

from Washington D.C. on July 4, 2001 and returned home on October 2, 2001. The car generated publicity,

emphasizing the utility of industrial hemp to modern society. We provided the public with information about

biofuels, hemp, their uses, and current American laws. We established a world distance record for a vehicle

utilizing hemp for fuel: 10,000 miles.

A network of hemp activists provided us with the hemp oil at planned intervals throughout the country. Funding,

sponsorships, and networking were necessary for Hemp Car to succeed. We give great thanks to all of the

activists and concerned citizens who made Hempcar possible...

Hemp as Biomass for Energy

2011-10-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

Tim Castleman

Introduction

Hemp advocates claim industrial hemp would be a good source of biomass to help address our energy needs. Since the oil crisis in the early seventies much work has been accomplished in the area of energy production using biomass. Biomass is any plant or tree matter in large quantity. These decades of research have lead to the discovery of several ways to convert biomass into energy and other useful products.

Questions of biomass suitability as compared to other "green" sources of energy are the subject of numerous studies and are not addressed here. Other questions concerning detailed economic and environmental impact, use of GMO's, and agronomy are also outside the scope of this analysis.

This paper does attempt to explore the options available, and outlines some of the barriers and opportunities regarding them.

Ways biomass can be used for energy production

Burning:

· Co-fired with coal to reduce emissions and offset a fraction of coal use

· Burned to produce electricity

· Pelletized to heat structures

· Made or cut into logs for heating

Biomass to be burned is typically valued at $30-50 per ton, which makes whole stalk hemp as biomass to be burned impractical due to the high value of its bast fiber. One exception may be found in consideration of the latest gasification technologies used on local small scale and in remote rural applications.

· Gasification (Pyrrolysis)

Gasification uses high heat to convert biomass into "SynGas" (synthetic gas) and low grade fuel oil which has an energy content of about 40% that of petroleum diesel. By products are mostly "Char" and ash. This technology is readily available commercially in several forms and could be a viable option according to local environmental and economic conditions. Beginning in 1999, Community Power Corporation[i] joined with the US National Renewable Laboratory (NREL) and Shell Renewables, Ltd. to design and develop a new generation of small modular biopower systems. The first prototype SMB system rated at 15 kWe was deployed in the village of Alaminos in the Philippines in early 2001. The fully automated system can use a variety of biomass fuels to generate electricity, shaft power and heat.

Oils:

· Vegetable, seed and plant oil used "as-is" in diesel engines

· Biodiesel - vegetable oil converted by chemical reaction

· Converted into high-quality non-toxic lubricants

There are a number of plants high in oils, and many processes that produce vegetable oil as a waste product. These include soy, corn, coconut, palm, canola, rapeseed, and a number of other promising species. Any of these oils can be converted to biodiesel as described later, with a feedstock cost of $0 + per gallon.

Conversion of cellulose to alcohol:

· Hydrolysis (Enzymatic & Acid)

Conversion of cellulose to fermentable glucose holds the greatest promise from both a production and feedstock supply standpoint. DOE (NREL) and a number of Universities and private enterprise have been developing this technology and achieved a number of milestones. Production estimates of 80 to 130 gallons per ton of biomass make this technology very attractive.

· Anaerobic digester (Methane)

Anaerobic digestion is used to capture methane from any waste material. It is confirmed technology under commercialization utilizing landfill gases, wastewater treatment system gases, agricultural wastes from several other sources, particularly hog and cattle manure. It is well suited for distributed power generation when co-located with electrical generation equipment. For example, Corporation for Future Resources, [ii] and Minusa Coffee Company, Ltd., located near Itaipé, Minas Gerais, Brazil, have teamed to construct an anaerobic fermentation digestion facility at Minusa's coffee operation. The 600 cubic meter digester is designed to continuously produce methane rich gas, to be used for coffee drying and electric power production, as well as nitrogen-rich anaerobic organic fertilizer.

CFR/Minusa Anaerobic digester in Brazil.

The digester is constructed from native granite blocks quarried at the Minusa site.

This technology may be attractive in some cases when co-located with a hemp fiber processing facility or in remote locations to provide local power generation.

About Hemp

Industrial hemp can be grown in most climates and on marginal soils. It requires little or no herbicide and no pesticide, and uses less water than cotton. Measurements at Ridgetown College indicate the crop needs 300-400 mm (10-13 in.) of rainfall equivalent. Yields will vary according to local conditions and will range from 1.5 to 6 dry tons of biomass per acre[iii]. California's rich croplands and growing environment are expected to increase yields by 20% over Canadian results, which will average at least 3.9 bone dry tons per acre.

Hemp seed oil for Bio Diesel

Production of oil

Grown for oilseed, Canadian grower's yields average 1 tonne/hectare, or about 400 lbs. per acre. Cannabis seed contains about 28% oil (112 lbs.), or about 15 gallons per acre. Production costs using these figures would be about $35 per gallon. Some varieties are reported[iv] to yield as much as 38% oil, and a record 2,000 lbs. per acre was recorded in 1999. At this rate, 760 lbs.of oil per acre would result in about 100 gallons of oil, with production costs totaling about $5.20 gallon. This oil could be used as-is in modified diesel engines, or be converted to biodiesel using a relatively simple, automated process. Several systems are under development worldwide designed to produce biodiesel on a small scale, such as on farms using "homegrown" oil crops.

Production of Bio-Diesel

Basically methyl esters, or biodiesel, as it is commonly called, can be made from any oil or fat, including hemp seed oil. The reaction requires only oil, an alcohol (usually methanol) and a catalyst (usually sodium hydroxide [NaOH, or drain cleaner]). The reaction produces only biodiesel and a smaller amount of glycerol or glycerin.

The costs of materials needed for the reaction are the costs associated with production of hemp seed oil, the cost of methanol and the NaOH. In the instances where waste vegetable oil, or WVO, is used, the cost for oil is of course, free. Typically methanol costs about $2 per gallon and NaOH costs about $5 per 500g or about $0.01 per gram. For a typical 17 gallon batch of biodiesel, you'd start with 14 gallons of hemp seed oil; add to that 15% by volume of alcohol (or 2.1 gallons) and about 500g of NaOH. The process takes about 2 hours to complete and requires about 2000 watts of energy. That works out to about 2kw/hr or about $0.10 of energy (assuming $0.05 per kw/hr). So the total cost per gallon of biodiesel is $? (oil) + 2.1 x $2 (methanol) + $5 (NaOH) + $0.10 (energy) / 14 gallons = $0.66 per gallon, plus the cost of the oil.[v] Other costs may include sales, transportation, maintenance, depreciation, insurance and labor.

Hemp Cellulose for Ethanol

Another approach will involve conversion of cellulose to ethanol, which can be done in several ways including gasification, acid hydrolysis and a technology utilizing engineered enzymes to convert cellulose to glucose, which is then fermented to make alcohol. Still another approach using enzymes will convert cellulose directly to alcohol, which leads to substantial process cost savings.

Current costs associated with these conversion processes are about $1.37[vi] per gallon of fuel produced, plus the cost of the feedstock. Of this $1.37, enzyme costs are about $0.50 per gallon; current research efforts are directed toward reduction of this amount to $0.05 per gallon. There is a Federal tax credit of $0.54 per gallon and a number of other various incentives available. Conversion rates range from a low of 25-30 gallons per ton of biomass to 100 gallons per ton using the latest technology.

In 1998 the total California gasoline demand was 14 billion gallons. When ethanol is used to replace MTBE as an oxygenate, this will create California demand in excess of 700 million gallons per year. MTBE is to be phased out of use by 2003 according to State law.

In this case we can consider biomass production from a much broader perspective. Sources of feedstock under consideration for these processes are:

We will address these in turn and show why a dedicated energy crop holds important potential for ethanol production in California, why hemp is a good candidate as a dedicated energy crop, and how it may represent the fastest track to meeting 34% of California's upcoming ethanol market demand of at least 580-750 million gallons per year.[vii]

Forest Thinning and Slash, Mill Wastes

A 1999 California Energy Commission biomass resource assessment estimated 13.8 million bone dry tons (5.5 Mill, 4.5 Slash & 3.8 thinnings) are available in California.

If practiced within State & Federal regulations, use of this source can have significant beneficial effects. Removal of excess biomass from forests reduces the frequency & intensity of fires, helping control the spread of diseases, and contributes to overall forest health. At 59 - 66 gallons per ton, this could supply as much as 900 million gallons per year.

One proposed California project, Collins Pine's Chester Mill, which will contribute 20 MGY and be co-located with an existing biomass-powered 12 MW electric generator; yet, there is significant resistance to such uses by several prominent environmental groups, and for good reason - this could eventually lead to widespread destruction of forest habitat by overzealous energy companies willing to disregard the environment in the name of national energy security. Barriers also include harvest cost and capabilities as some slash & thinnings are extremely difficult to access, and the high lignin content of these materials.

If 25% of the available material were used, about 200 million gallons per year could be produced.

Agricultural Waste

In California over 500,000 acres of rice are grown each year. Each acre produces 1-2.5 tons of rice straw which have been until now burned. Alternative methods of disposal are needed, and conversion to ethanol has been under development for several years. There are currently two projects underway proposing to use rice straw: one in California (Gridley) and one in Jennings, LA. If the Gridley project is fully implemented, it will add 25 million gallons of production to California's already-thin 9 million gallons per year. Barriers include collection costs and the high silica content (13%) of rice straw.

Other agricultural wastes include orchard trimmings, walnut and almond shells, and food processing wastes, for a total of about 700 MGY potential if ALL agricultural wastes were used. This is, of course, impractical, as some must be returned to the soil somehow, plus collection and transport costs will have an effect on viability of a particular waste product. Agricultural waste has the potential to satisfy a significant share of demand, with many factors to be considered when proposing a bio-refinery based on any feedstock, which are determined by full life-cycle analysis.

If 25% of the available material were used, about 175 million gallons per year could be produced.

MSW (Municipal Solid Waste)

Though about 60% of the waste stream is cellulosic material such as yard trimmings, urban waste and paper, this source is not considered a viable option for a number of reasons; these include existing industries that recycle materials and the landfill's use of green waste as "Alternative Daily Cover" (ADC). Co-location of ethanol production is possible, but only up to about 10 MGY of production. When capital investment is considered, it is generally considered most economical to build larger capacity facilities.

The future of MSW being used for ethanol conversion does not look good. At best, 100 MGY of capacity may eventually come online, but it will be an uphill struggle to compete with higher value uses already in place.

Dedicated Energy Crops

There are 28 million acres of agricultural land in California, of which 10 million acres are established cropland. If 10% of this cropland (1 million acres) were dedicated to production of hemp as an energy and fiber crop, we could produce 150-500 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Greater estimates would result from expanding the analysis to include use of agricultural lands not currently applied to crop production as well as additional land not currently devoted to agriculture. A California Department of Food and Agriculture estimate suggests that each 1 million acres of crop production, occupying roughly 1% of the state's total land area, would supply the ethanol equivalent of about 3% of California's current gasoline demand.[viii]

Barriers

A barrier to the development of a cellulose-to-ethanol industry is availability, consistency and make-up, and location of feedstock. Dedicated crops, such as switchgrass[ix], resolve these problems. Cannabis hemp will enhance business opportunities because we can "tailor" the cannabis plant fractions to satisfy multiple end uses such as high value composites, fine paper, nitrogen rich fertilizer, CO₂,medicines, plastics, fabrics and polymers - just a portion of the many possible end uses.

Benefits

Benefits of a dedicated energy crop include consistency of feedstock supply, enhanced co-product opportunities, and increased carbon sequestration. It is commonly held that agricultural industries must focus on multiple value-added products from the various fractions of plants. This value-adding enhances rural development by providing jobs and facilities for value-adding operations. Hemp[x] lends itself to this in a unique way due to the high value of its bast fiber. Market prices for well-cleaned, composite-grade natural fiber are about 55¢ per pound ($1,100 ton); lower value uses, such as in some paper-making, bring $400-$700 per ton, while other value-adding options, such as pulping for fine papers[xi], could increase the value of the fiber to $2,500 per ton.

The Fuel and Fiber Company Method

The Fuel and Fiber Company Method[xii] employs a mechanical separation step to extract the high-value bast fiber[xiii] as a first step in processing. The remaining core material is to undergo conversion to alcohol and other co-products. There is no waste stream and the system will provide a net carbon reduction due to increased biomass production. Conversion efficiency of hemp core is relative to the lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose content and method used. The following table lists some materials often cited as potential sources of biomass and their chemical make-up. A challenge is conversion of hemicellulose to glucose; yet this challenge has been met recently by Genencor, Arkenol, Iogen, and others. These technologies provide conversion of hemicellulose and cellulose fractions to glucose using cellulase enzymes or acid.

Hemp	Cellulose	Hemicellulose	Lignin
Bast	64.8 %	7.7%	4.3 %
Core	34.5 %	17.8%	20.8 %
Soft Pine	44%	26%	27.8%
Spruce	42%	27%	28.6%
Wheat Straw	34%	27.6%	18%
Rice Straw	32.1%	24.0%	12.5%
Corn Stover	28%	28%	11%
Switchgrass	32.5%	26.4%	17.8%

Chemical composition of Industrial Hemp as compared to other plant matter

Lignin has long been viewed as a problem in the processing of fiber, and detailed studies have revealed numerous methods of removal and degradation; commonly it is burned for process heat and power generation. Advances in gasification and turbine technologies enable on-site power and heat generation, and should be seriously considered in any full-scale proposal. Additionally, by full chemical assay and careful market evaluation numerous co-product and value-adding opportunities exist. Such assay should include a NIRS (Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy) analysis, with as many varieties and conditions of material as can be gathered.

Reductions in lignin achieved by cultivation and harvest techniques, germplasm development and custom enzyme development will optimize processing output and efficiency. Incremental advances in system efficiencies related to these production improvements create a significant financial incentive for investors.

The Fuel and Fiber Company Renewable Resource System will process 300,000 to 600,000 tons of biomass per year, per facility; 25% to 35% of this will be high-value grades of core-free bast fiber. The remaining 65% to 75% of biomass will be used for the conversion process. Each facility will process input from 60,000 to 170,000 acres. Outputs are: Ethanol: 10-25 MGY (Million Gallons per Year), Fiber: 67,000 to 167,000 tons per year, and other co-products; fertilizer, animal feed, etc. to be determined. Hemp production will average 3.9 tons per acre with average costs of $520 per acre.

Hemp Biomass Production Model Using the Fuel and Fiber Company Method [xiv]
	Min	Max	Average	Improve 20%	Totals	Sell 1	Sell 2	Total 1	Total 2
Tons per Acre	1.5	5	3.25	0.65	3.9
Lbs. Bast (Separated 90-94%)	750	2500	1625	325	1950	0.35	0.55	$682.50	$1,072.50
Lbs. Hurd	2250	7500	4875	975	5850

Gallons Per Ton	20	80	50			$2.00	$3.00
Gallons Per Acre					146	292.5	438.8
Ethanol costs Per Gallon	0.92	1.37	1.145			167.46	167.46
							Ethanol profit	$125.04	$271.29
							Gross	$807.54	$1,343.79
Production Costs Per Acre	424	617	520.5					$520.50	$520.50
Separation costs Per Ton	41.54	75.68	58.61					$228.58	$228.58
							Costs	$749.08	$749.08
							Profit	$58.46	$594.71
Administrative & License %	2							$16.15	$26.88
							NET	$42.31	$567.84
Capacity	Acres	Tons Fiber
10 MGY Facility	68,376	66,667					Annual	$2,893,256	$38,826,590
25 MGY Facility	170,940	166,667					Profits	$7,233,141	$97,066,474

Total Admin & License								$1,104,333	$4,594,167

Capital costs not included. Estimated capital costs are $135 to $150 million per facility, plus crop payments. To add a pulping operation will require an additional $100 million and adds $117 per ton of fiber processed for pulp, which has a market value of up to $2,500 per ton. The most conservative estimates possible were used for this study. A full-scale feasibility study is needed to validate assumptions and projections. An additional $35 per ton environmental impact benefit should also be factored into future projections[xv].

Economic Impact

Employment

Employment for hemp production, calculated at one worker per 40 acres farmed[xvi], results in a total of 1,700 to 4,275 new jobs, if 10% of California’s cropland is put into production of cannabis hemp. These jobs are created across all traditional agricultural employment sectors, upon full development of the system.

The processing plants will also create new jobs in these areas[xvii]:

· Administrative & Sales – 15 to 25 per facility

· Research & Development – 25 to 50 statewide

· Engineering & Technical – 75 to 100 statewide

· Construction & Maintenance – 150 to 300 statewide

· Transportation & Material Handling – 10 to 20 per facility

· General Labor – 25 to 50 per facility

Construction

Each facility will incur $100-300 million in construction costs. Much of the equipment and labor will be procured locally, creating new jobs and opportunities for entrepreneurs to provide equipment and services to this new industry.

Related agricultural activities

At an average cost of $520 per acre, returns to farmers will range from $50-$500 profit per acre. Used in rotation with other crops, hemp can help reduce herbicide use resulting in savings to the farmer on production of crops other than hemp.

Environmental Impact

There are a great number of environmental impacts to be considered, including;

· Water use. Agricultural operations & processing will consume hundreds of millions of gallons.

· Large mono-crop systems have been problematic. Though hemp lends itself well to mono-cropping, effective & feasible rotation schemes must be devised.

· Genetically Modified Organisms - Are key to efficient conversions but may pose a great threat to life. This is an issue that must be handled with complete transparency & integrity.

· Waste streams generated - Though expected to be low, a detailed accounting must be made and addressed.

· Creation of "Carbon Sink" to absorb carbon

· Improved land and water management

· In-State fuel production - reducing transport costs and associated effects

· Reduction in emissions (Continued use of RFG)

· $35 per acre total environmental benefit

Endnotes & References

[i] Community Power Corporation, 8420 S. Continental Divide Road, Littleton, CO 80127

[ii] Corporation For Future Resources, !909 Chowkeebin Court, Tallahassee, Florida 32301

[iii] Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs FactSheet "Growing Industrial Hemp in Ontario" 08/00

[iv] A Brief Analysis of the Characteristics of Industrial Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Seed Grown in Northern Ontario in 1998. May 19, 1999 Herb A. Hinz, Undergraduate Thesis, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario

[v] IAN S. WATSON, AIA BioDiesel Expert
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

[vi] CIFAR Conference XIV, "Cracking the Nut: Bioprocessing Lignocellulose to Renewable Products and Energy", June 4, 2001

[vii] California Energy Commission report "COSTS AND BENEFITS OF A BIOMASS-TO-ETHANOL PRODUCTION INDUSTRY IN CALIFORNIA", March, 2001

[viii] California Energy Commission report "EVALUATION OF BIOMASS-TO-ETHANOL FUEL POTENTIAL IN CALIFORNIA", December, 1999 pg iv 4-5

[ix] Switchgrass is the leading candidate under consideration by DOE. Numerous studies are available upon request.

[x] Cannabis Sativa, commonly know as "hemp" is included in a list of potential field crops considered as Candidate Energy Crops in the December 1999 California Energy Commission report "EVALUATION OF BIOMASS-TO-ETHANOL FUEL POTENTIAL IN CALIFORNIA" pg. iv-3

[xi] Hemp Pulp and Paper Production Gertjan van Roekel jr.

ATO-DLO Agrotechnology, P.O.box 17, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands

Van Roekel, G J, 1994. Hemp pulp and paper production. Journal of the International Hemp Association 1: 12-14.

[xii] Fuel and Fiber Company was formed to promote a renewable resource system using fibrous crops such as hemp and kenaf to produce high-value natural fiber, ethanol and other co-products. www.FuelandFiber.com

[xiii] All of the hemp fibre produced and sold by Hempline (www.hempline.com) is made from hemp grown without pesticides and processed without chemicals. The fibre is a uniform natural golden colour typical of field retted stalks. The fibre has a moisture regain of 12% and excellent fibre tenacity. The fibre is pressed into high compression bales to minimize transportation costs.

The fibre is available in 40ft. and 20 ft. containers, truckloads or by the bale and shipped internationally. Samples of the fibre are available for trials upon request. The pricing varies based on the fibre grade, and is comparable or more cost effective than many natural and synthetic fibres.

Hempline primary hemp fibre comes in the following grades:

Ultra clean Grade Fibre

· 99.9% clean of core fibre Value: .55 + lb.

· Dust extracted

· Available in staples lengths between 1/2" to 6" and sliver.

· Well opened with a typical staple denier of between 15 to 65

· Applications include: nonwovens, composites, textiles, any where that a very clean well opened fibre with uniform staple length is needed.

Composite Grade Fibre

· 96 - 99% clean of core fibre Value: .35 - .55 lb.

· Dust extracted

· Available in staples lengths between 1" to 6".

· Fairly well opened with a typical staple denier of between 50 to 125

· Applications include: a range of composites such as automotive, furniture and construction; nonwovens; insulation.

General Purpose Grade Fibre Value: .20 lb.

· 50 - 75% clean of core fibre

· Staple lengths vary between 1" to 6". Can be modified according to your requirements

· Applications include: fibre for hydro mulch; cement and plaster filler; insulation; geo-matting.

Core fibre

For animal bedding and garden mulch, under the HempChips(tm) brand, is available in 3.2 cu. ft. (90 L) compressed bags through retail outlets and direct-to-stable in truckload quantities.

[xiv] Based on 20% improvement over Canadian production per Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Factsheet "Growing Industrial Hemp in Ontario", 08/00

[xv] DOE calculation - See Chariton Valley project reports.

[xvi] California Agricultural Employment Report

[xvii] Estimate only. Actual numbers need to be discovered and confirmed.

A new go at processing hemp

2011-10-11T09:44:00.000-07:00

“Hemp oil is too valuable to burn up as fuel. It will be the waste products that become the fuels of the future. ... Because we sell the protein for a good price, the price of hemp oil drops. When I was selling the seed cake to make Hempen Ale, making the oil was almost free. Again, it is the waste stream from your primary processes that will go into power generation.”

Not sure who said this I found it on this site:

http://hemp-ethanol.blogspot.com/2008/01/economics-history-and-politics-of-hemp.html

A new go at processing hemp North America’s first hemp fibre factory and a hemp oil extraction facility are being built in MN
Written by John Dietz


New hemp varieties make harvest much easier today. Photo courtesy of Art Potoroka.

Gilbert Plains, in northwest Manitoba, is poised to go into the history books as home to North America’s first serious industrial hemp fibre factory. Three hundred kilometres south, in Waskada, another large scale hemp oil facility is being launched.

Growing hemp is nothing new. Farming hemp in western Manitoba goes back a century to eastern European pioneers. In China, it dates back 7000 years. In recent times, Canada cracked open the window in 1998 to modern industrial hemp production in North America. Licensees included nine Manitoba growers for 20 acres each. “For us, it all began at that time,” says Art Potoroka of Ethelbert, Manitoba. Potoroka seeded 425 acres of hemp in 2010. He is also a municipal reeve and is directly involved with several hemp-related projects.

At the peak of the “hemp rush,” earlier this decade, Canada had about 20,000 acres of industrial hemp. Western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan, the heartland, had 80 percent of the acres.

The first hemp crops grew like weeds, as tall and heavy as corn, recalls Potoroka. Virtually unmanageable, hemp would wrap on headers and inside combines. Some led to harvest-time fires. Then growers had market trouble. Production contracts for 50 cents per pound paid off at 10 cents, for birdfeed. The rush collapsed.

Crop management
Since then, a faithful few have solved issues, organized and supported market efforts. Supporters hoped to harvest 25,000 acres of industrial hemp in 2010.

Industrial hemp remains tightly regulated. Producers and manufacturers need licenses issued by Health Canada. All fields must be seeded to approved hemp varieties from licensed growers.

Parkland growers have developed dual-purpose varieties well suited to the area. Fibre is ready for harvest in less than 90 days; grain matures in about 110 days. It is still a hardy and tough crop, Potoroka says, but a bit shorter and tamer than a decade ago.

Wet soil in May and June is the most common production problem. Heavy rain and strong winds in June or July also may do damage.

Potoroka does a two-stage harvest. He clips the heads for grain, and returns for a fibre harvest a few weeks later. Sometimes, he collects the fibre in early spring. His crop inputs are modest, similar to wheat, and his only weed control work is a burnoff prior to seeding. Mid-season, in some years, sclerotinia stem rot can be an issue. He maintains a normal crop rotation, and his net return to the farm, per acre, equals or exceeds canola.


Hemp research is looking at both oil and fibre applications. Photo by Bruce Barker.

Fibre company
Harvested hemp can break down into long fibres from the outer stalk, short fibres and hurd from the hard inner core. The natural fibre is soft and durable, with a growing list of uses. The best prospect for hurd seems to be construction material.

Plains Industrial Hemp Processing Ltd., scheduled to open in April 2011, initially will process hemp at six tonnes an hour. The $10-million facility is being built by Robert Jin, a Chinese-Canadian partner and businessman.

Jin came to Canada in 2006 from Shanghai, looking for a hemp fibre supply for his yarn factory. He did not find fibre ready to export, but he did find hemp bales dating back as far as 1999. Three inches under the weathered surfaces, he found good material. At his own expense, Jin imported proprietary machinery for a pilot plant near Gilbert Plains. He worked with Potoroka in the winter of 2008-09 to produce semi-finished long fibre that he sent to his factory.

Results were excellent, Potoroka says. Sweaters, shirts, yarn, insulation, matting, car panels and even car headliners were manufactured and sent back to Jin as samples of what could be produced. Some of the fibre was from Potoroka’s fields.

Potoroka says, “This fibre plant will do 7000 tonnes the first year. That’s not large, but this is just the beginning of things to come. We will need about 5000 acres for fibre, the first year.”

The fibre market
Manitoba has its own business development specialist for fibre and composite materials, and a Composites Innovation Centre on Smartpark at the University of Manitoba. It also participated in developing a national industrial hemp strategy in 2009. “The Composites Innovation Centre does broad technology and product development for all types of natural fibre,” says Eric Liu, a fibre and composites specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, who welcomes the development at Gilbert Plains. “I help companies develop and market their products using natural fibres, including industrial hemp, from Manitoba resources. Unless the fibre side of the hemp industry picks up, the acreage probably will not grow tremendously. We need a strong pull on the fibre side.”

Manitoba growers need to develop or improve hemp harvest practices that are friendly to the fibre industry, he suggests. Europeans have advanced technology for high-quality fibre harvests, and have dominated the supply side, but that could change. The EU subsidy for natural fibre is due to be reduced by 2012. “Probably, fibre production in Europe will be reduced. Assuming the demand is still there, it means there will be a huge opportunity for growers in Canada,” Liu says.

The seed and oil market
While Jin sees fibre in the field, the natural health food industry sees gold in the seed. It sees hemp as anything but industrial.

Thirty-two southwest Manitoba growers are now acting on their vision for hemp oil. In January 2010, they received federal and provincial support to build a large-scale hemp oil facility.

The Farm Genesis Marketing Group, in Waskada, is investing about $6 million to extract and export hemp oil to an international market. It has 1800 acres of hemp in production for 2010.

Markets for their product already are large and diversified. The health food industry markets hempseed oil, whole seeds and hulled seeds. Hemp oil and flour are ingredients in ice cream, salad dressings, breads, cookies and pasta.

One of the better markets is in Winnipeg. Three university friends started a hemp-oriented company called Manitoba Harvest Hemp Food & Oil in Winnipeg in 1998 that works with both seed and oil. Today they process hemp seed into hemp nut, hemp oil, hemp powder, hemp butter and a hemp beverage. They operate from a 20,000-square-foot facility, certified for both kosher and organic products.

Manitoba Harvest and another company, Hemp Oil Canada, in Ste. Agathe, Manitoba, also are very active in the hemp oil business.

Trade alliance
The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance (CHTA), a non-profit national group of processors, marketers, farmers and information specialists, was formed in 2003 to organize and represent the emerging industry. “Our membership is about 150 today, both American and Canadian,” says Kim Shukla, CHTA executive director, based in Steinbach, Manitoba. Several US companies are members. Although industrial hemp is still prohibited federally for US growers, American companies are keen to import whatever they can, after it is off the field. “Two hemp builders from Hemp Technologies came up from Asheville, North Carolina, to speak at a recent hemp building symposium,” Shukla says. “They’re using hemp hurd in a lime-based binder to build high insulation-value exterior walls in half-million-dollar, environmentally friendly, model homes.”

Potoroka says they want as much hurd as Canada can supply. “I can’t imagine where hemp could go in 10 years, but it is here to stay,” he says.

The forgotten History...

2011-10-09T20:41:00.001-07:00

		Here is an article from: http://azhemp.org/Archive/Package/History/history.html

		The word "hemp" comes out of Western Europe as a description of a number of varieties of the cannabis plant, particularly the varieties like "industrial hemp" that were bred over time for industrial uses such as fuel, fiber, paper, seed, food, oil, etc. Its cultivation and use for such purposes goes back 12,000 years, and, while it was native to Asia, it was grown in, and had an enormous influence upon, many of the ancient and more modern cultures, and on the history of Europe and America. The Gutenberg Bible and the Magna Carta were both written on hemp paper. In the early colonies laws were passed mandating the production of hemp. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. In fact, the word "canvas" is a derivative of the Latin "cannabis" and the Dutch "canefas". Because of its great strength as a fiber, and its resistance to rotting and decay, its use for canvas and rope was far superior to other fibers such as cotton from the cotton plant, or linen from the plant called flax - that ubiquitous natural resource of so many countries in the old world. Napoleon knew that he could cripple the British Navy - that ever-present thorn in his side - if for only one year he could simply cut off their supply of hemp from the Ukraine, where the best hemp was then grown, so they could not maintain their sails and rigging. He forced the Russians to sign a treaty to that effect, and later invaded Russia because they blatantly ignored it. What was really happening to American commercial ships at the outset of the War of 1812 was that the British would stop them and give them the alternative to run the French blockade and get the Russian hemp. If they refused, then their ship was commandeered and used for the same purpose anyway. The British didn't need the privateers as warships, they needed them as swift commercial transports that could bring back this fine Russian hemp. Henry Ford experimented with hemp to build car bodies. He wanted to build and fuel cars from farm products: "Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the fields?" -- Henry Ford In the second World War, when the Japanese blocked the supply of Philippine manila, a weaker fiber, the US Government temporarily legalized industrial hemp, and even put out a short movie called "Hemp for Victory". George Bush's parachute was made of hemp fiber. Those who wear the fiber - and you must all be aware of its increasing use in clothing - tell of its remarkable qualities for becoming softer and more comfortable over time, like an old pair of jeans, while still retaining its exceptional strength. However, the bulk of the hemp stalk is not this strong fiber, but a raw type of cellulose or biomass called "hemp hurds". When the stalks were allowed to simply lay in the field, especially in a moist climate, and slightly rotted, or "retted", the fiber could easily be separated from the hurds. In the early part of the last century mechanical processes were developed to cut, bale and "decorticate" (i.e. separate the fiber from the hurds) the stalks so that hand labor and field retting were no longer necessary. Those processes would be to hemp what the cotton gin was to cotton, and they came at a moment when hemp was ready to explode into modern industrial use, but it was at that same moment when all varieties of hemp were made illegal in a sweeping prohibition primarily aimed at marijuana. We say "primarily" aimed at marijuana because there are certainly those who subscribe to a conspiracy theory that parties, like Du Pont, which controlled the patents to make plastics from petroleum, Andrew Mellon with his great oil interests, and William Randolph Hearst with his lumber and paper interests, pushed for the prohibition of all forms of hemp - certainly an act that would now be considered legislative overkill - because they wanted to eliminate the competition of hemp as a cheaper and much cleaner raw material for the production of plastic, oil, paper, etc. It was Mellon's nephew-in-law, Harry J. Anslinger, who became the original head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and led the fight to criminalize marijuana. Whether you buy into that conspiracy or not, there is no doubt that: Hemp hurds offer a renewable and much-cleaner source of a raw material for plastics than fossil fuel, and also offer an alternative as a fuel source. This is certainly a consideration that we should stress in a time when we are told that we are using about 4% of the world's petroleum supply each year, meaning we have about a 25-years' supply, and that if the people in China only get the mopeds they dream of, they will consume as much oil as we do in America. Hemp hurds and fiber also present a paper source that is superior to wood, and modern biocomposites materials, using the strong hemp fibers, offer attractive alternatives to wood. Meanwhile, hemp fiber remains the strongest natural fiber, with a surprising UV resistance, that makes is a superior source for ropes, cordage, canvas and lighter fabrics, while the hemp seeds themselves provide a phenomenal raw material for both food and for oil. All of which explains why the American Farm Bureau Federation, a 4.5 million member farm group, called hemp "one of the most promising crops in half a century. ... [It] could be the alternative crop farmers are looking for." Some states and the federal statute, 21 U.S. Code 802 (16), define "marihuana" to exclude hemp stalks and sterile seeds. However, owing to a regulatory interpretation by the DEA, hemp cultivation is illegal because naturally the cultivation produces leaves and flowers. But even this regulatory interpretation is now being challenged in court by Kentucky farmers while numerous individuals and organizations clamor for the US Government to revisit this rule.

Czech Republic To Legalize Medical Marijuana

2011-10-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

September 27, 2011 – The Czech Ministry of Health has said it will take marijuana off the list of banned substances and for the first time allow it to be prescribed as medicine by doctors.

“By the end of this year we will submit to Parliament an amended law on addictive substances which will move marihuana from the list of banned substances to the list of those which can be prescribed,” Deputy Health Minister Martin Plíšek said, reports Chris Johnstone at CzechPosition.com.

The promised policy change comes after increasing evidence of marijuana’s beneficial effects for those suffering from cancer, Parkinson’s disease and other illnesses, CzechPosition reports. More and more Czechs are growing cannabis and resorting to home remedies due to the existing ban on its prescription, according to the site.

The number of grow shops offering equipment used to cultivate cannabis has ballooned across the country over the past two years, with even small Czech towns boasting outlets selling sophisticated gear, Johnstone reports.

Several prominent members of the Czech government support the legalization of marijuana, including Miroslava N?mcová, a Civic Democrat who is speaker of the lower chamber of Parliament, as well as top members of the Public Affairs party such as Chairman Radek John.

Dank Marijuana NugMinistry experts are still working on the details of legalized sales of medicinal cannabis. Minister Plíšek said at a press conference on September 13 that he would prefer to see marijuana imported for Czech use, rather than creating a homegrown industry which might be “abused.”

“We must take steps to ensure that there is no massive abuse without a doctor’s prescription,” Plíšek said.

The government officials will investigate models for distributing medical marijuana in the Czech Republic. The frequently cited example of Israel, which started allowing medical marijuana 12 years ago, involves the state licensing eight farms to grow cannabis with distribution to about 7,500 registered patients.

Marijuana is the most popular drug in the Czech Republic; the nation already decriminalized possession of small amounts of pot for personal use and the cultivation of a limited number of plants at the start of 2010. But possession still remains punishable, with police able to impose spot fines.

Germany responded by stepping up searches of Czech citizens at the border, and some observers predict that legalizing medical marijuana could fuel such tensions with the Czech Republic’s neighboring countries in Europe. By Steve Elliot

Link to the article:

http://hempnews.tv/2011/09/27/czech-republic-to-legalize-medical-marijuana/

Listeria Outbreak in 19 different states

2011-10-01T11:06:00.000-07:00

Cannabis really is a cure all..

Killing bacteria with cannabis

By Yun Xie | Published 3 years ago

Pharmacists and chemists have found another use for the multipurpose cannabis as a source of antibacterial chemicals for multidrug resistant bacteria. Ironically, inhaling cannabis is known to damage the lung's ability to fend off invading pathogens, but the ingredients in cannabis, particularly the cannabinoids, have antiseptic properties. Although scattered research has been conducted since the 1950s, no comprehensive study existed that relates the structure of cannabinoids with antibacterial activity. Giovanni Appendino, Simon Gibbons, and coworkers attempted to remedy that problem by examining the activity of five common cannabinoids and their synthetic derivatives.

Five of the most common cannabinoids.

All five cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN) were potent against bacteria. Notably, they performed well against bacteria that were known to be multidrug resistant, like the strains ofMRSA that plagued U.K. hospitals. CBD and CBG have the most potential for consumer use because they are nonpsychotropic.

Besides identifying antibacterial capability, the researchers wanted to figure out why these cannabinoids are so good at killing bacteria. They obviously are very effective at specifically targeting some vital process in the bacteria. Unfortunately, even after extensive work at modifying the cannabinoids and comparing their activities, that targeting mechanism remains a mystery. The scientists were able to figure out that the position of the n-pentyl chain (orange) relative to the terpenoid moiety (blue) serves to control lipid affinity.

These cannabinoids are promising enough to warrant rigorous clinical trials. They are applicable as topical antiseptics, biodegradable antibacterial compounds for cosmetics, and systematic antibacterial agents.

Here is a short video about it:

The FDA needs to allow these people infected with listeria to be treated with cannabis!!!

Signs of the Illuminati? BANNED BY YOUTUBE!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

If the United States Government is banning stuff maybe we should take a second look.. = /

Come on people wake the fuck up....

Great news for the future of cannabis!!!

2011-09-29T12:44:00.000-07:00

Global economic melt-down..

After that your going to need cannabis to survive.

Who is winning the drug war?

2011-09-19T15:11:00.001-07:00

Marijuana Arrests Driving America’s So-Called ‘Drug War,’ Latest FBI Data Shows

September 19th, 2011 By: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
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Police made 853,838 arrests in 2010 for marijuana-related offenses, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report, released today. The arrest total is among the highest ever reported by the agency and isnearly identical to the total number of cannabis-related arrests reported in 2009.
According to the report, marijuana arrests now comprise more than one-half (52 percent) of all drug arrests in the United States. An estimated 46 percent of all drug arrests are for offenses related to marijuana possession.
“Today, as in past years, the so-called ‘drug war’ remains fueled by the arrests of minor marijuana possession offenders, a disproportionate percentage of whom are ethnic minorities,” NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said in a prepared statement. “It makes no sense to continue to waste law enforcements’ time and taxpayers’ dollars to arrest and prosecute Americans for their use of a substance that poses far fewer health risks than alcohol or tobacco.”
Of those charged with marijuana law violations, 750,591 (88 percent) were arrested for marijuana offenses involving possession only. The remaining 103,247 individuals were charged with “sale/manufacture,” a category that includes virtually all cultivation offenses.

Home built from hemp...

2011-09-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

Zero carbon foot print walls, but its illegal?

WTF!!!

Were back!!!!

2011-09-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

1970 Nixon signs the controlled substance act. He then commissions a blue ribbon presidential panel to figure out where to place cannabis permanently, since it was only temporarily placed in schedule I waiting this decision.

Be sure to start following us on twitter to keep up to date!!!

@bringbackhemp

Free hemp seed give away!!

2010-10-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

Totally free including shipping!

Send me an email to:

legendarywoods@yahoo.com

with free seeds in the subject line!!

You will be entered in the drawing to win 1 pound of hemp seeds. They are the kind you eat and totally legal.

Heres are some pictures!!

Good luck!!

What is in hemp seeds?

2010-10-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

Specific Analysis of Hemp Seeds
Moisture Fat Protein (N x6.25) Ash Energy Carbohydrates Carotene (Vit. A) Thiamine (B1) Riboflavin(B2) Pyridoxine (B6) Niacin (B3) Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Insoluble Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Total Dietary Fiber		5.7% 30% 22.5% 5.9% 503Calories/100g 35.8% 16,800 IU/lb. 0.9 mg/100g 1.1 mg/100g 0.3 mig/100g 2.5mg/100g 1.4 mg/.100g 10 IU/100g 3mg/100g 32.1% 3.0% 35.1%

The cannabis time line

2010-10-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

2727 BC

China begins using cannabis as a medicine.

500 AD

Cannabis reaches Europe through India an Africa.

1492

Christopher Columbus brings cannabis sativa to the new world.

1494

Hemp paper industry starts in England.

1563

Queen Elizabeth will fine land owners of more than 60 acres 5 pounds if not growing hemp.

1619

Jamestown colony laws: Requires all settlers to grow cannabis.

1637

The General Court of Hartford, Connecticut, orders all families plant one teaspoon of cannabis seed.

1791

President Washington sets duties on hemp to encourage domestic industry. "make the most of the Indian Hemp seed".... President George Washington. (Library of USA Congress 1794 vol. 33 p.270). President Jefferson calls hemp a necessity and urges farmers to grow hemp instead of tobacco.

1797

The main crop at Mount Vernon Is cannabis.

1876

The sultan of Turkey gives the U.S. marijuana as gifts.

1880

Turkish smoking parlors open up all over the Northeast.

1891

Queen Victoria is prescribed cannabis to relieve menstrual cramps.

1908

Henry Ford's first model T is made from hemp plastic and runs off of hemp ethanol.

1937

Federal Law bans marijuana.

1942

The U.S. military uses marijuana as the truth serum.

1965

1 million people have smoked cannabis.

1968

Campaign to stop US soldiers in Vietnam from taking cannabis - they switched to heroin.

1972

24 million people have tried it.

1975

A study published in a 1975 edition of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which showed that THC slowed the growth of lung cancer, breast cancer and virus-induced leukemia in rats.

1980's

The Reagen administration begins the war on drugs. Every 38 second's someone is arrested for cannabis.

1996

Proposition 215 passes in California making medical marijuana legal.

2007

Harvard study shows that the Delta-tetrahydrocannabinol THC the active ingredient in marijuana, cuts tumor growth in common lung cancer in half and reduces the ability of the cancer to spread,

Currently

Cannabis is Americas biggest cash crop at 36 billion + a year.

It will be a good day when

2010-10-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone is able to get these!!!

The government knows how powerful hemp can be, and it could put every single pharmaceutical company out of business for good!!! Imagine how much money that would take from the big wigs is office. It needs to end now enough is enough, lets start curing people instead of killing them with chemotherapy.

historyofthehempseed

Great video must watch

Federal Intelligence Agencies May Help Target Pot Growers

Federal Intelligence Agencies May Help Target Pot Growers

A letter I got recently from the white house

International Cannabinoid Research Society

Some day these with probably be standard plates in every home in America..

Fukushima Plate warns you of radioactive levels in your food

This kind of shit still happens..

Link to where I found this info:

Eight New York policemen charged in gun smuggling ring

Watch this Video!!! Down with the FDA!!!

Go Peter Welch!!!

Looking for the perfect gift?

Hemp Hoodies

Product Description

Lets do it!!

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The forgotten History...

Czech Republic To Legalize Medical Marijuana

Listeria Outbreak in 19 different states

Cannabis really is a cure all..

Killing bacteria with cannabis

Signs of the Illuminati? BANNED BY YOUTUBE!!!!!!!!!

Great news for the future of cannabis!!!

Who is winning the drug war?

Home built from hemp...

Were back!!!!

Free hemp seed give away!!

What is in hemp seeds?

Moisture Fat Protein (N x6.25) Ash Energy Carbohydrates Carotene (Vit. A) Thiamine (B1)Riboflavin(B2) Pyridoxine (B6) Niacin (B3) Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Insoluble Dietary Fiber Soluble Dietary Fiber Total Dietary Fiber

5.7% 30% 22.5% 5.9% 503Calories/100g 35.8% 16,800 IU/lb. 0.9 mg/100g 1.1 mg/100g 0.3 mig/100g2.5mg/100g1.4 mg/.100g10 IU/100g 3mg/100g 32.1% 3.0% 35.1%

The cannabis time line

It will be a good day when

Moisture
Fat
Protein (N x6.25)
Ash
Energy
Carbohydrates
Carotene (Vit. A)
Thiamine (B1)
Riboflavin(B2)
Pyridoxine (B6)
Niacin (B3)
Vitamin C
Vitamin D
Vitamin E
Insoluble Dietary Fiber
Soluble Dietary Fiber
Total Dietary Fiber

5.7%
30%
22.5%
5.9%
503Calories/100g
35.8%
16,800 IU/lb.
0.9 mg/100g
1.1 mg/100g
0.3 mig/100g
2.5mg/100g
1.4 mg/.100g
10 IU/100g
3mg/100g
32.1%
3.0%
35.1%