Is any country willing to use hemp as a mainstream alternative fibre?

Question

Hemp can be used for so many different things such as paper,clothes and even the manufacture of building material for house and such, i've seen a car body made out of hemp. it's very strong. it can be used for much much more such as fuel for the car and heating and it can beused in medicine. so why not use hemp more and more to save this planet from oil.

LILMAMI
Good stuff

Answer 1

Hemp: The new soy: Seeds of hemp plant promoted as good source of protein
March, 28th 2005, Pamela Durkin © Times Colonist, Canada

Hemp is making its way from the clothing racks to the food aisles as more research shows it is a superior form of protein. At left are hulled hemp seeds and at right are regular seeds.



Fashion runways aren't the only places you can spot trends--you can also find them strolling down supermarket aisles.

The latest one offered up by the food industry is hemp. Fans say hemp is poised to become the new soy and if Vitamin Shop customer Joanie Anderson is any indication, they might be right.

"I used to use soy in my morning shake but I read on the Internet that it might interfere with my thyroid medication so I switched to hemp," says Anderson.

Hemp has been around for years -- as far back as 8000 BC. But most consumers associate it with textiles -- not with food. Not any more: hemp's latest incarnation as the base for many nutritious food products is creating renewed interest in the plant and changing its controversial image. Hemp is showing up in a dizzying array of products; waffles, energy bars, veggie burgers, pizza, bread, salad dressings and ice cream, to name a few.

Once maligned and even banned due to an incorrect association with its distant, mind-altering cousin marijuana, hemp has shed its illicit cachet--in Canada at least. "Many U.S. grocery chains still shy away from buying products that contain hemp," says David Neuman, vice-president of sales and marketing for Richmond-based Nature's Path Foods. "Within Canada, this is much less of an issue. Most consumers in both the health and mainstream channels understand the benefits of hemp. Our HempPlus Granola is our No. 1-selling granola in Canada."

There is, in fact, no scientific cause for concern about hemp. The industrial hemp grown in Canada is sown from specially bred cannabis seeds regulated by Health Canada that contain undetectable levels of THC--the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

"You couldn't get high if you smoked an acre of it," laughs Richard Plotnikoff, director of the Canadian Hemp Corp. Based in Sidney, Plotnikoff's company produces hemp oil, hemp nuts (hulled hemp seeds) and OmegaHemp energy bars. In addition, CHC educates prospective farmers about the cultivation of hemp and guides them through the regulation process with Health Canada.

Like Neuman, Plotnikoff is impressed by the hemp-friendly attitude in Canada, and particularly Victoria. "Hemp is becoming so mainstream here we've got 90-year-old grandmothers buying our OmegaHemp bars."

Plotnikoff adds that sales are stronger at the Victoria Health Show than at other shows, demonstrating that the residents are particularly health conscious.

Janet Bol, manager of Planet Organic, says, "People like the nutty, crunchy flavour of hemp nuts (shelled seeds). Customers put them on salads, in yogurt, on their cereal and they enjoy the slightly nutty, rich flavour of the oil too. It makes great salad dressing."

Perhaps the item creating the biggest buzz within the hemp industry and among consumers is hemp protein powder. With mad cow disease, Avian Bird Flu, PCBs in fish and genetically altered soy all making headlines, it's not surprising that people are looking for safe, healthy protein alternatives.

Proponents say they'll find just what they're looking for in hemp. The edible portion of hemp -- the shelled seed -- is an excellent source of protein. Its overall protein content of 34.6 grams/ 100 grams is comparable to that of soybeans and better than that found in nuts, other seeds and dairy products.

As David Neuman points out, "this is a high-quality protein containing all nine essential amino acids in sufficient quantity and ratio to meet the body's needs -- somewhat unusual for a plant protein."

In addition, hemp protein is free of "antinutrients" like the trypsin in soy, which inhibits proper protein absorption and causes gas and bloating.

Another important aspect of hemp protein, according to North Vancouver-based Ironman triathlete Brendan Brazier, is that it is raw and rich in chlorophyll.

"Chlorophyll has an alkalizing effect on the body--a body that is more alkaline will have a stronger immune system and be able to deal with stress better," he says. "Also, when the body's pH is balanced, muscle tissue is more easily gained and retained and fat is more easily shed."

While the 29-year-old professional athlete may not be a nutritional scientist, his track record as an endurance athlete and his lean, muscular frame certainly lend credibility to his words. He is also hoping they will lend credibility to his new product. Brazier is the formulator of Vega--a new vegan meal-replacement featuring hemp protein.

So how exactly is this hemp protein powder made?

Charles Holmes, who with his father Ken founded Living Harvest Conscious Nutrition -- the makers of the first hemp protein powder-- says the whole seeds are pressed to extract the oil, "then the cake that is left over is ground with a special vacuum friction mill and screened of the fibre from the shell."

A serving of the protein powder yields 14 grams of protein -- that's comparable to two medium eggs or two three-ounce slices of cheese. Living Harvest's protein powder has helped the New Westminster-based company become one of the largest and fastest growing companies in the hemp food business. Founded in 2002 , the company achieved an 89-per-cent growth rate in 2004.

Hemp seeds are also full of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids. Hemp contains 56 per cent Omega 6, 19 per cent Omega 3 and seven to nine per cent Omega 9. These fats are considered essential because your body can't make them -- they must be supplied by the foods you eat.

Typically, North American diets are too rich in Omega 6 EFA's and too low in Omega 3s, thanks to our intake of processed foods laden with safflower, corn and soybean oils.

This "fatty imbalance" is implicated in a wide range of common illnesses ranging from cardiovascular disease and arthritis to skin disorders.

Health agencies around the globe and clinical research suggest we would all be a lot healthier if the ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 were no more than four to one.

In his book Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, biochemist Udo Erasmus, a world- renowned expert on EFAs, says, "hemp food and hemp oil are at the head of the good fat line since they contain 80 per cent EFAs in an optimal three-to-one balance no other food source has."

In addition, hemp seeds are also rich in Gamma Linolenic Acid (GLA), an EFA metabolite that has been shown to be beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis, allergies and ADHD.

Flax, the current best-seller among nutritional oils, contains 14 per cent Omega 6, 58 per cent Omega 3, 10 per cent Omega 9 and no GLA.

Other nutrients of significance in hemp include: B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium carotene, vitamin D and the vitamin E complex.

And then there's hemp's effect on the environment -- or rather the lack thereof. Hemp requires substantially less water than other plants and virtually no pesticides or fungicides. In fact, it's a good companion plant for vegetables as it repels pests naturally.

It may turn out to be big business, too. While there is no longer any restriction on selling hemp food in the U.S., it is still illegal to grow hemp there. That means Canadians farmers are the principal suppliers of hemp seed and hemp seed products to the U.S.

Most of the hemp grown in Canada comes from the Prairies, but Plotnikoff has had farmers from the Comox Valley express interest in growing the hard plant.

Answer 2

I don't know if any nation is using hemp as fiber alternative. But I am beginning to see a few hemp products on store shelves here in the USA. There are jewelry making kits containing hemp string, and some other arts and crafts supplies and items. I personally saw a store in Gatlinburg, Tennessee called "The Hemp Store".

I think most people and politicians fear the "hemp", as they don't know the diff between fiber grade hemp and good old cannabis sativa. They're afraid that if we start to grow it to help reduce wood consumption and for commercial purposes, every person in the country will become a stoner. They refuse to invest in research out of ignorance and fear.

Answer 3

I'm pretty sure if there is a huge huge demand and enough people in the U.S. to convince congress to lift the law banning hemp then hemp will be a huge success as it once was until its ban for demb reasons. I began buying as much hemp clothes as I can and most of them look really cool. its a good thing u brought it up