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Canada: Hemp Plantations Causing Quite A Buzz
Bruce Patton The Record (CN QB)
Wednesday 18 Jul 2001 Townshipper Harvests Seeds Used In Strange Brew COMPTON - Hardly a day goes by without a local newspaper or national media outlet reporting on the arrest of another illicit marijuana producer. But some people are out there growing cannabis legally, not for smoking but pretty much for everything else. Marijuana is produced from an annual herbaceous flowering plant known as Cannabis sativa. But just like tomato plants and other flowering plants that come in a number of different varieties, so to does the infamous Cannabis sativa plant. One of the varieties of the plant is grown illegally to produce marijuana. Its 'look-alike' cousin is used to produce hemp. Unfortunately, only a person trained to look for specific differences between the two varieties would be able to differentiate between them in the field. The major chemical that produces the narcotic qualities of marijuana is abbreviated THC, and is more properly known as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol. According to the Natural Hemphasis' Hemp Information Service, the flowering tops and leaves of Cannabis used in the production of marijuana contains between five and 15 per cent THC compared to a concentration of 0.3 per cent in the Cannabis plants used to produce hemp. At that low concentration, psychoactive properties are nonexistent. In both varieties of Cannabis, no THC is found either in the stalk of the plant or in its seeds. For this reason, the cultivation of industrial hemp has been made legal in Canada since 1998. Many other industrialized countries, especially those in Europe, have also legalized its production. One notable exception is that of the U.S., where hemp may be grown only in Hawaii. Because of the close resemblance of the two varieties, Health Canada -- the organization which issues the required authorization to produce hemp -- requires that a number of conditions be met by a prospective producer prior to issuing a license. Both the stalks and seeds of the hemp plant have commercial value. The stalk contains long fibers which are used to produce cordage, textiles and specialized paper products including tea bags, industrial filters and even the paper that is used to print money. The seeds also have exceptional nutritional value, being second only to soybeans as a source of complete vegetable protein. Hemp seeds contain all eight of the essential amino acids required by humans, and in the proper proportion. The seeds also contain 30-35 per cent oils which are 80 per cent polyunsaturated. This makes them a healthy food for consumption. That quality, however, does pose a problem. Because polyunsaturated fats tend to be somewhat unstable, hemp seed oil must be preserved, usually by refrigeration. Industrially, hemp seed oil is used to produce such commodities as paints and varnishes, detergents and cosmetics. It is because hemp oils are not only beneficial, but are also readily absorbed into the skin, that Canolio Inc., an enterprise based in Ville St.Laurent, produces body creams and massage oils. Recently, however, the company has added 'hemp coffee' to its product line. This is a blend of Colombian coffee and organically-grown hemp seeds. Connoisseurs of beer might be interested to know that several small breweries are now marketing 'hemp beer' as well! Compton Grower Provides Seeds For Coffee Company Compton's Michel Gaudreau is an organic grain producer who was among the first in Quebec to obtain a permit from Health Canada to produce hemp. To harvest his 80 acres of hemp, Gaudreau uses the same combine used for his other grains. The seeds he obtains are used in the production of the Hemp Coffee produced by Canolio Inc. Gaudreau also roasts some of the seeds. These are either used as additives to cereals, or are used to replace bacon bits in salads. It would seem that a legally authorized field of Cannabis sativa would be an excellent location in which to add some Cannabis plants of the variety used in the production of marijuana. Not so, says Gaudreau. Just like people and animals, the different varieties of Cannabis sativa exist as separate male and female plants, he says. Only the female plants are of value to illegal marijuana growers. From the flowers of these plants, seeds are obtained for the next crop. If, however, these female Cannabis plants are present in a field where both sexes of Cannabis sativa used to produce hemp are growing, they will most certainly become cross-pollinated by the hemp plants. The seeds derived from the flowers of these plants will produce offspring that are decidedly reduced in THC content, and therefore of little value to the illicit marijuana producer. Nevertheless, Health Canada has imposed limitations on who may or may not produce hemp. First and foremost, the would-be producer must not possess a criminal record. He must not employ any minors to assist him in the production of the crop, nor can a minor be a shareholder in the ownership of the land. On two separate occasions, samples of the crop will be gathered and sent for THC analysis by Health Canada. The field where the crop is produced must be no less than 10 acres in size, and be located no closer than one kilometre from a school or other place where minors assemble. The THC content must not exceed 0.03 per cent in the plants and the oil thus extracted must not contain more than 10 parts per million of THC. In spite of the above restrictions, growing hemp is worth considering. It's an environmentally friendly crop requiring little if any pesticide application. It's also a natural herbicide. When dried in the field, 60 to 70 per cent of the nutrients it takes from the soil are returned and its deep root system is an effective agent against soil erosion. This means that it is excellent to grow in rotation with other crops. Information concerning 'hemp coffee' can be obtained at the Canolio web site at www.canolio.com.
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