Wake Up, and Smell the Flowers

Has anyone seen the Medical Marijuana map?  16 States + Washington D.C. (17)

In the Government's own front yard right!!! The Government keeps saying NO, but Americans are saying YES!!! Just look at the map.  Look and see what "THE PEOPLE OF AMERICA" are Doing,  it's Happening People. Clinics are opening up with out Government Monies, people are paying without insurance benifits, and the government is able to profit from taxes? Hmm.. interesting....
Bottom line is that people have the right to choose... that's how America was built, the People and their Right's!!!   More States are considering!!!

Questions answered by Hemp!!!

• Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of vinod velayudhan

Benefits

• Hemp oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which the body needs yet cannot make on its own, therefore relying on an external source for absorption. Omega-3s reduce blood clotting in the arteries and improve your cholesterol levels as well. A diet rich in essential fatty acids can make a world of difference in your heart's health and drastically reduce heart-attack risks and cardiovascular diseases.

Cancer Prevention and Treatment

• Hemp oil contains small amounts of THC, the chemical compound found in marijuana. In large amounts, THC has a mind-altering effect, but in small amounts it keeps your mind clear and may be good for cancer treatment and prevention. Hemp oil has proved effective in alleviating chemotherapy symptoms in cancer patients. It deals effectively with the nausea and light-headedness. A 2007 Harvard Medical School study shows that using THC actually cut the size of a tumor from lung cancer in half. It also prevented the spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body. The American Association for Cancer Research also states that in recent studies THC levels were responsible for inhibiting brain cancer growth and development in human tumor biopsies. The future of hemp oil and cancer cures looks promising.

Arthritis

• Hemp oil also has an anti-inflammatory effect for people with arthritis. Arthritis is a painful malady that attacks the joints of the skeletal structure. Swelling and stiffening occur with the onset of symptoms and can range from uncomfortable to excruciating. Hemp oil, with its balance of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, can counteract these symptoms.

Skin Health

• Another benefit of hemp oil is its natural ability to make skin softer. Since hemp oil cannot be absorbed through the skin, it is not recommended for use as a topical agent. Ingesting the oil is the way to clearer and softer skin. Hemp oil acts as a lubricant and helps the skin rejuvenate as it sheds dead skin cells. It works from the inside out, helping with different kinds of skin ailments such as eczema.

Other Features

• Lesser-known benefits that make hemp oil all the more useful include its ability to help your fingernails grow longer and stronger and make your hair shiny and fuller. Hemp oil is also ideal for those who are vegan or vegetarian, as it is all natural and is packed with protein. As with any supplement, make sure to check with your physician before starting use.

Read more: Advantages of Hemp Oil | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5572559_advantages-hemp-oil.html#ixzz1hhGFOgRk

Hemp, more Protein than Meat!!!

Have you ever wondered about hemp seed? Perhaps you are looking for a source of protein that is better than meat. Maybe you are a vegan and need an excellent source of protein? Perhaps you have heard of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) and are looking for a web site with more information about EFAs and hemp. Well Hemp Seed .ca is the perfect place for you to find all this information and more.

It is not widely known that Hemp seed is the highest in essential fatty acids of any plant. Hemp seed contains all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids needed to maintain healthy human life, which makes it a perfect substitute for meat or as a protein supplement for anyone in their diet. No other single source provides such a complete protein in a form that is so easily digested and absorbed by the body. No other plant contains the essential oils necessary for perfect health in a ratio exactly suited to the bodies needs.

There is no other plant like hemp; there is nothing that competes against hemp. The hemp plant and hemp seed are perfectly suited to do what nature intended them to do, provide us with a sustainable source of protein food, fibre for clothing and paper, hurd for plastics and oils for nutrition and paints. If we were to wake up and realize that we could end our dependence on petrochemicals and still have the same lifestyles with the same vehicles and conveniences yet be cleaning the planet and providing a sustainable future for our children just by growing one plant, Cannabis Sativa, why would we not? Well, the answer to that is part of the biggest industrial conspiracy in modern history. Hemp is too perfect, hemp seeds are too much of a viable alternative to the petrochemical age we live in. So much so that the only way the people in power for the last 80 years could control it was to first demonize the plant, then when people had forgotten how amazing it was and how many things used to be made from it, then they made it illegal.

Since 1990 when we were first introduced to hemp and hempseed we have been on a crusade to educate as many people as possible about the reality of hemp and hemp seeds since the misinformation put out by the US seems to be so effective in deterring people from finding out the truth on their own. We have had a whole range of reactions to hemp seed. There was the old Eastern European man who approached our table at an outdoor event with tears in his eyes because it had been so many years since he had seen hemp seeds. He told us that the seed from the hemp plant was such a common thing to him when he was a child, his Mother used to make the hempseed into a gruel for him and seeing the hemp seed on our table brought back fond memories of his Mother's kitchen. There was the Mother who dragged her Daughter away before she could sample the hemp seed exclaiming "Honey, don't eat hemp seed, you're pregnant!", HOW FOOLISH, it would have been excellent for both her and her unborn baby! There was the man who approached the table looking like he was going to become quite violent exclaiming "you're feeding my children DRUGS!". Of course, he was totally wrong, there is no drug content in hemp seed. Just as there is no drug content in poppy seeds, even though they come from the plant that produces opium. It's just that poppies cannot make 75000 different products that compete with just about every industry that makes money for the rich people currently in power.

So you see, hemp seed and the Cannabis Sativa plant are the unfortunate recipients of a bad rap simply because they are just too good! What other plant could boost your immune system decreasing your need for doctors and pharmaceuticals; provide you with your daily requirement of protein, making meat obsolete; allow you to make clothing using minimal pesticides, unlike cotton which has half of the world's pesticides sprayed on it; providing you with a renewable fuel for your more efficient diesel engine as the engine was initially intended to run on vegetable fuel; providing you with a non-toxic biodegradable source for the manufacture of plastics; allowing you to make the highest quality paints without the toxic smells and by-products; and if all that weren't enough, providing you with everything you might need to live a very long healthy life while returning the planet to a garden rather than a toxic waste dump.

The answer to all the world's problems is the hemp plant and the answer to the shortage of food and protein is the hemp seed. Hempseed is the solution. Will you make the change in your life and add this wonder food to your diet? We sure hope so. Not convinced yet? Please read on, use the menu to the left to find out more about hemp and the amazing wonderful hemp seed!

Hempseeds R Us :)

Hemp Facts

Hemp facts and some fun hemp history
Here are some fun and very interesting facts regarding hemp. Some of them are more scientific than others but I think we all can agree on how interesting they are.

• Until 1883, 75-90% of all paper in the U.S. was made with hemp.
• Hemp seed was the # 1-selling bird feed; 4 million pounds were sold in the U.S. in 1937.
• In the mid-to-late 1800′s the 2nd & 3rd most commonly used medications were concentrated cannabis extracts and resins (a.k.a. hashish).
• A bridge in the south of France dated at 500-700 A.D. was built with a mixture of hemp.
• In 1941 Henry Ford built a car with a plastic made from hemp and wheat straw.
• Until 1937 70-90% of all rope and twine was made with hemp.
• Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp on their plantations.
• In 1850 the U.S. Census reported 8,327 hemp plantation of at least 2000 acres in size. Not counted were thousands of smaller crops.
• The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from hemp.
• In 1942 the U.S. government strongly encouraged hemp cultivation to help with the war effort, going so far as to produce a film entitled “Hemp For Victory“.
• The version of the Declaration of Independence released on July 4, 1776 was written on hemp.

Hemp and Industry
There are over 25,000 known uses for hemp.
The heating and compressing of hemp fibers can create building materials superior to wood in strength, quality and cost.
Hemp is heat, mildew, pest, light, and rot resistant.
Hemp fabric is softer, warmer, more water resistant and more durable than cotton. Hemp fabric also uses less chemicals to produce.
Industrial uses of hemp in China date as far back as 10,000 years.
Hemp as a Fuel Source
A bio-diesel fuel is one made from hemp oil, vegetable oil, or other animal fat(see hemp fuel). The original idea wax developed in 1895 by Dr. Rudolph Diesel, who developed the first engine than ran on vegetable oil. He demonstrated the engine at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris, France, running the engine on peanut oil.
Hemp can be blended with diesel fuel in any ratio or used alone.
Biodiesel fuel is the only alternative fuel that can be used as-is, in any un-modified diesel engine.
The increased use of biodiesel fuels would reduce dependence on foreign sources while increasing national agricultural jobs and revenues.
The flashpoint of petroleum fuel is 125 degrees Fahrenheit while the flashpoint of biodiesel fuels is 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Biodiesel fuels have been used successfully in Europe for over 20 years.
Hemp as a Profitable Crop

• Hemp is cold hardy, able to withstand even NH winters.
• Hemp is pest resistant ( except from the 2-legged kind)
• Hemp is drought resistant
• It is estimated that if 6% of the continental U.S. planted with hemp would provide for all national energy needs.
• Hemp has a production rate of up to 10 tons per acre, every 4 months.
• 1 acre of usable hemp fiber is equal to the usable fiber of 4 acres of trees or 2 acres of cotton.
• Trees mature in 50-100 years; hemp matures in as little as 100 days.
• The University of Missouri estimates that an average-size metropolitan area production of 100 million gallons of biodiesel fuel could generate $8.34million in personal income and 6000 temporary and permanent jobs. (Ref: National Biodiesel Board)
• In 1776 a hemp shirt cost .50 cents to $1.00; a cotton shirt cost $100-$200

Hemp drying in Haiti

Hemp and the Environment

• Biodiesel fuels emit 80% less carbon dioxide & nearly 100% less sulfur dioxide.
• Hemp paper can be recycled up to seven (7) times; wood pulp paper can be recycled four (4) times.
• Hemp fuels do not destroy the ozone layer or contribute to global warming.
• Hemp fuels burn clean; they do not cause acid rain.
• Hemp fuel is 10 times less toxic than salt, and as biodegradable as sugar.

Hemp and Health
Hemp oil is the highest source of essential omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which, among other things, help control cholesterol, arterial blockage and the immune system.
Commonly-known medicinal uses of hemp include: nausea & vomiting; multiple sclerosis/muscle spasm disorders; spinal cord injuries; Chron’s disease; Alzheimer’s disease; Tourette’s syndrome; digestive disorders; glaucoma; asthma; neurodegenerative disorders;
At one time American companies Eli Lily, Squibb and Park Davis produced cannabis extract medicines.
Hemp and the Law
In 1619 Jamestown Colony, Virginia enacted laws ordering farmers to grow hemp. Similar laws were enacted in Massachusetts in 1631, Connecticut in 1632 and the Chesapeake Colonies in the mid-1700′s.
In England, foreigners were awarded with citizenship if they grew cannabis; those who refused were fined.
From 1631 until the early 1800′s, hemp was used as legal money, with which one could buy goods and pay bills.
Hawaii is the first state sine the 1950′s to legally plant a hemp crop.
Hemp and the Arts
“Alice in Wonderland” was originally printed on hemp paper. It’s author, Lewis Carroll, was a frequent marijuana smoker.
The paintings of Vincent Van Gogh and Rembrandt were regularly painted on hemp canvases.
In 1935 116 million pounds (58,000 tons) of hemp seed was used to make paints and varnishes.
Industrial Hemp Production and US Marijuana Prohibition
During the years 1916-1937, William Randolph Hearst created a yellow journalism campaign to associate hemp with marijuana. Even though smoking hemp, like most fibers, will just make you sick, Hearst, along with his friend Pierre DuPont, succeeded in outlawing hemp in America. They actually robbed the world of an environmental cash crop. Why would they do such a thing? Because instead of using hemp for paper, clothing, fuel, oils, resins, medicines, and many other uses, we now use trees and synthetic petrochemicals. Hearst owned huge forests and interests in lumber mills. DuPont made synthetic fuels and fibers (nylon, rayon, plastics) from petroleum. And so the story goes…. Learn more at the Hemp University

5 Health Benifits of Hemp Seed Oil

5 Health Benefits Of Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp Seed Oil's Top Benefits Exposed. Helpful Article On The Top Reasons To Use Hemp Seed Oil. Hemp seed oil has a reputation as a versatile substance that is beneficial to us due to its Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio and its content of essential fatty acids. Hemp seed oil is 80% essential fatty acid, the highest amount of any other plant. And because hemp seed oil so closely matches our own skin lipids, it is able to penetrate our cells and lubricate the surfaces between them. Benefit 1. The 3:1 ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids is important in preventing heart disease and promoting heart health. The same ratio is thought to be helpful in alleviating the symptoms of skin conditions like acne, psoriasis and ezcema. Hemp is the only plant containing Vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption. This is especially helpful to those on a vegan diet. Benefit 2. People who use hemp seed oil products have reported that after they begin to use hemp seed oil, they have seen smoother, thicker hair, stronger nails and softer skin. In addition, the balance of essential fatty acids in hemp seed oil have benefits for nearly every body cell in helping your body to fight and ward off degenerative diseases including cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Benefit 3. Hemp seed oil is also a good source of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) which makes the oil a rival to flax seed oil and Evening Primrose Oil. It is also an excellent alternative to fish oil supplements -- fish have been reported to be contaminated by mercury as well as other toxins. Nursing mothers and pregnant women may wish to use hemp seed oil instead of fish oil, as they reduce their intake of fish but maintain the level of essential fatty acids. Hemp seed oil has been found to be helpful in relieving pre-menstrual tension as well. Benefit 4. Hemp seed oil products contain a beneficial amount of amino acids, and vitamin E as well. It is a natural antioxidant, and the oil doesn't stick to your skin as many oils have a tendency to do. It is rich in not only Omega-3 and Omega-6, but also Omega-9 -- this will allow hemp seed oil to moisturize your skin and keep it healthy - and it does this without clogging your pores. Potassium and calcium are also found in hemp seed oil products, making it even healthier for your skin. Benefit 5. Hemp seed oil contains ingredients that gives it unique anti-inflammatory properties that are not often found in other oils. This, added to its antioxidant properties, allows hemp oil to detoxify and clean your skin, as well as evening out your skin tone. Hemp seed oil is used in cosmetics which takes care of skin lesions and blotches that may occur as a result of excessively dry skin. Since it won't clog your pores like many other oils, you can safely use hemp seed oil to moisturize your skin, and do so without any greasy buildup. Hemp seed oil is also a natural sunblock, which helps people who use it to avoid diseases related to over-exposure to the sun's more harmful rays.

What has Hemp done for the World? What are you doing for Hemp?

North Carolina is home to Hemp Technologies, a company responsible for building the first modern made hemp home in the United States. David Madera and Greg Flavall co-founded this company with the intention of building ecologically sustainable houses with non-toxic, healthy materials.

Hempcrete is their building material, a concrete-like mix of hemp and lime. Hempcrete offers a range of advantages over other materials, as Madera notes, “it’s a breathable material; its non-toxic; it can never have mold; it can never have mildew. It petrifies over time so the walls actually get harder and harder so instead of something falling down in 30 years it lasts for 600.” Madera goes further saying, “50 percent of our landfills are filled with construction materials. Whenever you use cement you have 10 to 15 percent extra that has to go to the landfill. Drywall is not nearly as anti-microbial and often gets mold behind it, which causes people to get sick. With industrial hemp, there is no waste. If there is a little bit left on the last day of the job you can throw it into your yard as fertilizer.”

It is illegal to grow hemp in the United States. The classification of hemp with its cousin, marijuana, has caused the plant to gain a poor reputation, however, the tide is turning with popular attitudes toward this plant. The Consumer Union, a public watchdog, released a report recommending an immediate repeal of all Federal laws against the growing, processing, transportation, sale, possession, and use of Cannabis. Other distinguished groups, such as the American Bar Association, the American Medical Association and the Committee for Economic Development have all urged a softening of cannabis laws. Recently Representative Ron Paul introduced a bill in Congress which if passed would eliminate a federal ban on the substance and would leave it up to state control to determine how it would be regulated. Commenting on the— legal aspect of working with hemp, Madera said, “It’s pretty amazing that we can’t grow it here and put our people to work. It’s basically outsourcing a product that could be putting plenty of people to work. You’ve got farmers, processors, people that make products like Hemp Technologies. Why should we have to import something that we can grow here, and that we have grown here since the beginning of or colonization?"

North Carolina Representative Patsy Keever commented on the emerging hemp industry saying, “ I think it’s fabulous, I wish that it would be legal.” Keever mentioned that she is on the state agricultural committee, and had the Vice President of the North American Hemp Society give a presentation to the caucus to help inform the individuals making the decisions.

When federal restrictions are lifted on the production of hemp a tremendous industry will emerge that will offer employment and opportunity to a wide array of people. Madera noted that hemp grows 14 feet in 14 weeks, and that, “ you can watch it grow on your porch”, so there will be little lag in receiving the many benefits of this plant once farmers are permitted to grow this incredible crop. The time for industrial hemp production has come, and North Carolina has shown a hospitable habitat for this industry to take root and flourish.

Isn't this tax act out-dated?

Marihuana Tax Act (1937)

Main articles: Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 and Hemp

Marihuana Tax Act of 1937

The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 made possession or transfer of cannabis illegal throughout the United States under federal law, excluding medical and industrial uses, in which an expensive excise tax was required. Annual fees for the tax were $24 ($337 adjusted for inflation) for importers, manufacturers, and cultivators of cannabis, $1 annually ($14 adjusted for inflation) for medical and research purposes, and $3 annually ($42 adjusted for inflation) for industrial uses. Detailed cannabis sale logs were required to keep record of cannabis sales. Selling cannabis to any person who has previously paid the tax is $1 per ounce or fraction thereof; however, it is $100 ($1,406 adjusted for inflation) per ounce or fraction thereof to sell any person who has not registered and paid the special tax.[29]

Tax stamp for a producer of hemp

The American Medical Association (AMA) opposed the act because the tax was imposed on physicians prescribing cannabis, retail pharmacists selling cannabis, and medical cannabis cultivation and manufacturing; instead of enacting the Marihuana Tax Act the AMA proposed cannabis be added to the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act.^[30] After the Philippines fell to Japanese forces in 1942, the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army urged farmers to grow hemp fiber and tax stamps for cultivation were issued to farmers. Without any change in the Marihuana Tax Act, over 400,000 acres of hemp were cultivated between 1942 and 1945. The last commercial hemp fields were planted in Wisconsin in 1957.^[31] New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, who was a strong opponent of the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, started the LaGuardia Commission that in 1944 contradicted the earlier reports of addiction, madness, and overt sexuality.^[32] In its 1969 Leary v. United States decision the Supreme Court held the Marihuana Tax Act to be unconstitutional, since it violated the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination.^[33] In response, Congress repealed the Marihuana Tax Act and passed the Controlled Substances Act as Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, which repealed the Marihuana Tax Act.^[34]
The decision of the United States Congress to pass the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was based on hearings and reports.^[35][36] In 1936 the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN) noticed an increase of reports of people smoking marijuana, which further increased in 1937. The Bureau drafted a legislative plan for Congress, seeking a new law and the head of the FBN, Harry J. Anslinger, ran a campaign against marijuana.^[37][38] Newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst's empire of newspapers began publishing what is known as "Yellow journalism", demonizing the cannabis plant and putting emphasis on connections between cannabis and violent crime.^[39] Several scholars argue that the goal was to destroy the hemp industry,^[40][41][42] largely as an effort of Hearst, Andrew Mellon and the Du Pont family.^[40][42] They argue that with the invention of the decorticator hemp became a very cheap substitute for the paper pulp that was used in the newspaper industry.^[40][43] They also believe that Hearst felt that this was a threat to his extensive timber holdings. Mellon was Secretary of the Treasury and the wealthiest man in America and had invested heavily in nylon, DuPont's new synthetic fiber, and considered its success to depend on its replacement of the traditional resource, hemp.^{[40][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]} According to other researchers there were other things than hemp more important for DuPont in the mid-1930s: to finish the product (nylon) before its German competitors, to start plants for nylon with much larger capacity, etc.^[51]

Hemp, bast with fibers. The stem in the middle.

In 1916 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) chief scientists Jason L. Merrill and Lyster H. Dewey created a paper, USDA Bulletin No. 404 "Hemp Hurds as Paper-Making Material", in which they concluded that paper from the woody inner portion of the hemp stem broken into pieces, so called hemp hurds, was "favorable in comparison with those used with pulp wood". Dewey and Merrill believed that hemp hurds were a suitable source for paper production.^[52] In 2003 95% of the hemp hurds in EU were used for animal bedding, almost 5% were used as building material. In addition 70–80% of hemp fiber produced was used in specialty pulp for cigarette papers and technical applications; hemp is not reported as source for mass production of newsprint.^[53]
In 1916 the United States Department of Agriculture assumed, partly based on the incorrect finding about hemp hurds of USDA Bulletin No. 404, that the production of hemp would rise in the US. In reality production fell until 1933, due to competition with other fibers and imports. In 1933 production was only around 500 tons of hemp fiber per year. 1934–1935 the cultivation of hemp began to increase, but still with a very low volume compared with other types of fibers and with no significant increase in production of paper from hemp.^[54]
There was also a misconception about the intoxicating effects of hemp because it has the same active substance, THC, which is in all cannabis strains. Hemp normally has a minimal amount of THC when compared to recreational cannabis strains but, in the 1930s, THC was not yet fully identified.^[55] The methods FBN used for predicting the psychoactive effect of different samples of cannabis and hemp therefore gave confusing results.^[56][57]

[edit] Mandatory sentencing (1952, 1956)

Mandatory sentencing and increased punishment were enacted when the United States Congress passed the Boggs Act of 1952 and the Narcotics Control Act of 1956. The acts made a first-time cannabis possession offence a minimum of two to ten years with a fine up to $20,000; however

Hemp Breakdown

hemp uses image chart1.gif

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clevelandnorml.org

Amreica/ GROW UP AND GROW HEMP

It doesn't sound like Mr. Burgess is listening to the voters/patients

Dear Mr. Cross: Thank you for contactingme regarding H.R. 2306, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011.I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter. As you may know, Congressman Barney Frank (D – Massachusetts) introduced H.R. 2306 on June 23, 2011. This legislation would limit the application of federal laws to the distribution and consumption of marijuana. H.R. 2306 has been referred to the House Committees on the Judiciary and Energy and Commerce for further consideration. The United States is fighting a costly war against drugs, in terms of dollars and lives that are irrevocably changed by this modern day scourge. It is my opinion that any legalization of substances such as marijuana will undermine the ongoing efforts by the drug enforcement community to curb this epidemic that has consumed so many Americans. Marijuana is a controlled substance, and legalizing or relaxing criminal penalties on the drug will only open the doors for further illegal activities. I will continue to support efforts on the part of the federal government to interdict drug shipments into the United States, pursue individuals that violate U.S. drug laws, provide adequate treatment to individuals addicted to drugs, and support public education campaigns that warn against the perils of illegal drug use. Federal, state, and local governments must work together on all these fronts to slow the flow of drugs into the U.S. and to lower the demand in this country for illegal substances. I am a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has concurrent jurisdiction over H.R. 2306. While we may not see eye-to-eye on this issue, please knowthat I will keep your views in mind as H.R. 2306 moves through the legislative process. Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns. Sincerely, Michael C. Burgess, M.D. Member of Congress

WISCONSIN HEMPSTERS/Video

http://youtu.be/xZc2r7d3H5s

More Proof!!!

Pot, Narcotics OK To Treat Pain, UCSF Study Finds

Tagged with: Cancer Treatments Marijuana Research Medical Marijuana Morphine Oxycodone THC

Inhaled marijuana appears to be a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain when used in addition to narcotics like morphine and oxycodone, according to a small UCSF study that is the first to look at the combined effects of the two classes of drugs in humans.
The study, published in this month’s edition of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, was designed primarily to look at whether taking marijuana with narcotics is safe, and researchers reported that there were no negative side effects from combining the drugs.
Overall, the 21 men and women in the study reported a roughly 25 percent reduction in pain after inhaling vaporized marijuana several times a day for five days.

If the results can be backed up in further studies, marijuana could prove an important means of augmenting the effects of narcotic drugs for the millions of people who suffer from chronic pain associated with cancer, AIDS and a variety of other conditions, said study author Dr. Donald Abrams, a UCSF professor and chief of the hematology-oncology division at San Francisco General Hospital.
“If we can get funded, we should do a study now with pain as the endpoint” and not just safety, Abrams said.
He added that scientists don’t yet understand how, exactly, marijuana and opiates interact in humans, but “our results support that the relationship between cannabis and opiates is synergistic.”
Multiple studies of medical marijuana have shown that the drug can be beneficial in treating pain. A drug called Sativex that combines the two main compounds of marijuana – cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – is currently in clinical trials for treatment of pain in cancer patients in the United States, and is already used in Europe and Canada.
Stands to reason
With what’s already known about marijuana’s pain-relieving effects, it’s not surprising that the drug, when used with narcotics, would increase pain relief, said researchers not associated with the new study.
“There’s already tons of data on cannabinoid pain relief and opiate pain relief, and it only makes sense that you’d get more pain relief from two drugs instead of one,” said Dr. Daniel Nomura, an assistant professor in the nutritional sciences and toxicology department at UC Berkeley.
Abrams himself pointed out that because his study is small, and because all of the patients knew they were inhaling marijuana and therefore could have experienced some pain relief from a “placebo effect,” it would be premature to start widely prescribing cannabis to pain patients. Still, the results were promising enough that he intends to attempt a second study to look more closely at pain relief.
But getting another study off the ground will be tough. The bar has been set high for acceptable uses of medical marijuana, Abrams said, and getting money and other resources – notably, the drug itself – to conduct research can be very difficult. Abrams’ study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which also supplied the marijuana.
The patients in Abrams’ study were taking twice-daily doses of either morphine or oxycodone to treat chronic pain associated with a variety of conditions, such as arthritis, neuropathy, cancer and multiple sclerosis.
Patients stayed at San Francisco General Hospital during the study. They inhaled vaporized marijuana three times a day, for about 10 minutes at time. On the first day of the study, the mean pain score, on a scale of 0 to 100, was 39.6; after five days of marijuana therapy, their mean pain score was 29.1.
Ideal outcome
The hope, Abrams said, is that marijuana could someday be used either in conjunction with narcotics or as a replacement for narcotics to help curb some of the side effects associated with those medications.
Glenn Osaki of Pleasanton, a patient of Abrams who used to take drugs like morphine and oxycodone daily, said he’s been off narcotics since July 2010, after he started using medical marijuana to combat pain associated with colon cancer.
“I was out of it most of the time from the opiates,” said Osaki, 53. “It was hard having a decent quality of life, and I was just trying to figure out a way to manage my pain.”
Medical marijuana has only one side effect he doesn’t care for: the high.
“I used to smoke pot when I was a kid, just goofing around,” he said. “The stuff nowadays is pretty strong, so that is one thing I don’t really like now.”
At UC Berkeley, Nomura agrees. He and other biologists are studying ways to tap into the useful effects of cannabis without the drug high that comes with it.
“Obviously medicinal marijuana is still widely used. There are really undisputed beneficial effects,” Nomura said. “But in terms of moving forward with drug development, we need to develop safer drugs that don’t make you high.”
Source: San Francisco Chronicle (CA)
Author: Erin Allday, Chronicle Staff Writer
Published: December 7, 2011
Copyright: 2011 San Francisco Chronicle
Contact: letters@sfchronicle.com
Website: http://www.sfgate.com/chronicle/

Wisconsin For Medical Marijuana

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Monday, December 12, 2011
Co-sponsorship needed for the Wisconsin Medical Marijuana Act by December 22nd (blog)
 Jay Selthofner
 
Marijuana is Medicine!
Medical Marijuana is not about smoking pot or getting high. Anyone, including patients can certainly continue to smoke marijuana, despite that possession of the hemp cannabis plant is illegal. Unless Wisconsin passes a compassionate use act, medical patients will continue to smoke marijuana, rather than have the choice of edibles, tinctures, salves, vaporizers, capsules and alternative forms of delivery. Unless Wisconsin passes a compassionate use law, patients will continue to turn to the black market and often become casualties in the failed war on drugs.
While healing patients, Medical Marijuana means jobs, revenue and improved health care opportunities. Marijuana is fundamentally a bipartisan issue. Referendums in 2010 passed with over 68% in River Falls and 72% in Dane County. Our district candidates, including Ballweg were on record with "support of medical marijuana".
Will Joan Ballweg co-sponsor the Wisconsin Medical Cannabis Act (LRB-2466/1)? The deadline is December 22 and I urge you to call her at 888-534-0041. As the smoke clears about marijuana use and the facts emerge, comprehensive legislation is just one voice in the legislative process away. If not Rep. Ballweg, call your legislators and ask them to co-sponsor the Wisconsin Medical Marijuana Act.
Related Links:
• Who is your legislator search engine
• Joan Ballweg
• Luther Olsen



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Hemp and Brain Injury

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Stroke and Head Trauma

Stroke and Head Trauma victims frequently suffer a sudden loss of consciousness and sometimes permanent paralysis caused by blood clots within the brain. Stroke is the third leading cause of adult deaths, and there are an estimated 400,000 severe head injury cases per year. In this type of injury, blood flow, and with it oxygen, is cut off to the portion of the brain affected by the blood clot, resulting in brain damage in as little as four minutes. Dr. Raphael Mechoulum, the renowned scientist who first isolated and synthesized delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), designed a synthetic cannabinoid medication that blocks the neural damage of traumatic head injury. Remarkably, this new cannabinoid deriviative appears to have no toxic effects. The molecule labeled HU-211, which has been called a “wonder drug,” may eventually be available in every emergency room around the world. [1] The same drug was labeled dexonabinol in human trials that showed remarkable promise. Patients treated with dexonabinol were found more likely to resume a normal life. [2] Reviewing the evidence on the cannabinoid medication, William Beaver, professor of pharmacology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, was upbeat, saying the drug would be “beyond any doubt the most medically significant use ever made of marijuana.” [3]
Further studies have discovered that these same properties are also found in other cannabinoids. Pursuing advances of the Israelis, a research team at the US National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) reported on similar neuron-saving qualities in both THC and another cannabis compound called cannabidiol. [4] The NIMH results suggest that cannabidiol could also become an effective treatment for neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. [5] In addition, stroke patients sometimes develop muscle spasms, which are also shown to be relieved by therapeutic cannabis. [6]
Approximately twelve years prior to the publication of The New Prescription, the author, Martin Martinez, was riding a motorcycle that was struck head-on by an automobile. With a combined speed on impact of 60 miles per hour, the unhelmeted motorcyclist suffered massive skull fractures with resultant cranial swelling and irreparable cranial nerve damage. However, to the amazement of the medical staff and other observers, he did not suffer the cerebral damage typical of such horrendous head trauma. While conducting research on this book, the author eventually concluded that he was spared cognitive damage in this motorcycle crash by a long history of chronic marijuana use. From this anecdotal report, in light of the recent findings by Mechoulum and others, it appears that cannabis may indeed provide an “invisible helmet” of cerebral protection in cases of severe head trauma.
Related sections: Cerebral Effects, Muscle Spasms, Neuralgia.

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[1] “High expectations for stroke drug.” Israel Business Today, Vol. 8, No. 387, pp. 19, July 24, 1998
[2] “Marijuana derivative benefits head trauma victims, human trials show.” NORML News, October 8, 1998
[3] Tye, “Marijuana product may aid in traumas.” Boston Globe, October 7, 1998
[4] “U.S. Study: Marijuana might protect the brain.” Reuters, July 6, 1998
[5] Radford, “Cannabis is stroke hope.” The Guardian (UK), July 4, 1998
[6] Petro and Ellenberger, “Treatment of human spasticity with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.” Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Vol. 21, pp 413S-416S, 1981

Posted on Saturday, July 26, 2008 at 10:10PMby CannabisMD.net | 3 Comments

BRAIN INJURY AND MARIJUANA

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Marijuana Appears To Protect Against Brain Injuries, Federal Researchers Find

Thursday, 09 July 1998

Research published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences demonstrates that naturally occurring compounds in marijuana may protect brain cells during a stroke.

Researchers at the National Institute for Mental Health found that THC, the chief psychoactive compound in marijuana, and cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychoactive component that previously showed promise as an anti-convulsant, both appear to be potent antioxidants in laboratory studies. Doctors rely on antioxidants to protect stroke victims from exposure to toxic levels of a brain chemical called glutamate. Head trauma and strokes cause the release of excessive glutamate, often resulting in irreversible damage to brain cells.
Scientists asserted that CBD could hold advantages over other antioxidants because the compound is fast acting and nontoxic. "We have something that passes the brain barrier easily, has low toxicity, and appears to be working in animal trials," lead researcher Aidan Hampson said. "I think we have a good chance" to help patients with this compound.
The U.S. study follows earlier research conducted in Israel demonstrating that Dexanabinol -- a synthetic analog derived from marijuana -- protects healthy brain cells against glutamate. Israeli researchers declared this May that the drug will undergo Phase III human trials shortly. They hope to begin marketing the drug by the year 2000.
Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of The NORML Foundation, said that the new research strengthens the need for medical marijuana reform. "This research highlights the therapeutic value of compounds in marijuana besides THC," he said. "Patients find maximum relief from whole smoked marijuana because the plant contains several therapeutic properties unavailable elsewhere. Federal law must change to allow patients access to these naturally occurring compounds."
Federal law currently prohibits the medical use of marijuana and all the plant's active compounds other than synthetic THC.
Harvard Medical School professor Lester Grinspoon said this research represented the "tip of the iceberg" as far as the medical potential of the marijuana plant. "When science gets serious about investigating cannabis as a medicine, we will discover many more such findings," he said. Grinspoon also stressed that the scientific community has come full circle regarding marijuana's effects on the brain.
"The debate has moved from alleging that marijuana destroys brain cells to finding that cannabis is clearly neuropathic," he said.
The findings indicate that marijuana may also hold medical value in the treatment of brain diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the team of U.S. scientists said.
For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre or Paul Armentano of The NORML Foundation @ (202) 483-8751 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 483-8751 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Dr. Lester Grinspoon

Eczema/ Hempseed Oil

Hemp Oil Helps with Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis

May 2nd, 2010 – Enthusiastic letters full of emotions. Such are common reactions of people to whom cosmetic with hempseed oil-content helped to reduce or remove acne. Respectively to whom this cosmetic improved constitutional acne, dermatitis or psoriasis. It helps also in case of burns and skin lesions.
Emotions are understandable. Skin disease stigmatises not only human skin but also people’s mental health. However let try to look soberly at the possibilities of hemp-content cosmetic.
She tried almost all but without any effect Twenty-two years old Alena Mitanova treated acne since she was fourteen. She tried out all, except for hormones, which she can’t use because of problems with varicose veins. Including propolis or yeast mixed with baby powder. All without any effect. She works as a waitress and so acne was quite unpleasant for her. After the negative experience with various ointments her attitude to hemp-content cosmetic was sceptical. However she was surprised. Within three weeks acne regressed as never before. It didn’t disappear but it is kept within acceptable limits. Today Alena looks much better and she also feels much better.
Similar experience that of daughter of Alena Pčolová, MD from Lipová-Spa. She treated acne with common combination of hormonal therapy and creams with local action. Her skin’s condition improved very much after the addition of cosmetic containing hempseed oil. And it’s obvious that her sensations improved too.
And we can go on repeating similar stories. Nevertheless hemp-content cosmetic is not a drug against acne. It is only additional therapy which can improve its condition in to varied extent.
Successful experiment
It was not by chance that doctor Pčolová offered her daughter to check out hempseed oil. Together with her colleague Milena Blehova, MD with whom she works as dermatologist in Spa Dolní Lipová, they proved effects of hempseed oil in group of patients with constitutional dermatitis and psoriasis. „Results seemed comparable to us with positive effects of cure in our spa; it is treatment by herbal baths, radiation treatment with special lamps and treatment with classic ointments” says doctor Blehova. That what we like most is the fact that it is a natural product without side-effects.”
Condition of the affected skin gets worse in some patients after the first applications of oil, same as in case of use of other therapies. Worsening can last for two or three days. Usually it signalizes thaa healing has started.
In case of patients with psoriasis oil didn’t improve only the skin condition. It relieved also the associated pruritus. Many patients scratch their skin. It complicates the treatment. Furthermore the pruritus wakes them up and so they can’t sleep well.
Now we have to pity the lost years
It is hard for mothers of children with constitutional dermatitis Jana Madejova knows now. She tried out everything to treat her son’s constitutional dermatitis including the ointments with corticoids. These ointments helped, however after they were discontinued, eczema was back. In addition it isn’t possible to use corticoids in the long term because of their side effects. So Jana went on research. And it lasted nearly four years. She found hemp-content cosmetic on the internet. She embrocated it on her son’s skin six or eight times a day. After three weeks eczema vanished almost completely and together with pruritus. Today she uses it preventively and she’s very satisfied. „I regret my doctor didn’t tell me about this alternative treatment,” says Jana. „It is possible it can affect various people in various ways. But in case of my son it would have been very beneficial to find out this cosmetic sooner because so we’d safe several years of needless suffering.
Perfect for treatment of burns
Besides constitutional dermatitis, psoriasis and acne hemp-content cosmetic has positive effect on wounds healing, especially of burns. Helena Kašparová, MD of surgical department of hospital in Opočno says wounds dressed with this cosmetic heal up faster and there are also fewer complications, including scars. It also helped many people with venous ulcerations and has an effect on burns too. These heal up faster and with less serious complications.
Don’t come under the emotions
A lot of patients from Society of patients with psoriasis and constitutional dermatitis have a good experience with hemp-content cosmetic. Medical doctors in Achilea Sanatorium in Prague, which specializes in skin diseases, have similar experience. Head physician Nina Benáková, MD says this cosmetic is perfect as a part of maintenance treatment of affected skin. It contributes to its hydratation and improvement of dermal barrier after the treatment with corticoids. However as she knows what sensations can be caused by each preparation markedly improving their disease she urges to be realistic. She considers hempseed oil to be a useful part of treatment as it upgrades its potential. Nevertheless the treatment has to be comprehensive. Patient should be on special diet and regimen, keep from irritant agents and grease the affected skin thoroughly and regularly. Patient also has to use other drugs if necessary. Source.

Hemp oil Helps With Eczema

Eczema healed by hemp oil

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Tanya Dyer suffered from eczema since she was a year old. At first, it affected only the skin behind her knees and could be controlled with emollient creams. However, when she was 11, Tanya's eczema suddenly worsened, eventually spreading over her whole body. Despite potent steroid creams and frequent bandaging, her condition did not improve.
'For years, Tanya suffered the most terrible problems. She would be so uncomfortable, itching and scratching all the time,' says her mother, Audrey from South London. 'I would bandage her every day, even in the summer, but nothing helped. In the end, I gave up taking her to the hospital.'
Tanya ended up consulting a herbalist, who recommended hemp seed oil. Because the essential fatty acids in it act as an internal moisturiser for the skin, they can help combat the dryness and cracking of eczema and calm inflammation.
Tanya started taking a teaspoon of hemp seed oil three times a day. She also used a skin cream based on hemp oil every day. To her delight, her symptoms gradually started to improve. 'Over several weeks, Tanya's skin, which had been flaky and leathery, started to smooth out,' says Audrey.
Hemp seed oil does not contain the psychoactive substances associated with the cannabis plant. It looks similar to a dark olive oil, but has a flavour similar to sunflower oil.
It can be taken straight or used in food. It should not be heated because this affects its chemical nature, dramatically reducing its beneficial effects


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4035/Eczema-healed-hemp-oil.html#ixzz1g8ViTXEG

ALL YOUR HEMP QUESTIONS ANSWERED!!! ANY QUESTIONS???

HEMP FACTS (Compiled by Ezra Soiferman of EzSez.com.) Ez Sez: Here are a few reasons why I love hemp... -versatility -environmental-friendliness -age-old reliability -underdogability -healthfullness -nutrition -durability And here are some more amazing facts about hemp... For Starters: -Farmers around the world grow hemp. Legally. And they've been doing so for thousands of years. View a timeline of hemp throughout history here. -Hemp is a plant grown from a seed. It can get up to 15 to 20 or so feet tall. It is an annual, herbaceous, long fibre plant similar to flax (linen), jute and ramie. [i] -It's the sister plant to marijuana but it won't get you high. However, it's good at doing almost anything else except making you 'high'. You'll learn more about its versatility in this document. -Although hemp and marijuana are both from the cannabis species, hemp contains virtually no THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.) If you smoke hemp you will likely get a headache. You will not get 'high'. Its THC level is less than 1%, whereas marijuana may contain between 5 - 15%.[iii] -Its seeds are pressed for oil that can be used for food (salad dressings, supplements, etc.), industrial lubrication, diesel fuel, paints, varnishes and more. -Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa L. [ii] -Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. [iv] -The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a piece of Mesopotamian hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.[v] -For more than a century, hemp was legal tender to pay American taxes.[vi] -Over 600,000 acres of hemp grow worldwide today.[vii] Over 8,500 acres were grown in Canada in 2008.[viii] -The 2002 figures for global hemp sales were US$250 million. US$150 million in the United States alone.[ix] -The HIA (Hemp Industries Association) is confident that the total North American hemp food and body care market in 2008 accounted for at least $100 million in retail sales. In 2005-2008, hemp food sales have averaged 47% annual growth, making hemp one of the fastest-growing natural food categories. Source. Legality: -For the first 162 years of America's existence, marijuana was totally legal and hemp was a common crop. But during the 1930s, the U.S. government and the media began spreading outrageous lies about marijuana, which led to its prohibition. ("Marijuana: The devil's weed with roots in hell", "Marijuana makes fiends of boys in 30 days", “Reefer Madness”, etc.) It was banned in the USA under the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. In a blatant case of mistaken identity, industrial hemp was banned along with it.[x] -It is said that the motivation for the hemp ban was that new processing technologies were developed that made it a potential competitor with the newly founded synthetic fibre and plastics industries. Hemp's potential for producing paper also posed a threat to the timber and oil industries. Evidence suggests that commercial interests, having much to lose from hemp competition, helped propagate the reefer madness hysteria and used their influence to lobby for Marijuana Prohibition. It is debatable at to whether special interests conspired to destroy the hemp industry via Marijuana Prohibition, but evidence exists to raise the possibility.[xi] -In Canada, parliament passed Bill C-8 in May of 1997, freeing industrial hemp from the drug legislation imposed in 1938 when Canada’s Opium and Narcotics Control Act followed the United States’ lead and banned hemp production. The responsibilities to regulate the “new” crop were given to Health Canada. [xii] (The UK lifted its ban in 1993.[xiii]) -It is currently illegal to grow industrial hemp for food, oil, paper or fabric in the USA, but it is perfectly legal to export hemp to the U.S. and to process, consume and wear it there. [xv] Versatiliy: -A Popular Mechanics article from 1938 stated that over 25,000 different products could be made from hemp in oil, seed or fibre form.[xvi] -Used for thousands of years by a wide variety of cultures, hemp is currently being used worldwide in industries such as fabric, food, bio-diesel fuel, paper, plastics, rope, building material, molded panels, car components, wallpaper, acoustic baffling and barn bedding for farm animals.[xvii] -125 years ago, 70 to 90 percent of all rope, twine, cordage, ship sails, canvas, fibre, cloth, etc., was made out of hemp fibre. It was replaced by Dupont’s then newly discovered petrochemical fibre (nylon) beginning in 1937. [xviii] Farming: -The hemp plant is highly resistant to most insect and disease, largely eliminating the need for most (or all) pesticides and herbicides.[xix] -No herbicides have been approved for industrial hemp. Early planting, as soon as the soil is warm enough, is a recommended weed control strategy.[xx] -A normal stand of 200 to 300 plants per square meter shades out weeds, leaving the fields weed-free at harvest and covered in leaves that improve the soil in a self-mulching eco-system.[xxi] -Industrial hemp can be grown on a wide variety of soil types, but tends to grow best on land that produces high yields of corn.[xxii] -Hemp prefers a mild climate, humid atmosphere, and a rainfall of at least 25-30 inches per year. [xxiii] -A hemp field produces a very large bulk of plant material in a short period of time. (Stalks can reach 15 feet tall in 70-90 growing days)[xxiv] [xxv] -Yields can reach between 3 to 7 tons of dry hemp fibre stalk per acre.[xxvi] -HEMP IS THE NUMBER ONE biomass producer on planet earth: 10 tons per acre in approximately four months. It is a woody plant containing 77% cellulose. Wood produces 60% cellulose.[xxvii] -Low abrasion means low impact on farm equipment and workers hands. [xxviii] -Hemp was one of Canada's first agricultural exports when the fibre was sold to Britain and France for use in their navies. It was common practice for tracts of land to be issued to settlers in Canada on the provision that they grow hemp.[xxix] -During World War II the U.S. government relaxed the anti-hemp laws and spurred mid-western farmers to grow over a million acres of the plant for the war effort. “Hemp For Victory” was the name of the informational film made by U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1942.[xxx] Decades later they denied they ever made the film. This was disproven by researchers in 1989 when they found evidence of it at the Library of Congress.[xxxi] -Of all the hemp grown in Canada, almost all of it was for seed, oil and construction material. Little went to the fabric industry. Most fabric is imported from China and Europe. [xxxii] See Canadian farming acreage stats here. Fibres, Fabric & Clothing: -The agriculture world’s longest and most durable natural fibres are hemp’s ‘bast’ fibres, contained in the bark of the plant’s stalk. [xxxiii] -CinemaSpace, in Montreal, is Canada's first cinema to use hemp fabric to cover its seats. -In 1853, the first pair of Levi’s jeans was made. Due to a fire in the Levis archives (San Francisco's Great Earthquake and Fire - 1906 ) it can no longer be proven, but many believe the first pair of Levis were made from hemp. -The word canvas (traditionally made from hemp) comes from cannabis (Latin). This word comes from kaneh-bosem, Hebrew for ‘aromatic cane’. [xxxv] -Un-dyed hemp fabric will not rot and won’t fade in sunlight.[xxxvi] [xxxvii] -Hemp is anti-microbial, anti-mildew, naturally UV resistant and readily takes on eco-safe plant-based dyes. [xxxviii] -Frequently blended with cotton, silk, tencel, bamboo, spandex and other fibres to make a wide variety of fabrics with various attractive properties. It is also an efficient insulator keeping you warm in winter and cool in summer.[xxxix] -A 2000 year-old hemp-rope toupé was found in Sichuan, China. Source. -It is said that a parachute rigging made of hemp saved the life of George Bush Sr. when the young bomber pilot bailed out of his burning plane.[xl] -Hemp softens with each washing, without fibre degradation.[xli] As the saying goes: “Hemp doesn’t wear out, it wears in.”[xlii] Compared to Cotton: -Environmentally, hemp is a safer crop to grow than cotton. Cotton is a soil-damaging crop and needs a great deal of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.[xliii] -Cotton crops in the USA occupy 1% of the country’s farmland but use 50% of all pesticides. [xliv] "The pesticides used on cotton, whether in the U.S. or oversees, are some of the most hazardous available today," says Doug Murray, Ph.D., a professor of sociology at Colorado State University who has studied pesticide use on cotton overseas. Source. -1 acre of hemp will produce as much as 2-3 acres of cotton.[xlv] -Hemp is 4 times warmer than cotton, 4 times more water absorbent, has 3 times the tensile strength of cotton. It is also many times more durable and is flame retardant.[xlvi] -Many high fashion clothing manufacturers have produced clothes and footwear made with hemp. Some of these include: Nike, Converse, Armani, Patagonia, Polo Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta and many more.[xlvii] -Hemp fabrics were once far more expensive than cotton and other fabrics due to limited supply, but increased demand and availability in recent years have lowered the price considerably. [xlviii] -Hemp breathes well and wicks moisture away from the body better than cotton. [xlix] -HT Naturals (Canada’s largest hemp t-shirt supplier) asserts that selecting their hemp/cotton blended t-shirt over an all-cotton t-shirt saves the environment 744 gallons of water. This company has recently partnered with Canada’s National Research Council to create Crailar an enzyme that will make hemp fibres as soft as cotton.[l] Paper: -Hemp paper can be made from both the outer fibres of the hemp stalk (bast fibres) as well as the inner core (or ‘hurd’ fibres) of the stalk.[li] -One acre of hemp (grown in a single season) yields as much paper as up to 4 acres of trees (which take many more years to grow). [lii] -Hemp paper is stronger, acid free, has a longer shelf life and costs less than half as much to process as tree paper. [liii] -Hemp paper can be recycled 10 times whereas wood-based paper can only be recycled twice without losing integrity and requiring additional virgin fibre content.[liv] -China, the world's first paper maker, used hemp to make paper 1,900 years ago. [lv] -Both the Gutenberg Bible (15th C.) and the King James Bible (17th C.) were printed on hemp-based papers. [lvi] -In 1776, Thomas Jefferson, a hemp farmer, wrote the first two drafts of the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper.[lvii] -Since deforestation is a serious environmental concern, hemp can offer a significant contribution to the world’s environment as well as its economy.[lviii] Building Materials and Plastics: -The core of the hemp stalk is used to produce fibreboard, insulation, carpet, fiberglass substitute, cement blocks, concrete, stucco and mortar.[lix] -Hemp oil extracted from hemp seeds is used in the production of plastics, oil paints, varnishes, inks, solvents, lubricants, putty and coatings.[lx] -In an effort to initiate industrial hemp production, a Native farmer named Alex White Plume on his reservation in South Dakota built a house entirely out of what he calls “Hempcrete” bricks. [lxi] -In 1941, Popular Mechanics ran a story featuring a photograph of Henry Ford standing next to the car he “grew from the soil”. The hemp-ethanol fueled and hemp-resin bodied vehicle was a dream of his but many bills proposing a national agricultural based fuel energy program were killed by smear campaigns launched by vested petroleum interests. One claim put forth was that the U.S. government's plans "robbed taxpayers to make farmers rich". [lxii] Environment: -Hemp planting reduces deforestation and improves the soil upon which it is grown.[lxiii] -All products made solely from hemp fibre are biodegradable, compostable and recyclable. As such, they are easy on landfills.[lxiv] -A lightweight product: for greater fuel efficiency in transport, ease of handling, increased payload capacity. -Hemp advocates say it is possible to leave the forests alone and go back to making paper from hemp, but is that really feasible? Technically, yes. Once plant cellulose is turned into pulp, machines cannot tell the difference between it and wood pulp.[lxv] -A worker-friendly, non-toxic material Food and Nutrition: -Of the 3 million plus edible plants that grow on Earth, no other plant source can compare with the nutritional value of hempseeds. [lxvi] -Hemp is edible as whole seeds, hulled seed (the hemp ‘nut’ or 'heart'), protein powder, or as oil extracted from seeds. -It is used in salad dressings, protein bars, breads, cakes, soups, beer, butters, shakes, milk, breakfast cereals and many more food products and recipes. -Hemp plants produce seeds that contain between 25-35% oil by weight. This non-trans-fatty-acid oil is high in a perfect balance of essential fatty acids (EFAs: Omega-3, 6, 9) considered to be necessary to maintain health. [lxviii] Hemp's EFA profile provides a healthy alternative to fish, often high in mercury and other toxins. -Hemp's overall protein content of 35% is comparable to soybeans and is higher than that found in nuts, other seeds, meats, dairy products and fish or poultry. Hemp protein contains all of the essential amino acids in more nutritionally significant amounts and at a ratio closer to "complete" sources of protein (like meat, milk and eggs) than all other seeds except soy. [lxix] -65% of the proteins in hemp are "edestin," which are easily digestible and act as pre-cursors to such vital body components as hormones, hemoglobin, enzymes and antibodies. Hemp's edestin structure is the highest in the plant kingdom, making it more digestible than soy and many other plant foods. [lxx] -Hemp also contains a healthy 35% of dietary fibre, the highest of all commercial flour grains, and it is high in the natural antioxidants Vitamin E, Vitamin C and chlorophyll.[lxxi] -The hardiness and nutritional benefits of hemp could help address many of the world’s starvation problems.[lxxii] -Hemp should not be cooked at temperatures over 350F because at this emperature the fats are in danger of becoming "trans" and thus unhealthy. Source. -NOT including Whole Foods Markets sales, hemp food sales in North America grew by 39% over the previous year (from August 2006 to August 2007), or by $2.1 million, to a total of $7.7 million. Based on this, it is estimated that the total retail value of hemp foods sold in this period in North America grew from $14 million (in 2006) to approximately $20 million in 2007. Source. -View a detailed scientific breakdown of the hemp seed here. Bio-Diesel Fuel: -Industrial hemp would be a viable bio-diesel fuel if hemp were legal to cultivate in the United States. -In 2001, the “Hemp Car”, a converted 1980s diesel Mercedes station wagon drove a 13,000 mile 50 city tour of North America. It was powered by solely by 600 gallons of hemp bio-diesel fuel made from the stalk of the hemp plant.[lxxiii] -The exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide from bio-diesel are 47% lower than carbon monoxide emissions from diesel.[lxxiv] -Bio-diesel reduces the health risks associated with petroleum diesel. Bio-diesel emissions showed decreased levels of PAH and nitrited PAH compounds, which have been, identified as potential cancer causing compounds.[lxxv] -In a period of 28 days, pure bio-diesel degrades 85 to 88 percent in water.[lxxvi] -Any CO2 released from burning hemp as fuel matches the CO2 the plant had beneficially taken from the environment wile growing, creating what is called a closed carbon cycle that could slow down the effects of global warming[lxxvii] Body Care Products: -Thanks to its nourishing oil, hemp is booming in the personal hygiene industry with hemp found in soaps, shampoos, lotions, lip balms, bath oils, personal lubricants and more. -Due to the large hemp body care line sold by The Body Shop, as well as the fact that many unreported leading mass-market brands of sun tan lotion and sunscreen products include hemp oil, the HIA (Hemp Industries Association) estimates the total retail value of North American hemp body care sales to be at least $50 million. Source. -Cosmetics manufacturers, such as Revlon, include hemp oil in makeup, lotion and shampoo. In Europe they’re using hemp in household cleaners as a natural alternative to harsher chemicals.[lxxix] Hemp Around The World: Chinese: Ma 大麻 Czech: Konopí Dutch: Hennep Esperanto: Kanabo French: Chanvre German: Hanf Greek: κάνναβη Hebrew: Kanabos Italian: canapa Japanese: Taima 麻 Korean: 대마 Romanian: Cinepa Russian: пенька Slovak: Konope Spanish: Cáñamo Yiddish: Hanef “Make the most of Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere.” -George Washington, 1794