by HempingtonPost | Jan 9, 2019
When you begin to look into the fight for hemp legalization, you start to unearth stories you weren’t expecting to find. That’s exactly what happened when we talked with Marc Grignon and learned about the 2015 police raid on the Menominee hemp fields.
Currently, Grignon is the spokesman for Hempstead Project Heart, which raises awareness about the benefits of hemp for everyone including tribal communities. Previously, he worked as staff assistant for the Office of Native American Affairs under Obama’s Small Business Administration.
Grignon developed a passion for hemp as his tribe’s casino ambitions failed. For years now, the Menominee have been fighting for a way out of dependence on government assistance. For a way to provide their reservation with a sufficient income.
Grignon is one of the 8,700 members of the Menominee tribe of Wisconsin. Their history is believed to span back 10,000 years where they dominated 10 million acres of modern-day Wisconsin and the upper half of Michigan state.
Hemp activist John Trudell co-founded Hempstead Project Heart with musician Willie Nelson, before passing leadership of the organization to Marc Grignon in his final days. (Photo: Tara Trudell, used with permission)
Despite the dramatic circumstances of the raid, Marc Grignon remains a steadfast advocate of hemp. We caught up with him recently to learn about how he got involved with hemp and how he believes hemp can help support Native American tribes.
OVER TIME, TRIBAL ATTITUDES TOWARD HEMP HAVE SOFTENED
It was during Grignon’s final semester at college when he began to look into his tribe’s background — studying the language and digging deep into their culture. As he went about this research, a piece of information “fell into my lap,” he told us.
The Menominee have a word called “Shaeqnap” and it means wild hemp. The definition talked about a plant that could grow anywhere from 5 to 8 feet high. The tribe used it for fiber, basket making, bowstrings, and so on and so forth.
Grignon was so fascinated by the discovery, he brought it to the Menominee Language and Culture Commission. They were less enthusiastic about his discovery. When he asked about shaeqnap, they simply insisted, “No. We never used cannabis.”
This was a bit of a blow to Grignon as he’s been a long-time hemp advocate. His goal has been to use the plant to provide the Menominee people with a stable source of income. Though not everyone agreed with this idea, Grignon held a determination which would prove to be worthwhile.
And over time, he said attitudes are shifting. “With the evidence we’ve brought to light, more Menominee cultural people see our future in hemp.”
PLANTING THE SEEDS: HOW MARC GRIGNON GREW HEMP WITH THE MENOMINEE
In the summer of 2015, Grignon was working on an Agricultural and Research Project through the College of Menominee Nation and his tribe. One particular day, a former legislature approached him and asked if he’d be interested in working with hemp. Since the Menominee had just passed a law allowing for the reservation to grow industrial hemp for the sake of research, Grignon was very interested.
Part of the reason for this law was due to the fact the Menominees were trying to get the legal paperwork to start a casino. They fought for twenty years only to have Scott Walker, Wisconsin’s governor at the time, kill the idea.
Grignon saw hemp as holding the possibility of being a “natural economic drive.” He recalled:
“So, I was brought on. We planted on July 7th, 2015. 3 acres. I was kind of in charge of monitoring the plants and taking care of them. I was on weed control and I’d go into the fields and pull them out by hand with other Menominees. That’s how I got into the whole thing.”
MENOMINEE HEMP FACED CONSTANT THREATS FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Menominees took all legal precaution prior in order to make this happen. They informed law enforcement of their laws and the fact that they had plans to grow that cultivation season. However, upon hearing this, the feds felt the need to come out and see the fields.
“There were some strong words between the attorney and my tribal leaders,” Grignon remembers.
“The feds were like, ‘we want you to uproot this stuff.’ And we said, ‘No, man. We abided by our government to government relations where we told you we were gonna do it, we passed the law, we had our community’s input on this law, nobody has an issue with it, and now we’re gonna move forward with it.’”
Marc Grignon helped legalize hemp in Wisconsin after police raided a Menominee hemp field in October 2015. (Photo: Marc Grignon)
Which is just what Grignon did. Nearly three months went by. He and the Menominees continued tending their 3 acres of hemp. Throughout this time, law enforcement sustained their efforts to stop the tribe from cultivating these crops.
OCTOBER 23, 2015: POLICE RAID MENOMINEE HEMP FIELDS
In fact, the tribe had a strong suspicion that they would be raided. Even though they followed all rules and regulations, Grignon says, “It’s a real cluster-fuck when it comes to federal Indian policy and federal Indian laws.”
On October 23rd, just when everything was in full bloom, Grignon drove to the fields to find police dressed in camo, fully armed with automatic weapons. He stood and watched as a bulldozer destroyed all his hard work.
Not only was this a giant blow to the operation, but it was an even bigger blow for the next season’s grow. For those plants contained the seeds the Menominees hoped to plant the following year.
Though Grignon was deeply upset, he wasn’t discouraged. In fact, in the months prior — when the Menominees were anticipating the raid — Grignon had reached out to an activist that would not only change his life but hemp’s future in the state of Wisconsin.
MARC GRIGNON’S HEMP ADVOCACY CONTINUES AFTER MENOMINEE HEMP RAID
This certain someone was John Trudell, a Native American author and political activist. Grignon reached out to Trudell in hopes of saving his 2015 harvest. Less than two weeks after feds destroyed it, he received a call from Hempstead Project Heart in which they wanted to carry out an education campaign.
When Trudell found out about the feds destroying the Menominee’s fields, he was very upset.
“He wanted to set up a legal defense fund and do whatever in his power to help us,” Grignon said. “And we took his help. But two weeks later, his cancer spread and he was taken into hospice.”
Grignon had gotten a phone call explaining this and how Trudell wanted to hire him onto Hempstead Project. Being that Trudell had been an idol of Grignon for most of his life, he felt the need to meet the man. Purely for the sake of discovering what the future held for both hemp and Native American culture.
“I flew out there and met him and he basically told me my reputation was on the line,” Grignon explains.
“When we talk about how screwed Indian country is and how dependent we are on the government, I look at hemp and I see a solution.”
“[He said] if I couldn’t get hemp legal in Wisconsin within a year then I wasn’t the person I say I am … everyone will tell you he’s the most intense individual you’ll ever speak to. And they’re absolutely correct.”
Trudell’s perspective on hemp was that “it couldn’t save us, but it could help us.”
Grignon admits he wasn’t able to make Trudell’s wish come true alone nor within a year. However, with the help of a coalition, he made hemp legal in Wisconsin.
CAN HEMP HELP BRING PROSPERITY TO INDIAN COUNTRY?
During Grignon’s time as a staff assistant for the Obama administratio, he saw many real problems he hopes to solve with hemp. This was during one of the previous times the government didn’t sustain proper funding and, in turn, partially shut down for a period of time.
Grignon saw how this affected Native American tribes who weren’t making big bucks off casinos. He knew those tribes depended on government grants. Not only does Grignon not agree with this, but it frightens him to think the Menominees can lose the ability to finance themselves whenever the government shuts down.
Grignon sees hemp as a way for the Menominees to financially sustain themselves. As a source of sustainable profit which may just bring the tribe back to their original roots.
“When we talk about how screwed Indian country is and how dependent we are on the government, I look at hemp and I see a solution.”
With Appreciation of Ministry of Hemp and Paul James
Paul James is a mental health advocate and screenwriter/blogger/journalist. His goal is to change perspectives on a variety of topics for the better sake of society’s progression.
by HempingtonPost | Dec 26, 2018
Hemp has vast potential as an environmentally benign source of many fundamentals of modern life.
Scott McGovern –This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com
The Farm Bill removes hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.
First and foremost, the 2018 Farm Bill nationally legalized hemp. Before, hemp with more than 0.1 percent THC was classified as a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, on par with heroin and ecstasy. This legislation dates back to the 1970s, but cannabis prohibition has deep roots going back to the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937.
hemp field on the prairies
Before this legislation, there was no legal distinction between hemp and marijuana. Though both are varieties of the cannabis plant, hemp contains only traces of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC, meaning that it cannot get you high. As stated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), “Cannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinols (THC), and cannabinols (CBN) and cannabidiols (CBD) are found in the parts of the cannabis plant that fall within the CSA definition of marijuana, such as the flowering tops, resin, and leaves.”
By signing the Farm Bill, Trump removed hemp from the Controlled Substance Act (CSA). Specifically, hemp that contains less than 0.3 percent THC now has legal standing distinct from psychoactive cannabis, or weed. This means that the DEA and U.S. Department of Agriculture can no longer curb, or prosecute, hemp farmers.
Related: The Next Big Thing in ‘Green’ Packaging Is Hemp Bioplastic
Major hemp farming and sale restrictions have disappeared.
Even when hemp was a Controlled Substance, hemp farming across the country did exist. This is thanks to industrial hemp pilot programs legalized by the 2014 Farm Bill. For example, New York’s Industrial Hemp Agricultural and Research Pilot Program allows universities to apply for licenses to research hemp cultivation. Businesses can also farm industrial hemp, with the proper licensing, per this new program.
But hemp farming is in its infancy. In 2017, 19 states were farming hemp under pilot programs. Thanks to hemp’s shaky legal status, cross-state hemp trade is difficult and hemp farmers do not have access to government subsidies or traditional methods of financing. Hemp farmers had to approach normal business considerations just like anyone in the cannabis industry — until Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill.
The Farm Bill replaces DEA restrictions with USDA regulations. This would mean that farmers can certify their hemp crops as organic or American grown and trade nationally and internationally. In broad terms, hemp can become like wheat, corn, and cotton in the eyes of the government, banks, researchers, and farmers.
Related: The Coming International CBD Boom and How it Will Disrupt the Marijuana Business
The U.S. hemp market could be worth over $10 billion by 2025, by conservative estimates.
Hemp product sales reached $820 million in 2017, up 16 percent from $688 million in 2016. This is only the beginning of the hemp boom: The entire hemp market will be worth $10.6 billion in 2025, according to Grand View Research. However, other estimates show the CBD market growing to twice that size in less time. By contrast, $10.6 billion appears conservative.
CBD sales could reach $22 billion annually by 2022.
CBD, the non-psychoactive cannabinoid otherwise known as cannabidiol that is found in hemp and marijuana, is one of the biggest contributors to hemp market growth. Today, CBD sales account for 23 percent of hemp product sales by market share.
Though cannabis research is still nascent, studies and personal accounts have already shown that CBD can dramatically reduce seizures, chronic pain, acne, anxiety, depression, nausea, addition, sleep disorder, and more. For all these reasons, medicinal and medical CBD oil and hemp oil use is growing.
And the fact that CBD cannot get you high makes it an incredibly versatile form of cannabis. In other words, a growing number of adults and children use CBD day-to-day.
CBD is only one of many types of hemp-derived products.
The Farm Bill could transform the way we make fuel, paper, textiles, building materials, plastics and much more.
Hemp is the strongest natural fiber in the world. Virtually anything can be made using hemp, including fuel, clothing, packaging, concrete, cosmetics, fiberglass, and other essential products. Hemp also contains nourishing omega-3 fatty acids, making it an increasingly popular dietary supplement.
Not only is hemp a stronger material than many of those it could replace, but it’s also more environmentally friendly and economical to farm. Cultivating hemp does not require pesticides or herbicides. Cotton farming takes 50 percent more waterto farm and 400 percent more water to process than hemp. One acre of hemp yields as much dry materials as four acres of forest. For all these reasons, hemp is one of the oldest and most-versatile crops in existence. Hemp prohibition is a modern invention.
Hemp’s various applications are nothing short of revolutionary. Today, industrial hemp only accounts for 18 percent of the market. Textiles and food derived from hemp account for 13 and 17 percent, respectively. Though a CBD market explosion may be the most immediate consequence of the Farm Bill, it’s only a fraction of what the hemp market could become. Cars, fuel, buildings, and other necessities of modern life can all be made more cheaply and sustainably with hemp.
Growing hemp could lift some of the burden placed on farmers by Chinese tariffs.
U.S. farmers, now more than ever, are in desperate need of an economical crop like hemp. Trump’s tariffs have caused major disruptions in U.S. trade with China. Specifically, China has levied a 25 percent tax on American soybeans, wheat, corn and sorghum in response to Trump’s $50 billion worth of tariffs imposed on Chinese goods in early 2018.
As a result, American farmers have taken a major hit. China bought $14 billion in U.S. soybeans in 2017. In July 2018 alone, the price of soybeans fell 14 percent as farmers struggled to sell off their crops. Though Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have agreed to postpone the $267 billion worth of tariffs to be levied against China on January 1, the still-existent 25 percent tax on American goods is still hurting U.S. farmers.
The Farm Bill gives farmers a viable alternative to soybean, wheat, corn and other commonly exported crops. And from the White House’s perspective, American-grown hemp puts a dent in Chinese hemp production. Since the U.S. has been unable to meet its hemp demands yet, we import around $60 million of hemp per year. Much of it comes from China, the world’s leading cannabis producer and researcher.
The Farm Bill benefits consumers, farmers — and Trump.
We’ve only scratched the surface of hemp’s many uses, not to mention its ability to curb some of America’s most pressing health and political problems. To name a few:
- Research has shown that CBD can help patients struggling with addiction, or serve as an alternative pain medication.
- Hemp fuel could be a viable alternative to fossil fuel.
- Hemp farming is more sustainable, versatile,and economical than any other large-scale crop farming.
The only thing that stands between the U.S. and a booming hemp market is outdated perception. Now that Trump has signed the Farm Bill, the hemp market is poised to change.
by JASREEN MAYAL KHANNA | Dec 14, 2018
Cherished By Ancient Civilizations, Hemp is a potential game-changer for the fashion industry
VOGUE MAGAZINE – JASREEN MAYAL KHANNA
Consider this. It takes 2,700 liters of water, 0.22 pounds of fertilizer, 0.1 pounds of pesticides and 1.2 pounds of fossil fuels to produce and transport a single cotton T-shirt in India.* That’s enough water for one person to drink for two and a half years—and we are a country affected by drought. How long does this T-shirt last in your wardrobe? Now think about the resources required to produce a pair of jeans or a sari.
In addition to this, studies on buying patterns reveal that the average consumer bought 60 percent more clothing from 2000 to 2014, but kept each garment for only half as long. We’ve all read the depressing statistics about the fashion industry being responsible for colossal levels of waste and damage to our rivers, oceans, and atmosphere. It is estimated that a truck full of clothing waste is being burned or landfilled every second! While many are concerned, the currently available sustainable fashion solutions are heavy on the pocket and require significant personal commitment. This is where hemp fiber steps in.
Hemp fiber or industrial hemp is obtained from the outer layer or the bast of the Cannabis sativa plant, which is more popular for producing marijuana or hashish. However, while marijuana contains 20 percent tetrahydrocannabinol content (THC) which causes the high when smoked, industrial hemp only contains 1 percent THC.
This fiber has some incredible properties: it conducts heat, dyes well, resists mildew, blocks ultraviolet light and has natural anti-bacterial properties. It is used in many industries including paper, biodegradable plastic, construction, health food, chemical clean-ups and fuel. Automobile companies like BMW use hemp fibre to reinforce their door panels for better safety standards. There’s even an urban legend that claims the first pair of Levis jeans were made from hemp!
Just so you know, hemp isn’t a new discovery at all. It was one of the earliest domesticated plants by mankind with roots dating back to the Neolithic age in China. Hemp has had numerous applications in ancient Indian, Chinese and Egyptian civilizations such a food, fiber, and medicine.
European explorers made sails and ropes out of hemp while Rembrandt and Van Gogh painted on hemp canvases. In fact, the American declaration of independence was drafted on hemp paper. However, during the industrial revolution, the mechanical cotton gin made it more efficient to produce cotton and thus hemp production decreased tremendously, albeit at the cost of the environment.
Today, there is a dire environmental crisis on our hands and the production of hemp fiber is a highly sustainable process. It is a carbon negative crop because it actually absorbs CO2 from the air. It can be produced with half the amount of water and land in comparison to cotton has thrice the tensile strength of cotton. It can also be easily blended with other fibers and doesn’t strip the soil of nutrients. On the contrary, hemp returns 60-70 percent of all nutrients back into the soil.
So why is hemp clothing not widespread?
Prior to the ’80s, hemp fibers had a very coarse texture and thus could not be used for apparel. However, in the 1980s, Chinese scientists made a breakthrough and figured out how to remove lignin from hemp fibers without compromising its strength. Today it is similar to linen and can be used to make anything that is made out of cotton. The fabric is porous and thus retains color and is very breathable. Hemp clothing is highly durable and does not lose its shape easily. The fact that it is anti-bacterial and blocks ultraviolet rays doesn’t hurt. Turning to hemp clothing is a big step you can take as a conscious consumer and will go a long way in saving our planet’s resources.
Is hemp the textile of the future? Sports brands like Nike and Patagonia use it in their athletic wear. In Mumbai, BOHECO is an organization that has been working with policymakers, scientists and farmer groups to position India in the exploding cannabis space worldwide. They are doing studies on the wild cannabis that is widespread in North India to standardize low THC seeds that could eventually be used to grow industrial hemp within the country’s legal stipulations.
BOHECO is involved in a number of exciting projects: they have developed hemp denim in conjunction with Arvind Mills, they are working with IIT Delhi on technology to process hemp fibres from the plant and also have also launched two hemp fabric brands. Label B sells hemp clothing at affordable prices via Boheco.organd is present in 10 boutiques across the country including Creo in Mumbai, People Tree in Goa and Mo Studio in Ahmedabad. Their second, newer label is called Hemp Fabric Lab (Hempfabriclab.com) where they sell this raw material to designers like Archer Design and Sui by Sue Mue. BOHECO is happy to sell this fabric to consumers with no minimum purchase requirements. Thus, you can order just 1 meter of fabric if you wish.
“The best part about hemp fabric is that it has the look of linen but the hand feel of cotton, says co-founder Yash P Kotak. “It gets better with every wash and is the strongest natural fiber known to man. We need to be more mindful in the fashion choices we make. Typically plan A is either cotton or polyester and that’s why we call our brand B label, which means it’s time for plan B. We urge mindful consumers to look for us: the alternative that is more environmentally supportive. Even making ten percent of your wardrobe sustainable would make a huge difference!”
Learn more about ethical practices in fashion with our Sustainability Matters series
Can hemp be the textile of the future?
by Herb .co | Dec 13, 2018
Rumour has it that the United States has been funding marijuana research for many decades. Israeli researchers have been investigating the plant on America’s coin, courtesy of an annual grant from the National Institute of Health. During this time, many countries have recognized the therapeutic potential of cannabis (either the whole plant or extracts such as CBD) – but the United States still deems marijuana to have “no medicinal value”.
Therefore, the question begs, if the US government is so steadfast in its opposition to medical cannabis, why has it funded – and why does it continue to fund – Israeli research for so long?
Fifty years of research
Marijuana activists will probably know Raphael Mechoulam, the godfather of cannabis who first discovered the psychoactive THC compound that has made the herb so sought after.
Mechoulam appealed to the National Institute of Health (NIH) in the 1960s to fund studies on marijuana. Not surprisingly, his request was turned down. Many assumed that was the end of it, but not quite.
A new report from Newsweek has revealed that the NIH contacted Mechoulam one year after his initial requiry. The story goes that an anonymous United States senator questioned the NIH on the actual effects of marijuana after catching his son smoking pot. But the NIH had no answer – while many had their own ideas of how cannabis impacted the body and brain, there was no scientific evidence to prove it.
This presented Mechoulam with an opportunity. Though federal law prevented studies on cannabis in the U.S., there was nothing to stop the NIH funding foreign programs – not that this was common practice, however.
But thankfully for Mechoulam, the NIH was willing to fund marijuana research to the tune of $100,000 a year to determine the health effects and therapeutic potential of the herb. This agreement started more than 50 years ago, and remains in place today. Did you ever wonder why so many cannabis studies come from the state of Israel?
Israeli medical discoveries
Mechoulam and his research team have made many exciting discoveries regarding the medical possibilities of marijuana over the past five decades. These include:
- Cannabinoids (compounds in marijuana) have neuroprotective qualities
- Cannabinoids help with brain injury recovery
- CBD (cannabidiol) is an effective epilepsy treatment – especially in children
- CBD reduces the chance of diabetes
- CBD is an antipsychotic compound
- Cannabinoids may be able to treat autoimmune conditions
This is just a glimpse of what Mechoulam and other Israeli scientists have found from studying cannabis. The research has garnered worldwide respect and remains a popular starting point for marijuana reform.
There’s no guarantee that medical marijuana would have the traction it does today if not for Mechoulam’s work. At home, the cannabis scientist has achieved widespread recognition for his efforts, winning multiple honors and awards.
Israel sets an example for the rest of the world on how to create a successful medical marijuana industry. Patients can access the herb for several ailments, such as chronic pain, arthritis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease and epilepsy.
U.S. government maintains “no medicinal value” stance
While $100,000 a year doesn’t last long in the world of marijuana research, it’s undeniable that more than $5 million over a 50-year period has been a huge help from a somewhat unlikely source.
But what has it all been for? The federal government and its agencies maintain that marijuana has no medicinal value, despite funding research which suggests the exact opposite.
Furthermore, before marijuana was choked by federal prohibition, doctors would happily prescribe the herb. Dr Alan Shackelford, who prescribes it in the marijuana-loving state of Colorado explained to Newsweek that the plant was “an integral part of American medicine” from the 1830s until it was banned, adding that it was “used safely and effectively.” Shackelford is also passionate about improving cannabis research.
Why the hypocritical stance?
Big pharmaceutical companies are trying to throw their financial weight around to stop the marijuana movement.
Large donations to anti-legalization groups are just one of the dirty tricks being played, and those who aren’t trying to prevent access want an exclusive part of the pie. Some companies have sought special permission from the U.S. government to test their cannabis-based medical products, in the hope of having a monopoly of the market in the event of legalization.
Meanwhile, caring doctors who recognize the possibilities of marijuana and want to prescribe it to their patients are unable to do so because the plant and its extracts remain Schedule I substances.
The federal government has shown a willingness to let states deal with marijuana how they wish, although Washington’s restrictive position still looms large, and DEA raids are not uncommon, even in legalized states.
Science is on the side of cannabis activists, and the time has come for the rights of individual citizens to choose how they medicate to be respected. The more battles that are won at the ballot box, the more likely that opposition forces concede the battle.
What are your thoughts on the legal status of marijuana in the United States and elsewhere? Is it time for a fresh approach? Let us know in the comments.
This article first appeared on Herb.co website.
by HempingtonPost | Dec 12, 2018
The $3.5 billion cannabis industry is one of the nation’s most energy intensive, often demanding 24-hour indoor lighting rigs, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems at multiplying grow sites.
Legal cannabis cultivation in the U.S. consumes an estimated 1.1 terawatt-hours of electricity a year, according to the 2018 Cannabis Energy Report, published by Scale Microgrid Solutions along with New Frontier Data and the Resource Innovation Institute. Companies managing these solutions are great ways to diversify your cannabis industry risk.
Indoor growers are looking to cut spiraling electricity consumption with custom-built microgrids in U.S. states where cannabis cultivation is legal. A company that seems to be in the right place at the right time to capitalize on this huge market inefficiency is CleanSpark, Inc. (CLSK)
CLSK has a unique microgrid solution for the cannabis industry. Their mPulse software reduces the monthly electricity bill of indoor grow-houses by up to 82%! They do this by virtually eliminating the demand charges that can account for almost 50% of the utility charges for such a facility.
Pressure is mounting on the cannabis industry to improve its margins after a lackluster 3rd quarter, companies like CLSK can help do just that.
The company just released an impressive letter to shareholders highlighting: an agreement for an $18.3 million ‘Zero Net Energy’ Microgrid with an S&P 500 Member Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), near completion on a $900,000 contract to install a ‘turn-key advanced microgrid system’ at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, has been awarded 2 patents, and updated an acquisition that could be a huge boost to the company’s year end revenues.
CLSK’s acquisition, Pioneer Custom Electrical Products, has delivered $32 million in products since 2016 and has $5 million in backlog. They have also received a $2.4 million equipment order as part of a contract for the new U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon which should end up on CLSK’s balance sheet.
Another company, Dominion Energy provides nearly 6 million customers in 19 states with electricity or natural gas, headquartered in Richmond, VA. The company is committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable, and safe energy and is one of the nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy with nearly $80 billion of assets providing electric generation, transmission and distribution, as well as natural gas storage, transmission, distribution, and import/export services.
by Steve Allin | Dec 5, 2018
This post was originally published on HempToday. Subscribe to our newsletter, check out our events and follow us on facebook, instagram and twitter.
In the “hemp world” currently there is a deafening roar of excitement around the medical uses of Cannabis. I have recently been bombarded with requests for advice about how to tack a hemp building plan onto a medical cannabis plan as a kind of after-thought.
The materials we obtain from the hemp plant can help us get back to basics but how about the basics of hemp? The original aspects of hemp are promoted as being able to provide great improvements to our environment, our quality of life and essentials such as food, clothing, and shelter.
As we pass the 10-year commemoration of the Great Crash of 2008, it is time to take stock of where we now find ourselves from a society and community perspective. Many media outlets have been reviewing the situation as we pass the decade mark since first Lehman Bros. and then the rest of the financial world very nearly completely collapsed. What is often forgotten is how we managed to avoid a complete disaster. Some people will remember terms such as “quantitive easing” or “debt restructuring” being bandied about at the time, and up until recently, you might be forgiven for thinking that these seeming solutions worked at least partly to fix things.
Meet Steve Allin at the International Cannabis Policy Conference Dec. 7-9 in Vienna.
I have two problems with this. First is that with the latest developments in plant breeding and regulations in Canada and the U.S., the focus has changed to growing flowers rather than biomass, resulting in either fields or glass houses full of individual plants. This does not help the small farmer or the environment, as was originally the aim of what I would recognize as the “hemp revival.” Secondly, as someone who has used primarily natural medicine all my life, it is approaching health from the wrong angle
Read the full story at HEMP Today
