New
cultivation
closer
to
U.S.
borders,
processing
technology
that
renders
hemp
seed
even
more
usable,
and
support
from
a
diverse
group
of
farmers,
politicians,
environmentalists
and
industries
including
such
notables
as
Ralph
Nader,
former
CIA
Director
James
Woolsey
and
Andrew
Weil,
M.D.,
may
make
hemp
a
serious
contender
for
market
share
among
natural
products.
Hemp,
the
worlds
oldest
cultivated
plant,
has
sat
in
the
dugout
of
American
industry
for
most
of
the
century,
but
new
research,
and
expanded
supply
of
raw
product
and
new
processing
technology
have
suddenly
given
rise
to
an
invitation
to
bat.
From
retail
sales
of
$75
million
in
1997,
hemp
sales
are
projected
to
reach
$600
million
in
2001
and
possibly
$1
billion
in
five
years,
according
to
the
Madison-based
North
American
Industrial
Hemp
Council.
Last
March,
the
Canadian
government
passed
legislation
allowing
the
commercial
cultivation
of
hemp-bringing
the
product
closer
to
the
U.S.
border.
But
80%
of
the
world’s
industrial
hemp
is
still
grown
in
China.
Overall,
hemp
has
25,000
applications
including
food,
body
care,
textiles,
automotive
parts,
carpets,
construction
materials
and
animal
bedding.
HempNut
makes
a
cheese
product
from
Hemp;:
Adidas
uses
hemp
in
tennis
shoes;
Kimberly
Clark
uses
hemp
in
a
line
of
skin
and
hair
care
products;
and
Grainassance
is
introducing
a
hemp
beverage
and
nutritional
bar.
Of
perhaps
most
interest
to
the
natural
products
industry,
however,
is
hemp’s
use
as
a
nutraceutical
and
cosmetical.
That’s
because
hemp
is
rich
in
essential
fatty
acids,
protein
and
B
and
E
Vitamins.
Among
edible
seed
oils,
it
has
the
most
balanced
composition
in
the
highest
level
of
the
essential
fatty
acids,
omega-3
linoleic
and
omega-6
linoleic.
Hemp
also
contains
gammalinolenic
acid.
Next
to
soybeans,
hemp
has
the
most
complete
protein,
but
hemp
is
more
digestible.
Canadian
food
researches
have
found
hemp
has
high
levels
of
antioxidants
that
remain
highly
stable
during
processing.
The
Body
Shop’s
hemp
line
has
been
very
successful,
the
company
says,
because
hemp
is
a
perfect
therapeutic
for
dry
skin
and
eczema-which
is
often
caused
by
an
essential
fatty
acid
deficiency.
This
spring,
Mississauga,
ON,
Canada-based
Hempola
will
launch
a
functional-foods
line
starting
with
hemp-based
salad
dressings.
“Hemp
is
going
to
play
an
amazing
role
in
the
development
of
functional
foods
because
it’s
not
only
nutritional,
it
actually
tastes
great-like
a
sunflower
seed,”
Hempola
President
and
founder
Greg
Herriott
says.
For
the
last
three
calendar
quarters,
Hempola
sales
have
doubled
each
quarter.
The
company
predicts
a
four-times
growth
multiple
for
total
revenue
in
the
next
fiscal
year
and
a
multiple
of
three
for
the
year
after
“And
those
are
the
conservative
numbers,”
Herriott
says.
In
addition,
with
new
seed-hulling
technology,
the
menu
of
hemp-based
food
products
can
now
expand.
In
January,
a
seed-hulling
facility
opened
in
Pain
Court,
ON-60
miles
north
of
Detroit,
making
it
the
closes
plat
yet
to
the
I.S.
marketplace.
The
$4
million
processing
plant,
owned
by
Kenex
Ltd.,
is
the
first
of
several
facilities
planned
for
Canada
in
the
next
two
to
three
years.
Hulling
hemp
seeds
provides
three
advantages,
says
John
Roulac,
president
of
Hempbrokers.com,
a
hemp
seed
marketing
firm
in
Sebastopol,
CA
and
secretary
of
NAIHC.
Hulled
hemp
seeds
are
versatile
and
can
be
used
in
hundreds
of
food
products,
including
nutrition
bars,
oils,
nondairy
milk
and
cheese,
nut
butter,
baked
and
packaged
goods
and
protein
powders.
Hulled
hemp
seeds
do
not
germinate
so
they
can
be
exported
to
the
U.S.
without
costly
sterilization.
Hulling
dramatically
lowers
levels
of
THC.
Hemp
is
distantly
related
to
the
marijuana
plant
but
its
THC
levels
are
too
low
to
produce
even
a
mild
“high.”
Hemp
cultivation
is
banned
in
the
U.S.
because
of
it’s
association
with
marijuana,
yet
hemp
can
be
grown
in
29
countries.
In
1998,
Kenex
harvested
2,000
acres
of
hemp
in
Canada.
“Part
of
our
hemp
will
go
to
the
U.S.
car
industry,
which
uses
hemp
to
make
door
panels,”
says
Ron
Miller,
Kenex’
marketing
and
sales
director.
The
potential
for
hemp
is
only
going
to
grow.”
