Volume 2, Issue 9, February 2000 ISSN 1488-3988
© 2000 AHEM, ARTHUR HANKS.

IN THIS ISSUE:

To the Editor
Top of the Crop
1) Border Status of Hemp Remains Unresolved
2) How Much Hemp?
3) Manitoba Supports Industrial Hemp Through ARDI Program
4) Nutraceuticals in Manitoba Industrial Hemp: Background and Objective
5) Northwestern Ontario Research 1999 Findings are Now Available
HCFR Seed Guide 2000, Part I
Pioneers of the Hemp Industry,by Jon Cloud
Comparison of Bast Fibre and Whole-Stalk Mechanical Pulps,by Wade Chute
Hemp Shorts
A) New Web site to Help Farmers Develop New Markets and Industry to Use New Materials
B) Hemp Times Magazine pulls out of print; Planet Hemp to become principally private label catalogue
C) Web Worthy: Globalhemp.com
D) Hemp Smoothie Recipe
Association News
Ontario Hemp Alliance Update
Upcoming Events
Feb. 29 -March 1:HEMP 2000 Speaker Series & Trade Show, Winnipeg, Manitoba
March 23-26, 2000 Natural Products Expo - West, Anaheim, CA
March 25-26: Northern Alternatives Conference, UNBC, Prince George, BC
March 30-April 2: Canadian Health Food Association's Expo West Conference & Trade Show, Anaheim, CA
April 6-8: The First National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, The University of Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, Iowa
May 13-14: Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo, Santa Cruz, CA
August 5-7: Natural Life Festival, St. George, Ontario
September 8-11: HIA Convention 2000, Ontario, Canada
September 12-14 : Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, Ontario
September 13-16: Bioresource Hemp 2000, Wolfsburg, Germany
September 22-26: Natural Products Expo East 2000, Baltimore, Maryland
Marketplace

MASTHEAD:

Publisher: AHEM
Editor: Arthur Hanks arthurhanks@hotmail.com
Sales, Sponsorship, and Distribution:
Jason Freeman jfreeman@ssm.net
Associate Editor:
Dr. Alexander Sumach rheading@becon.org

CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE:
Wade Chute chute@arc.ba.ca, Jon Cloud cloudmtn@interlog.com, David Marcus nathemp@interlog.com, Eric Pollit eric@globalhemp.com, Sasha Prytyk genx@net1fx.com , Dave Cull nozone@uniserve.com Gordon Scheifele gscheife@omafra.gov.on.ca , Lance Shafer shafer@canterra.com , Wade Swicord, Wade@voy.net , Jo-Ann Wilson jwilson@hemphasis.com

SUBMISSIONS: Submissions are most welcome. Please contact HCFR editor, Arthur Hanks, at arthurhanks@hotmail.com, with your story, research or information for inclusion in the HCFR. Please note we are always looking for good quality pictures and photos, submitted preferably in GIF or JPEG format.

Announcement, Annonce, Ansage,Aviso

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Editorial

Recently I met up a friend's parents who had come to Vancouver from Europe for a visit. They asked me what I did for a living and otherwise spent my time. I explained that I was a freelance writer, and that most of my productive work time was spent editing and published an Industrial Hemp Magazine on the Internet. This caused a more-than-brief conversational pause, and I don't think it was because their mother tongue was Dutch. More information was needed, and I gamely attempted to fill them in. Based on the chatter in Dutch that paralleled my English-only explanation, I think I only partially succeeded in getting my point across... Old World meet the New.

It is no accident that the rebirth of interest in industrial hemp in the 1990's has been paralleled by the rise of new technologies. Faxes, modems, the web, cable and cheap cellular communications have allowed hard-to- get, even esoteric information to spread from individual to individual. The control of information is no longer the privilege of a few individuals in government and big business; optimistically, information can now be introduced into our human networks at any point. This is a good thing.

The New Economy that seems to be arising in North America and in the World is often characterised as a Network economy and the worth of this network increases with every node that is introduced to it. Information, it is said, wants to be free, and increases in value as it shared. Some even theorise that information can be likened to a biological entity, and that it has a mission to replicate itself from host to host. You cannot control it; it seems to have its own life force.

However, let's not get carried away. While half of North American households are now reportedly wired, and there are an estimated 1 billion web sites out in the ether of the www, most of the world's population has never made a phone call. High technology IPO's still have to show some sort of operating profit. Like a touted NHL draft pick, potential can only take you so far. And if you are in the hemp industry, it still all comes down to the seed and soil and using the gift of hemp to create real value for our society in the form of food or fibre. The goods still have to be delivered and relationships still must be respected.

Let's not believe our own hype as we move into our third year of commercial production in this country. Those with some time and means are strongly advised to make their way next week to Winnipeg for the Hemp 2000 show (see Upcoming Events in this issue for full details). To all our far-flung readers, supporters and contributors who are a part of The HCFR, I hope to see you there.

Arthur Hanks
February 2000
Vancouver, BC
arthurhanks@hotmail.com

THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE. PRINT THIS ISSUE OUT ON HEMP PAPER

To The Editor:

re. HCFR January 2000, Volume 2, Issue 8, Some comments on Industrial Hemp in the United States: Status and Market Potential released by USDA, Jan 19th, 2000

"Despite the similarities between hemp and linen, the lack of a thriving textile flax (linen) US production sector (despite no legal barriers) suggests that hemp would not be able to sustain an adequate margin of profit for a large production sector to develop. "

This statement does not address a number of conditions:

Hemp's bast fibres are perhaps easier to process into textiles than linen and can be used in a much wider range of applications. e.g. as a carpet backing and whole carpet base, as well as fine blended fabrics.

At the same time, the tow and shorter fibres can be formed into large number of nonwoven geotextiles. Biodegradeable soil retention blankets; to stabilize slippages and control plantings along highways, and a hemp polypropelyne blended replacement for pink fibreglass insulation are excellent examples.

Plus there are wide ranging markets for the pithy core material, or hurds.

For the farmer, fibre hemp is a potential triple crop.

And of course, this USDA position is based on a 'globalised' market where the expediency of 'sourcing' materials from wherever they are cheapest far outweighs the benefits of local ingenuity. America grew cotton, and will continue to do so until the poisons required to support that business
make the reasons for doing so a lot less obvious.

"Although the market potential for hempseed as a food ingredient is unknown, it probably will remain a small market, like those for sesame and poppy seeds. "

"The prospects for hemp oil in food markets are limited by its short shelf life, the fact that it can't be used for frying, and its lack of US Food and Drug Administration approval as "generally recognized as safe."

Both these statements fail to take into account two very important factors:

With the use of dehulling equipment, hemp protein is available as an alternative to soya protein for use in the same range of products. Hemp does not require genetic modification or massive use of herbicides and pesticides to generate that food supply.

There is a groundswell of public awareness building, that will result in large numbers of people prepared to pay for food guaranteed free from genetically modified organisms, and industrial chemicals. Organically grown hempseed-based products are closely joined with the healthy food market, presently entering a period of unprecedented growth.

Freshly pressed hemp oil, available from your local market, is poised to become part of the coming lifestyle choice. The lack of a USFDA approval rating says more about the political baggage attached to any product with the word 'hemp' in its resume, than to real world concerns about safety.

Overall, hemp production was profitable only at the higher end of the estimated yields and prices reported in four State analyses summarised in the Estimated Costs and Returns Section of the USDA report. It seems questionable that US producers could remain profitable at the low end of the estimated net returns for hemp, particularly given the thinness of current US hemp markets.

The 'thinness' of US hemp markets is an artificial construct. Lack of a consistent, affordable supply of the raw material has forced the industry into supplying specialty high value products to a limited 'niche' market. Successful agricultural production of hemp in Canada has brought a change in this situation into view. Perhaps that explains why the 'Drug Warriors' are so busy just now, rewriting the law to suit their own agendas.

Dave Cull, nozone@uniserve.com

(Note: The following letter was previously submitted to the Chattanooga Times-Free Press)

Editor Times:
Ref: Tuesday's business page article on lack of demand for hemp (USDA report).

Hemp was the major industrial world agricultural crop 100 years ago. It has over 2000 uses, can produce up to eight tons of biomass per acre in the US, is basically resistant to most infections and most significantly can replace, economically, many of the petrochemical products. If properly cultivated, it would make a highly competitive and desirable pulp, concrete, insulation and sheet wood material.

All industries addressed on the subject were quite interested, including composites, which is likely to be the future material from which air, ground and water vehicles are constructed. In many applications hemp is superior to nylon and can be quite competitive in price. In France houses are built and the Queen of England beds her horses down in a hemp product.

There is a large force determined to keep this product off the market. Farmers in Kentucky, a leading hemp producing state in the 1800's, Banded together and demanded to be allowed to grow hemp. An official said that they could not allow the farmers to take this chance since its economic value was unknown. This from the land of free enterprise.

The problem here is not a matter of demand but a matter of supply. The illegality of hemp has driven its price beyond the competitive range and made the supply quite undependable. One paper producer asked for a large quantity commitment and threw in the towel when the price was five times that of wood. The US drug policy has caused a good part of the world to follow suit and make hemp illegal. Many are seeing their mistake as Canada did and even then, the DEA tried to block imports, previously legal, from Canada.

The referenced article supports a highly organised effort at control that is quite detrimental to our society. It is time for concerned individuals to join together and create a strong educational service for the public.

Wade Swicord, Wade@voy.net

Have an opinion?: The HCFR invites commentary, opinions and letters to the editor. Feedback posted may be edited for brevity, grammar and content.

Organic and Conventionally Grown Hemp Seed
Breeding, Production and Market Development
Fin 314: High Yielding Oilseed Hemp Variety
* Record Yield in '99: 2,012 lbs/acre * Exceptional Oil Profile * Early Maturity/Easy Harvest *

Top Of The Crop

1) Border Status of Hemp Remains Unresolved

With the recent recommendations that have been handed over to US Customs by the ONDCP there is a big, black cloud hanging over the 49th parallel. Though Canadian hemp exporters and American importers have feared heavy weather, the massing clouds have not burst yet. And the weatherman predicts sunshine is a long way off.

Since the dissemination of the January 6th memo that defines all hemp containing any amount of THC as a Controlled Substance in the US, Industry Canada's Ron Krystynak notes that there has been no reported stops or seizures at the border.

"Things are quiet in a sense," says Krystynak. "Our observation is that US Customs is not doing testing, and they are accepting the declarations of Canadian companies. We are continually being informed of the situation".

He emphasises that if there are any problems that the industry let the Canadian government know, and action will be taken.

"Industry Canada is providing technical support that we can, but we are telling our producers that there are no guarantees. "

Canadian officials met with the ONDCP in February to explain the kinds of controls that have been erected around the hemp industry in Canada. "My guess is that they felt fairly comfortable and reassured with our relatively thorough system of controls; e.g.; licensing, testing, GPS requirements, <10 ppm standard, and adherence to the OECD list, " says Krystynak.

Some time was also spent by Health Canada sharing data on the regulatory program with their American counterparts.

Canada, of course, is asking for clearer guidelines so that there will be some security in making exports to the US. Krystynak's understanding is that the ONDCP is currently reviewing its policy on industrial hemp. "Our expectations is that this will take some time, " he says.

While there is no clear indication of the ONDCP timetable, the DEA and ONDCP are feeling pressure to develop policy on two fronts; the issue of imports, particularly those of Canadian origin, and regulating domestic growth. While a bill was recently defeated in New Hampshire, the legislative drive in favour of hemp continues to rise on the stare level. In the field, speculation is that North Dakota may very well be the second state to plant industrial hemp with a (Hawaii-size) planting this summer.

Ron Krystynak of Industry Canada can be reached at (613) 759-7653.
Keep in touch with trade issues at www.hempembargo.com .

2) How Much Hemp?

Hemp trade issues, coupled with the release of last month's USDA report, also raises the question of how much hemp are we talking about anyway. While the Federal Government has figures on licensed acreages, no one has actual production figures for the domestic industry or the value of hempseed and hempseed derivatives that are being shipped to the US. Industry-supplied statistics on the value of the North American hemp industry that are often published (see By the Numbers in HCFR #8) are always claimed to be "estimates". It is often unclear what economic activity these kinds of numbers represent.

Since Canada had reintroduced hemp as a commercial crop in 1998, information has been collected on the following categories: tow and waste exports, "true" hemp yarn exports, and "true" hemp raw and retted exports (see figures 1,2,3 below). There is no data that has been collected on hemp food or grain products.

Fig 1. True Hemp Raw and Retted Exports

Fig 2. Tow and Waste Exports-including yarn waste and garnetted stock

Fig 3. True Hemp Yarn Exports

In each of these cases, exports in all these categories have dropped in correlation with the uncertainty of the "Hemp Embargo" (August 1999 through to October/November; IndCan data is not available yet for the whole year.) The value of hemp food, oil, grain, cake, dehulled seed and bird seed, which currently represents much if not most of the industry's economic activity, and is most affected by the new border recommendations, is unknown.

Juan Miranda, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, explains that Statistics Canada handles all of this form of data collection. A request has been put in to start measuring hemp oil and grain exports and it is likely that this data will start being collected in 2001.

Sources of graphs: Industry Canada

3) Manitoba Supports Industrial Hemp Through ARDI Program

Manitoba Agriculture, through its Agri-Food Research and Development Initiative (ARDI), gave out $250,000 in grants to six research projects concerning hemp in 1998. Successful applicants include Prairie Hemp, Consolidated Growers and Processors, Websar Laboratories, Hemp Oil Canada and Leson Environmental Consulting.

To date, the results of one project, Nutraceuticals in Manitoba Industrial Hemp, (ARDI Project # 98-161) conducted by Websar Laboratories with co-applicant CGP, has been made publicly available.

Other projects that have been funded include: Development of Hemp Production and Processing Capability (Prairie Hemp with The Great AgVenture Consulting), A Commercial-Scale Evaluation of Hemp to Determine Optimum Production (CGP with CABSI, McElroy Seeds Farm, Canterra Seeds, and Manitoba Agriculture), Natural Air Drying of Industrial Hemp Seed (CGP with Keho Alta Products Ltd. and the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute), Development of Hemp Food Products and Processes (Hemp Oil Canada with Ohio Hempery, Hempfields and HempNut Corporation) and Evaluating Interference of the THC Levels in Hemp Food Products with Employee Drug Testing (Leson Environmental Consulting with North American Industrial Hemp Council, Hemptech and others). No results of these five projects have yet been made public.

4) Nutraceuticals in Manitoba Industrial Hemp: Background and Objective
(ARDI Project # 98-161)

Industrial hemp and marijuana are different strains of Cannabis sativa. Marijuana has traditionally been recognised in a number of cultures as having medicinal properties. Use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in Canada is currently under review by Health Canada at the direction of the Federal Health Minister. The benefits associated with the medicinal actions of marijuana have been attributed to the class of compounds known as cannabinoids, the best known being the psychotropic delta 9-THC. A number of the other cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN), have also shown evidence of medicinal properties, but are not psychotropic. This project examined locally produced industrial hemp to assess the amounts of CBD and CBN present in various plant parts.

Results and DiscussionTissue, chaff, stalks and seed were tested for four hemp varieties: Fedora 19, Zola 11, Felina 34, and Zola 13. Results indicate that all samples contained both CBD and CBN, with CBD at levels considerably higher relative to the permitted levels of delta 9-THC (0.3%) and CBN at levels lower (but still quantifiable) relative to the permitted levels of delta 9-THC.

Levels of CBD were considerably higher in the tissue tested at the end of the growing season than they were in chaff that had been dried and stored for several months. Although levels of CBD in chaff were somewhat lower than in the tissue, they were still considerably higher than permitted levels of delta 9-THC. It may be that the level of CBD in dried chaff declines somewhat in storage. Levels of CBD in tissue were considerably higher than those found in the stalks. Levels in seed screenings were somewhat less than those in the tissue and chaff, but a least 10 times greater than those found in the stalks.

CBN levels were no more than a few percent of the permitted levels of delta9-THC. Otherwise, CBN levels in general followed the same pattern as those of CBD except that in the tested tissue analysed before the end of the growing season, the levels of CBN are lower than those in the stored chaff. CBN is a metabolite of delta 9-THC in Cannabis sativa L. Therefore, the CBN levels might be expected to increase if storage led to the degradation of delta 9-THC. There is evidence in the literature to suggest that this transformation may occur.

Conclusions: The results of this study clearly indicate that industrial hemp grown in Manitoba contains several of the cannabinoids with nutraceutical potential and therefore, has potential in the nutraceuticals area for value-added processing to recover these cannabinoids. It is also clear from the results that relatively high levels of CBD and moderate levels of CBN are to be found in the chaff, which is currently an agricultural waste.

For full briefs on all of these projects, check out: www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/research/ardi/projects/hemp.html
For more information about ARDI, check out: www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/research/ardi/index.html

5) Northwestern Ontario Research 1999 Findings are Now Available

Five articles by Gordon Scheifele accounting for his 1999 research season in Northern Ontario are now posted on OMAFRA's web site ( full all of OMAFRA's Hemp Series, check out www.gov.on.ca/OMAFRA/english/crops/hort/hemp.html) . One of the articles, A Discussion on Cannabis Cannabinoids - THC & CBD , was presented in out last issue (HCFR #9). The reports summarise a wide range of agronomic factors associated with growing the crop in the region, with implications for hemp growing at almost any latitude and climate in northern latitudes. Taken as a group, the studies provide an objective analysis for many of the more popular approved cultivars that were grown across Canada in 1999.

The articles that are now available include:

• 1999 Agronomic Field Studies to Determine Factors Effecting Hemp Grain Production in Northern Ontario
• 1999 Report on Environment and Latitude Effect on THC Levels of Industrial Hemp Varieties Grown in Ontario
• 1999 Studies on Factors Effecting Hemp Oil Extraction From Hemp Grain Grown in Northern Ontario
• A Discussion on Cannabis Cannabinoids - THC & CBD
• THC Levels in Hemp Grain and Oil From Northwestern Ontario in 1999

For more information about , please contact Gordon Scheifele, Northwestern Ontario Research Co-ordinator, Kemptville College/OMAFRA at gscheifele@omafra.gov.on.ca

HempCyberFarm™

HempCyberFarm™ at HempCyberFarm.com is your source for hemp farming information. HempCyberFarm™ is a hemp farming discussion platform since 1995. Sell your harvest here! Find hemp seed vendors here! Exchange hemp farming experiences. Our on-site library contains a large selection of articles related to hemp farming to further one's knowledge. Web site: http://HempCyberFarm.com  e-mail: Matthew@HempCyberFarm.com © Copyright 1999 All rights reserved. HempCyberFarm ® is a registered trademark of HempWorld, Inc.

HCFR Seed Guide 2000, Part I

Health Canada has released its List of Approved Cultivars for the Year 2000 Growing Season. The following varieties are approved for commercial cultivation and may contain variety names that are synonyms for the same variety. There are 23 seeds on the list:

Anka (Canada); FIN 314 (Canada/Finland), US0 14, USO 31, Zolotonosha 11, Zolotonosha 15 (Canada/Ukraine), Fasamo (Canada/Germany); C S, Carmagnola, Fibranova (Italy); Fedora 19. Fedrina 74, Felina 34, Ferimon, Fibrimon 24, Fibrimon 56, Futura (France), Fibriko, Kompolti, Kompolti Hybrid TC, Kompolti Sargaszaru, Uniko B (Hungary), Lovrin 110 (Romania).

Effective January 1^st, 2000, all seed planted in Canada must be of pedigreed status (Certified or better.) This means that planting seed can no longer be imported from countries that are not members of these seed schemes of the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development and that of the Association of Official Certifying Agencies.

No varieties are exempt from routine field testing or required sampling and tested. No seed on this year's list is to be double tested.

Health Canada warns that "In both 1998 and 1999, a small percentage of reported test results for … Fedora 19, Future, Kompolti and Uniko B were questionable. Elevated test results came mainly from test production." While these varieties are available for commercial purposes, an eye is being kept on them to determine the reason for the higher than 0.3% production in some cases.

No one seed can do everything. Not all seeds are created equal, and depending on the end use producers and contractors will have some choices to make. Fibre producers may want to try one of the longer growing Romanian or Hungarian varieties; the growing value of hempseed as a food, for example, has also nutritional criteria which not all seeds may have; low level THC strains may be desired by others.

This issue, we will take a quick look at the three "short" varieties that are available on the marketplace. Next month, we'll go through some of the French and Slavic seeds that are available. Italian breeds have historically been in very limited supply and may not be available, though they are allowable.

Note that GST may in fact be charged on hempseed for 2000; check with your seed seller for the application of this statute on planting seed.

The HCFR welcomes all seed commentary and information.

Anka:is the first Canadian-bred cultivar developed by Peter Dragla of the Industrial Hemp Seed Development Company. While there is limited research information on this seed, small quantities will be available on a commercial basis this year. Anka is an early grain variety that grows to small stature (1-2m ) (Check out Gordon Scheifele's 1999 research for some test results).

Contact: KENEX LTD. , RR #1, Pain Court, Ontario, Tel: 519-351-9922, Fax: 519-352-6667 E-mail seed@kenex.com; www.kenex.com

Fasamo: Fibre Quality: Fasamo is 18% fibre and fibre length is 180 cm. Comparisons with other varieties are not available. Numerous quality parameters are used to define hemp fibre. If additional information is required, please provide a list of the quality parameters required and will send these out to a quality lab for testing.

Meal / Cake: Hempseed is generally very high in crude fibre. On average across the species, fibre levels in seed are 26%. We do not have numbers indicating specific % of fibre for Fasamo. Typically, however, there is an inverse relationship between oil content and fibre % in seed. As oil content goes up, fibre goes down. Fasamo is mid range in oil and so it is likely to be mid range in fibre. If more detail is required, we will send material for testing.

Oil Profile: The fatty acid Gamma-linolenic acid is variable within the hemp species. It ranges from 1.2% to 3.9%.

Gamma-linolenic acid results from the official German testing agency FAL follow: USO 14 3.9%, Fasamo 3.8%, Kompolti 1.2%, Futura 771.9%.

Oil content is also available: Fedora 19 33.4%, Felina 34 34.8%, Kompolti 34.4%, Futura 77 34.1%, Fasamo 31.0%, Fedrina 74 29.5%, USO 11 30.8%, USO 14 29.2%, USO 31 30.4%, Zolotonosha 15, 30.1%.

Source: CANTERRA SEEDS, 43 Scurfield Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ph: 1-877-439-7333, Fax: 204-482-7682 hemp@canterra.com , www.canterra.com

FIN-314: is a hemp variety uniquely suited to seed production in Canada, with exceptional agronomic and nutritional characteristics. Acknowledged by many experts to be a superior cultivar.

Characteristics: Short growth habit (5 ft. max), Short growth period (90-99 days), High yields reported (up to 2000 lbs./acre), Exceptional oil content & profile (high GLA and SDA levels, as well as a perfect balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids), High GLA content (>4%), High protein (26%). Non-branching, limited straw production, easy harvest using conventional grain equipment. The crop may be swathed or straight-combined at low moisture (<15%) without any danger of fibre plugging up machinery.

FIN-314 demonstrates superior flexibility in terms of planting and harvesting dates. It is adapted to northern climates and will mature in any cultivated zone of Canada. In the northernmost farming regions, it is currently the only variety that can be counted on to ripen early enough for seed production.

Projected oil yields of common oilseeds vs. hemp

Source: GEN-X RESEARCH INC, 1237 Albert St., Regina, Sask., Phone: 306-525-6519: Fax: 306-569-5938, genx@net1fx.com

OPINION:

PIONEERS OF THE HEMP INDUSTRY:
By Jon Cloud

Cloud Mountain just completed a two day agricultural trade show. If anyone has ever attended a trade show they know how hard it is. The staff gets exhausted answering the same questions over and over again. It is no different when it comes to the topic of hemp field production techniques. Let me give you the answers we repeated deliver at the show and see if you can give me the questions being asked most frequently.

The answer, "There is a lot of misinformation being spread about hemp. It is not something that is easy to grow and will provide you with the financial resources that allow you to move to Florida while permanently abandoning your Canadian health care program."

Now see if you can fill in the question the farmer is asking about hemp. The question is usually asked in the following fashion. "Is it true what I hear about hemp? Can farmers grow hemp an receive big returns? I have read a lot of articles on hemp and is hemp as easy to grow as everyone says ?" The truthful answer is that hemp is not easily grown on any type of soil and it is not going to make you rich enough to move to Florida.

Location selection is the most important thing you can consider. Location includes soil types, access to water, ability to control weeds and soil fertility.

The hemp industry is very much like the organic industry 30 years ago. The volume of product is small and we are still learning how to produce hemp organically while giving the farmers a decent living for their labour. (Yes, I'm that old to have been one of the re-inventors of the organic industry).

The organizational development of most industries follows a predetermined path of developmental stages. This in not much different from the Erickson psychological developmental stages for a child. As each new industry is born the child must master skills in order to progress. Clearly, the hemp industry is in the beginning stages of its second life.

This is just like the organic industry. Both of these industries existed previously in North America. Field production techniques had been developed over the six thousand years of agricultural existence. However, for political and economic reasons, both fell from grace and were relegated to obscurity on the annual crop reports for North America. For all political reasons these industries disappeared in North America. Yet in the end, Common Sense will prevail returning these industries to their logical and rightful place in the sun.

As we move the hemp industry forward into the next developmental stage, we should look closely at the lessons and skills acquired by our older sister, the organic industry. First, we must strive to be clear about the reality of the hemp industry. It is a new born with a very fragile existence.

Information on production techniques must be clear and accurate. The hype and misinformation about the wonders of hemp need to be removed. Hemp is not the greatest thing since sliced bread and the panacea for all the ills of North American farmers. It is hard to grow good quality hempseed. This is no different than any other crop. The market is shallow and thousands of acres being brought into production will destroy the farmer's economic viability for raising the hemp. Farmers have already seen prices erode very heavily over the past two years.

Clearly, processors, retailers and consumers are not aware of the impact of declining prices on farmers. Further, contrary to popular hype, hemp is hard on the land. You can not remove all the seed and fibre from a field with out activating a strip mining mentality. With seed and fiber removed the soil fertility plummets leaving a tired soil even more depleted.

Organic production requires you to make a conscious effort to improve your soil fertility. If you take everything off the field and put nothing back on the field it is logical the soil fertility can only decline. This is just Common Sense. (Which brings to mind another question, "Why is Common Sense so uncommon?")

Secondly, we must understand the hemp industry, like the organic industry (effectively eliminated by the 1950's) should not go back to the field production techniques used at the time of its demise. Rather, we need to utilize the technological and scientific developments from the past century if we are to make hemp field production financially viable for the farmers. Nostalgia has its place in the tourist business but has no place in making growers financially viable. The pioneers of our industry are not the processors and marketers with the flashy labels and quick sales pitch about the benefits of hemp oil. The pioneers are the farmers, researchers, and field support people struggling with the field production techniques.

Only when the crops are economically viable for the farmers will the hemp industry have the consistent supply of raw material that enables an industry to grow. The pioneers are the farmers who have endured exorbitant seed cost, lousy seed (70% germination of varieties breed and raised in non-North American bio-regions), government licensing delays, teenagers trampling their fields to steal leaves to sell to their friends, and poorly selected high THC varieties which render the crop unsaleable. The farmer's untold frustrations will lead this industry through the development stages that will one day make this industry and adult.

To you the farmers experimenting with hemp production, we, the industry, give our appreciative acknowledgment and thanks for all you have endured for the industry.

Jon Cloud of Cloud Mountain Inc in Toronto, Ontario is a is a frequent contributor to the HCFR . He can be reached at cloudmtn@interlog.com.

Check out the comprehensive 1999 Canadian industrial hemp crop and market wrap-up prepared by  the Hemp Futures Study Group in the forthcoming issue of the Journal  the International Hemp Association - (back issues online at www.HempCyberFarm).

BioHemp Technologies Ltd.
North America's largest wholesaler of certified organic hempseed oil products: Drums, pails, bottles, capsules
New! Certified Organic Hemp Flour.
For sales and inquiries, call Jason Freeman at 604-255-7979,
or email: jfreeman@biohemp.com

Comparison of Bast Fibre and Whole-Stalk Mechanical Pulps
By Wade Chute, Alberta Research Council

Background:
Hemp stalks contain two different types of fibre: "bast" (the long, strong fibre found in the outer part of the plant) and "hurds" (the short, bulky fibre found in the inner part of the plant). Both types of fibre can be used to produce pulps for paper making, although the bast fibre is of greater interest to the Pulp and Paper Industry because of its superior strength properties compared to wood.
Historically, hemp pulps have been prepared from bast fibres alone using chemical pulping processes followed by mechanical beating or disc refining to develop the necessary strength properties. Since the bast fibre accounts for only one-third of the stalk's mass, using only bast fibres in the pulping process triples the raw material cost compared to using the whole stalk. As a result, these pulps are currently used only in specialty paper grades, such as currency, fine papers, cigarette papers, coffee filters and tea bags.

The objective of this study is to produce and compare the properties of mechanical pulps made from whole-stalk and bast fibre hemp.

Results and Discussion:
In previous studies (at the Alberta Research Council and elsewhere), significant problems were encountered with fibre tangling and plugging at the inlet of the 12" lab refiner. Therefore, in this study, the primary processing procedure was made to be particularly aggressive to ensure that the material was small enough to be fed properly into the refiner. This processing may have resulted in excessive damage to the fibres, as the quality results were significantly lower than expected (this was confirmed in subsequent chemical pulping studies, the results of which are not reported here). The effect of primary processing method and extent on the resultant pulp quality will be the subject of a future study.

Graph 1 shows the relationship between bulk and breaking length for each of the two furnishes. For a particular breaking length, the whole stalk hemp sample is significantly bulkier than the bast fibre sample alone. As a result, less fibre is required to produce paper of a given thickness or a given tensile strength, resulting in lower raw material costs.

Graph 2 shows the relationship between tear index and tensile strength. As expected, the tear index at a particular breaking length was lower for whole stalk pulp versus bast fibre pulp. This is readily explained by the presence of the shorter fibre from the hurd, since tear strength is proportional to the square of the weighted average fibre length. The implications of this are that whole-stalk hemp pulps are inherently weaker than their bast fibre counterparts.

Graph 3 shows the relationship between breaking length and freeness (a measure of the drainage rate of water from pulp suspensions). To achieve a particular breaking length, whole-stalk hemp must be refined considerably more than bast fibre hemp, potentially increasing the net energy requirements to produce a suitable pulp for paper making. Future studies will be directed at quantifying the differences in energy requirements for whole stalk versus bast fibre pulps.

From an economic standpoint, processing whole stalk hemp for pulp and paper offers several advantages. Since the hurds represent roughly two-thirds of the mass of the stalk, converting them to pulp significantly reduces the raw material cost per tonne of pulp produced. Decortication and screening stages prior to mechanical pulping can also be avoided to further reduce the processing cost. Although the presence of hurds has been shown to reduce the strength properties of the pulp, they may provide a better printing surface than bast pulps alone (in many cases, print quality is of equal importance to paper makers as pulp strength). Future studies will be directed at finding the optimum conditions in which to process each component separately, then recombine them in the ratio best-suited for the particular end-use.

Experimental:
Primary processing:
The raw material used for this study was a mixture of French cultivars. Whole stalk hemp was decorticated using a pair of fluted rollers, then hammermilled through a coarse screen and separated into two piles. One pile was screened to remove as much of the hurd component as possible (thus creating the bast fibre furnish for the study). The other pile was left unscreened and was used as the whole-stalk furnish for the study. Both samples were hammermilled again, this time through a 1mm x 10mm slotted screen prior to pulping.

Chelation:
Each furnish was soaked in water/DTPA solution at 60(C for 3 minutes to chelate any transition metals present in the furnish (transition metals catalyse peroxide decomposition), then centrifuged to remove any free moisture.

Pretreatment:
Following the chelation stage, each furnish was pretreated in a mild alkaline peroxide solution at T=70(C for one hour. The pH was then adjusted to between 7 - 8 using dilute sulphuric acid and centrifuged to remove the free moisture.

Refining:
The material was then transferred to a pressurized 12" lab refiner and preheated for 3 minutes at 40 psig steam pressure. The material was refined in a single pass using 47 and 83 kilowatt-hours per air-dry metric tonne (ADMT) for the bast fibre and whole-stalk furnishes, respectively.

Beating:
To observe the fibre quality development with beating, samples of the refined material were processed in a PFI mill over a range of 2000 - 8000 revolutions.

Testing:
Handsheets were formed from the PFI-processed samples and tested for bulk, tear index, breaking length, burst index and stretch. Each sample was also tested for freeness.

Conclusions:
1. Primary processing can result in damage to the fibre, which translates to a weakening of the resultant pulps made from raw materials thus processed.
2. Whole-stalk hemp mechanical pulps are, on the whole, weaker than their bast fibre counterparts. This is particularly noted by the decrease in tear strength when the shorter hurd fibres are present during processing.
3. Refining whole stalk hemp pulps to a specified breaking length target potentially increases the amount of refining energy required (compared with refining bast fibre hemp pulps).

Acknowledgements:
The author would like to thank Colin Cathrea, Jason Sudyk, Sofia Vichnevsky, Tracey Mehmal and Alain Lozier of the Alberta Research Council, as well as Evelyn David of Indigo Prints, for their involvement in the design, operation and data analysis for this study.

Wade Chute chute@arc.ab.ca is Senior Research Engineer-Agrifibres at the Alberta Research Council. He is responsible for the development of annual fibre pulps for paper making. Current research focus includes hemp, flax, and cereal straws (check out
www.arc.ab.ca/pp )

Now available: Ruth's Hemp Tortilla Chips (made with hemp flour, organic corn and non-GMO canola) in three great flavours. Treat yourself to Ruth's Hemp Pastas (with wheat and wheat-free) and Salad Dressings (three flavours available). Also available: Certified Organic Hemp/Flax Oil and (non-organic) 100% Hemp Oil. Coming soon: Hemp and Whole Wheat Wraps, and the incredible vegan Hemp PatŽ. Ask for these products in your local store.
For more information, please visit www.ruthsfoods.ca . Hemp and Health food stores: please contact Ruth to locate the distributor nearest you: e-mail info@ruthsfoods.ca, or call 416-588-4209.

Hemp Shorts

A) New Web site to Help Farmers Develop New Markets and Industry to Use New Materials

Memphis-based Agro-Tech Communications, has announced the launch of a new web site - agfibertechnology.com . The goal of the new site is to provide farmers, processors and manufacturers timely information about agricultural fibers and their role in emerging biobased industries. "With over 60% of U.S. farmers now on the internet, the time is right to bring those farmers together with innovative industries to use their products in new and exciting ways", says company president and cofounder, Peter Nelson. "Agricultural fibres are the building blocks of emerging industries that are manufacturing biobased products. Agfibertechnology.com will provide the farmer with the most information to capitalise on these emerging markets," says Nelson.

Agfibertechnology.com will be launched on March 1, 2000 and will be capitalising on growing national and international interest in biobased products. Biobased products are non-food, non-feed products produced from natural, agricultural materials. Biobased products provide inherent benefits to the environment, industry and the bottom line for the farmer.

Site features will include weather, commodities and markets, links, news, an online resource store, upcoming events and much more. The site is being designed in a joint venture with Conaway Brown of Memphis, a 44 person advertising and marketing firm serving agribusiness and corporate clients throughout the US and the World.

Register for site updates and other information by clicking: www.agfibertechnology.com

For more information, contact Agro-Tech Communications at email: fiber@netten.net Ph: 901-757-1777, or on the web at www.agrotechfiber.com

B) Hemp Times Magazine pulls out of print: Planet Hemp to become principally private label catalogue

Hemp Times magazine and the Planet Hemp catalogue have announced a change in delivery systems. Beginning with the next editions- the Winter 00 Hemp Times magazine and the Spring/Summer Planet Hemp catalogue - both publications will move to Internet delivery instead of print. Both publications will also be merged into one combined web site, planethemp.com.

"This change is due to the rapid growth of our Internet traffic," said John Howell, editor/publisher of Hemp Times and managing director of Planet Hemp. "Planet Hemp's web business tripled during the holiday season, andHemp Times' web visits continue to grow, with over 20,000 unique viewers (bookmarkers) a month. Coupled with increasing wholesaler mergers in the print category, in which monopoly distributors charge small magazines increasing premiums for delivery, and with continuously rising postage and printing costs, this changeover makes economic sense for us."

"Electronic delivery has become the primary vehicle for Hemp Times and Planet Hemp during the last year. Now that 40 million households are wired up and over 50% of them use the Internet daily (in the US), the advantages are obvious. And merging Hemp Times and Planet Hemp onto one web site allows us to bring together all the unique viewers who now plug into each separately, creating a combined audience of over 80,000 for our information and our products."

The Winter 00 issue of Hemp Times will be available on the Internet at the revised planethemp.com site by late February, said Howell.

Planet Hemp will also undergo a shift in marketing philosophy, from offering a wide variety of goods by many companies to a principally private label, logo-item line of products. "This change allows us to concentrate on expanding the volume of sales," explained Howell. "Increasing the quantity of items sold and doing so on a principally private label basis is key to driving profits for Planet Hemp in 2000." Assorted goods from a select list of other companies will continue to be offered by Planet Hemp.

For more information contact: John Howell, publisher, at The Hemp Company of America, Tel: 212-260-0200, Fax: 212-982-2732; or at Hemp Times magazine 212-387-0677.
To reach the Planet Hemp catalogue, call 212-965-0500 or go to: www.planethemp.com .

Look for  Dr. Sumach's feature story  "Canadian Hemp History- Part One" when planethemp.com relaunches; an expanded version of the New World hemp history presentation given to HIA in September.

C) Web Worthy: Globalhemp.com
Global Hemp ( www.globalhemp.com ) is positioning itself as one of the better internet portals covering hemp. Frequent updates of hemp information, archives, studies and magazine articles. Site features are as follows:
Global Hemp Archives; Writing a paper, or just want to know more about hemp? In the Global Hemp Archives, you'll find over one-hundred entries from a variety of sources; Over 70 new magazine articles and USDA Report: Industrial Hemp in the United States: Status and Market Potential Summary; Full Report
Global Hemp Directory; View over 260 organizations. All new product directory coming in February. Free Listings.
Global Hemp Events: Want to be a part of the action? Global Hemp Events is a comprehensive listing of hemp trade shows and festivals.
Global Hemp Legislation: February has yet come to pass and already three states are proposing hemp legalization. Year 2000 Hemp Legislation: Illinois; New Hampshire; South Dakota
Global Hemp Magazine: Illinois Hemp Task Force Update; Illinois Hemp Task Force January Report
Coming in March: : Global Hemp News

D) Hemp Smoothie Recipe
By Jason Freeman

For the past six months I have woken up bright and early every morning and performed my hemp smoothie ritual:

1 banana
350 ml fruit juice (I switch between bioregionally produced organic apple juice and ethically questionable plantation grown orange juice)
2 tablespoons certified organic hempseed oil

Blend until adequately mixed and viola an incredibly nutritious way to start your day. If you are feeling adventurous you can add spirulina, other fruits, juices, herbs and vegetables.

The health benefits that I have experienced from this daily ritual include: Stellar digestion. I no longer experience bouts of constipation or diarrhea which previously I experienced on about a once a week bases. A stronger immune system. There is lots to be said about the immune boosting properties of EFA rich oils like hemp and my personal experience supports this. Since beginning my morning ritual my nasal allergies have attenuated and I have not caught a cold and have been fever and flu free for the entire winter. This has definitely surprised me as I am one who always catches at least one cold each winter. I was even more surprised when in one two week period of time, my girlfriend, business partner and two house-mates all had colds yet I emerged unscathed. However, I am guilty of the heinous crime of not sharing my hemp oil. Now that my company's products are hitting the market I can remedy this injustice.

Jason Freeman is co-founder and President of BioHemp Technologies Ltd, a contractor and leading supplier of certified organic hempseed.

Association News:

Ontario Hemp Alliance Update
By Jo-Anne Wilson

The Ontario Hemp Alliance is a non-profit industry association created with the mandate to market hemp and raise consumer awareness. With the emergence of hemp as a viable resource, the need to bring together Ontario farmers, manufacturers, processors and retailers of hemp and its goods with an association was a timely one.

A web site ( www.hemphasis.com/oha ) has been established to provide an outlet of information as well as to garner feedback. In addition to the web site, a brochure has been created, detailing the various aspects of the Alliance and has already been mailed out over 700 interested parties who wish to discover more about the OHA.

The OHA has compiled a database of members and has solicited feedback to determine how best to serve its membership. Approximately 300 calls have been made, and many more emails sent to 700 potential members. The targeted membership ranges from mass market to natural product retailers and manufacturers as well as growers and processors of hemp. With the creation of the database the OHA hopes to create a network to facilitate business and cooperation within the industry.

The feedback obtained has been varied and detailed. Among the suggestions are developing an advertising and promotional campaign, quality assurance, industry wide standards and on OHA seal of approval. Some of the benefits the OHA hopes to offer are marketing kits, a newsletter, a database of studies and articles as well as links to/from its web site.

One of the first projects of the OHA's awareness program is an art exhibit entitled "Renewal: Hemp at the Dawn of the New Millennium" Renewal is "an artistic celebration of Ontario's re-emerging hemp industry" which is designed to raise public awareness of hemp's many uses and environmental benefits. The exhibit is being held at the BCE Place from April 16-26, 2000 and will feature five prominent Toronto artists painting on hemp canvas with hemp oil paints.

The next major event planned by the OHA is the co-sponsoring, together with the HIA, of the Outdoor Farm Show' Hemp Expo. The HIA have agreed to manage the exhibitors and the fashion show, while the OHA will be responsible for the speakers and demonstrations. Scheduled to coincide with the farm show, the inaugural annual general meeting of the OHA will be held in Woodstock on Tuesday, September 12, 2000. The Outdoor Farm Show is held on September 12th to 14th, 2000 and is expected to attract more than 30,000 people.

For more information on the Ontario Hemp Alliance, or to receive an application package (to be sent out in early March), please contact David Marcus at 416-535-3497, or email oha@hemphasis.com .

Upcoming Events:

Winnipeg, Manitoba, February 29-March 1: HEMP 2000 Speaker Series & Trade Show The Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association will be hosting Hemp 2000 at the Ramada Marlborough Hotel, February 29^th and March 1^st in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Hemp 2000 Speaker Series and Trade Show will deliver factual information about producing, harvesting, processing & marketing industrial hemp in order to strengthen industry potential and growth. All private and public sectors with an interest in the hemp industry are encouraged to attend.

A reception on the evening of Feb 29th be attended by Rosann Wowchuck, Minister of Agriculture. Wowchuck will give an official welcome. Hemp food samples will be provided by Fresh Hemp Foods, Hemp Oil Canada, Hempola and Barba Tiannis Restaurant. Hemp Beer provided by River City Brew Pub & Restaurant. The Body Shop will also be "on hand" providing samples and hand massages with their new Hemp Hand Protector Creme. The highlight of the evening will feature a live hemp auction.

Agenda - Wednesday, March 1^st

7:15 a.m. Continental breakfast, Registration, Trade Show open
8:00-8:20 Welcome Rosanne Wowchuk, Minister of Agriculture and Food
Role of the Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association Brian McElroy, President – Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association (MIHA)
8:20-9:00 Hemp Food Products and Something Called THC, Gero Leson, Leson Consultants
9:00-9:30 Effect of Management on Seed and Oil Quality, Roman Przybylski, University of Manitoba
9:30-10:15 The Status of Industrial Hemp in the United States, Kevin Edberg, Minnesota Department of Agriculture
10:15-10:45 Refreshment Break
10:45-11:40 The Potential for Hemp in Paper and Forest Products, Wade Chute, Alberta Research Council
11:40-12:00 Health Canada Update, Neils Hansen-Trip, Health Canada
12:00-1:30 Lunch
1:30-1:40 Cross Canada Checkup, Guy Cloutier, Director - MIHA
1:40-2:10 Selling Hemp Food Products in the United States, Don Wirtshafter, Ohio Hempery
2:10-2:40 Effect of Fertility on Hemp Grain Yield, Ron Tone, Tone Ag Consulting
2:40-3:00 Refreshment Break
3:00-3:30 Getting Quality Grain – Lessons Learned in 1999, Jack Moes, The Great AgVenture
3:30-4:00 Management Issues to Getting Hemp Off to a Good Start, Bruce Brolley, New Crop Specialist, Manitoba Agriculture and Food
4:00-4:15 Question & Answer Panel with afternoon speakers
4:15 Closing remarks

HEMP 2000 is organised by the Manitoba Industrial Hemp Association and sponsored by Manitoba Agriculture & Food, Agriculture & Agrifood Canada, Cloutier Agra Sedds Inc., Fibrex Canada, Inc., The Food Development Centre, Hempola, Hemp Oil Canada, Aventis Crop Science Inc., and the Farm Credit Corporation. Event Co-ordination provided by Blue Sky Business Services.

Contacts:
For up-to-date information on speakers & topics, call Bruce Brolley, Crop Diversification Section, Manitoba Agriculture & Food at 204-745-5667.
For interviews & media information contact: Shaun Crew at 204-275-7616
Or go to: www.pembinavalley.com/miha or www.pangea.ca/~hemp2000/

March 23-26, 2000 Natural Products Expo - West, Anaheim, Ca
Natural & Organic Foods, Beverages, Body Care, Supplements, Housewares, & Services ; New Hope Communications- Ph: 303-939-8440 x 161 or 228, Fax: 303-939-9559
www.naturalproductsexpo.com/

March 25-26: Northern Alternatives Conference, UNBC, Prince George, BC University of Northern British Columbia will be hosting the Northern Alternatives Conference on March 25 and 26th, from 8am-6pm. This non-profit event is being organised by the Prince George Public Interest Research Group (PGPIRG).

Last March UNBC's PGPIRG, the Prince George Public Interest Research Group, sponsored the Cannabis Conference, a successful event that highlighted the endless uses of the many varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant, known by names such as hemp and marijuana. This event brought together growers, researchers, interested farmers, retailers and many local folks. UNBC's Dr. Jane Young presented her work with the Gitsegukla Hemp Research Project. Speakers talked about plant medicine, human health, legal battles, government bureaucracy, job creation as well as building and cooking with hemp. Displays included creative carvings, spinners and weavers, hemp wares, hemp food, crafts, hemp paper products, hemp building materials, hemp rope, hempseeds and more. There was an attendance of about 150 people. This year it was decided that perhaps we could do it all over again but this time incorporate more alternative topics. The Northern Alternatives Conference was born.

The Northern Alternatives Conference goes beyond the plant Cannabis sativa to the rest of the plant world and even further. This information packed two days will provide information on our food sources, water sources, recycling, non-traditional house building and home building materials, free energy sources, alternative education, alternative medicine and alternatives to day-to-day

For more information, suggestions, and comments contact:
Catherine Kendall, NAC Co-ordinator, PGPIRG at UNBC (250)960-7474 or email: pgpirg@UNBC.ca

March 30 - April 2: Canadian Health Food Association's Expo West Conference & Trade Show At the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre; www.chfa.ca/events/expowest.htm

April 6-8: The First National Clinical Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics, The University of Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, Iowa
Jointly sponsored by the College of Nursing and The College of Medicine at the University of Iowa in co- operation with Patients out of Time, a non-profit organisation dedicated to educating health care professionals and members of the public about the therapeutic use of cannabis.
HCFR readers who are investigating the therapeutic application of high cannabinoid industrial hemp strains as nutraceuticals or who are researching potential health risks of THC may be interested in this historic conference. To increase the opportunities for individuals to participate in this conference selected remote satellite broadcast sites are being arranged.
For more information, check out www.drugsense.org/ncct . For telephone registration, contact UI Center for Conferences and Institutes at 319-335-4141 or 1-800-551-9029 (North American wide).

May 13-14: Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo
The Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo is gearing up for its third annual show, scheduled for May 13 and 14 at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz, California. Over 75 booths are available for vendors at the 2000 show, which includes a major expansion on Church Street in front of the venue.

The Hemp Expo has opened an office at 224 Walnut Avenue, Suite C in downtown Santa Cruz. The new phone number is (831) 466-0500. The new fax line is (831) 466-0510. A sub-lease through the Hub for Sustainable Transportation, the space is ideally located a block away from the Civic Auditorium.

The Santa Cruz Industrial Hemp Expo provides a positive basis for public support of hemp reintroduction, with an open-to-the-public, trade-show based setting that is well organized and effectively promoted. Live music, a hemp fashion show, a hemp house, a hemp camp display, hemp foods and beverages, educational and historical exhibits, workshops, videos, speakers and panel discussions are featured.

Now established as the dominant trade show for the developing hemp industry, vendors and hemp reintroduction advocates are drawn from around the world to Santa Cruz.

For more information call the Hemp Expo's publicity voice mail at (831) 425-3003, or visit on the web at www.cruzexpo.com. For sponsor and vendor inquiries call (831) 466-0500.

August 5 -7: Natural Life Festival, St. George, Ontario
A Celebration of Sustainable Living. Workshops, Green Marketplace, Kids' Environmental Activities, Natural Foods, Natural Healing Demonstrations, and more. Watch this page: www.life.ca/festival for details of workshops and a vendor list for the Green Marketplace.

September 8 - 11: HIA Convention 2000, Ontario, Canada
The 7th Annual HIA Convention 2000 will again be held in Ontario. The Ecology Retreat Center, near Toronto, will be the site for the General Meeting. Contact the HIA for details: info@thehia.org , Tel: 707-874-3648 Fax: 707-874-1104.

September 12-14: Outdoor Farm Show, Woodstock, Ontario
Canada's largest outdoor farm show will host industrial hemp for the third year in a row. A demonstration hemp field will be harvested during the event and be complemented by a Hemp Information Tent and the vendor's village. To be sponsored by OHA and HIA.
Outdoor Farm Show - 1-800-563-5441, www.outdoorfarmshow.com

September 13-16: Bioresource Hemp 2000, Wolfsburg, Germany
Call for papers in progress! Watch here in March for speaker lineup. Tri Tec GmbH, Ph: 49-234-935 79 73, Fax: 49-234-935 79 75, email: register@bioresource-hemp.de , www.nova-institute.de

September 22-26: Natural Products Expo East 2000, Baltimore, Maryland
New Hope Communications- Ph: 303-939-8440 x 161 or 228, Fax: 303-939-9559, www.naturalproductexpo.com.

See a great and thorough list of North American Trade Shows at www.hemppages.com

HAVING AN INDUSTRIAL HEMP EVENT?
Contact Arthur Hanks, HCFR Editor, at arthurhanks@hotmail.com with details.

Marketplace:

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Feed the world with a click of the mouse. Visit the Hunger Site at www.thehungersite.com

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Shedding light on all things cannabis: www.chrisconrad.com

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REACH A WIDE QUALIFIED AUDIENCE THROUGH ADVERTISING IN THE HCFR. Sponsorship and Supporting positions also available. Marketplace special! Have your link here for as low as $20 per issue. For more information, please email: jfreeman@ssm.net

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Get your web site up and going already…
Online but not on the web? Need to give your non-profit group an Internet presence? Too busy to get around to setting up … still? ? Terry Lefebvre of Hemptrade is offering FREE web page hosting for industrial hemp-related sites, as well as layout, set up and administration for all sites at reasonable rates. Contact Terry at hempmaster@hemptrade.com for more info.

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Check out the comprehensive 1999 Canadian industrial hemp crop and market wrap-up prepared by  the Hemp Futures Study Group in the forthcoming issue of the Journal  the International Hemp Association - (back issues online at www.HempCyberFarm).

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"Operation Ditchweed" Thanks to all HCFR readers  who sent leads where to find wild hemp.Wonderful field work by many thoughtful people  has produced some dazzling results fit for science and society, This valuable data has been passed on to the proper channels and all is cool. Let's have lots more please! This wild gene pool may be  very important for future breeding of far north adaptable varieties. Each wild hemp location is different- we want them all to learn just how these diverse hemps thrive so well in such adverse conditions. If you know where authentic wild hemp grows, with all discretion please contact our civilian response team to arrange ripe seed  collection . Every patch of ditchweed is a winner- Any more news or rumours of wild hemp in Quebec, Belleville, Trenton, the Kawarthas, islands of the Grand River is welcome. And no, we don't sell wild hempseed but yes, we will pay for the real thing. For more information about the  autumn 2000 wild hempseed collection project contact Dr. Sumach, Hemp Futures Study Group, PO Box 1680, Niagara on the Lake Ontario, Canada, LOS IJO, 905 468 3928 rheading@becon.org or please leave an inquiry at the HFCR arthurhanks@hotmail.com

SUPPORTING ADVERTISERS IN THIS ISSUE:

Fibrex Québec Inc, info@fibrexcanada.com
Gen-X, genx@net1fx.com
BioHemp Ltd., jfreeman@biohemp.com
HempWorld Inc., matthew@HempWorld.com
Canterra Seeds, schafer@canterra.com
Greenman Nonwood Papermill, greenman@lynx.bc.ca
Hemp Oil Canada Inc., hempoilcan@escape.ca
Ruth's Hemp Foods, info@ruthsfoods.ca
Hemp Industries Association, info@thehia.org

Tell them you saw it in the HCFR!

READER'S FEEDBACK: Keep us honest and write us. Let us know what you think about our formats, articles, coverage, tone, delivery, coverage and everything we are doing. We appreciate all letters and emails, though we can't reply to them all. Make the HCFR the reader's choice!

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DISTRIBUTION: The HCFR is available for free to interested parties only on the Internet. Direct subscription for this issue is 1,300+. We encourage associations working in the industry to circulate the HCFR to their members (note: we regret that we are temporarily discontinuing the *.txt mailout of the newsletter). Other non-profit use is encouraged.

THE HCFR ON THE WWW: Back issues of the HCFR are posted on the following industrial hemp web sites: Natural Hemphasis, Hemptrade, Hemppages, Global Hemp and Hemp Cyberfarm and The Hemp Industries Association. Check us out at:

www.hemphasis.com/hcfr
www.hemptrade.com/hcfr
www.hemppages.com
www.globalhemp.com/hcfr/
www.hempcyberfarm.com/hcfr
www.thehia.org/news

Thanks to David Marcus, Terry Lefebvre, Mari Kane, Eric Pollit, Matthew Huijgen and Candi Penn for their dedicated work on making needed information available.

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NEXT ISSUE: Issue will be out March 30th: Ads will close March 24th .

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© 1999-2000 AHEM, ARTHUR HANKS. INDIVIDUAL ARTICLES REMAIN PROPERTY OF THE AUTHOR (S). NOT TO BE DUPLICATED FOR FINANCIAL OR PERSONAL GAIN. CONTACT US ABOUT REPRODUCTION RIGHTS.