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Dear Reader,
It never ceases to amaze me that public
safety departments and law enforcement
associations oppose hemp farming. They should
be enforcing laws as they exist, not lobbying
for changes to the law or setting policy.
That's the purview of the legislative and
executive branches. It is also obvious to me
that there is a coordinated effort of a
national level to sow seeds of doubt in the
minds of state legislators. You have to ask
yourself — where are the orders coming
from? DEA perhaps?
Jim Franklin, who should be identified as the
Executive Director of the Minnesota Sheriffs'
Association, is quoted in The Minnesota
Independent story Hemp,
Hemp, Hooray as saying "Additional
research has shown that it is not a viable
crop. The market for the product is very
limited, and Canada, for one, has mountains
of hemp they can't sell."
Interestingly enough this is exactly the same
set of arguments that was presented to the
New Hampshire House Environment and
Agriculture Committee hearing by Major
Russell Conti. When asked what was the source
of his research the Major answered that
others in the department had gathered it and
presented it to him. When asked if he would
change his position if DEA changed theirs,
the major replied no, he would not. The House
killed the hemp farming bill, HB 399, today
by a vote of 262-98.
I find it amazing that law enforcement
officials have become experts in agricultural
and economic policy! You can help us overcome
the objections of law enforcement to hemp
farming and study bills.
Please make a contribution
to Vote Hemp today to help us continue fixing the
situation here in the U.S.
We need and truly appreciate your support!
Best Regards,
Tom Murphy
Hemp News Update Editor
| Edible, Affordable Indulgences for 2009 |
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Tempt ice creams are made of hemp milk.
By Melody Lan
Wall Street
Journal
January 16, 2009
Could frozen hemp milk provide a silver
lining for the food business in a down economy?
The National Association for the Specialty
Food Trade anticipates a 4% downturn for the
industry this year. But sales in
subcategories like specialty beverages,
snacks and premium chocolate continue to grow.
The reason: These less pricey items are a
means for people to continue to treat
themselves well when times are challenging,
says Ron Tanner, NASFT's vice president of
communication and education.
In a 2008 specialty-food industry report,
dollar sales for gourmet snacks increased
nearly 31%, drinks jumped as much as 37%
(depending on the type) and candy rose about
85% between 2005 and 2007.
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| Industrial Uses Targeted for Hemp |
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Hidetaro Funayama. Photo credit: Kyodo News.
By Akiko Koga
The Japan
Times
February 19, 2009
Kitami, Hokkaido (Kyodo) Despite the bad
impression many have of hemp due to a
perceived rise in marijuana use, the city of
Kitami in Hokkaido is trying to create a buzz
by cultivating the plant for its many
industrial uses.
The plant is grown on a plot on a hill
slightly outside the center of the city,
which lies on the coast of the Sea of
Okhotsk, and protected by a 2.7-meter-tall
fence covered with grating.
Hidetaro Funayama, 58, represents a group
involved in a city development project aimed
at growing hemp without a narcotic component
for the production of construction materials
and "washi" paper.
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| HIA Featured Member - Nutiva |
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Since 1999, Nutiva® has
operated as a values-driven company dedicated
to nourishing people and planet. Our line of
organic hemp and coconut super foods are now
sold in over 5,000 stores in the U.S., Canada
and the UK. Nutiva's online store ships more
than 500 orders a month, and we are offering
HIA Members and readers of The Hemp News
Update a one-time 20%-off coupon (use
code HIA) which is good until March 20, 2009.
Please go to the Nutiva
store online and remember to enter the
coupon code during checkout.
Our watch words — nutritious
superfoods, healthier people, and a
sustainable planet — express our
commitment to move beyond conventional food
industry practices to embrace a bigger
picture that supports the long-term
well-being of humanity as a whole. As an
expression of its corporate citizenship,
Nutiva donates 1% of its sales to support
sustainable agriculture, including
organizations like Vote Hemp, and to sponsor
organic farming conferences and school
tree-planting programs.
Popularizing Hemp Foods
Nutiva introduced America's first hemp food
bar at a time when the extraordinary
nutritional value and ecological benefits of
hemp foods were little known. The hemp food
bars earned Nutiva a welcome place on the
shelves of health food stores across the
nation. Nutiva then introduced other hemp
foods, including hemp oil, shelled hemp
seeds, and hemp protein which in 2003 was
awarded the title "Best New Supplement" at
the Natural Products Expo Show in Washington, DC.
In 2006, Nutiva introduced HempShake, a line
of organic flavored hemp protein powders, and
won a second time for "Best New Supplement"
at the Natural Products Expo Show in
Washington, DC.
Today, Nutiva is America's #1-selling brand
of organic hemp oil, hemp seeds and hemp
protein. Nutiva is helping to cut down
packaging waste and is saving hemp food
lovers money with its vacuum-sealed bulk
offerings of Shelled Hempseed, Hemp Protein +
Fiber and Hemp Protein 50% products.
Latest Hemp Foods
In January 2009, Nutiva rolled out four new
hemp products:
- 13oz Organic Hempseed
- 30oz Enviro Pack Hemp Protein + Fiber
(This product contains 75% less packaging
waste vs. jars.)
- 16oz & 3lb Hemp Protein 50% (This
delicious new nutty protein has less than
half the fiber compared to our Hemp Protein +
Fiber. One customer even said that it tastes
like Chex® cereal!)
Our R&D labs have several other
innovative hemp foods underway, which we hope
will keep the hemp food revolution going even
stronger.
The team at Nutiva thanks all hemp advocates
and our customers for this exciting journey
towards creating a world where organic hemp
is planted fence row to fence row across the
U.S. A ten-times increase in hemp food sales
over the next decade is our vision to help
make this dream become a reality.
[If you are a member of the HIA and would
like to have your company featured here,
please submit a small selection of graphics
and a profile of no more than a few
paragraphs to tom@thehia.org,
or call 207-542-4998 for more information.
Space is limited and is first-come,
first-serve. Your member profile will be seen
in the The HIA Member Newsletter as
well as here in The
Hemp News Update, which is read by
thousands of subscribers.]
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Hemp: A Unique Flavor — And Good For You, Too |
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Margaret Hluch of MOM — My Organic
Market. Photo credit: Sam Yu.
By Lauren LaRocca
The Frederick
News-Post
February 25, 2009
Long known for its strength and durability in
products like clothing and paper, hemp might
prove to be just as beneficial in another
medium: food.
Turns out, hemp is a leading source of
protein (especially beneficial for
vegetarians and vegans), it contains all 10
essential amino acids, it's high in fiber,
and it tastes good, too, if an acquired taste.
Christina Volgyesi, originally from Canada
but now living in Portland, Ore., stumbled
upon hemp protein powder during a trip home
after never having seen it in the States.
[More...]
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