ABSTRACT According to the “strategy for the development of a renewable energy sector” the share of renewable energy in the primarily energy balance in Poland should grow to 7.5% by 2010. The main source of renewable energy will be biomass from annual and perennial energy crops. Since January 1, 2007 Poland has been included in a European Union system of subsidies to energy crop production and hemp will be included in the group of energy crops. In Poland, climate and soil conditions are suitable for hemp cultivation. Currently, there are four cultivars of monoecious hemp registered (Beniko, Białobrzeskie, Silesia, and Tygra), yielding 10–15 tons of biomass per hectare. The technologies for hemp cultivation and harvesting are developed. Research conducted at the Institute of Natural Fibres has shown that hemp is a valuable raw material for energy production (its heat of combustion is about 18 MJ/kg). The source of energy is either the whole plant or its shives (75% of yield mass). Trials on producing briquettes from shives, conducted at the INF Experimental Farm at Steszew, were successful and a pilot line for the production of briquettes was installed.
ABSTRACT This article gives an update of hemp production in Canada. It discusses recent upswings and plunges of production areas, and goes into seed prices and cultivars grown. Hemp food production in Canada is examined in detail; numerous references to websites on this topic are given. Hemp legislation is discussed; the potential for fiber production is detailed, listing major websites for the subject. The author concludes on an “Optimistic Five Year Look Forward.”
ABSTRACT During the 1900’s fiber hemp was commercially grown in Scandinavia at latitudes as far north as 65°N and 66°N. Hemp is sensitive to temperature and day length with a quantitative short-day requirement, though long days can be beneficial for fiber production in late varieties, provided that other growing conditions are optimal. The response of fiber hemp varieties to photo period and low temperatures at northern latitudes was studied in Finland in 2003 and 2004. The article also reports on risks and prerequisites of hemp growing at high latitudes showing that if a suitable variety is used, stem yields of more than 10 t ha−1 are possible. If a variety adapted to southern European climates should be grown, however, the short growing season and the frosts in the beginning and at the end of the summer can restrict the plant growth. The northern limit for hemp production in Europe is currently at 64 to 65°N.
ABSTRACT Hemp has been written about for millennia, thus there is a great body of literature on the subject. Written mention of hemp is to be found from before Christ, in a 5th century AD document, and from then on in early herbals, government farming manuals, textbooks, and technical manuals; more recently, there have been books just on the history and revival of hemp. That latter group includes books that cover or are almost exclusively about marijuana, and therefore there is a period in recent history where many hemp books have a subversive, counterculture flavor.
ABSTRACT Linoleic and linolenic acids are essential human nutrients. Hempseed oil contains an optimized 3-to-1 ratio of these two compounds, respectively. However, the additional consumption of flaxseed oil insures that any excess linoleic acid in the diet is offset with extra linolenic acid. An enjoyable way to obtain these supplements is through a daily breakfast smoothie, a recipe for which is provided.
ABSTRACT Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) from a traditional Thai variety was used as a source of fiber in this research. The variety has been grown for a long time by the Hmong, a hill tribe, for the purpose of textiles. Hemp was grown in Chiang Mai, in the North of Thailand. Fiber fineness, fiber strength, fiber length, and lignin content of bast fibers from the top, middle, and bottom part of hemp stems aged 65 and 120 days were measured after chemical separation. The results showed that the finest fiber was from the top of the stem. The fiber fineness determined from the airflow method varied from 14.2 to 27.0 FBAI200, and according to the OFDA method it varied from 14.1 to 19.1 μm. The highest strength fiber was from the middle part of the stem; fiber strength (Stelometer – collective test) varied from 10.9 to 27.4 cN/tex. Fiber length varied from 22.0 to 28.4 mm. At the early stages of male pollination, male plants had a lower lignin content than female plants. The measurement method, age of plant, and part of stem analyzed affected fiber properties. This traditional Thai hemp showed fine fiber and can be improved to a commercial level for the textile industry.
ABSTRACT The proliferation of plastic bags is being noticed by the general public, and major supermarkets are turning back to using natural fabric bags. In some areas, plastic bags are even being made illegal. The turn to natural fiber bags, however, often means an increase in the use of cotton, which is a very environmentally unfriendly crop. Its cultivation means the depletion of the waterways in many areas, and also the use of pesticides. A number of parties in the UK developed a very basic, undyed hemp bag, which bore the slogan “Real Eco Bags are made from Hemp.” This bag was then worn in London and New York, and picked up on by the Ecologist and Positive News. KEYWORDS: Hempbagbag warsAnya HindmarchcottonplasticLondonNew YorkThe Hemp ShopMinawearBobby Pugh
ABSTRACT An increase in the demand for biomass for conversion to heat by combustion is likely. The potential role for hemp in supplying this demand is discussed in this article. For hemp, key characteristics such as net calorific value, ash content, and melting behavior, and the risk of corrosion or polluting emissions, are all favorable. Low bulk density and size reduction difficulties might limit its use for pellet production and in small boilers; its use in electricity generating plants and medium-to-large boilers would have better prospects. To maximize profitability, an agronomy program to achieve high yields at the lowest cost is required. In the Irish climate, this would entail early sowing (late March/early April), a low seed rate (∼30 kg/ha), and variety selection for maximum stem yield regardless of fiber content. With an optimal program, trial results suggest that a dry matter yield over 10 t/ha is attainable. Cost analysis shows that an energy price of about e6/GJ is required to achieve a profit level similar to conventional food enterprises. Arable farmers would welcome a break crop in rotation with cereals. Processors needing a year-round fuel supply might be expected to welcome an autumn-harvested crop as part of a mix with spring-harvested crops such as miscanthus and willows. A mix of energy crop species would improve biodiversity and visual impact. Hemp should be a strong contender to be part of the energy crop mix.
ABSTRACT The purpose of this article was to track down the earliest known illustrations of Cannabis. Our in silico search methodology utilized computerized search engines and electronic databases for citation tracking. Many botanists prior to Linnaeus, beginning with Dioscorides, described more than one presumptive type of Cannabis. In some cases they were describing male and female plants of Cannabis sativa L., sometimes they were describing a species of a genus other than Cannabis, and in some cases they were describing a second putative species, Cannabis indica Lamarck. The oldest extant illustration we found of C. sativa dates to 512 AD in the Juliana Anicia Codex, although its authenticity is in question; the next oldest icon may date to ca. 650 AD, or possibly 800–900 AD. The oldest illustration of Chinese hemp (a biotype of C. indica) that we know of in a mechanically printed book dates to 1248 AD. The first illustration of C. sativa in a mechanically printed book dates to 1484 AD, less than 30 years after the first printing of the Gutenberg Bible (although the Chinese invented movable type printing about 400 years earlier), and the first illustration of C. indica by a European dates to 1578 AD.
ABSTRACT In this edition of Collections Corner you will learn how and why a couple of keywords added onto the description of an obscure Cannabis collectable can change its eBay auction result by hundreds of percent. Also explained is the history of the terms Nostrums and Quackery as the reader is taken on a tour of the collectables market as explained through the history of the Cannabis containing medicine of antiquity, Piso's Cure. The stuff we collect does reveal a lot about us. We make very sentimental decisions when we bid at auction. Stuff is like a touchstone to our past both collectively and individually.
ABSTRACT The Yunnan Highlands of southwestern China is home to a wide variety of ethnic groups with enduring traditions of making and using Cannabis hemp textiles. At least four generations of Sani women have made satchels of varying styles that echo many of the changes affecting the textile products of traditional cultures worldwide. The satchels illustrated and described here were collected by the author during the 1990s and represent high levels of crafts including spinning, weaving, macramé, appliqué, and embroidery.
ABSTRACT Most industrial crops that are cultivated within the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) are supported by agricultural subsidies. An official list of the hemp varieties that receive an agricultural subsidy in the EU is maintained by the EU Commission, and EU member states are expected to sample, analyze, and report delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) values for eligible crops of each cultivated variety by the end of each year, according to EU Regulation No. 796/2004. Based on this information, additions to and deletions from this list are made early in the following year. The main criteria for being included on the EU list of subsidized hemp varieties seems to depend on two important factors: the variety be included in the EU Common Catalogue of recognized plant cultivars, and the variety, on average, must have less than 0.2% THC, according to the sampling and testing methodologies described in Annex I of EU Regulation No. 796/2004. By comparison, values for common drug-Cannabis typically range from 5–10% THC. The purpose of this article is to point out important features in the EU sampling protocols that favor monoecious fiber varieties from western Europe and disfavor dioecious oilseed varieties from eastern and northern Europe, in addition to other peculiar features. Also, potential systematic problems that exist within the current analytical protocol for analyzing THC are identified and discussed. Direct criticism is leveled at the ignorance and incompetence demonstrated by civil servants who are responsible for correctly understanding and implementing EU Regulation No. 796/2004. Suggestions for improvements in various aspects of reporting, sampling, and analytical methodologies are presented. KEYWORDS: HempTHC contentsampling proceduresanalytical protocolsEuropean Union (EU) Notes Palonen, J. 2008. E-mail, Finnish Ministry of Agriculture, 25 March. Versteijlen, H. 2007. Quoted from Hermanus Versteijlen, Director of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, letter to J.C. Callaway on 25 October.
ABSTRACT This note continues the “Cannabis Clinic” series, presenting diseases and pests of hemp, featuring color illustrations of signs and symptoms. The fungus Trichothecium roseum produces a white fuzz that covers branches, leaves, and flowering tops of hemp. These symptoms have been confused with true powdery mildew, caused by Sphaerotheca macularis. We illustrate the differences between disease caused by Trichothecium roseum (henceforth dubbed “false powdery mildew”) and disease caused by Sphaerotheca macularis.
ABSTRACT Flowering is a crucial phase in hemp cultivation. It influences both stem and seed yield. A uniform and short flowering duration in hemp is desirable, because it favors uniform crop development. Moreover, flowering is often taken as a reference point for harvesting, and very long durations of flowering might mislead the operator in judging the proper time for mowing. In this article, a large dataset of flowering time and duration for different monoecious and dioecious varieties was studied and the effect of sowing time and genotype on flowering duration is discussed. Minimal flowering duration was observed when the time from emergence to flowering was short. This, was related however, to low yields. Dynamics of flowering was accurately described by a bi-logistic curve that indicates the presence of two underlying logistic processes.
ABSTRACT This article seeks to add to the discussion about hemp prohibition in the United States by comparing the environmental performance of industrial hemp relative to its substitutes in a few key industrial applications. The life cycle environmental performance of industrial hemp products is of particular interest because environmental inefficiencies often impose costs on society as a whole, and additionally, the government has initiated a large number of programs intended both to reduce pollution and to increase production of bio-based industrial feedstocks. The positive attributes of industrial hemp are considered here in the context of countervailing attributes.
Before presenting the contents of this issue of the Journal of Industrial Hemp we have an important development to share with you. A merger of The Haworth Press Inc. and Taylor & Francis Publishing...
Hemp-based skin-care products are quite new to the market. Most are manufactured by small companies; notable exceptions are The Body Shop and Dr. Bronners. The healthy essential fatty acids and tocopherols in hemp are the main reason for using hemp seed oil. Most consumers of hemp products are aware of this fact and are usually looking for a totally natural product, possibly even organically grown and vegan. The trend in the industry is to have organically grown hemp, packaged simply, at times a bit too basic to catch a larger market. Many new producers have sprung up in the last five years, and it would be fair to estimate the annual turnover in hemp skin-care products to be somewhere in the hundred of millions of dollars annually. This is expected to increase, with the style of packaging being a factor in the future growth.
