Author, Zack DiLiberto

Meet Zack DiLiberto, co-author of the new book, Hemp the Novel. It’s a historic novel that tells the story about how hemp came to be criminalized in the US when big oil and petrochemical realized hemp was a threat to the demand for their products:

With [...] breakthroughs in hemp-processing, and rumors of Henry Ford’s ‘hemp-mobile’ materializing, hemp is now an imminent threat to Big Oil and its allies. The war on hemp begins.
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Acting solely to further their own interests, a conspiracy of powerful, greedy tycoons such as Andrew Mellon, Du Pont, and William Randolph Hearst, and their fanatical, federal pawn systematically outlawed the industrial hemp plant, and with it, the world’s greenest, cheapest, alternative source to petrochemical and tree-paper products. They got away with it, unchallenged, for 74 years . . . and counting!

Recently got a chance to ask Zack some questions about Hemp — both the plant and the novel. He talked about education is the key to legalizing industrial hemp, and discussed the environmental and economic incentives for doing so. So without further ado…

HempNotes: How did you first develop an interest in hemp?
Zack DeLiberto: It was almost as if we were meant to be part of the industrial hemp movement. People started ‘talking hemp’ to my co-author, Nini Martino, and me at around the same time. We both jumped in with both feet, did a lot of research, shared notes, and decided right away: “This is a story that needs to be told, and we’re going to tell it!”

HN: What do you see as the main barrier to legalizing hemp-farming in the U.S (e.g. public education, private interests/lobbies, legislative chauvinism, etc.)?
ZD: Ignorance. Plain and simple. People do not realize there is a distinct difference between industrial hemp and the drug marijuana. The tricky part about the ignorance surrounding industrial hemp is that it is not an accident. What few people are aware of, including many college professors, is that the destruction of the American Hemp Industry can be traced back to a small group of very powerful and well-connected men from the Big Oil, Petrochemical, and Newspaper industries. These men realized that with advancements in the processing of industrial hemp, which had been grown and used in the US since the days of its colonization, their own industries could soon be obsolete. So, they conspired together over 75 years ago to make hemp-farming illegal through a highly-sensationalized smear campaign that falsly equated industrial hemp with the drug marijuana. To this day, most people have no idea that industrial hemp and marijuana are entirely different from each other and that there are almost zero drug properties in hemp.

Hemp - The Novel

This misunderstanding is coupled today with the nearly forgotten history of hemp in the United States. Most people have no idea that in 1941 Henry Ford had already developed a car that ran solely on hemp fuel and was constructed from hemp plastic. Furthermore, few people know that the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper, “The Star Spangled Banner” on a hemp envelope, and that the first American flag was sewn by Betsy Ross using hemp cloth. In fact, many of our Founding Fathers, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, grew their own hemp crops and firmly believed that hemp must be a staple crop in our countries advancement from independence. Needless to say, there is a lot about hemp in the United States that is either unknown or misunderstood, and we are convinced that raising public awareness on these issues and correcting the falicies that surround this industry are the best way to get the pro-hemp movement towards a tipping point. Once the ignorance about hemp is cured, voters will undoubtably demand a change in the laws and the green revolution we describe in our book will finally be realized. We see it coming; and we’re excited to be part of the process.

HN: Do you think there are significant economic incentives to legalizing hemp production?
ZD: Of course! Hemp can become the New Big Oil! The renewable, home-grown, non-polluting alternative to OPEC! What better incentive could there be? Hemp can replace virtually every petro-chemical product in existence. And then there’s the textiles, the paper and building-materials, and even food! These are all green industries, creating green jobs. They’re doing it successfully today in every industrialized nation except the USA! It’s insane!

HN: What do you think is hemp’s biggest environmental potential?
ZD: It’s hard to choose. The list is huge. You need to check out our HEMP FACTS page. But if I have to choose, I’d say the reduction of the world’s carbon imprint by switching from petroleum to biomass-fuel. Burning hemp oil does not contribute to acid rain or global warming, and any pollution it does produce is offset by growing it. A close second and third would be switching from tree-pulp paper and cotton textiles to cleaner, greener hemp paper and cloth. Again go to www.hempthenovel.com for details.

HN: What is your favorite hemp-based product?
ZD: We’ve got this vision of the next edition of our book being printed on American grown and manufactured hemp paper!

So Manitoba Harvest is having a special for the month of July where shoppers can get a free 5lbs container of certified organic hemp seeds if they spend $250 or more — a $75 value! Now, I know, $250 seems like a lot, but so is 5lbs of hemp seeds.

As their newsletter explains, all you have to do is use the coupon code Free5seed11 at checkout:

These tiny hemp seeds pack a powerful punch of protein, omegas and fiber. Not only are hemp seeds easy to incorporate into any meal they, taste delicious too! Did you know Dr. Oz even refers to hemp seed as ‘Brain Food’?

Our hemp seeds are a raw, vegan-friendly, whole food that contains no additives or preservatives! Manitoba Harvest only sources seed that has not been genetically modified.

How It Works:
When you add $250 worth of any Manitoba Harvest products to your cart and enter the code Free5seed11 we’ll automatically add the free 5lb container to your cart.

Hemp seeds are not only a great source of protein, but of iron, but omega fatty acids as well. They also contain all 10 essential amino acids. They also have a nutty flavor that’s a great compliment to just about any salad, shake, or any other kind of recipe you think of. For some ideas on what you can do with hemp seeds, just check out our recipe section, and then visit Manitoba Harvest and use the coupon code Free5seed11 to get your free 5lbs container of organic hemp seed today.

Aussie Hemp Farmer

Global commodity prices rise are on the rise, driving up the price of all staples, from food to coffee to cotton. These increases have been severe enough that they even have some G20 leaders worried about food security.

On the cotton front, hemp fibers could help consumers save on their clothing purchases. But if hemp farming was legal in the US, the crop could also preempt further environmental devastation as farmers rush to cash-in on the cotton rush.

Short Supply, Growing Demand

The main causes behind poor cotton yields has been severe weather caused by global warming. Indeed, crops in Pakistan, India, China, and Australia all fell short of expectations in 2010.

As CTV reports, this shortage and increasing demands in India and China may push the price of cotton up as much as 80%. And because of rising price, farmers are rushing to plant more cotton. Both Australia and Brazil have increased their production, and some US states are expected to even double theirs. As Business Week reports:

[...] California farmers are expected to plant 400,000 acres of cotton this year. That’s up from a low of 200,000 acres planted two years ago.

In the short-term, increased cotton production and export will help the US manage its trade deficit. In the medium- to long-term, however, increasing cotton production is bound to only exacerbate one of the causes behind the world’s cotton shortage.

Hemp vs Cotton: Crops & The Climate

The problem with ramping up cotton production, though, is that will only contribute to climate change further. Hemp, on the other hand, represent a much more sustainable, less resource intensive alternative.

First, cotton is thirsty crop, requiring considerable irrigation, which disturbs both marine and terrestrial habitats. Indeed, it can take up to 100 gallons of water to produce one pound of cotton. Hemp can subsist off of rainfall in most climates.

Second, cotton is notorious for depleting soil — leading to soil erosion and desertification. Hemp, by contrast, has a deep root system that helps to prevent soil erosion and aerates the soil — to the benefit of other, future crops.

Third, because cotton depletes soil so extensively, it requires considerable fertilization, leading to eutrophication — poisoning the water table and destroying marine ecosystems. Hemp, however, rarely require fertilization.

Finally, while cotton crops constitute on 3% of cultivated land globally, it account for 25% of the world’s insecticides and 10% of the world’s pesticides. Hemp does require the use of such toxic chemicals.

Holding Hemp Back

So while cotton farming not only requires a lot of water, but also uses a lot fertilizer and pesticides (furthering our dependency on petroleum), hemp represents an alternative that is (1) cheaper to produce and (2) much more sustainable as a crop. So what’s holding hemp back as a cash-crop? Well, a number of things.

For starters, there are legal hurdles in many countries. While Canada, Australia, China, and many European countries grow and export industrial hemp, it remains illegal in the US and India because legislation doesn’t distinguish between hemp and its psychoactive counterpart – marijuana. Both the US and India, however, are major cotton producers, so legislative change could bring about considerable agricultural (and ecological) reform.

Hanes Logo

Then, there is the facts that hemp is not as easily spun into a soft fabric as cotton is. Of course, companies such as Hanes and NAT are working on a solution to this, but the technology to spin hemp into a complete substitute for cotton is still a couple years off.

Finally, there are market issues. Simply put, hemp is still not a mainstream fiber, meaning that farmers just do not have the incentive to grow hemp as they do cotton — i.e. they can’t sell it as easily. This, of course, will change as technology makes hemp fabrics more suitable for consumer needs.

As hemp fiber technology gets better, market demand will go up, farmers will have more of an incentive to cultivate it, and markets forces will apply more pressure on governments to accommodate the crop. Perhaps recent change in commodity prices will lend force to such market forces.

Chances are, though, that cotton lobbyists will work against the crop for at least 5-10 years to come. But let’s hope not.

Hemp Bliss Hempmilk

If you don’t know about Manitoba Harvest, they’re a Canadian based hemp-food manufacturer that sells everything from hemp seeds and hemp milk, to hemp butter and hemp protein powder. Well, they’ve just announced a new recipe for their organic hemp milk. As the press release explains:

Winnipeg, Manitoba (March 31, 2010) – Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils™ is proud to launch the new & improved Hemp Bliss Organic Hempmilk. The only organic hempmilk on the market, Hemp Bliss has a new milder and creamier taste, 25% calcium, and more culinary versatility. Still free from common allergens, Hemp Bliss Organic Hempmilk is packed with nutrients like Omega-3 and Omega-6.

“The new Hemp Bliss is designed to appeal to a broader palate and to be a healthy alternative to dairy milk,” says President and co-founder Mike Fata. “We added more calcium (25% of the daily recommended intake) and created a creamy, smooth, allergen-free alternative that has a mouth-feel similar to dairy milk,” notes Fata. “We also added organic hemp oil which provides Hemp Bliss with even more healthy Omega-3 and a creamier texture.”
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Hempmilk contains more Omega 3, 6 and 9 EFAs than any other dairy or non-dairy milk alternative, and those EFAs are present in hemp in an ideal ratio. Hemp foods also have a strong digestible protein profile, fiber and an abundance of vitamins and minerals.
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What has not changed is Manitoba Harvest’s commitment to organic and natural ingredients. “We are proud to be the only organic hempmilk on the market, and we use only organic hemp seed, hemp oil, acacia & guar gum, organic vanilla flavoring and fair trade cocoa powder. All of the ingredients in the new Hemp Bliss are natural and sourced under the company’s mission to support sustainable farming and environmentally friendly practices.

I like hemp seeds and hemp protein, but I gotta tell, any improvement to the flavor of hemp milk is a welcome one. Hemp is one of the few foods that offers a perfect balance of Omega 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, but hemp milk is generally no way to get them. The stuff tasks like a sawdust milkshake. Hemp seeds, on the other hand, have a really nice nutty flavor that goes great on salads, cereals, or even in smoothies.

You can order Hemp Bliss Organic Hempmilk form the Manitoba Harvest site, but I’ve never had a problem finding it in any major urban area. That being said, I’ll have to give hemp milk another shot now that Manitoba Harvest has tweaked its recipe. Maybe I won’t have to cut it with a bunch of fruit and throw it in a blender just to make it bearable.

As a renewable resources that requires little water and no pesticides, hemp is an opportune raw material for manufacturing sustainable textiles. Well, it seems that it eligibility as a material is spilling over from the world of rope and bags, and into the realm of household decor. As the North Shore News reports:

Hemp shower curtains are [...] gaining widespread popularity. Made from 100 per cent hemp canvas this tightly woven fabric ensure water will not leak through and does not require a vinyl liner. They are non-toxic and made in Canada. A standard size is about $90.

Hemp table linens come in a variety of colours and are very affordable at about $7 for a dinner napkin.

It’s little surprise that Canada is a source of hemp products: although selling and purchasing hemp-based products is perfectly legal in the US, it remains criminal to cultivate it.

If only US legislators would come around, not only would their farmers have access to a crop with rising export demand, but the market price of hemp-based products would also come down. And then not only would both the planet and consumers come out on top, but more of us could afford some of those shower curtains.

It seems that there’s yet another hemp-food merchant in the marketplace. Health food manufacturer, Bob’s Red Mill, has announced a new line of hemp-based products. They will be selling hulled hemp seed and hemp protein powder. The website PortlandFoodandDrink.com has the press release:

Portland, Ore. – December 9, 2008 – Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods announces the launch of Hemp Protein Powder and Hulled Hemp Seed, both derived from one of the world’s most nutritionally complete food sources.

“The hemp seed may be one of nature’s most perfect foods,” said Bob Moore, Founder of Bob’s Red Mill. “And like all of our hundreds of products we wanted to provide our customers with something that is fully nutritious and delightful to eat.”

The press release goes on to cover all the health benefits and nutrition to be gained from incorporating hemp seeds into your diet.

More importantly, however, I think that a mainstream company such as Bob’s Red Mill moving into the hemp food market is indicative of future growth. Not only must Bob’s Red Mill see a market demand, but having a brand name such as this marketing hemp products will undoubtedly raise awareness which, in turn, will stimulate additional demand.

Ah, there nothing like hemp for the holidays. Well, there’s more the holiday hemp than just wrapping paper and gift cards, and Yoga Journal has the scoop. In a recent article about how stitched and knitted fabrics are connected to yoga, author Victoria Everman offers up a heads up on some hemp-based ones:

Stock up on all-natural supplies. Lanaknits Designs Hemp for Knitting has 100 percent hemp and hemp-blend yarns in assorted colors, lanaknits.com; [...] South West Trading Company offers the widest variety of sustainable yarns: organic cotton, milk fiber, soy silk, bamboo, corn, and hemp, soysilk.com.

The overall gist of the article is finding products and merchants that reflect the values of yoga enthusiasts, but it provides quite a few good leads for hemp enthusiasts as well. Check out Stitched Together @ Yoga Journal to find out where you can find places to purchase sustainable products, including those made form hemp.

We often touch upon how much potential hemp has to help with the environment:

• it’s preferable to cotton because it’s much easier on the soil and requires much less water;
• it has a great potential as biofuel;
• it can actually remove heavy metals form the soil;
• it can be used to treat sewage;
• and the list goes on and on and on…

But none of this really helps the average Joe and Jane help the environment by using hemp. Well, The LA Examiner has a piece on how you can use hemp to do just that by incorporating it into your holiday routine:

During the holidays, about 2.6 billion cards are sent annually. In fact, the paper industry is the third largest generator of greenhouse gases. Practically speaking, an Evite is the most sustainable invitation practice, inviting guests online and forgoing a hard copy invitation altogether. However I do agree that there’s something so old school elegant about sending and receiving lovely invitations and RSVP’s, so lets take the next best step and look for companies that can help us create “green invitations.”  Green invitations will be made from recycled paper, organic cotton paper, kenaf or hemp paper. Kenaf and hemp papers are good because they are both sustainable and easy to grow without pesticides. For recycled and tree-free papers online, check out www.vickeroy.com or www.crane.com.

One of the biggest challenges facing mainstream hemp use is the lack of volume. Hemp is just not yet processed in large enough of quantities to make hemp-based consumer products price-competitive with their more conventional counterparts. Consequently, it can be challenging to find ways to support hemp and its industries.

By considering what hemp products are already in use and adapting them to everyday uses, however, you can do just that. Since hemp paper products are relatively available on the market, these are a great place to start. And when used in a holiday setting, it can give your gift that extra, special touch.

While companies like General Motors, Nortel, and Sun Microsystems cut staff in hopes of weathering this recession, hemp food maker Manitoba Harvest seems relatively certain that they’ll not just be fine, but enjoy continued growth. In the process of moving their operations into a larger, more technologically advanced facility, the company has just hired a new plant manager to, well, manage it. As the NPI Center reports:

The market demand for hemp products in North America is expanding rapidly and industry leader Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils is staying ahead of the curve by expanding their operations and hiring experts to bolster their team. The company has announced that they have hired Tom Greaves as their new Plant Manager. The new hiring comes at a critical time for Manitoba Harvest (www.manitobaharvest.com), as the hemp foods pioneer is in the process of moving to their new state-of-the-art organic facility in Winnipeg. The 20,000 sq. ft. food processing facility on Eagle Drive will increase their production capacity by more than 500%.

Over the last few years, the company has seen considerable growth. In fact, between 2002-2007, they grew 453%. Nevertheless, there is still cause to be wonder because hemp foods are still largely luxury items. The fact of the matter is that they are not produced (either grown or manufactured) on a level that is sufficient to competitively price them against more mainstream whole foods.

Of course, Manitoba Harvest would have pursued this new facility before the economy imploded, and they would obviously need a new plant manager to run it. So they can’t be accused of financial or managerial negligence by any stretch. So let’s hope that this new facility allows them to bring down processing costs enough that Manitoba Harvest can pass those savings on to consumers. That way, they can thereby stimulate enough of a market demand for hemp products that they’ll continue to reach growth projections despite the current economic climate.

The local LA ABC channel, KABC, recently compared some mil alternatives, and one of those featured alternative was Hemp Bliss hemp milk. Being a televised segment, it was hosted by Lori Corbin, “The Food Coach.” You can also watch the video coverage here. Of interest, however, are a couple notes from the show notes:

Finally, those looking for a new non-dairy beverage might get a kick out of hemp milk. Hemp is similar to flax in that it contains omega-3 and other unsaturated fats. It has a slightly nutty taste, but does not have any psychotropic compounds. So, the only “high” you might experience is the taste itself.
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Manitoba Harvest Hemp Bliss
Calories: 110
Fat: 7 g
Sugar: 6 g
Iron: 10 percent

For those of you interested in benefiting from the high amount of essential fatty acids in hemp milk and other products, you can buy hemp foods from Manitoba Harvest. Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Manitoba Harvest™ owns and operates a 20,000 Sq Ft. state of the art, kosher certified and organic certified facility. They’ve been in business since 1998, so they’re no bunch fly-by-night snake-oil salesmen trying to get in on a hemp health craze.