Monday 15 October 2012

Presenting Hemp

Ace and I did a little presentation for our Alternative Voices class today. For those who missed it, you can view or download the slides here. Share it with your class and educate your classmates about the importances and advantages of hemp.



Hemp Slides on Slideshare.com

"Show me your children, and i will show you your future"  - Anonymous

Thursday 11 October 2012

HOME



We only have one Home. For now, there are no other. Even if there is, we are not technologically able to reach the distance. Watch this free documentary and share it with everyone else you know. Because no matter where you are from, what race you are and what your religion you believe in, we all share the same HOME.


                                                  HOME by Yann Arthus-Bertrand
                                 Click to watch the whole EPIC 1 hour plus, HD documentary!


There is no better way to say this. We have no time to waste, hemp must be legalized and mass produce again. We need to save our HOME!




"Why is Hemp against the law? It grows naturally upon our planet. Doesn't the idea of making nature against the law seem to you a bit...unnatural?" - Bill Hicks

Hemp Is The Future

Global warming, thinning ozone layer, rising sea level and increasing natural disasters. Not to mention depleting natural resources, uncontrollable  pollution and land fill shortage. All these caused by human kind. Caused by our presence, our civilizations and our modernizations. Human unsatisfiable greed for convenience, lead us to where we are now. A neon paradise of advertisements, run by ever advancing technology, an electronic and mechanical wonderland with architectural marvels and soaring sky scrapers in the background. But all that is just a mirage of the real earth; a toxic land fill, deep in our own waste, unsustainable and doomed for destruction.


What are we doing? Why are we marching so damn proudly towards extinction? Why can't we just admit, yes, our fathers made a mistake? Why can't we just accept the fact that yes, somewhere in time, we messed up by putting our own importance first? Instead of taking care of the earth that provides us with everything that we have now? Why can't we start living with the land, not just on it, and using all thats in it?Why are we still chasing the dream of total convenience? Why are we still guzzling what we know cannot replenish? What then? What happened when it does? We human just slowly depreciate? then ultimately disappear? Or do we flee up to space, and find another earth? Mars maybe? Human's future is too important to just be a "maybe".

Scientists researching the damage of global warming all over the world, gather up their data. Compiled them and came up with a simple conclusion. "Human have 10 years to start reversing the damage, before the global warming pass the point where nothing is possible to reverse it ". There. The facts are laid down in front of our eyes. The numbers are staggering. We see the effect. Feel it everyday. 10 years ago, sun glasses are fashion accessories. Now they are hard to live without. 10 years ago, you would have to wear 3 layers of clothing to bare the temperature on a local highland. Now, shorts and a jacket is sufficient. We feel it, we can't deny it. Lets not play stupid by ignoring these signs of distress.

In 10 years, we still have hope. A renewable hope. A sustainable hope. A hope fueled by nature. But this hope is so dimmed, that we human need to do something extra ordinary. Something, never, in the human history, ever been done. Something so big, it involve the whole world. The world need to accept hemp. We need hemp to save us. We must admit we did a mistake, and we must legalize hemp. In 5 years, the United Nation should start distributing millions of ton of hemp seeds, to be planted all over the world. We need to change our inorganic and depleting fuel source to hemp biomass fuel. We need to warm, feed, shelter, purify, run, and power the world with hemp. Earth has already provided the answer 10,000 years ago, and it was put into good us. It is just us, the current generations, who are the ignorant fools. Lets be the change.

Hemp it!







"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country" - Thomas Jefferson









Saturday 6 October 2012

The Hemp History

Hemp History Line

8000 B.C
Hemp is woven into fabric and grows in popularity over time on a global scale to eventually provide over 80% of all textiles and fabrics.

4800 B.C
Yangshao culture from this time, used hemp extensively to the extend of decoration. A vase, decorated with hemp cord designs was one of the few evidence.


2700 B.C
Cannabis, as hemp fabric and cordage, medicine, and food, has been incorporated into virtually all cultures of the Middle East, Asia Minor, India, China, Japan, and Africa.

2300 B.C.
Nomadic tribes from the East migrate into the Mediterranean regions and eventually Europe, introducing hemp along the way.

1000 B.C.
Hemp is the world's largest agricultural crop, providing materials to support civilization's most important industries, including fiber for fabric and rope, lamp oil for lighting, paper, medicine and food for both humans and domesticated animals.

Hemp Extracts are the #1, #2, and #3 most important and most frequently used medicine for two-thirds of the world's population.

500 B.C  
Ninety percent of the sailcloth and rigging lines used for all sea-going vessels is made from hemp. ( including the U.S. ship 'Constitution', better known as 'Old Ironsides'.)

100 A.D.
Chinese discover how to make paper from hemp.
1470's
Gutenberg Bible is printed on hemp paper.
1564
King Philip of Spain mandated the cultivation of hemp for food, fiber and medicine throughout the Spanish territory in Central and South America.
1600
Rembrandt paints on hemp canvas.
1611
King James Bible is printed on hemp paper.
1619
America's first hemp law is enacted at Jamestown Colony, Virginia, ordering all farmers to grow hemp.
1631
'Must grow' hemp laws are enacted throughout Massachusetts.
1631 to early 1800's
Hemp is 'legal tender' and taxes may be paid with hemp throughout most of the Americas.
1914 Federal Reserved $10 note. With the motive
of hemp farming printed on hemp paper.
1632 to mid `1700's
'Must grow' hemp laws enacted in Connecticut and the Chesapeake Colonies.
1700
Gainesborough paints on hemp canvas.
1740 - 1940
Russia is the world's largest and 'best quality' producer of hemp, supplying 80% of Western hemp rope.
1750's
Benjamin Franklin starts one of America's first hemp-rag paper mills.
1763 - 1767
Farmers who do not grow hemp can be arrested and jailed in Virginia.
1776
The patriotic populace organizes spinning bees to turn hemp fiber into clothing for General Washington's Continental Army.
1776
First and second drafts of the Declaration of Independence are written on hemp paper.
1777
The Stars and Stripes is endorsed as the Capitol Flag of the U.S.A. and made of hemp fabric.
Declarion of Independece
1790's
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grow hemp on their plantations.
hemp-washington.jpg
1800's
Van Gogh paints on hemp canvas.
Australians survive two prolonged famines by using hemp seed for protein and leaves for roughage.
Hemp seed oil, long the most popular lighting oil in the world, falls to second place in popularity as whale oil becomes widely accessible.
The use of hemp extracts as a recreational stimulant spreads through Western culture and romantic writers expound on individual freedom and human dignity, extolling cannabis use. Their works include: The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Alice in Wonderland, and Through the Looking Glass.
1812
America goes to war with Great Britain over free-trade access to Russian hemp.
1837 - 1901
Queen Victoria uses cannabis resins to treat menstrual cramps, sparking enormous interest in the uses of cannabis as a medicine in the English- speaking world.
1840
Abraham Lincoln uses hemp-seed oil to fuel his household lamps.
He also writes ( as a general statement on government function and legislation ): "Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by making a crime out of things that are not crimes... A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."
1842 - 1890
Extracts and derivatives of the hemp plant are the second and third most prescribed medicines in the U.S.A. Eli Lilly, Parke-Davis, Squibb, Brothers Smith and other firms produce these medicines through 1930. During this time, not one death or severe side-effect is recorded as an attribute to use.
1850
U.S. census records 8,327 hemp plantations of 2,000 acres or more and an uncalculated number of small hemp farms.
1860
'Ganjah Wallah Hasheesh Candy Company' produces one of the most popular candies in the U.S. It is made from cannabis derivatives and maple sugar, sold over-the-counter, and in Sears-Roebuck catalogs. It retains its popularity as a totally harmless and fun candy for over forty years.
1865
Alice in Wonderland is published on hemp paper.
1870's
The popularity of smoking female cannabis tops, to ease the back-breaking labor of working sugar cane fields and tolerate the hot sun as well as to relax recreationally with no alcohol "hang-over", begins to spread in the West Indies with the immigration of Hindus who are imported to provide cheap labor. Gradually, this popularity makes its way into the United States through St. Louis.
1883
Hashish smoking parlors have opened in every major American city, including an estimated 500 such establishments in New York City alone.
1890's
 Popular American 'marriage guides' recommend cannabis extracts for heightened marital pleasures. Women's temperance groups, lobbying for alcohol prohibition, suggest cannabis as a suitable substitute for the 'demon drink'.
A 'hempily' married
couple.

1901 - 1937
U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts repeatedly that with the advent of machinery capable of harvesting, stripping and separating the hemp fiber from the pulp, hemp will again be America's "Number One" crop.
1916
U.S.D.A. publishes Bulletin No. 404, "Hemp Hurds As Paper-Making Material," extolling and demonstrating the outstanding qualities of paper manufactured from hemp-pulp, a new process. The document was printed on hemp-pulp paper and explained the new technology. Previously most all paper was made with the hemp fiber content of 'rag' (worn out clothing).
1920
To this point in time, U.S. Government papers were written, by law, on "hempen rag paper".
1929
Henry Ford begins extensive research into the production of methanol (as a fuel) and the manufacture of plastics from renewable vegetable crops, including hemp.

1935
116 million pounds of hemp seed are used commercially in America to manufacture paint and varnish.
1937
February uncensored issue of Mechanical Engineering includes the feature story "The Most Profitable and Desirable Crop That Can Be Grown" which tells about the new machines being used to harvest hemp.
The Marihuana Tax Act HR 6385 was enacted; this required a $1 tax stamp on the cultivation of marihuana and hemp.  If somebody wanted to plant hemp, they would have to buy a tax stamp from the government. The issue for those in opposition of this tax related to the underhanded manner in which this tax was enacted.  Which means the government is not giving out any tax stamps. It is said, the government was in a strict move to illegalize Marijuana. They believe that people who smokes Marijuana are raving, negrito lunatics, that play devils music (jazz), rape white woman, behaving violently and have the tendency to behave inappropriately, such as stepping on a white man’s shadow. Anti Marijuana public service films were made to depict this intolerance behavior. Films like “Reefer Madness”. Suprisingly, this came after almost 10,000 years if use and hemp is at its peaking popularity. Of course, the prohibition of hemp and Marijuana did make a lot of powerful corporation rich. Those thought to gain the most were Hearst who owned large timber holdings, which feed the paper industry. DuPont who dominated the petrochemical market, which manufactured plastics, paints, and other products of fossil fuels and the Secretary of the Treasury and owner of Gulf oil Andrew Mellon who pushed legislation through congress giving tax breaks to oil companies. The Conspiracy was against hemp, it threaten certain vested financial and industrial interest especially those in the paper and petrochemical industries.
$1 Marihuana Tax Stamp
Public Service about the 'danger' of Marijuana and hemp.
1938
The February issue of Popular Mechanics runs a story, (prepared before the 1937 legislation was enacted) titled: "New Billion Dollar Crop."

1941
December issue of Popular Mechanics features a story on Henry Ford, showing a picture of the car he "grew from the soil." The automobile's "plastic panels with impact strength 10 times greater than steel were made from flax, wheat, hemp, and spruce pulp." The auto weighed 1/3 less than its 100% steel contemporaries.

1942
U.S. government overrides its own ban on hemp and distributes 400,000 pounds of hemp seed to U.S farmers who produce 42,000 tons of hemp fiber annually to support the war effort until 1946.
Posters, to once again encouraging
farmers to grow hemp for the war effort.
U.S. farmers, are inundated by "Uncle Sam" with incentives to grow hemp. The U.S.D.A. makes it mandatory for farmers to attend showings of the "Hemp For Victory" film. Farmers and their sons who agree to grow hemp are exempt from military service, even though America is at war.
                                Hemp For Victory

1955
Both hemp and Marijuana are once again banned and declared illegal. This time the government concluded that smoking Marijuana would make you a big lazy pacifist. The alleged point was, enemy would use it against the US fighting troops to supposedly drop their fighting morale. The government now is illegalizing hemp for the opposite reasons why they banned it first in 1937.
1972
U.S.D.A. finds that hemp seed is lower in saturated fats than any other vegetable oil (including soybean and canola).
Other studies note that until this century hemp-cake (the by-product of pressing the seed for oil ) was one of the world's principle animal feeds.
It is also found that hemp seed, like soybeans, can produce a tofu-like curd and be spiced to taste like chicken, steak or pork; can be sprouted for salads, ground into meal, and also made into margarine.
Hemp seed is recommended as a nutritionally balanced food for domestic pets and farm animals.
1975
Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia discover that cannabis is incredibly successful for reducing the size of many types of tumors, both benign and cancerous.
1989
Garments containing hemp fiber are available to the American public for the first time in over 50 years, however, this clothing must be imported to the U.S. from China (via Hong Kong) and carries a huge protective tariff.
1992
Australia licences hemp farming.

1993
England eases restriction on hemp farming. News media declare hemp clothes and cannabis leaf logo hottest new fashion.





1994
Under the CNCA, one license was granted to a Canadian company, Hempline Inc., to grow hemp experimentally in Canada under the strict supervision of the authorities.

1996
The Canadian federal government passed Bill C8 stating that mature hemp stalks are exemptfrom the list of controlled substances.

1998
The Canadian government legalizes the commercial growth of industrial hemp.

2012
Israeli Scientist successfully extracted out THC from female Cannabis bud. Resulting to non-psychoactive Medical Marijuana.

Washington & Colorado legalized Marijuana. Adult over the age of 21 can consume & cultivate Marijuana for recreational use without any penalty.

Sources
http://www.globalhemp.com/2001/01/hemp-history.html

"Yo momma so old, in her history class, they were writing the history" - Yo Mama Joke



           







Thursday 4 October 2012

Hemp Featured in 1930s Popular Mechanic Magazine






Read all about it!





A List of Hemp Fact Lists

These are by far our favorite fact lists about hemp. Check it out!

Amazing Hemp Facts!

15 Fascinating Hemp Facts

Hemp Properties

Hemp Farmers Facts

Industrial Hemp Facts


The Wonder Plant; Hemp and Its Uses


Click here for the Bahasa Malaysia version of this post.


Hemp plant


HEMP
Hemp, scientifically dubbed as Cannabis Sativa, is a fibrous plant that has countless use. Not to be confused with Marijuana, which is only 10% of all Cannabis Sativa species, hemp does not induce any psychoactive effects. This is because the psychoactive substance, Tetrahydrocannabinol Delta-9 (THC), that makes you high, is absent or in low percentage in hemp. In total opposite, hemp is high in another cannabinoid substance Cannabidiol (CBD), that is known to suppress the effect of THC. You can call hemp the Anti-Ganja, ironically, the similarities are the main reasons why hemp is still widely illegal to plant.

Marijuana


USES
So what is so special about hemp anyways?

Food
Hemp is edible and highly nutritious. Hemp seed oil contains 80% essential fatty acids (EFA) such as Omega-3 and 6. Not only that, hemp protein contains all 21 known amino acids, including 9 an adult body cannot produce, making it a 'complete protein' source and readily absorbable nutrients for human's digestive system. 15ml, or a table spoon, of hemp seed oil per day provides the daily requirements of EFA. Hemp leaves can also be eaten like salad.

Sprouted hemp seed bread

Clothing
The Chinese started using hemp clothing 10 000 year ago. Hemp fibrous and long fibers can be turned into fabric, stronger than cotton and was the material used for the original production of Levis Strauss jeans. The reason is because of hemp's very long fibers, sometimes up to 4 meters long. Cotton fibers on the other hand, is just approximately 1-2 mm short. Hemp fabric is softer, warmer and more water resistant than cotton, plus it uses less chemicals to be processed into fabrics. Hemp has a high insulation factor, which means a hemp shirt will keep you warm in cold days and cool in hot days.  

A hemp shoe by Adidas

Paper
2000 years ago, Cai Lun, regarded as the inventor of paper, standardized the paper making process. What is not known then, 200 years before, the first hemp paper was found originating from the Han Dynasty.  Hemp papers lasts longer than conventional wood pulp, the Declaration of Independence of America, signed on the 4th July 1776 is written on hemp paper, and it still is in crisp and perfect condition. Trees for papers matured in 50-100 years, hemp takes about 3 months to hit maturity. The hectares of forest we are still able to safe, switching to hemp papers, would be staggering. 

Hemp hurds will be processed into papers

Plastic
Hemp can be processed into an environmentally friendly plastic that is flame retardant, plant based, sustainable and most importantly, a plastic that is bio-degradable. Plastic has been one of human's greatest success and failure. We made it so tough, that conventional petrol based plastic will take from 500 - 1000 years to barely decompose. At the same time releasing harmful gasses. Hemp based plastics on the other hand, are able to fully degrade back into the soil without leaving any harmful traces. In 1941, Henry Ford, created the Soybean Car. A prototype, that consist of a full hemp plastic body and frames. It was proven superior than metal body. The Soybean car runs on ethanol fuel, from corn. Currently Audi, BMW, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, GM, Iveco, Lotus, Mercedes, Mitsubishi, Saturn, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Volvo are using hemp derived plastic materials in their car.

Lotus Eco Elise's body is made out of hemp composite



Henry Ford's 1941 Hemp Car

Construction Materials
A durable construction material like Hempcrete and hemp insulations can be made from hemp . Hempcretes theoretically absorbs 165 kg of carbon dioxide and lock it in a 1m cubic space of the material overtime. So not only it builds your house, it is a natural carbon dioxide filter, keeping the air in the house purified.


Hempcrete in practical use

Soil & Water Purifier
Growing hemp naturally purify the soil and the water, thanks to its capability to absorb phosphorus and other harmful substances trapped overtime inside the soil, caused by poultry waste fertilizers. Farmers benefit from the detoxification of farming soils. Because of its incredible water and soil purifying quality, hemp is widely planted in Chernobyl nuclear disaster site to help the land re-new. The Japanese should take advantage of this plant's unique quality, in association with the Fukushima nuclear incident.

Weed Control
Ironically, hemp is also planted as a biological weed control agent. Hemp's tall and light covering foliage acts as a natural weed growth deterrent. Hemp can also be planted in high density, leaving no chance for weed growth. This gives advantage to the farmers who does not need to use any herbicide to control weed growth and benefits the land use for crop rotation. Not only that, if a Hemp plant was planted near a Marijuana grow operation, within 3 growing cycles, the Marijuana is rendered THC-less. Because Hemp genetic naturally have low or non THC level. The cross pollination process from the Hemp pollen to the Marijuana female buds will result in a crossbreed. These crossbreed, if again get exposed to Hemp pollen, will lower the THC level in the Marijuana even lower. The cycle continues, until the Marijuana crop becomes a dud.

Medicine
If we consider hemp's THC rich siblings, Marijuana, it can also be use to medicate. Cannabinoids are concentrated in the flower or bud of the plant. Especially the Indica sub species which is rich in CannaBiDiol (CBD). In the 1980s, scientist discovered cannabinoid receptors that only bind or cling on cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. In many studies and documented medical trials, Marijuana intake shows great and positive respond. Cannabinoids are associated as a cancer cell growth retardant. Marijuana common use as medicine includes treating glaucoma, reduces nausea in cancer patients, chronic pain reliever, and treating asthma.

Marijuana has been legally prescribed in some countries

Biomass Fuel
Last but not least, and utmost importantly, hemp is a fully sustainable and an eco-friendly oil/gas/energy solution. An answer to the tyranny of fossil fuel which is both destroying the environment and human civilizations. Even the fact that hemp is illegal now have got to do with oil and gas. It is said the energy moguls of the world, have something to do with hemp being as illegal as Marijuana. An average American work 33 out of 40 work hours just to pay for energy. Thats how expensive energy is now and unfortunately the world is addicted to energy, no price is to high to pay. When you are monopolizing this unsustainable, limited and expensive energy industry, wouldn't you be scared if i tell you there is a sustainable, eco-friendly, fully renewable, and cheaper alternative? It only takes just 6% of the continental America to be planted with hemp, and it can sustainably meet the current domestic demand for oil and gas for the whole country. Thats how little it takes to liberate America from fossil based energy. Hemp has 4 times the biomass and 8 times the methanol potential, in comparison to the current number 1 biomass fuel, corn. Which means it is even better than the best available biomass source.

Hemp biofuel
Perks
 A hemp farm would produce 25 tons of usable material, per hectare of land, every year. In comparison to corn and wheat, which can only produce around 8.5 tons per hectare, per year. Oil palm can only be harvest after 4 years, hemp matures and can be harvested 3 times a year. This high crop turn over also contributes to its  sustainable supply factor. Hemp is naturally a very hardy plant and it is also draught resistant. One acre of usable hemp fibers is equal to useable fibers from 4 acres of wood or 2 acres of cotton. Saving the best for last, the cycle of growing and burning hemp biomass fuel keeps the global carbon dioxide at a perfect equilibrium. Because planting hemp will absorb back the carbon dioxide it released during burning process. Which means, burning hemp biomass fuel does not contribute to global warming and the clean burn means it will not cause acid rains.
Hemp farm

That is a mighty long list of what this plant can do, unfortunately, this barely scratches the surface of hemp materials,usage and utilities. There are uncountable use for hemp. Dig deep, and you will find out, the only thing that you can count is what this wonder plant cannot do.

Lets hemp the world!

"Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp fields?" - Henry Ford




Monday 1 October 2012

"The Union" : The Business Behind Getting High

Here is a documentary by Brett Harvey, a pro Hemp Canadian director. The documentary is filmed in a 'simple to understand' format, but it is packed with revelations and exposures about Hemp. It is the perfect appetizer for the blog.



The documentary has won several awards and has been receiving good reviews ever since the release.




Enjoy and educate.




"When people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty" - Thomas Jefferson

At the seed of the journey to infinity and beyond.

Greetings,

Welcome to the blog that will open your mind, challenge your stand and hopefully change your perspective. Of course not on mindless ramblings about 'some' alternative issues, or scandalous theories, that matters only to a certain community. This is big. This will inevitably change the world. This affects almost everything man made. This issue will matter to everyone, all 6 billion of us;

this
is
HEMP!

This blog is written by my partner and I. Which of us is which, that you will never know. Maybe you will. And as stated above, this blog is about the exposure of a plant, that can help human kind propel to the near future. This plant has been suppressed by powers that runs the world. But with proper education and a little exposure, we believe that one day, this plant is will be the catalyst of human kind.

Hemp seeds.
The name "The Hemperor's New Clothes" actually depicts the ironically of a well linked connections. One of hemp's best products is clothes. By taking the title of a classical tale;  "The Emperor's New Clothes" and adding a H in front of emperor, we managed to come up with a rather cynical  title for our blog.

Your comments are welcome, and any questions or support can be sent to our email.

One Love.

"You are only as young as the last time you change your mind" - Timothy Leary