Hemp Seed Oil Makes Good Biodeisel

Physorg.com have an article about the results of trials conducted by the University of Connecticut on Hemp Seed oil.
UConn have found that Hemp Seed oil is a viable alternative to current biofuel crops. The beauty of hemp based raw material is that it can be grown in infertile ground, leaving arable land for food crops.
Further, Hemp seed oil is 97% convertible into biodeisel and is useable as fuel at lower temperatures than other food/seed based oils.

I would love to see the production of industrial hemp increased in Australia to develop Biodeisel products. Most Australian states have legalised Industrial Hemp, so we have an opportunity to create an environmentally friendly product that is an alternative to current fossil based fuels.

But that's not all...

This adds to the list of sustainable and healthy uses for Hemp and Hemp seed:

Hemp seed oil is very high in Omega-6 and 3 fatty acids. Apparently, the ratio of 3:1 respectively of those oils is perfect for humans.

About 30–35% of the weight of hempseed is an edible oil that contains about 80% as essential fatty acids (EFAs); i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%).

The proportions of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in one tablespoon per day (15 ml) of hempseed oil easily provides human daily requirements for EFAs. Unlike flaxseed oil, hempseed oil can be used continuously without developing a deficiency or other imbalance of EFAs. This has been demonstrated in a clinical study, where the daily ingestion of flaxseed oil decreased the endogenous production of GLA.

 Hemp seed oil is readily absorbed by the skin and has been shown to be effective in treating eczema and other skin conditions.

The hemp plant has a plethora of uses. These include using the processed plant to strengthen concrete and as a replacement for glass fibre in vehicle building (fibreglass). Other products produced from Hemp include cloth, paper and plastic.

Given the usefulness and renewability of Hemp, we as Australians are doing ourselves a disservice by not pushing for more hemp based industries in this country.

Outgoing UN Drug/Crime Director living in a Fantasy Land

An interesting post in the Vancouver Sun in regards to comments made by the outgoing Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa.

Some of Antonio's comments on Cannabis prohibition appear at the very least, dated. At worst, completely ignorant of facts.

Read the post here

Some of Neil Boyd's response is here:

The continuation of criminal prohibition is not the answer. We can demonstrate that rates of consumption of a drug as lethal and addictive as tobacco can be reduced without resorting to criminalization. Why are we continuing to waste costly police and enforcement resources on a drug as trivial as cannabis?

Electric Car Made From Hemp - I Love Canada!

Canadians are too clever.

They are developing an electric car ...not so special you say?

Well, this car is also going to have a composite Hemp body...not so special either? After all, Henry Ford built an ethanol powered Hemp bodied car years ago.

But, this car will have a motor that was developed and manufactured in Canada by TM4, a subsidiary of Hydro-Quebec, and the Hemp will be grown and processed in Canada. This has got to be good for the local economy, and should be a lesson to the rest of the planet. Do something local with some renewable resources and help the planet and your part of the Global Village. 

From the source:

The Kestrel is one of five electric vehicles being developed by Project Eve, an automotive industry collaboration founded by Motive and Toronto Electric, an Ontario material handling and electric motor company, to boost the production of electric vehicles and electric vehicle components in Canada.

Read more: The Kestrel

References and sources:

1:  CBC News: Cannabis Electric Car To be Made In Canada

2: Schaffer Library of Drug Policy (early news of Ford's Hemp Car): Extract from Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1941

3: Wikipedia: Reference to Henry Ford's advocacy of Ethanol and Hemp oil as vehicle fuels.

4: Marijuana Tipster.com: Henry Ford Hemp Car

5: World News: Links and video about Henry Ford and the Hemp Car

6: Hempcar.org: Facts About Hemp

7: Hempcar: The TransAmerica Homepage. Circling the US in a Hemp powered car.

8: University of Southern QLD ePrints: Environmentally friendly natural fibre composites with Qld. based vegetable oils
9: Michigan State University (WARNING-PDF link): Are natural fiber composites environmentally superior to glass fiber reinforced composites?
10: TM4 Electro Dynamic Systems: Home Page

Australian Politicians - Are You Reading This?

Rather than get offensive, I'll start this by saying, Australian Cannabis laws are archaic.

We have six states and two territories (on the major continental islands). In every one it is illegal to grow medicinal grade cannabis. Granted, our industrial hemp laws are in some ways ahead of other countries. In three of our states (Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales), we can grow Industrial Hemp with varying degrees of monitoring and inspection. However, some other states have trialled the crop, but inconceivably rejected industrial use.

Right now we need to push for legal medicinal cannabis in Australia.

Canada has passed Medicinal Cannabis laws. Thirteen states in the US have medicinal cannabis laws. In Europe, many countries have decriminalised cannabis. In Australia? Nothing. It is still an illegal drug with wide and varied penalties, depending on where you live and what you possess/grow.

Current research shows cannabis to be a valuable, but underutilized medicine.

In previous posts I have reported on many of the recent research efforts into cannabis' medicinal value.
The following links are just a sample:

http://itsmedicinejim.blogspot.com/2010/01/treating-alcohol-and-drug-addictions.html

http://itsmedicinejim.blogspot.com/2009/12/cannabis-as-medicine-video-links.html


 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19638490

 Australia has an opportunity to be at the forefront of medicinal cannabis research and development. We could lead the world in this industry if a few forward thinking politicians look beyond the 'marijuana madness' myths of the 30s and 40s, and start seeing cannabis as the valid medicine that it is and has been for 5000 plus years.

Ecotechnology Australia and 'Mop Crops'

Ecotechnology Australia is using industrial Hemp as a 'Mop Crop' to absorb effluent waste with the added bonus of producing a valuable by-product crop:

Here is an excerpt from the site:

It was no surprise that all crops had exceptional growth rates, especially hemp, which produced 23 tonnes dry material per hectare in just 110 days!

Check out Ecotechnology here.

Image is Copyright of Ecotechnology Australia.

NSW Green Light For Hemp Nearly Finalized

New South Wales is set to smooth the path for farmers wanting to trial Hemp as a commercial crop. New measures to be put in place will allow farmers to trial Hemp without getting approval from the Health Department. A comprehensive article in the 'Northern Rivers Echo' explains the new rules and also provides an informative read about the many positives of commercial Hemp.

Unlike the cannabis smoked by 1 in 3 Australians, industrial Hemp has extremely low THC levels, but has a myriad of uses, including oil, paper and biofuel. The seed is highly nutritious and contains high levels of Omega - 3 and Omega-6 oils.

Happy Planet products has a good description. Here is an excerpt:

So omega-3 and omega-6 are essential to health. But why? Omega-3 (LNA) has been shown to protect against certain types of cancers and positively modify immune and inflammatory reactions. It has been demonstrated that renal, respiratory, cardiovascular, and dermatological conditions are improved by including omega-3 in the diet. Omega-6 (LA) can help protect against acne, loss of hair, poor blood circulation, and cardiovascular disease as well as liver, kidney and gallbladder problems. EFAs are also necessary for maintaining the structure of cell membranes and the permeability of the skin. Health Canada recommends that pregnant and lactating women increase their omega-3 intake as found in the equivalent of approximately 1 tablespoon of hemp oil per day.

EFAs actually assist in the most basic of bodily operations, such as helping with the transfer of bioelectric currents from cell to cell and contributing to brain function and development. EFAs convert lactic acid (often responsible for aching muscles during heavy exercise) to harmless water and carbon dioxide.

EFAs are important precursors to eicosanoids that are required by energy and oxygen demanding tissues such as the brain, retina, adrenal and testicular tissues.

The metabolism of all these fats occurs in the liver. Fats must be converted into substances the body needs, used as energy, or ejected as waste. Enzymes, found only in raw and mainly unprocessed foods are used to change the structure of fatty-acids.

EFAs, because they become part of the structural components of cell membranes, also play an important role in the transfer of nutrients and wastes to and from the cell. The ability of EFAs to hold oxygen in our cell membranes helps to protect cells from toxins.

For the full story about NSW's new Hemp industry, check out the Northern Rivers Echo article.

It's About Time!!

New South Wales (capital Sydney...in Australia) is about to pass legislation to allow Hemp to be grown on an industrial scale. This is a huge leap forward for a country whose all round Cannabis/Hemp laws have been in stuck somewhere in the thirties for so long:

From the Sydney Morning Herald:

"Industrial hemp fibre produced here in NSW could pave the way for the establishment of a new viable industry that creates and sells textiles, cloth and building products made from locally grown industrial hemp," said the Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald, who will oversee the licences for the new crop.

"There is growing support from the agricultural sector for the development of such a new industry. This is a direct result of the environmentally friendly nature of industrial hemp and a perceived interest for hemp products in the market."

Trials in the state's west had yielded 10 to 12 tonnes of dry stem per hectare, which was similar to yields reported from crops in other states and in Europe, Mr Macdonald said.

Honestly, as an Aussie who has been a pro hemp/ pro Cannabis person for most of my life, this is the BEST news I've heard for a long, long time. I just hope other states follow suit.