Research Items - Updated March 27, 2008
#11. Testimony
on Oregon Senate Bill 348 to re-legalize
industrial hemp in Oregon, by Andy Kerr
#10. Feasibility
of Industrial Hemp Production in the United
States Pacific Northwest, Daryl T. Ehrensing
#9. "Hemp: A New Crop with New Uses for North America," eds. J. Janick and A. Whipkey
#8. Congressional
Research Service’s 2007 Update on Hemp
#7. Journal of Natural Fibers,
Editor-in-Chief: Ryszard Kozlowski
#6. Advances in Hemp Research,
Edited by Paolo Ranalli
#5. The
Environmental Benefits of Using Industrial Hemp, by Andy Kerr
#4. Dr. Mahlberg's Cannabis Research, by Paul Mahlberg
#3. Hemp
as a
Potentially Important Crop and Area of Research, by Shelby F. Thames
#2. From Petro to
Agro: Seeds of a New Economy, by
Robert E. Armstrong
#1. Hemp and Marijuana: Myths & Realities, by David P. West
#11. Testimony
on Oregon Senate Bill 348 to re-legalize
industrial hemp in Oregon.
NAIHC member Andy Kerr's testimony in Oregon Senate hearing, to explain how industrial hemp is not
marijuana, how marijuana growers won't want
industrial hemp growing anywhere near their drug
crop, and how most of the rest of the world
distinguishes industrial hemp from marijuana.
#10. Feasibility
of Industrial Hemp Production in the United
States Pacific Northwest.
Ehrensing, Daryl T. 1998. Feasibility
of Industrial Hemp Production in the United
States Pacific Northwest. Corvallis, Oregon:
Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment
Station Bulletin 681. This report was
commissioned by Oregon Natural Resources Council
(now Oregon Wild). pdf verion. The same study in html: Pacific
Northwest Industrial Hemp study by Oregon
State University, commissioned by Oregon Natural
Resources Council while Andy Kerr was executive
director.
#9. Industrial
Hemp Offers Great Promise
For
a comprehensive perspective on industrial hemp past, present and
future, read the 43-page chapter “Hemp:
A New Crop with New Uses for North America” in Purdue University's
2002 book Trends in New Crops and New Uses, edited by
Jules Janick and Anna Whipkey.
#8. Congressional
Research Service’s 2007 Update on Hemp
“The United States is the only developed
nation in which the production of industrial
hemp is not permitted.” That’s according to the U.S. Congress’s research arm
which reported favorably on industrial hemp in a Jan. 2005 report and then
issued an even more favorable updated report March 23, 2007. Click
here to read the complete 2007 report.
The Congressional
Research Service (CRS) update concludes that the U.S. government and its Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) oppose hemp legalization based on their
arguments that legalization “would increase the likelihood of covert production
of high-THC marijuana, significantly complicate DEA’s surveillance and
enforcement activities, and send the wrong message to the American public
concerning the government’s position on drugs. DEA officials and a variety of
other observers also express the concern that efforts to legalize hemp — as
well as those to legalize medical marijuana — are a front for individuals and
organizations whose real aim is to see marijuana decriminalized.”
The
CRS report notes that the proposed Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007 “would
open the way for commercial cultivation of industrial hemp in the United States.”
It goes on to point out that according to the Canadian government, which
legalized hemp production in 1998: “Hemp's remarkable attributes are hard to
beat: it thrives without herbicides, it reinvigorates the soil, it requires
less water than cotton, it matures in three to four months, and it can yield
four times as much paper per acre as trees. Hemp can be used to create building
materials, textiles, clothing, inks, and paints and has potential use in other
non-food products. These advantages are in tune with the environmental and
health preferences of today's North American public. The growing curiosity of
consumers, the interest shown by farmers and processors, and Canada's excellent growing
conditions for industrial hemp allow optimistic views for its future.”
Click here to read the complete
2007 CRS report.
Click
here to read the Canadian government’s 2007 report from Agriculture Canada.
#7. Journal of Natural Fibers
Current, authoritative information about all types of natural fibers!
Editor-in-Chief: Ryszard Kozlowski, PhD
Director, The Institute of Natural Fibres, Poznan, Poland
Richard Kotek, PhD
Assistant Professor, College of Textiles, North Carolina State University, Raleigh
To order a subscription or submit an article, Click Here.
About the journal
Stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the use of natural fibers!
The Journal of Natural Fibers meets the growing demand
for a comprehensive guide to new applications, processing methods and
techniques, and up-to-date research findings on natural fibers.
Co-edited by Ryszard Kozlowski, Coordinator of the FAO/European
Cooperative Research Network on Flax and other Bast plants, and Richard
Kotek, Assistant Professor at the College of Textiles at North Carolina
State University in Raleigh, the journal presents peer-reviewed
articles and review papers on basic and applied research, research and
development, diversified areas of application, international units and
standards, and new technologies. The Journal of Natural Fibers is the
continuation of the previous annual journal Natural Fibres (Wlokna
Naturalne), which was published for many years by the Institute of
Natural Fibres, Poznan, Poland. The Haworth Press, Inc., is pleased to
publish this quality journal, now being published quarterly.
The Journal of Natural Fibers presents new achievements
in basic research and the development of multi-purpose applications
that further the economical and ecological production of hard fibers,
protein fibers, seed, bast, leaf, and cellulosic fibers. An
international panel of academics, researchers, and practitioners
examines new processing methods and techniques, new trends and economic
aspects of processing natural raw materials, sustainable agriculture
and eco-friendly techniques that address environmental concerns, the
efficient assessment of the life cycle of natural fibers-based
products, and the natural reclamation of polluted land.
Each issue of the Journal of Natural Fibers includes continuing features that examine:
* the world market
* new patents and technologies
* reports from conferences, symposia, and workshops
* new developments in the industry
* updates on cultivation and harvesting techniques
* agribusiness notes
* and much more!
The Journal of Natural Fibers is an invaluable resource for scientists,
researchers, consultants, and academics working with research and
development institutes, and agriculture and textile universities. The
journal is also of great value to producers and processors of
lignocellulosic fibers, natural silk, and wool, and to anyone working
in the textile, geotextile, automotive, pharmaceutical, cosmetic,
building, and food industries.
#6. Advances in Hemp Research
Learn about recent research and technological advancements concerning cannabis for uses in the textile and paper industries!
Edited by Paolo Ranalli, PhD Head, Plant Breeding Section, Experimental Institute for Industrial Crops, Bologna, Italy
To order your copy, Click Here.
About The Book:
Offering up-to-date information on the uses and composition of the
plant, Advances in Hemp Research provides growers, researchers,
manufacturers, and suppliers with methods and data for the processing
and cultivation of hemp for textile and paper products. You will learn
how recent advances in germplasm resources, breeding methods, and the
improvement of physiological, morphological, and biochemical
characteristics of the plant can strengthen hemp fiber, making it a
profitable and important crop to study and to grow for uses in the
textile and paper industries.
Providing you with a complete update on the advances in research in
several different areas, this text covers the entire spectrum of recent
international hemp research and technological developments. Advances in
Hemp Research discusses many factors essential to the improvement of
the crop and its uses, including:
- breeding techniques, agronomical practices,
increased stress tolerance, and processing techniques that will enable
the plant to produce high-quality fibers
- new cultivars to distinguish licit from illicit field cultivation
- the recent advances in crop physiology, such as radiation use efficiency, harvest index, and dry matter yields
- cultivation practices such as soil structure,
manuring, harvesting, and crop rotation and how they contribute to
optimal growing conditions for the plant
- current disease and control measures that lessen parasitic damage and loss of crops
- storing, processing, and marketing hemp as a component of paper, pulp, fiber, and oil
- Furthering the advancement of cannabis as an
environmentally friendly and useful crop, this text supplies you with
the information you need to successfully grow healthier and more
resilient plants. Advances in Hemp Research will benefit your breeding
studies or your business ventures by providing you with information and
laboratory results that will help you successfully grow the cannabis
plant for commercial use.
Reviews:
"SCHOLARLY AND COMPREHENSIVE . . . covers the botany, chemistry, and fiber processing of hemp."
American Herb Association Quarterly Newsletter
"ESSENTIAL READING for any commercial or research cultivator of cannabis."
Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics
"Provides a well-founded evaluation of several aspects relevant to
successful cultivation of cannabis. . . . This compilation stands out
as one of the few written by researchers/practitioners who actually
have first-hand experience with hemp research."
Gero Leson, DEnv, Leson Environmental Consulting, Berkeley, California
"Provides an extensive review of recent advances in hemp science and
places them within the context of existing knowledge and understanding.
. . . The rigorous scientific approach will assist to dispel or qualify
many hemp 'myths'. . . . I greatly appreciate the value of such a text."
Shaun Lisson, PhD, Crop and Soil Modeller in Sugarcane Systems, CSIRO, Queensland, Australia
Contents:
* About the Editor
* Contributors
* Preface
* Chapter 1. Botany of the Genus Cannabis
* Introduction
* Life Cycle
* Origin, Early Evolution, and Domestication
* Early History and Dispersal
* Taxonomy
* Brief History of Hemp Breeding
* Conclusion
* Chapter 2. The Phytochemistry of Cannabis: Its Ecological and Evolutionary Implications
* Introduction
* Cannabinoid Biogenesis and Anatomical Distribution
* Cannabinoids and Environmental Stress
* Evolution of Biogenetic Pathways
* Conclusion
* Chapter 3. Detecting and Monitoring of Plant THC Content: Innovative and Conventional Methods
* Introduction
* Immunodiagnostic
* Polyclonal Antibodies
* Monoclonal Antibodies
* Recombinant Antibodies
* Assay Format
* Conclusion
* Chapter 4. Agronomical and Physiological Advances in Hemp Crop
* Introduction
* Cannabis Gene Pool
* Variety Recommendations
* Hemp in Crop Rotation
* Seedbed
* Methods of Planting
* The Effect of Temperature on Leaf Appearance and Canopy Establishment in Fiber Hemp
* Seeding Rate
* Growing Conditions
* Cultural Practices
* Phenological Development
* Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization and Row Width
* The Chemical Composition of Hemp Stem
* Cultivation Techniques and Crop Destination
* Constraints to Dry Matter Production in Fiber Hemp
* Implications for Future Research
* Chapter 5. Crop Physiology of Cannabis Sativa: A
Simulation Study of Potential Yield of Hemp in Northwest Europe
* Introduction
* Crop Physiological Characteristics
* Potential Yield
* Hemp versus Kenaf
* Chapter 6. A Survey of Hemp Diseases and Pests
* Introduction
* Insect Pests of Stalk and Roots
* Insect Pests of Leaves, Flowers, and Seeds
* NonInsect Pests
* Fungal Diseases
* Other Diseases
* Control of Diseases and Pests
* Chapter 7. Cannabis Germplasm Resources
* Introduction
* The Structure of the Cannabis Gene Pool
* Fiber and Seed Strains
* Drug Strains
* Other Domesticated Cannabis
* Cannabis Germplasm Ex-Situ
* Chapter 8. Genetic Improvement: Conventional Approaches
* Historical Review
* Sex Genetics
* Improvement in Stem Yield
* Breeding for an Increase in Fiber Content
* Breeding for Reduced THC Content
* Resistance Breeding
* Breeding for Seed Yield and Oil Content
* Biotechnological Aspects
* Chapter 9. Advances in Biotechnical Approaches or Hemp Breeding and Industry
* Tissue Culture and Breeding
* Cell Culture and Secondary Metabolism
* Molecular Markers for Hemp Breeding
* Future Perspectives
* Chapter 10. Alkaline Pulping of Fiber Hemp
* Introduction
* Bast Fiber Pulps for Paper Applications
* Hemp Woody Core and Hardwood Pulp
* Introduction of Hardwood and Recycled Fibers in Paper
* Important Pulping Processes and Their Significance for Hemp
* Alkaline Pulping of Hemp
* Recommendations
* Chapter 11. Hemp Seed: A Valuable Food Source
* Introduction
* Extraction Methods
* Oil composition and Properties
* Critical Enzyme
* GLA Importance
* SDA Supporting Role
* Future Prospects
* Index
* Reference Notes Included
Published: 1999
272 pp. with Index. Features tables and figures.
Product Identification Number (SKU): 1744
To order your copy, Click Here.
#5. The
Environmental Benefits of Using Industrial Hemp
This Larch Company report by
NAIHC Board Member Andy Kerr explains that: "The
widespread use of industrial hemp could result in numerous
environmental
benefits, including but not limited to: (1) less reliance on fossil
fuels,
especially from foreign sources; (2) more efficient use of energy; (3)
less
long-term atmospheric build-up of carbon dioxide; (4) forest
conservation; (5)
agricultural pesticide use reduction; (6) dioxin and other pollution
reduction;
and (7) landfill use reduction. Hemp is superior to many other plants
for many
uses. Present limitations on the use of industrial hemp are
economically,
environmentally and socially irrational."
For a biography of Andy Kerr, Click Here.
#4. Dr. Mahlberg's Cannabis Research
NAIHC Board Member Dr. Paul
Mahlberg's cannabis research over more than 30
years has explored topics important to the
definition of cannabis as either a drug or a fiber and food
plant.
Click
here for a list of Dr.
Mahlberg's technical
reports on cannabis with Internet links where available.
#3.
"Hemp
as a
Potentially Important Crop and Area of Research"
Analysis
of the uses and value of industrial hemp, a research paper presented
by NAIHC founding member Dr. Shelby F. Thames of The University of
Southern Mississippi, Thames-Rawlins Research Group.
In this overview of the promise and research priorities related to
Industrial Hemp, Dr. Thames looks at past legislation banning hemp,
current controversy, and what needs to be done on the research
side to realize hemp's potential.
Dr. Thames writes: ". . .It
has been estimated that by
planting only 6% of the continental U.S., we could provide for
America’s oil
and gas requirements, thereby shifting our dependency toward renewable
raw
materials and energy independence. By
allowing hemp
to be grown in the U.S., the agriculture sector would be strengthened
and
farming practices could become more profitable and sustainable,
creating more
job opportunities in renewable sustainable hemp-related industries. . .Although the
versatility of hemp increases the potential development of numerous
products
for human consumption and industrial applications, much research is
still
required. . ."
#2.
"From Petro to
Agro: Seeds of a New Economy"
by
Robert E. Armstrong
in Defense Horizons, Number 20, October 2002
A publication of the
Center for Technology and National Security Policy
National Defense
University
Robert E. Armstrong is a senior research
fellow in the
Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National
Defense
University. Dr. Armstrong may be contacted via e-mail at armstrongre@ndu.edu or
by phone at (202) 685–2529.
For a complete biography of Dr. Armstrong, Click Here.
In this prescient analysis, Dr. Armstrong writes that:
"Today, the hydrocarbon molecule is the basic unit of commerce. In a
biobased economy, genes will replace petroleum. So, just as we
currently demand assured access to sources of hydrocarbon molecules
(oil), in the near future we will demand assured access to a
broad-based, diverse supply of genes (plants and animals). This shift
has security implications. Relations with oil-rich countries will be of
less importance, and relations with gene-rich states—mostly the
biodiverse regions along the
equator— will assume greater significance. Conflicts may arise
between gene-rich, technology-poor countries that control the basic raw
materials of a biobased economy and gene-poor, technology- rich nations
that control the production methods. American instruments of power will
be challenged to meet the demands of a biobased economy. We already see
diplomatic challenges with the United Nations Framework Convention on
Biological Diversity and controversy with Europe over genetically
modified crops. Informational and economic challenges and opportunities
will likewise appear. It may be challenging for U.S. land forces,
especially the Army, to meet the demands of securing access to large
supplies of new genetic material. Agriculture will become increasingly
important as a part of the Nation’s industrial base, as it offers
the most economical way to produce large quantities of biological
materials. Homeland defense will have to consider heartland defense, as
agricultural fields will assume the same significance as oil fields."
To read the complete article, Click Here.
#1. "Hemp and Marijuana: Myths & Realities"
by David P. West, Ph.D.
"Surely no
member of the vegetable kingdom has ever been more misunderstood than
hemp. For too many years, emotion-not reason-has guided our
policy toward this crop. And nowhere have emotions run hotter
than in the debate over the distinction between industrial hemp and
marijuana. This paper is intended to inform that debate by offering
scientific evidence, so that farmers, policymakers, manufacturers, and
the general public can distinguish between myth and reality. . .
"In
the United States, the debate about the relationship between hemp and
marijuana has been diminished by the dissemination of many statements
that have little scientific support. This report examines in detail ten
of the most pervasive and pernicious of these myths."
To read
Dr. West's complete article, Click Here.
