From the Ottawa Citizen

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CANADIAN HEMP TO BE PLANTED THIS YEAR

February 17, 1998

By Derek Puddicombe

Hempseed oil will be sold at supermarkets, advocates say. Canadian-produced hempseed oil may soon be found in stores across the country.

Changes in federal legislation to permit the commercial cultivation of industrial hemp will mean companies like Hempola, of Port Severn, Ont., will be more widely distributing hempseed oil later this year.

Hempseed oil is not illegal in Canada, but growing hemp for the seed is. As a result, hempseed for oil is imported, mostly from China. And the oil is viewed as a fringe product, available in health food stores rather than mainstream outlets.

Hemp advocates expect that once the law on cultivation is loosened -perhaps as early as next month - the stigma surrounding hempseed oil will fall away and the product will be more widely available both as a food and as an ingredient in cosmetics.

Hempola co-owners Greg Herriott and Kelly Smith say the new legislation will allow them to acquire 100 per cent Canadian-grown hempseed that they can turn into oil and market. Mr. Herriott says a cultivated-in-Canada hempseed would mean a higher quality product for consumers. "It would mean we would have control over it," said Mr. Herriott. "Right now, we don't."

"In terms of timing, it’s expected the commercial cultivation of industrial hemp will become (legal) in early- to mid-March, in place for the 1998 growing season," said Derek Kent, spokesman for federal Health Minister Allan Rock.

The idea for the project came largely from rural members of the federal Liberal caucus, said Mr. Kent. Legalization of hemp is being sought by farmers in southwestern Ontario as an alternative crop to tobacco.

Susan Whelan, Liberal MP for Essex, said she has quite a few tobacco farmers in her riding who are interested in growing and processing hemp. Hemp and marijuana are varieties of the same cannabis sativa plant. The main difference between the two is that most hemp contains only minute amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the substance that gets people high. Derivatives of cannabis, like hempseed oil,are therefore controlled under the Controlled Drugs and Sub stances Act.

Until a new law is passed, the commercial cultivation of hemp remains illegal. Currently, some cultivation is permitted for scientific purposes, under licenses issued by Health Canada.

Once the new law comes into effect, there will be strict controls on who gets a license to cultivate hemp in an effort to prevent people from growing cannabis to supply the illegal drug market. Last fall, more than 1,000 hectares of hemp were being cultivated, mostly in Ontario.

There's a strict manufacturing practice for hempseed, said Mr. Herriott, so that by the time the hempseed oil is bottled, there are almost no traces THC left in it.

"It will create jobs and has lots of export potential," said Ms. Smith. The new regulations should also go a long way in educating people about the health benefits.

"This is the perfect oil," said Ms. Smith "The oil contains two essential fatty oils which can help prevent blood clotting, cholesterol, and (it) has anti-inflammatory properties for people who suffer from arthritis."

As a culinary product, there's nothing like adding a little hempseed oil to a slice of pizza, said Mr. Herriott. Pouring the oil over pasta or steamed vegetables or using it as a dip for bread is another way to enjoy the oil. "There is a nutty flavour to it, similar to walnut or sunflower seed oil."

The oil is not to be used for frying food: "What happens when you fry the oil is that the oil loses its natural elements and actually creates a bad fat," Ms. Smith said.

Massage oils, soaps and lip balm are also sold at Hempola. When the new regulations are in place, Mr. Herriott expects his company to bring in $1 million in sales for 1999, and $2 million for 2,000.

Hempseed oil and the new surge in its popularity are not news to the owners of the Arbour Environmental Shop in the Glebe, which has been carrying a variety of hemp oil and hemp fashions, including jeans, socks, shirts and knapsacks, for three years.