July 22, 2011 – The hemp plant is the key to the revolution in reducing our energy economic costs to individuals and our environment. The bottom line in this change is all based on the financial numbers plugged into a mathematical equation that results in the lowest number. Money, the amount we all pay for energy, is going to decide what society chooses for a power source, and hemp in a free market will be the overwhelmingly clear choice. The glands of hemp flowers will pay for the entire cultivation effort, leaving the rest of the plant cost-free for energy and other more valuable products.

There is 100% no doubt that hemp CAN be energy/fuel. Hemp biomass is capable of being transformed into electricity and fuels (methane, methanol, gasoline) more efficiently than fossil fuels (coal, oil) and without the poisonous pollution. Raw and “leftover” processed hemp – where fiber, seeds, buds/nugs and/or trichromes are separated into different high value products – is fed into existing and working manufacturers of energy. Hemp (a sustainable eco-friendly resource) along with trash, algae production and industrial waste will together make up local energy independence around the world. The transition to this less costly society will be hemp, the key to this economic freedom – an ideal feedstock (a resource to feed the energy factories).

The key to the magical and practical “formula” for social and economic freedom is based on hemp being in a totally liberated market. The highly valued glands of the flowers must be utilized industrially. Perhaps the cultivation efforts could be subsidized by the government, but not restricted. Society will probably have to regulate seed varieties to guarantee high quality trichomes, the opposite of what governments do today.

Hemp is One Plant
Mankind’s recent history with cannabis hemp has been radically twisted by corporate manipulation. This mass repression has resulted in our present misunderstanding, which dominates society so much that the misinformation has even affected the hemp community. Some people know about industrial hemp, some know about medical, and others know about the recreational uses. Each separate group could unite and learn from each other. The greatest social and economic freedom would result from harnessing all of the plant’s enormous power.

All varieties of cannabis hemp can be made into food, paper, clothes, plastics, explosives, building materials, and more, including energy. Farmers, over time, can grow and breed in or out different characteristics to increase whatever the plant needs. Different strains could be crossbred to have more cellulose content for biomass production, fiber yields for paper and textiles, and seed sizes for consumption. This is the same process that growers use in breeding different hemp strains for various medical needs. Still, the most important thing to remember for this economic analysis is that the greatest value and desire for humans is in harvesting the glands of the flowers.

Hemp for Power
There have been few studies and very little written about hemp for energy. The newspaper The Guardian wrote an article titled “Why is hemp off the biofuel menu?” that stated, “The Royal Society, the European Commission and the UK Government have all managed…to take the wind out of the sails of the biofuel industry, publishing reports that suggest biofuels could be causing more harm than good, the crops not being as environmentally friendly as first thought…. What struck me as astonishing about these reports is that they all managed to ignore the one crop that has been successfully used for many years to create bioethanol and biodiesel, which are environmentally friendlier to produce than sugar beets, palm oil, corn or any of the crops mentioned in the report, and can grow in practically any temperate to hot climate, leaving the ground in better condition than when it was planted….That plant is hemp.”

The main source of information on hemp for fuel since the late 1980s has been the late Jack Herer and his hemp bible, The Emperor Wears No Clothes. A cornerstone of the book’s main thesis is how hemp can meet all of our energy needs based on an article, Energy Farming in America, by Lynn Osburn. A more recent article by Jeremy Briggs of Hemphasis, Hemp as a Fuel/Energy Source, presents more details on the different possible processes for converting hemp into various fuels.

Hemp is better than other crops
Hemp has more biomass/cellulose potential than its nearest rivals: cornstalks, sugarcane, kenaf, trees, etc. Over 10% of today’s gasoline is made from corn and it is by far the crop that hemp will have to displace as the Unted States’ biggest biomass crop. This corn ethanol is currently being used as a fuel additive, replacing toxic methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).

The bottom line is that hemp is better in performance, it’s environmentally sustainable, and most importantly, it’s cheaper. A 1998 study from the University of Kentucky, Economic Impact of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky, stated, Even without the glands of the flowers, that hemp is more profitable than most crops farmers can grow.

Hemp’s competitors are subsidized by the government and our tolerance of this system.
Hemp fuel/energy/power faces big competition, which is subsidized by the government and doesn’t factor in “true costs” of polluting and dangers of current sources. For decades, the petroleum and timber industries have been subsidized by governments and the public’s tolerance of this oligarchy system. The Reason Foundation study, Illegally Green: Environmental Costs of Hemp Prohibition, states, “Not only has the government banned hemp production in the U.S., it is also directly subsidizing other crops that the study shows to be ‘environmentally inferior.’ Corn farmers received $51 billion in subsidies between 1995 and 2005; wheat farmers were given $21 billion; cotton farmers fleeced taxpayers for $15 billion; and tobacco farmers were handed $530 million in taxpayer-funded subsidies.”

Much larger subsidies are spent on wars for petroleum oil. The price of war is incalculable, but it is surely in the trillions. Think of all the cost in money and lives we have spent on “our” national interest of “securing” petroleum for energy needs. War is bad, but nuclear energy may be worse. Not only are we collectively pooping on each other right now, but we are leaving a highly poisonous legacy for our children’s children. The recent Japanese nuclear meltdowns (3 different reactors) are a glimpse of what we are risking all over the world. Hopefully, the public will demand changes as it has already happened in Germany and Switzerland, who have said recently that their governments will end nuclear energy in their countries. These bad industries – petroleum and nuclear energy – are even worse when one considers how hemp can make local, clean, and safe energy while creating jobs, benefiting local economies that promote egalitarianism amongst the many, and not accruing individual power.

Seeds are not the Solution
There are basically two main ways to get fuel out of hemp. One of the ways is to convert the hemp seed oil into biodiesel. Hemp seed oil has historically been used as lamp oil. The concept of using plant oil as an engine fuel dates back to 1895 when Dr. Rudolf Diesel developed the first diesel engine to run on vegetable oil. Diesel demonstrated his engine at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900, using peanut oil as fuel. 10 years ago, a car, powered solely by 600 gallons of hemp biodiesel fuel made from the seeds of the plant, drove 13,000 miles all around the United States and Canada to expose the energy potential of hemp.

The process to convert hemp oil into high-grade diesel fuel is simple. In 2010, researchers at the University of Connecticut found that industrial hemp seed oil has the ability to produce biodiesel with an incredible efficiency of conversion (97%). The study’s laboratory tests determined that this green fuel could be used at much lower temperatures than any biodiesel currently on the market. However, this same study is a great example of the seemingly willful lack of understanding or research of the hemp plant. Richard Parnas, a professor of chemical, materials, and biomolecular engineering, and who also led the study, states that one of the advantages of hemp is that it does not compete in the food market. In fact, the opposite is true; hemp seed oil is too valuable as a food source. It contains the best balanced essential fatty acids for humans, in addition to being the best source of protein. Currently, the retail price of a gallon of hemp seed oil is over $100. The seed’s high value and the U.S.’s ban on its cultivation are the reasons why industrial hemp is already the most profitable crop in Canada, with farmers making $300 to $600 an acre for growing hemp. American farmers are making a fraction of this amount on cotton, corn, soy and other popular crops.

Biomass Energy: Hemp is the “missing” feedstock – the X-factor
The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are “both strongly committed to expanding the role of biomass as an energy source. In particular, they support biomass fuels and products as a way to reduce the need for oil and gas imports; as a way of supporting the growth of agriculture, forestry, and rural economies; and as a way to foster major, new domestic industries in the form of biorefineries that manufacture a variety of fuels, chemicals, and other products.”

Hemp is one of the best plants at producing lots of biomass. In less than four months, hemp can create over 3.5 tons (a conservative average) of dry feedstock. According to Fuelfiber.com, hemp conversion rates estimates vary; 25 to over 100 gallons of fuel per ton of biomass is created. Biomass Magazine reported about tests done back in 2007 and 2008 in Canada for bioenergy “that show straw yields of 6 tons per hectare (2.47 acres) and 1.5 tons of fiber, in addition to 200 liters (50 gallons) of oil pressed from the seed.” Yields will vary in different locations around the world. In a biofuel study in Ireland (one of the leading countries in the world in researching hemp biomass energy), farmers yielded 5 tons per acre (12.5 tons/hectare). A 1998 Oregon State University study, Feasibility of Industrial Hemp Production in the United States’ Pacific Northwest, by Daryl T. Ehrensing analyzed various numbers of reported yields from around the world, and he used 5 tons per acre in his economic feasibility study. In 1913, The United States Department of Agriculture reported that hemp farmers’ dry stem yields ranged from 2 tons per acre to 12.5 tons per acre, but averaged 5 tons per acre under good conditions.

There are already biomass power stations being built in San Diego! A company named Envirepel Energy, Inc., located in Vista, has built its first Renewable Energy Facility (Kittyhawk). The company’s first facility has been relocated from Vista to Santee with plans to build more biomass power plants in San Diego and other locations. Envirepel Energy will be using local industrial waste that would have otherwise gone into our shrinking landfills. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the company’s success last year, “The Kittyhawk Project is a 2.5 MW biomass fueled power generating facility. The ‘anti-global warming’ and virtually non-polluting facility design was permitted and built in the middle of a commercial business park.”

Big business already knows about biofuels too, according to Chevron.com, “Chevron is especially interested in ‘green crude’ – biomass-based fuels with a chemical composition similar to crude oil and biohydrocarbons. Biohydrocarbons are biomass-based finished products that are chemically identical to their petroleum-based cousins.” According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “The success of the U.S. bioindustry depends, to a large degree, on the quantity and quality of biomass available, and on the industry’s ability to cost-effectively utilize biomass for energy production.” Hemp can do it!

What would be the price of a gallon of hemp gasoline? Less than $2?
A guess of the price for ethanol made from hemp biomass would be less than $2 or certainly $3 per gallon. Because the flowers of the hemp plant can pay for all the costs of cultivation, the free leftovers should be much cheaper than all other biomass, including corn. According to the Oregon Department of Energy, “The cost of producing ethanol varies with the cost of the feedstock used and the scale of production. Approximately 85% of ethanol production capacity in the United States relies on corn feedstock. The cost of producing ethanol from corn is estimated to be about $1.10 per gallon. Although there is currently no commercial production of ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks such as agricultural wastes, grasses and wood, the estimated production cost for using these feedstocks is $1.15 to $1.43 per gallon. Because a gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, the production cost of ethanol must be multiplied by a factor of 1.5 to make an energy-cost comparison with gasoline. This means that if ethanol costs $1.10 per gallon to produce, then the effective cost per gallon to equal the energy contained in a gallon of gasoline is $1.65.” From this analysis, one could safely say the cost of the conversion from hemp to a comparable gallon of gasoline would be less than $2.

The bottom line is money $
The price of fuel is based on yield and value. The exact numbers in this economic analysis of hemp for energy is not the point. The bottom line: hemp is better and cheaper than our current choices. The elasticity of the prices for hemp biomass, when industrialized on a huge multi-million acre scale, is bound to have dramatic consequences.

This change in choices in the source of energy would also mean lots of local jobs. A 1998 study from the University of Kentucky, Economic Impact of Industrial Hemp in Kentucky, stated, “If just a fraction of the agricultural counties in Kentucky went into the industrial hemp business, thousands of jobs and sizable earnings would be created. If just one-fourth of Kentucky’s 90 agricultural counties went into the industrial hemp business, approximately 17,348 jobs would be created and $396 million in worker earnings generated yearly.”

All of the economic models published today that study this subject are based on a major misunderstanding when it comes to analyzing the use of the hemp plant. In a completely free society and marketplace, nothing can compete with hemp.

Hemp Energy: Nature’s Power Plant – The Final Solution
Hemp is the planet’s best source for power. As fuel costs continue to increase over time, we will see this hemp equation grow in its dramatic validity. Today, with our current policy for importing energy, the higher the price of energy, the more we are all losing. In a model where local energy is made, even if the prices are as high, the money we spend would stay here and strengthen the local economy. Years ago, former CIA director James Woolsey wrote in a Wall Street Journal article, “The production of ethyl alcohol from biomass may turn out to be as revolutionary as the production of integrated circuits from silicon, vastly affecting the world’s distribution of wealth and the fundamentals of international security.”

Think about how much we spend in California on cannabis right now; it’s over $14 billion, and $14 billion divided by the costs of $2,000 per acre equals 7 million acres of cannabis; this could be grown every year. This number of acres would produce 35 million tons of “waste” biomass for energy or 3.5 billion gallons of cost free fuel. Again, this would not necessarily meet all of our energy needs, but it would be a key (x) factor in transitioning the world off of unsustainable energy systems and onto a smarter, healthier, more efficient and egalitarian way of harnessing nature’s power.

The hemp revolution is now; all we need is the freedom to grow. Source.

July 18, 2011 – In British Columbia — the word is now out, thanks to Bill Finley of Hemp & Company, in Victoria, where I got this magnificent bead on the story.

Sanctioned by all three levels of government, the successful results from BC’s Caribou Region ‘pilot’ plantation sites has allowed for 3 impressive scientific studies to be produced which have confirmed/demonstrated the viability of en-masse industrial hemp production in 100 Mile House district-region and vicinity.

Not only that — there are clear plans for a manufacturing facility.

100 Mile House is a unique name — which many may not have heard — of a district municipality in the South Cariboo Region with a population of about 2,000, a few hours out of Vancouver as you drive North up BC on Highway 97 headed toward Prince George.

May seem like a little place, but if you read the (3) aforementioned report-studies: by visiting 100milehouse.com, you’ll understand the extraordinary significance of what this community has done with industrial hemp crop.

The local government, known as District of 100 Mile House, has a 10 person Industrial Hemp Steering Committee chaired by Mayor Mitch Campsall and includes the participation of community members, hemp producers, and representatives from local government, First Nations, and provincial government staff.

Since 2003, the committee has worked toward the goal (which they’ve achieved) to have industrial hemp specifically produced in the region of South Cariboo British Columbia.

In my view, the South Cariboo region of BC is to be officially credited by the fan-public: for bringing forth ‘the template’ for a new emergent economy in British Columbia. But it’s all thanks to the vision and tenacity of a handful of community-minded people, a few of whom fortunately we’ve been able to interview below:

Joanne Doddridge, Planner of the District of 100 Mile House:

“As a small community which has been impacted by the Mountain Pine Beetle, local government has expended considerable effort to diversify the local and regional economy. Allocating staffing resources is one of the best ways that Mayor and Council can support the initiative.”

“Back in 2003, local resident Jack Witty approached Mayor and Council with the concept that industrial hemp was a very versatile product, which once established, could help offset some of the local economic dependence on forestry. A town hall meeting was organized to gauge public interest and a steering committee formed and grant applications made to explore possibilities. Since then, continued public interest, grant opportunities, and Council’s support have enabled funding resources necessary to carry out this exploration and many partnerships created.”

The mayor of 100 Mile House, Mitch Campsall expresses his support to grow industrial hemp:

“Having been part of the Industrial Hemp Steering Committee from the beginning as a Councillor, I continue to be 100% behind this venture. Together with Council we are committed to actively working with the Steering Committee and staff to look at all opportunities to move this industry forward in our region. We certainly appreciate the support we’ve received from the provincial and federal government in exploring how industrial hemp production and processing might become a fully commercialized reality in 100 Mile House.”

The Industrial Hemp Steering committee stands out — really stands out — because both in-power federal and provincial government officials sit on the committee itself. Including Conservative Member of Parliament Cathy McLeod at the federal level — and — at the provincial level, BC Liberal Member of Legislative Assembly Donna Barnett for Cariboo Chilcotin.

Barnett’s been there since project-outset having been mayor of 100 Mile House and she’s Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Economic Development.

“At present, the agriculture community and the District of 100 Mile House are working together doing research with the University in Manitoba. Much work has been done over the past few years and as the demand for the product grows, over time, the agriculture community will be independent of local government. The District has also been working with investors from different countries and much interest in investing in a processing plant is occurring.”

“Let me explain how this all began and where it is today. Approximately 8 years ago I was Mayor of the District of 100 Mile House. As you are no doubt aware the Mountain Pine Beetle went through our forests and created an environmental disaster. Thus we as a community had to start to look outside the box for new economic ventures. As we are a land and resource based economy we looked to many ventures.

An interested and very knowledgeable citizen by the name of Jack Witty contacted me regarding the possibility of investigating industrial hemp.

After being very persistent and convincing myself that this was a possibility, we formed a committee with the approval (but reluctantly) of my council. And thus we started to investigate.

With the help of the Provincial Government and a partnership with our local First Nations Canim Lake Band we accrued staff of the First Nations Provincial Government Agriculture component of government.

A gentleman by the name of Jamie Kumar was designated to help us investigate this project. We carried on…It was a struggle with little steps at a time and very little financial assistance. We had a few growers who stuck with the project and the Canim Lake Band were also growers. As time went on the interest continued to grow and we had many sessions with our agriculture community and possible investors. The hardest part was finding funding.

As a small community we could not use tax payers money to research this project. For two years, the Province assisted us with a small amount of funding but we were fortunate enough to obtain students from the University to work with us to help the research and assist the growers. For approximately 6 years we struggled but refused to give in.

In 2008 the Federal Governments stimulus funding gave us the opportunity to obtain funding to hire a professional in the industrial hemp field and to have funding for one year to assist the growers to get the research done to see whether or not this was going to be a viable industry for them.

In December of 2008 my term as Mayor was finished and I became an MLA for the Provincial Government. The local government has carried on with this project. I have continued to support and do what I can to assist.

The Federal Government is the licensing agent for the growers through Health Canada. It is a very restricted license and we have been working to have some changes made. Our local MP has been very supportive of the project.

As past chair of this project and now an MLA I feel very fortunate to have been a part of this project that I believe over time will become a commodity on the World Market with many opportunities for growth in the agriculture and processing industries in the future.

Time and patience is always a challenge. But nothing ventured, nothing gained. As a local government, we were, and the local government today is the facilitator; and, once the project is on its own, the local government will see the citizens reap the benefits.”

The farmer and the role of government

It’s clear that a lot of thought by interested parties has gone into which [hemp] end-product, to push. Given that hemp has so many useful applications, it’s understandable this would have been a difficult decision for the committee as a whole. It took some major research to deciding which way to go, the committee found.

A community member expounds on the committee’s rationale in choosing the construction industry:

“There are so many industrial hemp products, from food products to beauty products, clothing, construction materials, and more. That has been one of the biggest challenges for our group – namely, which product to focus energy on? While the whole plant can be utilized for processing, the processing technology is very specialized.”

“We have invested considerable research into exploring various industrial hemp product lines and the manufacturing associated with them. Early on, the project focus was on food and oil production, while later research focused on the green construction industry and the bio-composites industry. These latter two are expected to offer the best economic fit for our region.”

Today where hemp production in the South Cariboo sits — according to committee spokesperson:

“Yes, we have moved beyond the experimental stage and are now actively seeking industrial investment. The role of the District of 100 Mile House has been to facilitate industry expansion into the South Cariboo. Not only have we worked hard to prove that industrial hemp is a viable commercial crop for our region, but also to create the economic climate necessary to attract investor interest in primary and secondary processing of industrial hemp. Thanks to public funding and strong regional support, including support from all levels of government, 100 Mile House has become an Industrial Hemp Fibre Knowledge Centre. We have made particular strides in advancing this industry within the region, starting from a conceptual stage in 2003 to a pre-commercial stage in 2010. 2011 – 2012 holds promise for full scale private investment into industrial hemp processing.”

The committee describes the ‘Producer Group’:

“Another significant achievement of the project has been the development of a Producer Group. This group was established by local and regional industrial hemp producers to work together, share lessons learned, and support each other and new producers with crop production technology. Our agronomic trials and on-farm research projects have enabled Cariboo ranchers to become knowledgeable in producing a sustainable natural fibre crop.”

Adding, “As part of the Industrial Hemp Project, we have completed a Feasibility Study for a manufacturing facility. In addition, we are working with private investors interested in establishing a processing facility in 100 Mile House.”

What comes next? Investment, says the committee:

“Now that the foundations of research and feasibility of this industry have been established, and local producers have indicated their interest and readiness, private investment is needed to drive this industry forward in the South Cariboo.”

Have the committee received any stick by any outside group?

“On the contrary, we have received overwhelming support. In addition, we regularly receive calls from people all over the world who are interested in what we’re doing here.”

Jack Witty, a key Steering Committee Member, shares his knowledge about government over-sight, where the focus is now, for the farmer:

“A major benefit of this new industry is the role of the grower and the enhanced income stream they will gain. This in turn will spread through the whole local economy. The Municipal government has been the spearhead for advancing this project. The dedication and work of the Municipal Council has made this effort go ahead, despite most things happening outside the municipal boundaries.”

“The BC Government Agriculture Department have been a great support, especially in the early days when experiments were moving into areas where there was no experience to draw on. The interaction with the federal government has been reasonably smooth as the production of the industrial hemp plant is heavily regulated through the Department of Health. We are working with our MP to have some of the regulations modified to improve the growers’ ability to produce economically profitable varieties and crops.”

What might manufacturing look like down the line?

Witty says “Down the line we plan to have manufacturing of a variety of building products from the fibre. In addition there are some industrial applications that are being worked on that lend themselves to international trade.”

He goes on to say. “The industrial hemp plant is so versatile that more than 25,000 products are known to be made from the plant. Everything from food, to pharmaceuticals to construction material to fuel can come from this resource. In our case we are concentrating on products for the construction industry. It is worth noting that in a time when governments are looking for ways to reduce our human carbon footprint this plant is a very good carbon sink.”

Conclusion

It’s worth mentioning that NDP politicians in the area are not opposed to this project by any means, either. Let’s hope other districts follow suit.

That’s what I call, good BC. Needless to say: The chosen ‘market’ direction i.e. producing [for] the construction-industry does in no way formally preclude plantation industrial-hemp growth designated for food or textile, especially so, in due course, as interest and investment is likely to increase as word travels.

It’s win-win all around. Why, because — it’s the science i.e. the phenomenal growing-success of the industrial-hemp plant growth, which is able, to tell the story. Work, which luckily, thus far, has been able-to-be transmitted into a report-form for the inquisitive to be able to view – by means of a partnership agreement between levels of government and being funded by the same. That’s key but also; importantly, the South Cariboo region wants to become independent. And they will.

No doubt the industry will take off and boom. The development of a manufacturing facility which would then bring more jobs, boost the economy and move BC in a new innovative direction using ‘green’ technology and ideas is the best thing is have happen to BC. Next — clothing facility; food facility… Let’s go. We have Bill Finley of Hemp & Company to thank for getting the word out!More reading: 100milehouse.com

This article originally appeared in Canna-Digest, Summer edition 2011

By Diane Walsh. Diane Walsh, MA, is an investigative journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. She contributes to new media outlets, newspapers which by some miracle haven’t gone under, and magazines in the US, Canada and Europe.

Diane became acquainted with the Salem-News.com team during a recent speaking tour that included Canada. She is a welcome addition to our lineup of truth-bound thoughtful and extremely talented writers.

For more information on specific publications and to reach Diane directly, please visit: indydianewalsh.wordpress.com