-By James Mellgren

In France and China, they use it to strengthen concrete. Mercedes Benz uses it to make many of their interior door panels, and the original Levi jeans were made from it. Christopher Columbus had ropes made from it as he sailed to the New World, and our own Declaration of Independence is written on it. It was grown by the Puritans, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin used it to make paper in America's first paper mill. All around the world, it is used to make paper, clothing, rope, textiles, biodegradable plastics, food and fuel. It requires no chemicals to make it grow or keep bugs away, controls the erosion of the topsoil, and produces oxygen. It also can supplant many industrial materials that have been proven to be harmful to the environment and to ourselves such as paper made from trees (not only does this require the cutting down of trees but the use of bleach and other toxic chemicals contribute to water pollution anywhere paper is made), cosmetics and plastics that are petroleum-based and do not break down easily. What is this wonder material? Is it some new high-tech substance, perhaps? The answer is, of course, hemp, a plant (a weed really) that has been cultivated for nearly 10,000 years, and has been used for various purposes since the Stone Age. It could be the answer to untold environmental issues, not to mention world hunger, and yet you can't grow it because it's against the law in the United States.

The U.S. government for some reason cannot distinguish between hemp grown for industrial use and marijuana grown for recreational and medicinal drug use. Hemp contains such small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- the substance that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties -- that it would give no physical or psychological affects whatsoever to a person who would try and use it for that purpose. In other words, you could smoke the stuff all day long and remain sober as a judge. That same judge, however, would likely fine or imprison you for your efforts. That's some Catch-22.

In the United States, according to Wikipedia, it was good old William Randolph Hearst who first waged war on hemp. With large interests in the forest industry, Hearst was not about to allow hemp to supplant his trees for paper. Through his campaign, waged in his newspapers, Hearst managed to persuade Congress to enact the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act. The author of the article poses the question of why, as the largest buyer of newsprint for his chain of newspapers, Hearst didn't see the cost benefit of using hemp to make paper. I guess he just didn't like the idea of it. In any case, the U.S. government has had a contentious attitude toward hemp ever since, despite the fact that it was grown extensively throughout World War II for rope and fabric. We remain today the only industrialized nation that continues to ban industrial hemp, and ironically, the result is we are the largest importer of hemp and hemp products. Go figure.

While the uses for hemp are myriad, our concern in these pages is with the plant's nutritional and culinary attributes, which are many. Like quinoa and soy, hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary for human life. Hemp is rich in omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, is easy to digest, and has an abundance of vitamins and minerals. It is used to treat maladies ranging from cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Products that are made from hemp include hemp milk, flours, cereals, frozen waffles, nut butters and all sorts of baked goods. Hemp lends a nutty flavor to foods and pairs well with all kinds of other ingredients and flavors. According to The Oxford Companion to Food (Oxford University Press, 1999), the ancient Greeks used to eat fried hemp seeds. In fact, almost every civilization from the Sumerians on has used hemp for both food and fabric. In medieval times, hemp was used in all sorts of cooked dishes including pies, tortes, soups and pastries.

Today, hemp continues to be used all over the world for food and other purposes, with more than 30 countries producing industrial hemp, including Australia, Austria, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Spain, China, North Korea, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Italy. Hopefully, the day will come when our government comes to its senses and hemp will be allowed to be legally cultivated in the United States. With our economy, our environment and the world's food supply all in trouble these days, hemp could be a marvelous solution to many of the world's woes. Until then, we'll continue to import hemp products from other countries, notably our northern neighbor Canada, whose Manitoba Harvest is the world's largest farmer-owned vertically integrated hemp food manufacturer. They make some of the freshest and highest-quality hemp food products in the world. Perhaps we can look to Canada as inspiration to start growing our own hemp fields. After all, it grows like a, well, weed.

Comments? mellgren56@gmail.com

Hemp Orzo Pasta Salad
This recipe was graciously provided by Manitoba Harvest, Canadian manufacturer of a range of hemp products including the hemp seed oil, shelled hemp seed and hemp seed butter that are called for here.

Cook one cup Orzo pasta in boiling, salted water. Fold in the following ingredients:
2 tablespoons cold-pressed hemp seed oil
1 tablespoon hemp seed butter
1 tablespoon shelled hemp seed
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoon agave nectar
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Bragg's amino acid, or
⅓ teaspoon black pepper or cayenne
1 small cucumber, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
⅓ cup fresh basil, chopped
⅓ cup cherry tomatoes
1 cup black beans, pinto beans, garbanzo beans or shelled edamame, as you prefer

Toss and serve.