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UNLESS YOUR INCAPABLE OF DEFEATING YOUR APATHY.
THE HISTORY OF CANNABIS
Cannabis (also known as marijuana or ganja in its herbal form and hashish in its resinous form) is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa L. subsp. indica. The herbal form of the drug consists of dried mature inflorescences and subtending leaves of pistillate ("female") plants. The resinous form consists primarily of glandular trichomes collected from the same plant material.
The major biologically active chemical compound in Cannabis is ?9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly referred to as THC. It has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed, usually by smoking or ingestion. The minimum amount of THC required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect is about 5 mg. A related compound, ?9-tetrahydrocannabidivarin, also known as THCV, is produced in appreciable amounts by certain drug strains. This cannabinoid has been described in the popular literature as having shorter-acting, flashier effects than THC, but recent studies suggest that it may actually inhibit the effects of THC. Relatively high levels of THCV are common in African dagga ( marijuana ), and in hashish from the northwest Himalayas.Humans have been consuming Cannabis since prehistory[citation needed], although in the 20th century there was a rise in its use for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. It is estimated that Cannabis is now regularly used by four percent of the world's adult population, with estimates of up to 20% or greater of the adult population in the United States having tried the drug, and 10–30% or greater using the herb in many European countries.
The possession, use, or sale of psychoactive Cannabis products became illegal in most parts of the world in the early 20th century. Since then, some countries have intensified the enforcement of Cannabis prohibition while others have reduced the priority of enforcement, almost to the point of legalization, as is the case in the Netherlands. The production of Cannabis for drug use remains illegal throughout most of the world through the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, while simple possession of small quantities is either legal, or treated as an addiction rather than a criminal offense in a few countries. The laws in the United States vary from state to state, some having decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana although it is still a federal crime.
It has been reported that commercial hashish is often no more potent than high quality seedless marijuana . However, carefully produced and screened hashish is up to three times as potent as the highest quality herbal varieties.
ANCIENT HISTORY
Botanists have determined that Cannabis is native to central Asia, possibly extending southward into the Himalayas. Evidence of the inhalation of Cannabis smoke can be found as far back as the Neolithic age, as indicated by charred Cannabis seeds found in a ritual brazier at an ancient burial site in present day Romania. The most famous users of Cannabis were the ancient Hindus of India and Nepal, and the Hashshashins (hashish eaters) of present day Syria. The herb was called ganjika in Sanskrit (ganja in modern Indian and Nepali languages). The ancient drug soma, mentioned in the Vedas as a sacred intoxicating hallucinogen, was sometimes associated with Cannabis .
Cannabis was also known to the Assyrians, who discovered its psychoactive properties through the Aryans. Using it in some religious ceremonies, they called it qunubu or the drug for sadness. Cannabis was also introduced by the Aryans to the Scythians and Thracians/Dacians, whose shamans (the kapnobatai - "those who walk on smoke/clouds") burned Cannabis flowers to induce a state of trance. Members of the cult of Dionysus, believed to have originated in Thrace, are also thought to have inhaled Cannabis smoke. In 2003, a leather basket filled with Cannabis leaf fragments and seeds was found next to a 2,500 to 2,800 year old mummified shaman in the northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China.
Cannabis has an ancient history of ritual use and is found in pharmacological cults around the world. Hemp seeds discovered by archaeologists at Pazyryk suggest early ceremonial practices by the Scythians occurred during the 5th to 2nd century BCE, confirming previous historical reports by Herodotus. Some historians and etymologists have claimed that Cannabis was used as a religious sacrament by ancient Jews, early Christians and Muslims of the Sufi order. In India and Nepal, it has been used by some of the wandering spiritual sadhus for centuries, and in modern times the Rastafari movement has embraced it as a sacrament. Elders of the modern religious movement known as the Ethiopian Zion Coptic Church consider Cannabis to be the Eucharist, claiming it as an oral tradition from Ethiopia dating back to the time of Christ. Like the Rastafari, some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that Cannabis is the Tree of Life. Other organized religions founded in the past century that treat Cannabis as a sacrament are the THC Ministry, the Way of Infinite Harmony, Cantheism, the Cannabis Assembly and the Church of cognizance. Many individuals also consider their use of Cannabis to be spiritual regardless of organized religion. When the ancient Hindus or Vedic "Dharmas" used this drug they would often pray for increased wisdom.
MODERN USES
Hemp is used for a wide variety of purposes, including the manufacture of cordage of varying tensile strength, clothing, and nutritional products. The oil from the fruits ("seeds") dries on exposure to air (similar to linseed oil) and is sometimes used in the manufacture of oil-based paints,in creams as a moisturising agent, or for cooking. Hemp seeds are often added to wild bird seed mix. In Europe and China, Hemp fibers are increasingly being used to strengthen cement, and in other composite materials for many construction and manufacturing applications. Mercedes-Benz uses a "biocomposite" composed principally of Hemp fiber for the manufacture of interior panels in some of its automobiles. Hemp cultivation in the United States is suppressed by laws supported by drug enforcement agencies, for fear that high THC plants will be grown amidst the low THC plants used for Hemp production. Efforts are underway to change these laws, allowing American farmers to compete in the growing markets for this crop. As of 2006, China produces roughly 40% of the world's Hemp fiber and has been producing much of the world's Cannabis crop throughout much of history.
FOOD
Hemp (the seed) may be grown also for food. The seeds are comparable to sunflower seeds, and can be used for baking, like sesame seeds. Products range from cereals to frozen waffles. A few companies produce value added Hemp seed items that include the oils of the seed, whole Hemp grain (which is sterilized as per international law), hulled Hemp seed (the whole seed without the mineral rich outer shell), Hemp flour, Hemp cake (a by-product of pressing the seed for oil) and Hemp protein powder. Hemp is also used in some organic cereals. Hemp seed can also be used to make a non-dairy "milk" somewhat similar to soy and nut milks, as well as non-dairy Hemp "ice cream." Within the UK, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) treats Hemp as purely a non-food crop. Seed can and does appear on the UK market as a legal food product although cultivation licences are not available for this purpose. In North America, Hemp seed food products are sold in small volume, typically in health food stores or by mail order.
NUTRITION
30–35% of the weight of Hemp seed is oil containing 80% of the unsaturated essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic acid (LA, 55%) and Alpha-linoleic acid (ALA, 21–25%). These are not manufactured by the body and must be supplied by food. The proportions of linoleic acid and Alpha-linolenic acid in Hemp seed oil are perfectly balanced to meet human requirements for EFAs, including gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). Unlike flax oil and others, Hemp seed oil can be used continuously without developing a deficiency or other imbalance of EFAs. Unfortunately the high unsaturated fat content of Hemp oil means that it becomes rancid rapidly and necessitates storage in dark coloured bottles or chemical preservation. The high unsaturated fat content also makes the oil unsuitable for frying. This makes Hemp oil difficult to transport or store and severely limits its potential on the food market, although some marketing potential exists as a nutritional supplement.
Hemp seed also contains 20% complete and highly-digestible protein, 1/3 as edestin protein and 2/3 as albumins. Its high quality Amino Acid composition is closer to "complete" sources of proteins (meat, milk, eggs) than all other oil seeds except soy.
The ALA contained in plant seed oils by itself is sufficient for nutrition, as the body is capable of converting it into other fatty acids. However, this conversion process is inefficient, and the broader spectrum of omega-3 fatty acids obtained from oily fish is easier for the body to immediately utilize (see fish and plants as a source of Omega-3).
Typical nutritional analysis of shelled Hemp seed:
Calories/100 g 567
Protein (Nx5.46) 30.6%
Fat 47.2%
Saturated fat 5.2%
Monounsaturated fat 5.8%
Polyunsaturated fat 36.2%
Carbohydrate 10.9%
Oleic 18:1 (Omega-9) 5.8%
Linoleic 18:2 (Omega-6) 27.56%
Linolenic 18:3 (Omega-3) 8.68%
Cholesterol 0.0%
Total dietary fiber 6.0%
Vitamin A (B-Carotene) 4 IU/100 g
Thiamine (Vit B1) 1.38 mg/100 g
Riboflavin (Vit B2) 0.33 mg/100 g
Vitamin B6 0.12 mg/100 g
Vitamin C 1.0 mg/100 g
Vitamin D 2277.5 IU/100 g
Vitamin E 8.96 IU/100 g
Sodium 9.0 mg/100 g
Calcium 74.0 mg/100 g
Iron 4.7 mg/100 g
FIBER
The use of Hemp for fiber production has declined sharply over the last two centuries, but before the industrial revolution, Hemp was a popular fiber because it is strong and grows quickly. It was used to make the first pieces of fabric ever found and was therefore also used as the first material for paper (paper used to be made of rags). It was used to make canvas, and the word canvas itself is derived from Cannabis . Hemp was very popular, and it had many uses. However, as other coarse-fibre plants were more widely grown, Hemp fiber was replaced in most roles. Manila yielded better rope. Burlap, made from jute, took over the sacking market. The paper industry began using wood pulp. The carpet industry switched over to wool, sisal, and jute, then nylon. Netting and webbing applications were taken over by cotton and synthetics.
In 1916, USDA Bulletin No. 404, reported that one acre of Cannabis Hemp , in annual rotation over a 20-year period, would produce as much pulp for paper as 4.1 acres of trees being cut down over the same 20-year period. This process would use only 1/4 to 1/7 as much polluting sulfur-based acid chemicals to break down the glue-like lignin that binds the fibers of the pulp, or even none at all using soda ash. The problem of dioxin contamination of rivers is avoided in the Hemp paper making process, which does not need to use chlorine bleach (as the wood pulp paper making process requires) but instead safely substitutes hydrogen peroxide in the bleaching process. ... If the new Hemp pulp paper process were legal today, it would soon replace about 70% of all wood pulp paper, including computer printout paper, corrugated boxes and paper bags.
The decision of the United States Congress to pass the 1937 marijuana Tax Act was based in part on testimony derived from articles in newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst, who had significant financial interests in the timber industry, which manufactured his newsprint. As a result of the marijuana Tax Act, the production and use of Hemp discontinued.
Hemp rope is notorious for breaking due to rot. Hemp rope rots from the inside out, and thus the rope looks good until it breaks. Hemp rope used in the age of sail was protected by tarring, a labor-intensive process and the reason for the Jack Tar nickname for sailors. Hemp rope was phased out when Manila, which does not require tarring, became available.
There is a niche market for Hemp paper, but the cost of Hemp pulp is approximately six times that of wood pulp[10], mostly due to the small size and outdated equipment of the few Hemp processing plants in the Western world. Hemp pulp is processed with hydrogen peroxide, avoiding the sulphuric acid waste problem associated with wood pulping. Kenaf is another fast-growing plant which can be used as a replacement for wood pulp. Kenaf paper has been produced in commercial quantities since 1992.
A modest Hemp industry exists. Recent developments in processing have made it possible to soften up coarse fibres to a wearable level.
HARVESTING THE FIBER
Smallholder plots are usually harvested by hand. The plants are cut at 2 to 3 cm above the soil and left on the ground to dry. Mechanical harvesting is now common, using specially adapted cutter-binders or simpler cutters.
The cut Hemp is laid in swathes to dry for up to four days. This was traditionally followed by retting, either water retting (the bundled Hemp floats in water) or dew retting (the Hemp remains on the ground and is affected by the moisture in dew moisture, and by molds and bacterial action). Modern processes use steam and machinery to separate the fibre, a process known as thermo-mechanical pulping.
FUEL
Biofuels such as biodiesel and alcohol fuel can be made from the oils in Hemp seeds and stalks, and the fermentation of the plant as a whole, respectively, but the energy from Hemp is low compared with the volume of the harvested Hemp .
In the Twenties, the early oil barons such as Rockefeller of Standard Oil, Rothschild of Shell, etc., became paranoically aware of the possibilities of Henry Ford's vision of cheap methanol fuel,* and they kept oil prices incredibly low - between one dollar and four dollars per barrel (there are 42 gallons in an oil barrel) until 1970. Prices were so low, in fact, that no other energy source could compete with it. Then, once they were sure of the lack of competition, the price of oil jumped to almost $40 per barrel over the next 10 years.
Henry Ford grew marijuana on his estate after 1937, possibly to prove the cheapness of methanol production at Iron Mountain. He made plastic cars with wheat straw, Hemp and sisal. (Popular Mechanics, Dec. 1941, "Pinch Hitters for Defense.") In 1892, Rudolph Diesel invented the diesel engine, which he intended to fuel "by a variety of fuels, especially vegetable and seed oils."
