Hemp Around the World
Hemp Around the WorldHEMP AROUND THE WORLD
AUSTRALIA
While hemp is currently banned, government officials have permitted one farmer to grow the crop on a small-scale research plot. Public support for hemp farming is gathering. An informative one-hour Australian TV documentary, The Billion-Dollar Crop, is available on video. The Tasmanian Hemp Company is campaigning for the legalization of hemp in the state of Tasmania, and the Northern Tasmanian Pulp and Paper Mill is researching possible uses of hemp pulp for their factory.
CANADA
Canada was a major hemp-growing region until the 20th century, when it followed in America's footsteps by prohibiting hemp production. In 1994, Canada issued its first license in over 40 years to Hempline, Inc., which was allowed to plant 10 acres of industrial hemp in the province of Ontario, on land that previously had been cultivated for tobacco. Dozens of hemp manufacturers and retail stores, supported by hemp importation, are sprouting up across Canada. Agricultural Canada, the federal agricultural department of Canada, published in December 1994 their Bi-Weekly Bulletin Vol. 7, No. 23, on hemp farming, and printed it on hemp paper. Legislation has been introduced by the ruling Liberal Party to lift the ban on industrial hemp, so that farmers throughout Canada can be licensed to grow it. Plans are being developed to establish hemp-processing plants for the anticipated crops.
CHILE
Chile has had a long history with hemp since its colonization by Spain and is presently growing hemp for seed oil. The seeds are crushed and the oil is exported in refrigerated containers to the USA. The hemp oil is then processed by US entrepeneurs into cosmetics, massage oils and salad oils.
CHINA
China has been growing hemp (ma) for at least 6,000 years, and is currently the world's largest exporter of hemp paper and textiles. With its vast natural resources and labor pool, it will be a major influence in the future hemp industry. China is also the largest producer of nonwood paper, including hemp paper, in the world.
FRANCE
In France, more than 10,000 tons of industrial hemp (chanvre) were harvested in 1994. Kimberly-Clark Corporation manufactures specialty hemp papers, including Bible and cigarette papers, there. French companies are also experimenting with combining hemp fibers and lime to make a lightweight natural cement that can also be used as plaster.
GERMANY
Since the German ban on the farming of hemp (hanf) in 1982, there has been little activity until recently. The last German hemp grower farmed 350 acres, selling the fiber to manufacturers of ropes, textiles and cigarette papers, and the inner stem (or hurds) for conversion into particle board and insulation material.
Hemp has been grown for research purposes at the Agricultural Research Laboratory in Braunschweig since 1992. The 1993 publication in Germany of The Rediscovery of the Resource Hemp, Cannabis Marijuana, by Herer, Brockers and Katalyse, helped spark renewed interest in the media and general public. The...
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