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To Boldly Grow where no Man has Grown Before: Patrick “Picard” Stewart on Pot

     “The thing about Star Trek is you’re never dead, really. There’s always a way to bring you back to life”

     “People think I’m getting high everyday. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Sir Patrick Stewart is 78 years old and exploring the first UK’s initiative of the benefits of cannabis-based medicines led by Oxford University. “Four years ago I was filming in Los Angeles, I was examined by a doctor and handed a note to obtain legal cannabis to treat arthritis in both of my hands.” After fuddling through greasy balms and ointments Patrick found a spray that alleviated almost all pain and inflammation in his hands. “There are no side affects while Advil, Aleve, and other NSAIDS’s cause pressure on the liver.”

“This is an important step for Britain in a field of research that has been for too long held back by prejudice, fear and ignorance.”

In England in 1533 King Henry the 8th mandated that landowners grow allotments of hemp, Elizabeth the 1st later increased these quotas with punishments for not fulfilling.  In 1842 Irish physician William O’ Shaughnessy a medical officer in Bengal brought several specimens of marijuana back to England to study medical benefits. Cannabis prohibition began in the English colonies before the central island, yet the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission of 1894 judged “little injury was caused to society by the use of cannabis”

By 1928 Britain herself had classified cannabis as dangerous a drug as opium. Across the pond Attorney Jeff Sessions had this to say “I reject the idea that marijuana being sold in every store will make America a better place” while opioid addictions caused over 2000 deaths last year in Massachusetts. Sessions likened marijuana to heroin,

 Meanwhile back across the lake even though medical marijuana is now legalized in the United Kingdom “It still seems perverse that opioid prescriptions are such high levels when medical cannabis could be a much more safer system” Patrick went on to say “I see no reason why the legislation is not widened it so that doctors are allowed to prescribe it”

Whether Willie Nelson, Barack Obama, Whoopi Goldberg, Matthew McConaughey, Snoop Dog, Morgan Freeman, Sting Sir Patrick Stewart is one in a long line of pro-marijuana benefits.

Stewart has acted in “BluntTalk” donning a lobster costume, laughing at a Christmas hat,

“I believe this program at Oxford might just begin benefits for millions of people”

HEMP PAPER In Demand for more products and textiles.

The majority of the hemp plants are in the stems. Thus a farmer has interest in making the most of this part.

Those growing for medicinal use and CBD oils can turn a profit from the leaves and buds, while hemp oil and hemp seeds per se are proving to be a lucrative market.

For some, what remains is simply left as compost. Which returns back to the soil little

more than carbohydrates. Little nitrogen or other elements of use are given back. The many tons of biomass, in the form of carbohydrates, especially cellulose, are of commercial value.

From charcoal to fine textiles, simple compounds with only carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are raw materials in demand. Cellulose is the most abundant molecule in agriculture, and the most common molecule in products used by man. Paper, lumber, most of our clothing, cardboard, cordage, insulation. We live in and use cellulose. We eat it.

We pay for it. Usually, not much, but in the case of fine threads, some pay thousands for a get up.

Hemp has had its place in the best of textiles, back when the Piedmont region of Italy produced hemp threads as fine as silk.But today most hemp threads are a bit coarse, and the market is dominated by PR China, which both grows hemp and spins it. For the Western farmer there is hope on the horizon that his crop will end up on the catwalk, but more research and development is needed.

However, paper mills are looking for hemp.

In 2000 I hooked up with British environmentalist John Hanson, who had his own paper, with a large hemp leaf watermark. I ordered three tons. He had French grown hemp pulped in Spain and then sent to Scotland for the final operation. I waited with bated breath for the lorry (Brit for truck) to round the bend into my storage locker in Hammer-smith with my stash.

For the three tons of paper I traded an ounce of paper, bearing, of course, the image of Her Majesty and its own watermark; which was not a hemp leaf. However, the paper I traded for the pallets of John Hanson TreeFree (copyright) did use hemp. Many a government, including that of the United States, uses hemp in its currency.

The reason is that hemp is a more interlocking fiber than even flax. Wood does not really even have a fiber. Thus hemp provides a strong basis for other fibers to connect with and form a sheet of matted fibers.

For 2,000 years man has been using this. Americans use on average 200 lbs. per person. And most of this, almost all – is made in Southeast Asia. From wood. American paper used to be made from hemp, flax, and recycled rags. America used to lead the world in the production of paper. Now there are few mills here, most with a production of under 10,000 tons per year. Some of those are specialty mills. Very few use hemp.

Some use farm waste, a practice championed by Woody Harrelson, who encouraged the use of wheat stems in paper making. His move was good both ecologically and economically. And it was good for farmers, adding value to their harvest of food crops.

With his action, he was sowing a seed for the revival of the US paper industry. A paper industry in the US not only provides jobs, but is good for the ecology if farm wastes along with hemp bast are used. Add to that the value of recycling our rags and the argument is made.

Hemp – and other plants, can be dual crops as we revive the paper industry in the US.

Tune in next issue for a more specific discussion of this subject.

Cannabis Use with Stem Cells for Future Medicine

Jamo Lorswal

     “Role of Marijuana Components in the Migration and Proliferation of Stem Cells”

     The significance of this study was that cannabinoids can enhance the regulation of two major sources of stem cells- adipose and bone marrow-derived from human and porcine sources.

     Louis A. Cona, an MD already considers cannabis a “miracle plant”. Its modern history includes being used for weight loss in HIV patients, neuro-degenerative diseases, cancers epilepsy and the list goes on. He speaks to laboratory scientists at the University of California at San Diego and their trials concerning CBD oil effects on lab-grown neural stem cells donated by brain patients. The result: cannabinoid oil strongly regulates the proliferation, migration and neurogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

     StemX is a sports and regenerative medicine company that offers many healing modalities has an article suggesting that the body’s endocannabinoid system, which humans share with most mammals, which not only is a receptor system yet can produce amounts of cannabinoids themselves, just as the bone marrow may produce stem cells and that there are also an entire cellular receptor system for such.

     The article found that stem cells “pretreated” with a combination of CBD and moringin demonstrated improved survival rates when re-introduced into tissues.

Penalty Reduction Bill an Update on Joe Moody’s HB 2593

Penalty Reduction Bill HB 2593 an Update on Joe Moody’s

by Jesse Williams

Rep. Joe Moody (D) of El Paso authored HB 2593. The bill specifically deals with marijuana concentrates of up to 2 oz of tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). Moody had previously authored what has become HB 441 (another penalty reduction bill for marijuana flower) authored by Rep. Zwiener in the 87th legislative session.

HB 2593 would remove tetrahydrocannabinol and related substances from Penalty Group 2 and place them in a new category, Penalty Group 2-B, under the Texas Controlled Substances Act.

Penalties for possession of substances from the new Penalty Group 2-B would have been the same as those in Penalty Group 2-A, which range from a class B misdemeanor if the substance is two ounces or less, to life in prison or a term of five to 99 years and a fine up to $50,000 if the amount of substance possessed is more than 2,000 pounds.

Right now, any amount of concentrate found in your possession is a state felony. The last time penalty reduction was passed by the Texas legislature was 1973.

The bill passed out of the House committee with only two nay votes and passed in the House with a final supermajority vote of 108-33.

 The bill proceeded to the Senate where it passed out of committee with only 2 nay votes as well. From there the bill was approved out of the Texas Senate with a delta-8 amendment attached by Senator Perry. The amendment would bring the regulation of delta-8 to what Perry called the federal limit imposed on THC by the 2018 Farm Bill. The second reading of the bill was passed with a 25-6 vote, and after the third reading for the final passage with amendment added, a vote of 24-7 was taken to pass the bill with supermajority support.

Grinded weed shaped as Texas and a joint.(series)

Senator Hinojosa asked if the amendment would bring any lab confusion such as the previous hemp bill, to which Perry responded no. Perry was also asked if the author (Moody) was okay with this amendment, to which the answer was yes.

When the bill went back to the House to see if the author conferred with the amendments or wanted a conference committee, Rep. Moody made a point of order on the bill. Moody requested a conference committee on the grounds that the delta-8 amendment was not germane (not relevant to purpose) to the bill it was added to. The House agreed that the amendment was not germane and the bill went to the conference committee. The same conclusion was reached in the conference committee.

The House then voted on the conference committee version without the delta-8 amendment language and passed the bill again. The bill was then sent to the Senate to be heard by the members on the floor. When sponsor Sen. Nathan Johnson (D) requested for the bill to get a vote on the floor, Lt Gov Dan Patrick denied the request, likely from frustration that the delta-8 amendment language was not present.

When this request on the floor was denied, the bill was effectively dead because the deadline was coming up within hours to have the bill passed by the Senate floor once more and sent to the governor.

Concentrates of THC now remain a state felony in the state of Texas until the legislature convenes again in 2023 to possibly bring up another bill.

sid miller episode 37

Episode:# 37 Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller

Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller
An eighth-generation farmer and rancher, Sid Miller is the 12th Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA). He has devoted his life to promoting Texas agriculture, rural communities and the great state of Texas.

Born in De Leon, in Comanche County, in September 1955, Sid Miller graduated with honors from Tarleton State University in Stephenville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Ag Education.

A recognized community leader, Miller was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2000. He quickly earned a reputation as a staunch defender of Texas agriculture, constitutional freedoms and individual liberties for all Texans.

Episode # 36 Media Business and Branding

Russell & Shayda were waiting for Sid Miller to call, but end up moving the conversation to alternative media, the growing space for Cannabis Culture as Texas becomes more closer to legalization. The two talk about media experience and how the Texas market needs voices and role models and advocacy for this wonderful plant. (Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller calendar freed up and he calls in the next day to speak with Russell)

Listen to Podcast #37 for that discussion.

Episode 34: Freeway Ricky Ross & Kevin Booth

Russell interviews Freeway Ricky Ross about the ongoing drug-war and talk about his new line of products while also addressing the political challenges Texas has with regards to Marijuana reform in the lone star state. Kevin Booth (who knows Ricky Ross and are currently developing business projects together ) calls in and the conversations continues about the failed prison system and criminalization aspect. Rick may return to Texas for the upcoming Lucky Leaf Expo!

Russell and Kevin go down memory lane discussing the acid water in south Austin and the days when both were at Austin Public Access TV but at different times and years. Alex Jones, Joe Rogan, Bill Hicks, Dave Pruitt, Nathan, and Ol Bitty Flashback’s loom as the duo discuss alternative media in the early 2000s and early 90s in the Underbelly of Austin’s Conspiracy Culture. A great idea for Kevin’s Next Film. 

Episode 35: Tommy Chong

Russell & Jesse interview the Legendary Comedian Tommy Chong about his CBD Brands and discuss the Drug War and how might Texas legislatures move forward with the economics of marijuana. You can also read the interview in our July cover of the Texas Hemp Reporter magazine.

Enjoy!

Heather Fazio talk to Texas Hemp Reporter

Interview with Heather Fazio of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy by Sana v’Ritzvah

Heather served as Texas Political Director of the Marijuana Policy Project from 2014-2018. Now, she utilizes her passion for grassroots activism and coalition building as Director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy, an advocacy-focused coalition.

TEXAS HEMP REPORTER: Heather what occurred in the Texas Legislature in May?

HEATHER:Texas is inching along with marijuana legislation. I wish I could say more, it’s like a tennis game. 37 states have fully regulated medical marijuana, including all Texas border states, with Alabama profiting at 92 million per year. The Compassionate Use Act was passed in 2015, amended and expanded in 2019. HB1535 (Rep. Klick) flushed the house 134-12 and sent to the Governor. The bill calls for the expansion of access for all not just terminally-ill cancer patients, PTSD treatments and patients with chronic pain.Sadly the Senate dropped the ball cutting the provision for chronic pain re-feeding back into the opioid epidemic, “pills for pain” costing thousands of lives, quality of life, tragedies, wasted resources and severe addictions.    One inspiring thing was our veteran lobby standing up for non-veterans strongly behind the PTSD inclusion vocally supporting accident survivors,mothers whose child perished in childbirth, victims of crimes all who can
suffer the syndrome.

Another us the establishment of the Internal Review Board for Medical Marijuana. Now in-state research and science can promulgate the myriad reasons for expanding legality of cannabis.    It’s silly really how we banter between .5% 1% 5% THC content when it really should be doctors trained in the field concerning dosages.    It was leaked that hearings concerning the cannabis bills were hijacked by the Lt. Governor’s Office which was meeting secretly without public access. These are the draconian measures our officials are taking to stall progress.    Other bills still in the twilight are SB181 (Rep. Johnson) which would take Texas off the list that suspends drivers licenses for “drug convictions” hoping to alleviate the already 50,000 arrested annually for marijuana-related charges. HB1694 could save lives ensuring medical issues are not exploited to arrest people for possession. And HB567 (Rep. Frank) to protect TCUP patients (minors) from being extracted from their homes for failing a THC test.


THR: How did you personally get involved in medical marijuana?

Witnessing one hundred years of suppression of uses and benefits of hemp and with the issue emerging so strongly. I was involved with Texans for ResponsibleGovernment and a member of the Libertarian Party. I saw it as unconscionable. I was involved with grassroots organizing, community building coalition making. After joining Texas NORML I was chosen as Advisor for the Marijuana Activist Manual. The next logical step was Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy.


THR: There now exists a 27 member coalition that coalesces around the issue.


Yes. Our situation is we live in a polarized political environment. We began to seek allies that could bond to institute policies that mattered. As we discussed I come from a libertarian perspective; a bipartisan grouping, democrats and republicans, ACLU.. it really is a privacy rights issue, a due process issue, civil rights. There are millions affected by dis-regulation, it is liberty versus jailing. Tens of thousands of Texans in jail for marijuana and 92% of burglaries go unsolved.
 

THR: What about Delta-8?
HEATHER:There is an attorney for two companies, one that produces and one that sells Delta-8 products. The DSHS has established that THC from hemp, in any traceable form from .0001% to the supposedly legal 3% is all in the same bucket. The attorney called this a quagmire. By lumping all THC we lose the particulars, our law makers prove they know nothing of the science, nothing about the plant they are dealing with. Our advocates strive to shine light on the variables to avoid misunderstanding.


THR: Can you give us a personal testimony?
HEATHER: A nurse from Wichita Falls, she was diagnosed with cancer. After moving to Colorado she tried cannabis for a second time. She wasn’t sure till one day she left her couch without buckling over, entered her kitchen without pain and began cooking again. For those in pain 24-7 this is life-changing.

Photo Jesse Williams for the Texas Hemp Reporter.


TEXAS HEMP REPORTER:What’s does the future hold in Texas for Cannabis?


HEATHER:The Texas Legislature meets on the odd every two years. So we are looking to 2023. We plan to inject into the campaign cycle, ask a lot of questions of our law makers, create discussions with law enforcement.NORML has collected a marijuana-friendly voters guide. And we seek to start conversations with our civic groups, community centers, PTA (lol) why not? 60% of Texans believe small amounts of marijuana should be legal for any purpose.

THR:Are you optimistic?


HEATHER:Very. This is tug of war, we stand on the backs of several generations of activists that have blazed this trail. We represent a professional effort to secure individual rights. Nothing but our best efforts will bring our movement forward. 

Episode:33 Ilissa Nolan of the Texas Hemp Coalition

Russell Dowden and Coleman Hemphill discuss the end of the 87th Legislature and address the bills that did not pass, and what did pass.

ILISSA NOLAN serves as the Executive Director for the Texas Hemp Coalition. Ms. Nolan was one of the few lobbyists that worked to pass HB 1325 which made it legal to grow and process hemp in Texas. She also serves as a government affairs consultant for Booth & Associates P.C. where she works to build policy through stakeholder collaboration and educating clients on cutting edge issues surrounding state and federal environmental matters, especially topics involving agriculture, rural affairs, and environmental issues.

lucky leaf podcast day 2 texas hemp reporter

Episode 31: Lucky Leaf Expo Day 2

Host: Russell Dowden and Jesse Williams

Live from The Lucky Leaf Expo at the Austin Convention Center (May 15, 2021 ) we interview Nishi Whitley board member at Foundation for an Informed Texas (FIT) is a 501c3, tax-deductible, educational nonprofit focused on educating Texans about cannabis through tools, resources and outreach. We also speak to Joe Pedraza TPS Lab who talks with us about soils and farming, Nathan from Hempliance also says hello, and finally actor Daniel Villarreal stopped by for a quick chat. Daniel works with PAKALOLO PLUG in San Antonio and is best known for his work with landing his first acting part in Stand and Deliver playing Chuco, the finger man. Best known as Little Puppet in American Me.

Nishi Whiteley (pronounced Nee-sha), is the COO of CReDO Science, LLC, a biopharma IP holding company dedicated to commercializing patented products generated from CReDO’s investigation of the cannabis plant and the endocannabinoid system (ECS). She is also the VP of Business Development at Breeder’s Best, a cannabis IP genetics company, a cannabis educator, speaker and author. 

Episode 29: H-Empirical CBD & 87th Lesgislature Updates

Jesse, Russell & Coleman talk about the existing bills with the 87th Legislature that remain on the chopping block; while they also interview H-empirical CBD CEO John Long and head Medical Director Dr. Wendy Askew.

John Long is CEO for H-Empirical, Inc. He is also the CEO for Agronomics of
Texas and investor for Totally Happy Cows, LLC (An CBD Agriculture company
for cattle and horses). He’s has been a nurse for 28 years specializing in ER,
ICU, Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Neurology and Dermatology. 

Dr. Wendy Askew is a board-certified Obstetrician-Gynecologist in private practice in San
Antonio, Texas. She is also board certified in Functional and Regenerative Medicine. Dr.
Askew is the Chief Medical Officer for H-Empirical, Agronomics of Texas and Totally Happy
Cows LLC.

Episode 28: Oak Cliff Cultivators

Jesse Williams of Texas Cannabis Collective hosts this week with Coleman Hemphill of the TXHIA as co-host. This weeks guest is Eddie Velez founder and CEO of Oak Cliff Cultivators. Oak Cliff Cultivators strives to engage with the community, educate, and inform on hemp cultivation and the alternative solutions it brings to everyday life. Oak Cliff dominated the Taste of Texas Hemp Cup awards with their hemp products this past year. For more information on Oak Cliff visit Oakcliffcultivators.com

Episode 27: Dan Behrman w/ Nugg of Knowledge

Jesse Williams hosts this week. Russell takes a phone call DJ spot from home as he recovers and discusses various topics with Dan “Taxation is Theft” Behrman. The podcast covers Behrman’s run for governor of Texas, his line of hemp products Nugg of Knowledge, and cannabis advocacy in both Texas and the nation. Check his brand out at nuggofknowledge.com

Episode 30: Austin Lucky Leaf Expo 2021 Day 1

Live from The Lucky Leaf Expo at the Austin Convention Center (May 14 , 2021 ) we interview many colleagues from the Hemp and MJ space in Texas. Jax Finkel of Texas NORML along with Heather Fazio Director of Texans for a Responsible Marijuana Policy join in along with Coleman Hemphill of the Texas Hemp Industries Associates as we all get together and talk about the new wave of growth in the Lone Star State!

HEMP OIL: A MAIN INGREDIENT IN THE HEMP BUSINESS

The hemp industry in the United States, after years of lobbying, is back in business. While not all states have yet made it legal, the federal government has, with much help from former Congressman Rand Paul in Texas and his son Ron, a Senator in Kentucky.

The time that I spent writing “Hemp for Victory: History and Qualities of the World’s Most Useful Plant” was not in vain, but there is still much to be done.

Cultivation of Cannabis sativa in the US is mainly for THC and CBD oils. The former acronym needs no introduction, while the latter is still rather new to some people. In New York, the latter was a grey area for the law, and when it was illegal to sell, one could see vendors openly proclaiming the wonders of CBD oils. The scene reminded me of snake oil salesmen. Some used very little CBD in their product, but put high prices on what was often olive oil with a few drops of CBD.

No one knew if it cured viruses or caused hallucinations. No one knew whether to make an arrest or make a sale. But dealers knew CBD was a good sound byte that resulted in profits.

While much money has been made from, and much legislation has been enacted regarding THC and CBD, I feel no need to enter at large upon that field but rather to give some insights about the more industrial products.

Rope, textiles, paper, are among the many items that use hemp as their raw material. The outer part of the stem, the hurd, is removed by processes known as retting, while the inner part, which constitutes about 25-30% of the stalk, known as bast, is what is primarily used. Both are mainly composed of cellulose.

For the bast to be processed into rope, textiles and paper, there must be infrastructure in place. Presently, this is not the case to any great degree. Factories have long since closed. Paper, which is the simplest to produce, is made mostly in Asia, with only a few small mills in existence in the US.

In some small mills, hemp is used for specialty papers which command a premium. In the UK, I had made 3 tons of this, and I was mobbed by hempsters asking me to sell. Most was used for the aforementioned book. Since, I have found very little that I could buy.

At times, campaigners have tried to get factories to use hemp, but they lacked the experience and patience to succeed. Revamping infrastructure may take government assistance, which I encourage, as jobs would be created from the hemp industry.

While we await change, there are ways that a farmer can sell their product, one of which includes selling stalks for simple uses such as pyrolysis and insulation.

A much more lucrative market is that of the seed for oil, or, better yet, the sale of the oil pressed on the farm by the grower. In the UK I saw small local distributers as well as national brands, such as Mother Hemp, Nutiva and Viridian, and an international brand, Good Oil.

The last brand attracted my ire, as I learned that a chemical defoliant was used to wilt the leaves so as to separate the seeds. Good Oil was on the shelves at Whole Foods in 2011, but after I wrote about the chemical defoliant, it ceased to be stacked.

In dry climates, leaves shrivel more easily. In humid climates, they stay on longer and there is more possibility of mold damage, for which reason farmers use large screens, drying them in spread out layers.

Hemp seeds (technically ‘achenes’) contain 30-35% oil, which commands a high price. I wrote about it on my site (hempforvictory.blogspot.com) in 2006:

“Hemp oil is considered to be one of nature’s healthiest oils. It is known to contain therapeutic compounds, and for this reason is used both in medicine and in cosmetics. It has a high antioxidant quality and contains linoleic acids. These acids, along with eicosanoids, tocopherols, tocotrienols, Omega 3,6,&9 EFAs and all eight essential amino acids, make hemp oil a top item in health food shops.”

The majority of buyers of hemp oil are urban dwellers; in New York City, it sells well at Whole Foods and other natural food stores.

There is another contingent of buyers of hemp oil: artists. Since hemp oil was used in for centuries as a drying oil, along with linseed, poppy and walnut oils, there is a demand, though limited. I use it, and have over the years made experiments to see how clearly it dries, comparing it to linseed, walnut and poppy oils.

From these I note variation, with the clearest being that of the Ukranian brand Golden Kings.

As hemp lends itself to genetic variation – a fact noted by no less than the great geneticist Ivan Vavilov – this is was to be expected.

cannabis oil cbd

Clarity is determined by the amount of glycerides of linoleic and linolenic acids, of which linseed oil, which is known to yellow, contains the most. In hemp oil, the content thereof varies according to the variety.

As a clear drying hemp oil would add value, and it is well known that levels of linoleic acid vary with varieties, rainfall and temperature, thus it is possible to improve and refine it specifically for artists’ oil.  A 2005 article in the Journal of Industrial Hemp, [Vol. 10, #2, 2005, Bertrand Matthaus et al.], in which over 50 varieties are studied, gives specific analysis of linoleic acid content.

Much as I see a benefit in this niche product, it is obvious that edible oil has a much larger market, and is part of a simpler strategy of growing hemp for a cash crop of oil, with the hemp seed cake sold to cattle or fish farmers, while stalks are sold to whichever market is in place to use them.

The hemp industry is an emerging, or rather, re-emerging one, which needs people with experience, rather than just political zeal, to guide it.

With such persons at the helm, taking on board the present limitations and working to increase public awareness along with manufacturing infrastructure, hemp farming will be one of the most profitable sectors in American agriculture.