Hemp as a Crop

Hemp as a Crop

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Chris Boucher is Vice President of Product Development at CannaVest Corporation in San Diego. He adamantly argues that hemp, which is a non-intoxicating cannabis, should be legalized throughout the country. I asked him if hemp was a viable crop. “We can stand on the border of America and look into Canada and see 100,000 acres growing there. It’s one of their most viable crops. They are making twice as much as corn and wheat, maybe three times as much, depending on the contracts the farmer has. It is a multi-use crop so the harvest can be a dual harvest for fiber and food. They are taking the seed which we call the grain and they are crushing the seed into a hemp seed oil which is very similar to flex seed oil, if not better. So hempseed oil is the essential fatty acid commodity and then the left over seed meal is processed into a hemp protein powder. The natural products industry hemp protein is the fastest growing plant protein in the industry. That is because of the quality of the protein. Even though the hemp seed has less protein percentage, then let’s say soy or pea protein or whey, it has a much higher digestibility so a lot of your weightlifters and your athletes see the scientific advantage of absorbability and digestibility so it is actually better than soy for protein.
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