As a former police officer and special agent, we were suppose to be sworn enemies of hemp and its kissing cousin, marijuana.
But the more I learned about hemp's benefits and studied the origins of hemp, the more I realized, that like many things the government says are bad, help can actually be really good for you. Plus being the rebel that I am, I really wanted to buck the system, be a pioneer and spread the benefits of our products anywhere I could.
The word "hemp" is used to describe a number of varieties of the cannabis plant, particularly varieties such as industrial hemp and feral ditchweed that were bred over time for industrial and home uses, such as fuel, fiber, paper, seed, food, medicine, and oil.
In the 1937 hemp was made illegal and hemp for industrial and medical use was taxed through the roof. It was a big scam, in part, perpetrated on the American people (kind of like alcohol prohibition) by industrialists like Randolph Hearst. The threat to his lumber holdings (his newspapers invented the term "reefer madness") and Andrew Mellon's fear that it would replace oil as a fuel (he owned Gulf Oil and was Secretary of the Treasury at the same time - no conflict of interest there), and his investment in DuPont's new synthetic fiber's, nylon success was tied to it replacing hemp, among a slew of other special interests, led to hemp being heavily taxed until it the tax was found to be unconstitutional in 1970 congress repealed the tax and made it illegal.
If they were truthful and the special interest didn't interfere, it would probably be legal to grow today in the U.S. today. That truth being, the amount of THC in hemp (the active ingredient in marijuana that gets a person "high") is only around 1% and the high concentration of CBD (cannabidiol) in the hemp counteracts the THC, making it useless to smoke, and not the scourge on America as purported by the U.S. Government.
Finally, in the late 1990s, Canadian officials were able to pull their heads out of the sand long enough to see the amazing benefits of this weed and approved it for production and industrial usage. China, our number #1 economic competitor, also understands the advantages of hemp (and the profits associated with it) and is the #1 supplier of it to the world.
Enough of the politics of hemp. Lets discuss the merits of hemp and whether putting hemp on your skin will cause you to get high, arrested, or carded at bars because you look so young.
The seeds from hemp (what our oils are derived from) contain important essential fatty acids (EFAs). These naturally heal and soothe the skin and are becoming widely accepted for its benefits in skin care.
EFAs are classified in two basic categories:
1. Omega-6 oils, which include Linolenic and gamma-linolenic acid, an essential skin lipid that promotes regeneration at the cellular level, a process that slows down with age;
2. Omega-3, alpha linolenic acid, which moisturizes and heals skin irritations and wounds.
Along with being excellent moisturizers, both EFAs are known to reduce inflammation and skin irritations, helping those who suffer from acne, psoriasis and eczema.
But, until the U.S. government wakes up or gets out of the pockets of those special interest groups that really control hemp, businesses will import hemp from Canada and China (who is known to export some very shoddy and at times toxic products) and lose the tax revenue from this truly cash crop.
Of course, hemp seed oil will not cause you to get high or fail a drug test. However if you do fail a drug test, feel free to use hemp as an excuse if it helps. Why should you be punished by the greed and ignorance of others? Here is to your healthy skin.
Kevin Kenneth Konczal is the owner of San Diego based Mug For Men Skin Nourishment and owns Vizunworks, a boutique marketing agency and has been involved in the health and nutrition industry since the 70's.
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