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Rich in Omega’s, hemp nuts are vital for a healthy brain and nervous system.

By OCTA 2012 Staff

Hempseed's are a plentiful source of dietary fiber, calcium and iron. Whole hempseeds are also a good source of beta-carotene, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese. Hempseed is usually very safe for those unable to digest nuts, gluten, and lactose. Hemp milk contains 10 essential amino acids, making it a good vegetarian source of protein.

According to Dr. Andrew Weil, founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, "Hemp seeds have a rich, nutty flavor, something like sunflower seeds. Hemp milk is made by pulverizing the seeds, blending them with water and straining out the solid residue. The resulting "milk" provides both omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids in a healthy three-to-one ratio."

Weil has also stated "As a physician, I recommend nutritious hemp seeds and oil to anyone interested in maintaining a healthy diet." He believes everyone will benefit when American farmers can grow this amazing crop once again.

The latest health expert to put his stamp of approval on hemp is Dr. Mehmet Oz, host of The Doctor Oz Show. During a recent show featuring a blind taste-test of non-dairy alternatives, Hemp Milk was Dr. Oz's favorite alternative to milk. "Hemp milk is a good source of omega 3 fatty acids which have been found to be good for both the heart and brain." said Samantha Heller, well-known Registered Dietician, author, radio-show host and regular on The Dr. Oz Show.

We believe that the main reason hemp is illegal today is because of biodiesel's potential. The first diesel engines (by Rudolph Diesel in 1894) were invented to run on hempseed oil; petroleum wasn't synthesized to mimic hempseed oil for over a decade. Therefore hempseed oil was the primary fuel for automobiles for over 30 years after the invention of the first internal combustion engine.

Entry into the biodiesel market has very low capital entry requirements and is not centralized. In comparison, petroleum is capital intensive and therefore centralized. To maintain market share, the petroleum industries wanted to prohibit hemp. Our farmers need this valuable crop to be returned as an option for commercial agriculture.

Among the benefits of using biodiesel:

• Start an economic boom!
• Use vegetable seed oil (biodiesel).
• Run any diesel engine with no engine conversion at all.
• Make biodiesel from hemp, soybean, rapeseed/canola and safflower seed oil.
• Save family farms.
• Return economic control to the people!
• Naturally decentralize wealth.
• Stop global warming.
• Stop a lot of toxic pollution.
• Create a useful byproduct: food.

Petroleum is Out of Balance; Biodiesel is Sustainable and In Balance.

While marijuana is prohibited, industrial hemp will be economically prohibitive due to the artificial regulatory burdens imposed by the prohibition of marijuana. When marijuana and cannabis are legally regulated, industrial hemp will return to its rightful place in our agricultural economy.

We feel our initiative presents innovative methods to dramatically improve Oregon’s economy and help save the environment at the same time.

This inventive proposal is the Oregon Cannabis Tax Act 2012 (OCTA). It includes workable solutions to bring money into the dwindling state coffers and sustainable jobs for sustainable industries and farmers in Oregon with the re-introduction of the industrial hemp industry and the regulation of cannabis for responsible adult use.

"Currently, much of the hemp market is in the USA. As the US does not permit hemp farming, there is a large captive market for Canadian production south of the border….Awareness about hemp is rising, because hemp is used in many quality products and helps contribute to the health of people, farms and communities. Some companies active in the sector have reported a 20-40% growth of businesses over the past few years. Retail sales of all Canadian derived hemp seed products are now estimated to be as high as $20- $40 million USD annually." Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance

Canada estimates that they will grow between 10,000 and 15,000 acres of industrial hemp this year. According to statistics compiled by the Hemp Industries Alliance, the hemp food industry alone grew by $3.4 million dollars to $9.7 million in 2007. With the current push in the United States for sustainable and bio-available fuel sources, rejuvenation of the hemp industry in Oregon would champion this vital trend. Oregon could harness the US market and bring all those export dollars going to Canada into Oregon’s economy.