Hempology 101 The History and Uses of Cannabis Sativa 4th Edition Written by Ted Smith Published by The International Hempoloy 101 Society Published by The International Hempology 101 Society Victoria, British Columbia www.hempology.ca Cover Design, Book Design, and Illustrations by Sarita Mielke - WILD/FREE creative www.saritamielke.com Cover Photo by Shayd Johnson - Elephant Room Creative www.elephantroomcreative.com Text and Photographs © 2012 The International Hempology 101 Society All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. J For mom, who taught me to learn, laugh and love Proudly printed and bound in Canada by Friesens Printed on FSC certified paper with soy-based inks. All efforts have been made to locate copyright holders of source material wherever possible. Corrections welcome. ISBN 978-0-9880778-0-5 CIP INFO GOES HERE C016245 Table of Contents 7 Introduction Chapter 1 Hemp’s Beginnings Chapter 5 Prohibition 10 Cannabis and the Foundation of Civilization 85 25 00 Years of Religious Oppression 11 The Indus River Valley: The Cradle of Cannabis 87 King of Pagans 11 Iran and Central Asia 89 The Fear of God 13 Cannabis in the Vedic Tradition 90 Catholic Killers Convert Rome 15 China: The land of Mulberry and Hemp 92 The Holy Wars 16 Cannabis in Africa 94 Masters of Thought Control 16 Cannabis in the Hebrew Tradition 95 Prohibition in the 1900s 17 Mesopotamia 99 Prohibition Now 19 The Hellenistic Period 22 Cannabis in the Islamic Tradition 23 The Isma’ilis Chapter 6 Counter-Culture Revival 24 Cannabis in the Middle Ages 107 The Discovery of LSD 27 The Future 114 Cannabis on the Run 116 The Emperor Wears No Clothes 120 Plant Power Prevails Chapter 2 Hemp in the Field 29 Fibre Wars Chapter 7 Cannabis Today 33 Machinery in the Making 127 Cannabis Around the World 36 Reefer Madness Takes Hold 129 Cannabis in Politics 38 Hemp in the Field 130 Cannabis in Media 42 Hemp Around the Globe 132 Medical Distribution of Cannabis 134 Overgrowing the Government Chapter 3 Industrial Hemp 47 Methods of Fiber Production Chapter 8 Cannabis in the Future 49 Hurds Hit the Market 139 Legalization or Bust 53 Fuels of the Future 142 Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is 56 Hemp-Based Economics 144 Hempology 101 147 What You Can Do to Help 149 Change Comes From Within Chapter 4 Healing Nature 59 Cannabis and Our Diet 66 Studies of Marijuana 72 Seeds of the Future 74 Cannabis Helps With... 81 Modern Medicine and Marijuana Introduction It is hard enough to accomplish anything in this world—let I hope that my little book gives you as much pleasure alone in an illegal industry—surrounded by a lot of scat- reading as it has me writing. Though nothing is written tered, distracted, and stoned people (myself included) with in stone, I hope that some of my suggestions prove to be little money, but somehow I have come this far. truths in your lives, as they are in mine. Peace. Cannabis is the most important plant on earth. Can- nabis is the Tree of Life. Cannabis has been critical in our Ted Smith development and, though it has been suppressed for a time, it will be critical in our evolution for a very long time. j I would like to thank those who helped or inspired my The International Hempology 101 Society educates the book and life, though I am sure to forget or omit so many public about the agricultural benefits of growing hemp; the friends who have assisted me, that I will probably regret industrial uses of hemp seed, fibre, and hurds; the medical having tried to make a list in the first place. I would like effects of smoking, eating, or topically applying cannabis; to thank my beloved parents, Corinne and Warren (1949- the historical uses of cannabis and its influence on religion, 2007); grandma Georgina; sisters Susan and (in-law) economics, and politics; and the negative impacts of prohi- Sonja; brothers Ken (Buck), Randy and (in-law) Bibber; bition, while experimenting in participatory education in nieces Kirstan, Hailey, Sara and Faith; nephews Brendan, constant, passive, civil disobedience. Ryan and Grant; the rest of my family; my love Gayle Quin; Gavin (1970-94); Louisa; Walbran Steve; Annette; Minneh and Ryan Bushby; Laura and Zoe Casey; Chris Bennett; Sarah and Paul from Sacred Herb; Padra; Daak; Kathleen Cherrington; Jose Janechek; Markham Breitbach; Henry Boston; Logan; Cory; Scott Johnstone; Bob Moore- Stewart; Professors Bob Litke and Leo Groake; all past and present Board members, buyers’ club staff and helpers; and last, but not least, Ozzy Ozbourne. Chris Cant deserves special mention for his help re-writing the first chapter. Fi- nally, the team of Whelm King, Andrew Brown and Sarita Mielke deserve a great deal of credit for helping me give birth to this epic 17 year long project. These people have inspired and helped me beyond measurement. Some might criticize me for putting so many quotes in this book. Rather than footnote, I decided to include the words of other activists and thinkers who have made valu- able contributions to the cannabis movement. This should both provide a better context for what I write about the herb and help lead readers towards other books that I feel make an important contribution to our understanding of cannabis and its impacts. 7 Chapter 1 Hemp’s Beginnings omo sapiens and their direct genetic forebears have under human control between 1,000,000 and 500,000 Hroamed the Earth for millennia. Before settling to years ago, with the element itself being seen by many form the first civilizations, proto-humans were orga- cultures as a source of enlightenment, though its prac- nized into loose tribal groups of nomadic hunter-gath- tical properties of transmutation are particularly valu- erers. Under these difficult conditions, survival instincts able. Fire allowed for the preparation of cooked food, dominated thought processes. There was no develop- a constant source of heat, the advent of metallurgy, and ment of complex ideas such as a unique sense of self, no a controlled method of burning herbs and incense for concept of linear time, or of associative reasoning. It was inhalation. The use of fire was essential to cause some from this state, known as the “eternal now,” that modern of the chemical reactions necessary to derive a benefit humans began to evolve several million years ago. from certain plants, and it was not until this discovery As these early hunter-gatherers explored their world that those secrets would have been available to man. in search of new sources of food, warmth, and shelter, The main psychoactive compound inCannabis sativa, they eventually encountered entheogenic plants and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), requires heat to fungi. All over the world humans discovered numerous activate; so, it is not until the discovery of fire that man- plants that, when consumed, would induce an altered kind began to utilize cannabis in this fashion. However, state of consciousness. This altered state of conscious- due to the extensive use of Cannabis sativa as a foraging ness brought on by the consumption of entheogens has bush and one of the first agricultural crops, it is certain come to be remembered in many cultures as mythical that the flowering tops of the female plant would have revelation. The Western tradition describes this advent been among the first substances burned for the purposes of revelation in the Genesis creation stories as the result of intoxication. The psychoactive properties of the plant of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. were most likely discovered by accident after hemp foli- Knowledge of revelation spread as the first beings to age was used for a communal fire. experience it shared their discovery and experiences with the rest of their tribal group. Soon this knowledge per- meated an entire culture and played a significant role in human evolutionary development and the founda- tion of the civilized arts—creative expression, tool use, clothing, and complex language. Religion also devel- oped after revelation. The earliest cults were devoted to worshipping nature gods and goddesses—often with an entheogenic substance at the centre of ritual practice. Under the guidance of tribal shamans, these entheogens functioned as a bridge between the physical and meta- physical worlds, allowing whole tribal groups to com- mune directly with the gods and goddesses that inhab- ited their ecosystem. Well after these first encounters with entheogens, Hemp seed plant close to maturity and the awakening of consciousness, another avenue was provided through which the insights of entheo- Archaeologists working in sites from China to West- genic plants could be accessed—fire. Fire was brought ern Europe have discovered evidence of prehistoric can- 9 Hempology 101 The History and Uses of Cannabis Sativa Chapter 1 Hemp’s Beginnings nabis being used for agricultural, medicinal, and reli- Dr. Carl Sagan speculates in his book exploring the ori- tivar, Cannabis sativa helped teach the basics of farming well planned on a grid system, and highly advanced for gious purposes. This evidence, some items dated before gins of the human species, The Dragons of Eden¸ that and breeding that would lead to more advanced farming their age with supplied well water, basic sanitation, and 3000 BCE, appears in the form of hemp clothing, hemp hemp has been cultivated by humans for more than techniques and specialized varieties of both plants and complex grain distribution systems. The legends of this fibre used in pottery and construction, stashes of hemp 10,000 years.