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For Immediate Release
December 1, 2011
  
CONTACT: Ryan Fletcher 202-641-0277
ryan@votehemp.com
3rd Annual Hemp History Week Planned for June 4-10, 2012
Spring Campaign Provides Opportunity to Spotlight Health and Environmental Benefits of Hemp Products
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Hemp History Week, the 3rd annual nationwide grassroots education campaign to bring back hemp farming in the U.S. will take place June 4-10, 2012. The theme of next year's campaign is 'Hemp for a Healthy Future: Healthy Lifestyles, Healthy Economy, Healthy Planet.' An estimated 1,000 retail store promotions and grassroots events are being planned across all fifty states to celebrate this environmentally sustainable and versatile crop, which was once a staple of American agriculture. The months of May and June 2012 will provide an ideal opportunity for media outlets to focus on hemp-themed product reviews and feature articles related to nutrition, body care, green living, and business. A new redesigned website for the 3rd annual campaign launched on December 1st at http://www.hemphistoryweek.com
The campaign is supported by endorsements from notable health, wellness, consumer and environmental advocates such as Alicia Silverstone, Dr. Andrew Weil, Phil Lempert, Ashley Koff, R.D., Brendan Brazier, Ziggy Marley, Michael Franti and others.
Nutritional Benefits of Hemp Foods
A rising star in the natural foods industry, hemp is a nutrient dense renewable food source that is rich in dietary fiber, highly digestible protein, and essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The seed contains all 10 essential amino acids, with no enzyme inhibitors that impede digestion in the human body. Gluten-free, non-GMO, and full of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals, hemp boosts the nutritional and health benefits of our favorite foods, including cereals, desserts, breads, milk, and many more. Natural and organic food companies such as Living Harvest, Manitoba Harvest, Nature's Path and Nutiva incorporate hemp into their food products and are active sponsors of Hemp History Week events and grassroots outreach efforts to make hemp a mainstay of the American diet once again. Samples of hemp foods are available from each of these brands for review and testing.
Hemp in Body Care
Hemp oil is an integral component of many natural body care products such as those made by the top selling brand of natural soap in the United States, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. The hemp oil, with its myriad of essential fatty acids, acts as a rich moisturizer that promotes healthy hair and leaves the skin feeling soft and silky. Consumers who use organic hemp body care products can wash and moisturize with confidence, assured that they are not absorbing harmful substances through their skin.
Green Living and Environment
The return of industrial hemp to the landscape of American agriculture is an imperative environmental and ecological issue. Hemp can be used to make paper, clothing, biofuels, biodegradable plastics, automobile parts, building materials and more. Hemp crops improve the quality of the soil in which they are grown, leaving behind precious nutrients. Furthermore, hemp is not genetically modified and requires no pesticides or herbicides, thereby preventing unnecessary pollutants from entering our waterways via agricultural runoff.
Thriving Business Opportunity
The Hemp Industries Association estimates that U.S. retail sales of hemp products exceeded $419 million in 2010, though all raw hemp materials used to make those products were imported. As the demand for hemp products in the U.S. market continues to rise, more and more businesses have become involved in the effort to once again make hemp farming available to American farmers. "For nearly ten years, the Bronner family has financially supported efforts to lift the ban on non-drug industrial hemp farming because it is an environmentally-sustainable crop," says David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, the top-selling brand of natural soap in the U.S. "Despite our efforts, we are forced to continue purchasing the twenty tons of hemp oil that we use annually from Canada. This is a lost opportunity for American farmers and businesses."
Another hemp industry leader, Nutiva, was recognized by Inc. Magazine in September 2011 for the 3rd consecutive year in a row as one of the fastest growing companies in the United States. Sales of Nutiva's organic Hemp Oil, Hempseed, Protein, Hemp Bars, and HempShakes, among other products, have been growing rapidly, with total sales growth at 44 percent annually since 2005.
Federal Policy and The Industrial Hemp Farming Act
Since industrial hemp farming was outlawed in the U.S. over fifty years ago, four federal bills have been introduced in Congress to lift the ban of hemp agriculture on American farmland. The most recent bill, sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) was introduced in May of 2011, and has been steadily building support from representatives across the political spectrum. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act (H.R. 1831) which will allow the production of non-drug oilseed and fiber varieties of hemp to be grown in the U.S. will lead to job creation, as well as many other economic and environmental benefits.
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Hemp History Week 2011, June 4-10, 2012 is an industry-wide initiative of the Hemp Industries Association and Vote Hemp. The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) is a non-profit trade group representing hemp companies, researchers, farmers and supporters. Vote Hemp is a national, single-issue, non-profit advocacy group founded in 2000 by members of the hemp industry to remove barriers to industrial hemp farming in the U.S. through education, legislation and advocacy. For further information, please visit: www.TheHIA.org and www.VoteHemp.com
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