From: INTERNET:drchemp@drcnet.org

RE: HEMP TEXTILES: SPECIAL FIBER REPORT (fwd

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 06 Dec 1997 13:54:30 -0500
From: Joe Hickey <agfuture@kih.net>
To: gephardt <gephardt@hr.house.gov>, senator <senator@kennedy.senate.gov>
Subject: HEMP TEXTILES: SPECIAL FIBER REPORT

TEXTILE WORLD MAGAZINE

Volume 147, Number 11
Now in our 129th year

November 1997

SPECIAL REPORT

Special Fiber Series: Hemp

Hemp: Historic Fiber Remains Controversial

Use of hemp in yarns and fabrics continues to grow as debate ensues over
legalizing U.S. cultivation of this versatile fiber

By Elaine Gross
New York Correspondent

Hemp is a great deal more than just an alternative textile fiber. It is
one of the few plants whose byproducts can either be eaten, sat on,
written on, worn, slathered on your body, painted on a wall or squirted
into a machine. It is also the subject of a worldwide controversy that
involves such disparate factions as farmers, government enforcement
agencies, environmentalists, supporters of legalized drugs and
manufacturers of textile, food and paper products.
Historians say that hemp has been used in textiles since the 28th
century B.C., so there is no question about its viability or
desirability for that end use. The controversy, which is particularly
acute in the U.S., stems from the fact that the hemp plant, whose
horticultural name is Cannabis sativa comes in several varieties, one
of which is the source of marijuana. The dispute is about whether or not
the fiber plant, should be, or can successfully be, grown at the some
time that the hallucinogenic plant is legally banned.
This heated embroilment has not prevented hemp yarns and textiles from
gaining a relatively small but growing place in the U.S. apparel and
home textiles market. During the past year and a half or so, the
industry and consumers have become increasingly aware of hemp thanks to
the efforts of a number of importers and promoters, most notably Hemp
Textiles International (HTI), an ecologically conscious manufacturer
and importer of Cantiva hemp fiber, based in Bellingham, Washington.
Although not yet a serious rival to any other natural fiber, Department
of Commerce import statistics confirm a recent surge of interest. From
1995 to 1996, imports of hemp fiber (tow and waste) into the U.S.
increased 415.8 percent by quantity, imports of yarns increased 57.7
percent and woven fabric imports increased 31 percent. In quantity,
52,870 kilos of hemp fiber were imported in 1996, as were 5,871 kilos of
hemp yarn and 132,230 kilos of woven hemp fabric.
China was the chief supplier of fiber with the Philippines in second
place and showing the largest import growth, going from 16 kilos in 1995
to almost 18,000 kilos in 1997. Turkey was the chief supplier of hemp
yarns, followed by Rumania. For woven hemp fabrics, China provided the
greatest quantity, followed by El Salvador, Hungary and Romania. A total
of 423,239 square meters of hemp fabric were imported into the U.S. in
1996, and as of June, 1997, the year-to-date imports are 225,674 square
meters.
In recent years there has been a general increase in the imports of
alternative bast fibers, which includes jute, raffia and other vegetable
fibers, says Maria Corey, an economist with the Department of Commerce.
By comparison with flax imports, hemp is not so very far behind and is
increasing in areas where flax is declining. In 1996, 81,182 kilos of
flax fiber (tow and waste) were imported into the U.S., an increase of
22.8 percent from 1995. During that same period, 734 kilos of flax yarns
were imported, a decrease of 39.1 percent, as were 6,465 kilos of woven
flax fabrics, also showing a decrease of 2.3 percent.
During the last year, hemp sales have grown steadily, reports David
Gould, president of HTI. Business hasnt taken the huge J curve that
we had been anticipating, but there will be a critical mass once the
right players get involved.
With big names such a Calvin Klein, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and
Adidas already dabbling in hemp products, the momentum is building.
Klein was quoted in a New York Times article saying, I believe that
hemp is going to be the fiber of choice in both the home furnishings and
fashion industries. In that same article, Ralph Lauren confessed to
being a long-term hemp user, saying that he had quietly included hemp
fabrics in his collections since fall 1984.
Adidas sells more than 150,000 pairs per season of its Gazelle Natural
field shoe, made in Taiwan with Chinese hemp upper and bottoms made from
trims recycled from other shoes. Spring 1998 will be the fourth season
for the hemp footwear, which retails for $55. It was developed as a
result of consumer requests for natural and recycled materials.
At the same time that fashion designers are jumping on to the
ecological trend, farmers are looking for alternative crops to replace
tobacco and other waning products, and environmentalists are supporting
hemps eco-friendly characteristics. As a result, there is a small but
spirited and very verbal group of hemp enthusiasts whose passion for the
fiber is becoming infectious. So much so that the ground swell of
interest begun at the grass roots is rising to environmentally concerned
business. The network of hempsters, as they call themselves, includes
several national and international industry associations, importers and
distributors, industry consultants, publishers and retailers. A number
of interest groups have been introducing bills into state legislatures
with the intention of legalizing hemp growing in this country.
Currently, it is legal to import hemp fibers and processed seeds into
the U.S., but it is illegal to grow the plant here. The U.S. is
reportedly the only member of the G7 alliance and the only
industrialized nation that does not permit the cultivation of hemp.
Canadas first commercial crop in 70 years will be ready for harvest in
1998, following recently passed legislation legalizing its growth.
In the U.S., the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency does not distinguish
between the subspecies of Cannabis plants. The subspecies used for
making fiber, colloquially known as industrial hemp, reportedly
contains too little of the hallucinogenic substance tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), between 0.5 and 1%, to have an effect when smoked and, according
to a number of sources, would make one quite ill. The marijuana plant
contains as much as 20% of THC.
Contradicting the DEAs belief that the two plants are
indistinguishable, Steve DeAngelo, CEO of Ecolution, a manufacturer of
hemp apparel, says that the growing method is different. In the field,
the recreational plants are spaced wide apart, while the hemp plants are
close together. The hemp stalks shoot straight up and there is no room
for foliage to grow, which is the part you smoke.
Hemp is often referred to as an ecological cousin to linen (flax),
since both are bast fibers and have similar, but not precisely the same,
appearance, growth and processing requirements. Under the microscope and
in finished textile products, they may look very much alike. In reality,
the fineness and quality of the two fibers overlap depending upon
growing conditions, seed variety and how the crop is handled after
harvesting. Though the two fibers have more in common than not, there is
o consensus as to how closely their market potential may be allied.
In the past, some flax marketers and producers were feeling threatened
by hemp, but this has faded, says Gould. HTI can foresee close
alliances between Cantiva (HTIs name for hemp) and flax producers and
users. From our end, there is a natural instinct to learn from the
successes of the flax industry. They are very synergistic in a marriage
in a yarn or fabric. We expect to be closely linked as we go forward.
Over the centuries, not just since the contemporary ban on growing it,
hemp was never developed to make fine sheeting, like linen was, points
out Pauline Delli Carpini, Director of Operations for North America for
the Europeennee du Lin et du Chanvre (hemp). Some years ago, hemp was
dropped from the organization, simply because there was no demand for
it, says Delli Carpini.
Its a niche market, but niche market in the U.S. are big, says John
Howell, editor and publisher of Hemp Times, Published by The Hemp
Company of America. Linen in the U.S. has 1% market share. Hemp has the
potential to be at least the equivalent.
Interestingly most textiles and apparel manufacturers currently working
with hemp do not compare it to linen, but to cotton, where the
performance, environmental and price differences are quite dramatic. The
pollution of soil and water by the pesticides used in growing cotton has
been a battle ground for environmentalists. Because hemp is naturally
resistant to mold, bacteria and pests, it is grown without pesticides,
herbicides or agricultural chemicals, except some fertilization, and is
receiving the full support of the green movement.
Another eco-friendly aspect to the fiber is that its dense growth makes
it a prime contributor to weed control and elimination. Hemp is a
high-yield crop, maturing in 120 days average, and producing
significantly more fiber than flax or cotton in equivalent space. Flax
grows once every six or seven years on the same land, while hemp can be
grown every two or three years. Also, the entire plant can be used, from
seed to foliage, for use in such diverse products as building materials,
paper and foods.
Water quality can be significantly improved by planting hemp because
it doesnt use pesticides or herbicides and has no toxic runoff from the
fields, says Yitzac Goldstein, vice-president of HTI. Using more
sustainable and less chemically intensive methods will save farmers
money.
Simply put, as a cellulose rich plant, it is considered a core crop in
the model for sustainable agriculture.
The cottonizing of hemp is what Eric Steenstra of Ecolution, calls
the current interest for the fiber. Hemp will be better and stronger
when it isn't cottonized. But all the equipment out there is for cotton.
To make sense and be usable for the mainstream industry, it will have to
be workable on equipment made for cotton.
Steenstra had a hemp twill fabric tested for tensile and tear strength
at Greenwood Mills, and compared the results with Greenwoods 12-oz
cotton denim. Hemp beat cotton every time. Overall, the 100% hemp fabric
had 62% greater tear strength and 102% greater tensile strength. In
tensile strength test, the hemp warp endured 266 lb of pressure while
the cotton only 204 lb, and the hemp filling endured 178 lb of pressure
while the cotton fill only 100. In the test for tear strength, the hemp
warp tested at 19.9 lb of pressure with the cotton at 12.7, and the hemp
filling tested a 22 lb with the cotton filling a 7.6.
Patagonia, the California manufacturer of outdoor apparel, also
conducted similar tests, with the results showing that hemp has eight
times the tensile strength and four times the durability of other
natural fibers.
The high cost of the multi-stage processing of hemp, the limited
quantities available, and the fact that there is little processing of
the fiber in this country, is responsible for its high price, about 100%
higher than cotton, and about on par with linen when comparing similar
qualities. But Hemp Times Howell believes that the green rate, the
premium that people will pay for a product with an environmental story
attached to it, is about 25-30% above market price. HTIs Cantiva fiber,
which is controlled for quality, notably the absence of wood residue,
sells for about $1.67 per pound, baled and ready for blending with
cotton and other fibers. The price for finished fabrics range from $4 to
$12 a meter for 60-in. width, depending upon the quality.
The Hemp Co. of America is a privately funded, venture capital company
which has developed five vehicles for marketing hemp: a bi-monthly
consumer magazine, Hemp Times; a stand-alone mail order catalog called,
Planet Hemp, that is also bound inside the magazine; a cyberstore on the
web; and a real store, also called Planet Hemp, located in New York
Citys SoHo neighborhood.
Many hemp products are offered in natural colors because dyeing becomes
an issue in maintaining its all naturalness. For mass production, there
are only two choices - using natural colors or low impact reactive dyes.
Ecolution, whose main products are hemp jeans and jackets for men and
women, has recently developed yarn-dyed hemp striped and plaid fabrics
for shirts using low impact reactive dyes. It has also recently begun
knitting with 100% hemp yarns.
Updating the processing of hemp fiber is the key to its future success,
and because it has not been grown locally for 60 years, there is much
catching up to do.
In many ways, hemp is like Rip Van Winkle. It has been asleep for 60
years in terms of technology and processing equipment, explained John
Roulac, president of HEMPTEC, an industry consultant and author of
several books about hemp. The challenge for hemp right now is, how do
we make the fiber work in the Western economic model where you need high
speed production and high quality.
Roulac says that retail sales of hemp products in the U.S. are now in
the $50 million range, up from just a few million in 1993. He projects
that annual sales of hemp products will reach several hundred million
dollars in the early part of the 21st century and could shoot up to
$5-10-billion within a decade, depending upon technology advancements.
Crescent Woolen Mills is optimistic about hemps future. The company
spins hemp yarns for carpets, sweaters and T-shirts. Kevin Webster, vice
president of marketing, says Crescent mixes black wool with the natural
hemp to create gray and brown shades with a heather effect.
If hemp can be spun fine enough, it can compete against cotton fairly
successfully, Webster believes. It could even be a competitor to
linen. But I've heard of people having problems spinning on certain
open-end systems.
Yarn Mavens is new to the hemp business and has just started developing
products with Stonecutter Mills. They are currently offering: 50-50
cotton-hemp blend in coarse counts, from Ne 6 to 14, with either regular
or organic cotton; 50-50 Tencel-hemp blends in the same finer counts
containing less hemp.
Beyond the problems of technology, hemp has an obvious image problem,
not least of which is its hard-to-break association with the
pot-smoking, hippie culture of the 1970s. These days, every cause must
have its celebrity proponent in order to be heard, and actor Woody
Harrelson has volunteered to play this role for hemp.
A life-long environmental activist, Harrelson has proven to be a very
visible and effective spokesperson. He even went to the extreme of being
jailed in Kentucky, purposely staging a planting of several hemp seeds
in support of farmers lobbying for legalization. In more Hollywood
style, Harrelson was seen at both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards
events wearing custom-made Giorgio Armani hemp tuxedos accessorized with
hemp shoes.
Many observers expect hemp growing to be legal in the U.S. within five
years, following pressure from American farmers. Even with only Canadas
involvement, the repercussions for hemp are expected to be significant,
with increased fiber availability leading to lower prices. But
manufacturers insist that hemp should not rest on its ecological laurels
alone to become a factor in the fashion market. (end)

HEMP HAS LONG HISTORY AS TEXTILE FIBER

Well before cotton was king, dating back to ancient China, hemp and
flax were the primary apparel textile fibers. In 4500 B.C., the Chinese
made fish nets from it. Throughout the centuries, hemps natural
resistance to rot and mildew made it especially suited to nautical end
uses, such as ropes and sails.
Hemp growth was encouraged in the early American colonies, and was even
grown on the plantations of such patriotic gentleman farmers as Thomas
Jefferson and George Washington. Colonial taxes were often paid in hemp
bales and soldiers uniforms were made of hemp cloth.
Along with the pioneers, hemp growth moved throughout the U.S., with
first Kentucky, and later, Missouri, becoming the centers for hemp
production. Much of this hemp was used for making bags for cotton baling
and ropes. When jute and iron bands replaced hemp for these end uses,
its agriculture greatly suffered.
In 1872, when tariffs were lifted on the importation of tropical
fibers, domestic hemp production faltered once again, despite many
government programs to encourage its growth. These programs continued
until 1933, by which time hemp had become a negligible crop compared to
cotton.
The beginning of the end of hemp growth in the U.S. was the Marijuana
Act of 1937. Its intent was to prohibit the use of marijuana but created
so much red tape that it made the production of industrial hemp
virtually impossible.
Japans invasion of the Philippines during WWII cut off Americas
supply of hemp from that country, and partially fostered President
Franklin Roosevelts Hemp for Victory program, which encouraged
farmers to resume growing hemp for military use. The publication of Jack
Herer's book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, in 1990, a history of hemp,
was the pivotal point at which contemporary hemp reawareness began.
(end)


HEMP VS LINEN: CLOSE COUSINS

Linen and hemp share many properties, both being bast fibers, but there
are some important differences.
SIMILARITIES: Both are cellulosic fibers, exhibit high luster,
withstand high temperatures, highly moisture absorbent, easily damaged
by strong acids, high resistance to alkalis, difficult to bleach, highly
resistant to moths and other insects. Both use their seeds for oils,
cosmetics and food products.
DIFFERENCES: Their natural colorations are slightly different, flax
described as yellowish-buff to gray, and hemp as yellowish-gray to dark
brown. Flax fiber grows from 6 to 40 in. with the best averaging 20-in.
and not less than 12. Hemp fiber is somewhat longer, growing from 4 to
16 ft. in length. Hemp is even less elastic than linen, but it is up to
eight times stronger according to some tests. (Information excerpted
from: Modern Textiles, 2nd Edition by Dorothy Siegert Lyle). (end)


PICTURE OF HEADWATERS HIKER SHOE
(Caption: Woody Harrelson joined with Deep E Co. to market a hiking shoe
with a hemp canvas upper.)

To pre-order shoes, contact:
Deep E Co.
322 NW 5th Ave.
Suite 207
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 299-6647 office
(503) 299-6287 fax
e-mail: deepeco@aol.com
webpage: http://www.deepeco.com

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