by
Paul
BenhaimThe hemp seed, being so high in protein, can be used as a
substitute for meat in much the same way as the soya bean is
used.
In Latvia hemp seed is traditionally included in festival foods eaten
on St John’s Day, June 21, enjoyed by all members of the
community to commemorate the affections for the hemp plant that
have been such a part of Latvian history.
In parts of Europe traditional soups such as Silesian hemp soup
are still enjoyed.
In 16th century BC, the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus recorded the
medicinal use of cannabis.
In 6th century Persia a preparation called sahdang (meaning royal
grain) was made from hemp seeds. Details of the drink are not
known, but its use was in the spiritual matters of the royalty.
Etymologists at Hebrew University, Jerusalem confirmed that
kineboisin (also spelled kannabosm) referred to cannabis used in
a holy ointment. See Exodus 30:23.
N.B. King James mistranslated word as ‘calamus’ in his version.
Harry Anslinger a famous racist policeman decided with his
industrial friends to prohibit cannabis, ‘the drug of black people’ so
as to prohibit hemp as fibre. This enabled them to earn money
with nylon materials and wood based paper. The company –
Dupont – soon became the nylon and petrochemical giant.
The American Declaration of Independence was written on hemp
paper.
There is anecdotal evidence that the Dukabours, a Christian
vegetarian freedom sect living in western Canada since the early
part of the century, had enjoyed the nutritious but gritty hemp seed
as part of their Spartan lifestyle in Russia. The Dukabours
apparently grew hemp upon arrival in Canada and ate portions of