In the south of the Autonomous Community of Valencia, in the province of Alicante (Spain), lies Callosa de Segura, a town once known as Spain's hemp capital. During the first half of the 20th century the town was the country's foremost hemp processing centre. Neighbouring producers in Vega Baja brought stalks and fibres there to be processesed and turned into sandals, cords, candles or food. But in the 1950s, with the advent of synthetic fibres, production and manufacturing were abandoned and workers were forced to emigrate.

In recognition of all those who one day left the village to look for a way to make a living, on 14 August, "The Day of the Missing Callosino" (townsperson) is held, with hemp craftsmen and craftswomen hitting the streets to exhibit this art. Now, in the wake of the new European Union regulation requiring the production of nets without petroleum-based plastic, the industry could rise again.



Hemp has traditionally been a highly valued crop by European farmers, for it has over 2,000 applications. In France, without going any further, 12,000 hectares are planted annually, of which a large part goes to the German automobile industry, for the manufacturing and production of plastics and upholstery for Mercedes and BMW. In ancient times clothing and espadrille shoes were crafted with this durable material, as were sails and rope. In fact, the sails on the Pinta, the Niña and the Santa María were made from hemp, as were the first Levi's jeans in the 19th century.





The most common applications:











Textile fibres and cordage for upholstery, footwear, clothing, candles, strings, etc.

Seeds and oils rich in fats and proteins.

Biofuels, lubricants and bioplastics.

Highly durable bioconstruction materials.

Cellulose for paper.

Medicinal and cosmetic uses of oils.

Insulating materials

Beer

Benefits of hemp





Local farmers reaping the harvest by hand.





It is the crop that absorbs the most carbon dioxide: 7 times more than citruses (at forest altitude)

It absorbs 10 times more water than wheat stalks

It absorbs gamma rays

It is the plant that yields the most biodiversity

It allows farmers to precisely predict their final production

It prevents weeds from spreading

It is subsidized by the European Union

All the products it produces are of the highest quality (paper, textiles, oils, seeds...)

Hemp seed is the only in the world that contains omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9 oils at the same time.

It has many therapeutic uses (to control cholesterol levels, for circulatory problems, hair loss...)

Problems

At present the government authorizes some 20 strains of hemp seeds for industrial use. All of them are stipulated in the 1999 Decree-Law, and feature a concentration of THC, the plant's main psychoactive agent, of less than 0.2%. In fact, all these strains receive European subsidies. The problem lies inappearances. The hemp and marijuana plant are very similar, and their buds are even more so, leading the Civil Guard to seize both plantations and final products, assuming that it's marijuana.

This confusion is due not only to ignorance, but also to technical issues: the device with which the agents conduct preliminary checks detects traces of THC, not accounting for the percentage in question. That is, according to the device, hemp is marijuana. Only later is a counter-analysis carried out to determine the percentage, but it often takes up to 3 or 4 months to get the results back. When the THC percentages are lower than 0.2% the seized cannabis is returned, as it is legal. To prevent this, producers and distributors always take extreme precautions, marking on purchase orders and providing at plantations a series of documents, certificates and invoices. The task of discriminating between plants and buds of marijuana as opposed to hemp is somewhat complex, so the police normally stop and seize.

Another sensitive issue is the THC content that is legal: 0.2%. If a neighbouring marijuana plant pollinates a hemp plantation the concentration may increase, turning legal industrial crops into illegal ones.

A man working dry hemp during the demonstrations on the "Day of the Missing

Callosino."



Despite the disadvantages related to legislation and the government, in Callosa they're optimistic. Hemp could well be a very lucrative crop, with a broad and receptive potential market that will only benefit from the new European regulations. This whole situation could mean a new era of splendour for what were forgotten hemp-growing areas, and Callosa is poised to take advantage. They even have a hemp school dedicated to transmitting this trade, and have been cultivating some 50 acres for 4 years on an experimental basis. This coming year they intend to triple this volume, although the greatest challenge will be mechanizing production and gaining a steady foothold in the market. We hope that we, as consumers, will soon enjoy widespread access to hemp products, and in a defused atmosphere.

