Canada's Cannabis Farmers

Contrary to popular belief, it is not illegal to grow cannabis in Canada as long as you have a license issued to you by the federal Minister of Health. For over fifty years, the Ministry of Health has refused to give licenses to anyone aside from police forces, presumably for the purpose of teaching new recruits what they must seek out and destroy.

Last year, Joe Strobel became Canada's first modern farmer to receive a cannabis cultivation license, and he grew six acres on his farm in Tillsonberg, Ontario. This year, seven different Canadian farmers and organizations received licenses to grow different amounts and varieties of cannabis. I spoke to these pioneering cannabis farmers, and what follows is what they told me about the current state of licensed cannabis cultivation in Canada.

ONTARIO

Joe & Geof

Joe Strobel and partner Geof Kime have formed a company called Hempline Inc., and this year they grew six different types of cannabis with seed that they imported from Ukraine and Hungary. Joe and Geof were able to share their imported seed with some of the other farmers that could not import seeds themselves.

Hempline grew a total of eighteen acres of cannabis, half being maintained by Joe Strobel and grown in Tillsonberg, and the other half being managed by Geof Kime and grown in London, Ontario.

Dr. Alexander Sumach interviewed Joe Strobel about this year's crop, and his in-depth article can be found here.

Both male and female plants can be seen clearly in this photo
Gordon & Claude

The other license granted in Ontario went to Gordon Schiefele in Ridgetown. Gordon is a Research Scientist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, and he studies alternate crops for the Ridgetown College Agricultural Technology Department.

Gordon was contacted by local farmer Claude Pinsonneault, who wanted to cultivate hemp but couldn't get a license, as his security was not good enough for the RCMP. Gordon supported growing the hemp in the college research area, and the RCMP agreed.

Gordon and Claude used seeds imported by Joe Strobel, as they only have licenses for the cultivation and distribution of cannabis, and not for the importation of seeds. They received approval on June 12th, and began planting their seeds the next day.

They are growing six varieties of seeds in a tenth of an acre, with three different seeding rates and four replications. They finished harvesting on August 18th. Gordon and Claude left a small patch for further seed development, which they hope to harvest in mid October.

This last remaining patch of Gordon and Claude's cannabis crop was left standing for seed production.
Cannabis needs to be "retted", or softened and broken down by exposure to water, so that the fibre can be separated from the pulpy core.

Samples from the crop were retted three ways. Some were bundled into sheaves and left to stand upright in the field, others were cut into swaths and laid out horizontally, and some stalks were also brought indoors for water retting at room temperature.

The cannabis was planted at two different seeding rates. Those sown at the high seeding rate of fifty thousand plants per acre grew from five to seven feet tall, and yielded 3.3 to 4.8 tons of dry matter per acre. The low seeding rate of thirty thousand plants per acre produced plants from six to nine feet tall, with a yield of 2.7 to 4.2 tons of dry matter per acre.

The varieties are also being separated into seed, leaves, and stem components to determine the percentage of stems in the total dry matter production. Preliminary data indicates that 40% to 50% of the total dry matter would be from stems.

MANITOBA

Martin & Moes

There are two licensed hemp farmers in Manitoba. The first is Dr J Moes, a New Crops Agronomist in the Manitoba Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Martin Moravcik, owner of The Hemp Exchange and active member of the Manitoba Hemp Alliance (MHA), the Manitoba Ministry of Agriculture was convinced to support agricultural hemp by university students that had been taught their stuff by the MHA.

Martin Moravcik of the Manitoba Hemp Alliance
Martin told me he learned about hemp from the 10th anniversary High Times issue, in an Utne Reader sampler. Since he had previously imported clothing, he used those skills and contacts to help set up a hemp business, a store called "The Hemp Exchange".

Martin and his crew spent eighteen months on research and inquiry into getting a license to cultivate cannabis. Martin said that he needed "a slugger" to achieve success, and that slugger came in the form of Dr. Moes.

"He put his name to the document, and we needed provincial support to get federal approval."

They grew six different varieties over ten and a half acres, two types each from Ukraine, Hungary, and Poland. The allotment for each ranged from one sixth of an acre to four acres.

Martin told me that the plants smelled like marijuana, and even had crystals like good pot. Although he hadn't seen the lab results when we spoke, he doubted that it actually contained significant levels of THC. If it did, it would have been destroyed by the RCMP.

Martin told me that the MHA is a non-profit organization, that it is cooperative and competitive. He also explained that he has a standing order for a hundred thousand tonnes of hemp stalk, which he figures at twenty-five thousand acres.

The Mysterious Manitoban

Manitoba's other cannabis farmer did not want to speak to me, and also asked that I not reveal his name or city. He told me that he was in a "unique situation" and that "maybe next year" he would be able to explain that situation to me in more detail.

Members of the Manitoba Hemp Alliance drowning in a sea of green
Given the difficulty of obtaining a license to grow cannabis, I have sympathy for someone who does not want to endanger that process by discussing their work with a magazine like ours. On the other hand, opening up the system for public review can only strengthen it, and it is unfortunate that the present system is so prohibitive that even one of the seven farmers feels he cannot risk publicly discussing his activities at all.

SASKATCHEWAN

Slinkard & Saskhemp

The only hemp license in Saskatchewan is in the name of Dr. A. Slinkard of the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Dr. Slinkard told me that his job is to investigate and research possible new crops for Saskatchewan farmers.

He was approached by members of what later became Saskhemp, and put his support behind their efforts to get a license.

They received their permit on June 13, and quickly began planting three varieties of cannabis which they imported from the Ukrainian Fibre Institute. Although they received extra seed from Hempline, they were already facing a late planting, and since they had received no outside funding, the extra seeds were not used.

They sowed their small crop with two different seeding rates, and with four replications. Each plot was one and a third meters by four meters.

The plants were not yet at maturity when we spoke, but Dr. Slinkard told me that he would be looking at fibre yield and dry matter yield, most likely beating the stalks by hand to break them down into their component parts for analysis.

He also told me it was a long struggle to get a license, and strongly recommended that anyone who is applying for a license should "start early!"

ALBERTA

Three week old cannabis plants on the Northwest Peat and Crop Development Association test plot Briody in Barrhead
There were two legal cannabis crops grown in Alberta this year. One was tended by Fiona Briody of the Northwest Peat & Crop Development Association (NPCDA) in Barrhead.

Fiona's work with cannabis began in January of 1994. Jeff Shurie of Hemp Canada came to the annual meeting of the NPCDA and explained to them the virtues of cannabis hemp. The directors supported the idea, and began the process of applying for a cannabis cultivation license.

Fiona told me that it was a "long, difficult, and frustrating process" to get the license. They had hoped to be planting last year, but it took over eighteen months of work before their license was finally granted.

They grew three varieties over two and a half acres, using seeds imported from Hemcore in England, and also from France.

Fiona told me that the primary interest of the NPCDA is in hemp fibre for pulp and paper, given the high number of such mills in the region.

Specifically, they are trying to achieve three objectives. First, they want to evaluate low THC cannabis in Albertan conditions. Second, they want to develop the agrinomic practices necessary to commercially produce cannabis. Third, they want to evaluate the potential commercial uses of cannabis.

A pulp mill is currently testing their crop, but Fiona explained that cannabis also needs the support of cottage industries to survive and become a successful crop.

A wall of hemp awaiting harvest
Fiona told me that the soil was powder dry when the seeds were planted, and that considering this, she was quite happy with the results. Like the other farmers, she harvested her crop at different times, testing the variations in quality and quantity.

Over the eighteen months that she has been involved with cannabis, Fiona told me that she has seen public interest in the plant grow drastically. "People know what its about, even younger children. Public knowledge has come a long way, and could change more if handled properly."

She suggested to me that the Canadian system could easily evolve into a system such as that in England, where cannabis is grown in larger quantities. Although it is still only allowed under license there, it is still not nearly so prohibitive as the Canadian system.

Like every other farmer, Fiona made it very clear that she was not at all involved with the question of legalizing the use or production of high THC cannabis. She told me that as far as her organization was concerned, marijuana is a separate issue from hemp, and not at all their area of concern.

The Other Albertan

The other Albertan farmer who received a license to grow cannabis asked me not to reveal his name or city. He is afraid that he will have problems with foolish people trying to raid his crop if they realize that their neighbour is a legal cannabis farmer.

He did tell me that both he and his wife are University educated and have over twenty years of farming experience between them. They have been involved with developing other crops, and have helped to see them through from research to widespread use.

Despite these credentials, he told me that "the bureaucracy made it clear it would rather we just went away." Nevertheless, he ultimately received a license to grow a third of an acre of cannabis, to import the seeds necessary to do this, and to distribute the plant materials to other licensed organizations and individuals. His seeds were a Hungarian variety imported from England.

Young plants growing in Barrhead, Alberta
He told me that he is primarily interested in producing fibre board from cannabis. He wanted to see if low THC cannabis could be successfully grown for this purpose in Alberta, and he feels that he has clearly shown that cannabis can grow well in his region and merits further research.

Unfortunately, he described the current situation as a catch 22. He explained that it would be impossible to prove that there is a demand for cannabis textiles without there being an infrastructure and a reliable supply. Since there will be no producers of hemp cultivation technology without a supply of hemp, and the supply cannot be created without the necessary infrastructure, it will be difficult for hemp to establish itself.

He explained that the reason hemp textiles are predominantly produced in Asia and Eastern Europe is because those regions have a large source of cheap labour. Without sophisticated technology, hemp is a labour intensive crop, and the technology will not become widely available until there are a significant number of farmers willing to purchase it.

His interest in cannabis came about as a result of a number of factors. He explained that there are shortages in the regular supply of pulp wood in his area, pulp prices are rising, and he has seen the logging trucks heading out to BC. He had heard and read anecdotal stories about hemp, which he described as having a "religious zeal" about them, claiming that "hemp can save the planet".

When I asked him if his research had told him whether or not hemp could save the planet, he told me that the only conclusion he could draw was that hemp seemed to grow well in his particular location and situation.

Despite this, he told me that "as long as Health Canada has control, we're a long way from commercial production." He explained that he thought the licensing system was far too cumbersome, and that it would make more sense to have the necessary licenses issued by the Minister of Agriculture, who would presumably have more of an interest in promoting the reintegration of a new commercial crop.

He explained that all of the researchers involved with the project had to be licensed, including those who only came into contact with the stripped cannabis stalks. As with all of the other farmers, all of the plant material had to be destroyed after it had been tested and examined. "For a small project, it was large amount of paperwork."

Seedlings struggling to survive in a harsh world
Like the other farmers, he and his wife have purposefully distanced ourselves from the pro marijuana lobby. He explained that this was not from any ideological reason, but because "what we're doing is essentially agricultural in nature." Although he agreed that legal marijuana would certainly "open the door" for commercial hemp, he didn't think that it was a necessity. He suggested that Canada will ultimately adopt a system similar to that in some European countries, where hemp production is licensed and more widespread than in Canada, while marijuana is still prohibited.

He told me that he will apply for a license next year if either a partner for a joint venture or other financial backers can found. As with any other research crop, all the cash flowed outward, and he explained that a great deal more capital will be needed to complete the full reintegration of cannabis into Canadian farms.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Busted in BC

No cannabis cultivation licenses were granted in British Columbia this year, although a valiant effort to obtain one was made by the Granby Hemp Co-op, based in Grand Forks. The fact that they were led to believe they would receive a license before being ultimately refused has caused them a great deal of difficulty.

Brian Taylor, the information officer for the co-op, explained that "officials repeatedly promised to give us an answer before the end of the growing season. Over the past two months [May and June] they have refused to answer our calls. The official directly in charge of our application promised us an immediate answer and then went on vacation."

Brian said that their organization had been "lied to, misled, and set up" by officials from the Ministry of Health, who had "done everything in their power to undermine our efforts and discredit our group."

The Granby Hemp Co-op has a high level of support within the Grand Forks community. Brian Taylor explained that

The Russian community, about a third of the population, grew hemp in Russia and brought it with them to this valley. The local historical Grist Mill has a hemp and flax seed press. This year is the hundredth anniversary of the Doukhobors burning their guns in Russia, and hemp clothing, ropes, and hemp shoes are some of the heritage items that will be on display here throughout the year.

The community was in shock after the announcement last November that the sawmill would be reduced to one shift and may soon be closed. Pope and Talbet is the largest employer in town, and much time and energy is going into finding new ways to revitalize the economy of the valley. Hemp has won the support of local politicians and volunteers as one on the possible answers to economic recovery. Our vision for Grand Forks would make us the seed basket of the West...

Brian Taylor poses among his illegal crop of low THC industrial cannabis
Since the Granby Hemp Co-op had expected to receive a license, they arranged for the importation of 320 kg of cannabis seeds. The seed was being held by the RCMP Drug Section at the Vancouver International Airport, but the BC Ministry of Agriculture has offered to take possession of the seeds and arrange for their safe storage until the 1996 growing season.

As a result of the great difficulties that the Granby Hemp Co-op faced in trying to obtain a cannabis cultivation license, Brian Taylor has decided to take a somewhat more aggressive approach to the situation. Acting independently of the Granby Hemp Co-op, Brian has planted cannabis on a publicly visible patch of his property so that it spells the word "hemp".

Brian also sent Diane Marleau, federal Minister of Health, a parcel containing unprocessed leaf and stalk from his plants, as well as cannabis clothes, paper, and viable seeds. He alerted the local RCMP to all of his actions, and was charged with cultivation and trafficking just before this magazine went to press.

Although it is pathetic that Brian will have to go to trial to defend his right to grow a useful crop, this will also provide another opportunity to attack the prohibition of cannabis in the courts, from a unique legal angle. We will have more information on the developmnt of Brian Taylor's case in our next issue.

IN CONCLUSION

Brian Taylor's tribulations notwithstanding, this was a banner year for legal cannabis in Canada. All of the farmers told me that cannabis met or beat their expectations, which should lead to an even greater demand among Canadian farmers to grow this potentially lucrative crop.

The possibility that cannabis hemp could soon be growing from coast to coast is probably much better than most people realise. Last year there was only one legal cannabis farmer in Canada, this year there were seven. Although it is impossible to predict how many more licenses will be issued next year, there seems to be good prospects for a dramatic increase. The need for a legal cannabis industry in Canada is increasing every day. Let's work to support our farmers, so that they will be able to grow the crops necessary to meet this rising demand.


Discussion Fall 1995 TOC