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32 vn eir ymi y7pthw 232000 vi va vji fcji i is 1 s i- i i economist sun stouffville tribune etcetera from hats to jewelry from jeans to food products hemp way into mainstream life big business staffphotossteve somerville by dawn liersch staff writer just as a handful of magical beans led jack the fabled beanstalkclimber to golden riches the story of hemp is like something out of a fairy tale with just a tiny packet of seeds for the cannabis sativa l plant and a sprin kling of hope hemp activists believe theyve found the golden nectar to sustain theworld deemed the plant that can provide all the basic necessities of life 0 food shelter clothing and medicine the humble herb has grown from a taboo substance to a cele brated crop hemp activists predict our cars will someday be fueled by environmentally friendly hempderived methanol and our homes will weather the wildest storms thanks to the hardiness of hemp pulp mold ed into lumber already since canada relegalized indus trial hemp several years ago joining a grow ing list of hemphip nations people are flocking to buy hemp clothing jewelry skin- care and food products and with more than 25000 uses derived from hemp it looks like were only at the tip of the iceberg canada is not a manufacturing country its an importing country were building an industry it takes time said robin ellins owner of the friendly stranger cannabis culture shop in toronto a shop boasting an array of hemp products includ ing shampoos food products shirts jeans and fabrics part of it is a trend but there are also the utilitarian environmentally friendly and health aspects to it people like hemp because its an envi ronmentally friendly sustainable resource now that its legal we can start to tap into that market we believe theres room for cannabiz hemps appeal stretches beyond the trend toward hippy apparel reminiscent of the days when marijuana from the cannabis plant was widely smoked the strength durability and luxurious quality of hemp fabrics the health benefits of the food products and the eco-friendli- ness of its use as an energy source has made hemp a popular choice for the hip health- conscious and pennywise crowds alike part of it is a trend but there are also the utilitarian environmentally friendly and health aspects to it said dom cramer pres ident of the toronto hemp company which sells hemp clothing and accessories from boxer shorts to hats wallets to backpacks snack food twine jewelry and skincare products we get people from all walks of life in here from eight to 80 years old there has been more market interest over the years which has led to more of a variety of prod ucts the body shop canada reports the 1998 launch of its hemp line of products has been a success its line includes a hand protector foot protector body butter lip conditioner body wash and hair treatment sorya ingrid gaulin a spokesperson with the body shop of canada said the hemp hand protector is the third highest seller in canada and has made the top 10 selling products list internationally gaulin explains hemp seed oil contains the highest level of essential fatty acids i vanessa rich an employee of the friendly stranger cannabis a queen street west shop specializing in hemp products wears a hat made of hemp top and displays a vari ety of products from shoes to wallets to dyed hemp twine that are available see hemp page 33 its the courtyards that make us different 174900 s mom mi emery homes call f3u5i 4719891 or 187795emkry