Monday, May 7, 2012

Interesting Facts About Samen Hanf

Cannabis seeds have an unsavory reputation in the US, but this is unwarranted. In fact, these seeds are very healthy and are a valuable source of nutrition. They are a good source of fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins. Unlike the cannabis plant that they come from, hemp seeds do not have any psychotropic effects. Still, it's not legal to cultivate hemp seeds in the US, so you may have to go online and look for international retailers. If you're ordering from a German site, you'll see this labeled as "samen hanf" or "hanf samen".


So what nutrients can you expect to get from these "samen hanf"?

1) Vitamins

They are rich in Vitamin E, which is a very effective antioxidant. For each 100 g serving of hemp seeds, you'll get at least 90 mg of natural Vitamin E.

Apart from Vitamin E, hemp seeds also include strong concentrations of Vitamin A, for good eyesight, and Vitamin D, which is essential for bone health and is said to promote a longer, healthier life.

2) Minerals

Phosphorous is the most prevalent mineral found in samen hanf. Phosphorous significantly contributes to the health and formation of teeth and bones, making it essential to a healthy diet. You'll get approximately 1,160 mg of phosphorous per serving of hemp seeds.

You'll also get healthy quantities of calcium, zinc, iron, and manganese. It's almost like taking a multi-vitamin, multi-mineral supplement - except that it's 100% natural.

3) Fatty Acids

Hemp seeds contain a lot of healthy polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). Unlike the typical saturated fats found in unhealthy foods, these PUFAs are useful for disease prevention, especially for cardiovascular health. They lower the risk for heart disease and high blood pressure, as well as maintain your blood sugar levels.

4) Arginine

Arginine is one of the essential amino acids which is useful from removing the toxin ammonia from your body. It's also useful for healing wounds and maintaining immune functions. Per serving of hemp seed, you get approximately 3 g of arginine.

5) Proteins

If you're a vegetarian, you probably get your proteins from soybeans, among other meat substitutes. Hemp seeds are rich in protein, containing around 25 g per serving - which means that 1/4 of each serving is pure protein. This makes hemp seeds a healthy snack that can help boost your energy.

As you can see, hemp seeds are a super food that has unjustly received a bad reputation due to the psychotropic effects of the cannabis plant. However, it's important to keep in mind that this super food has been eaten for thousands of years and is indisputably rich in the nutrients listed above. In fact, some food connoisseurs even extract its oils and use it for dressings or dips - a common treat in Japan.

Given that it is healthy, not a narcotic, and is rich in essential nutrients, this "samen hanf" should be a regular staple in the family pantry. But, due to lack of understanding, most people associate it with unsavory or illegal activities. This is quite unfortunate because this means that we are missing out on one of nature's richest sources of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fatty acids. Learn more of how to germinate cannabis seeds.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Battles For Cannabis Seeds Have their Risks - But Are They Worth It?

This coming fall will be the second time that Saskatchewan cannabis growers will celebrate The Harvest Cup - a competition of cannabis breeders, which is organized by Jeff Lundstrom from Skunk Funk Smoker's Emporium. According to Lundstrom, there are twelve (12) anticipated entrants for this year's competition.

But competitions for cannabis seeds growers and breeders don't come without risk.



The important difficulty of these cannabis seeds competitions is the difficulty of locating a venue, sponsors, and other elements that make more mundane competitions successful. Most hotels and convention centers don't make it possible for smoking - marijuana or otherwise - in their venues. It can also be hard for security if the local authorities overtly disapprove of the event. Unless the competition is hosted in a tolerant nation, such as The Netherlands, it can be very difficult to advertise and hold the competition to make it successful sufficient to be a recurring event. This is why there are so few cannabis conventions and occasions in the very first place.

Another risk is the legality of it all. For example, the

Harvest Cup is only limited to certified cannabis seeds growers, hence the low number of entrants. There is also some particular risk to joining. In the earlier year's Harvest Cup, some of the entries were confiscated by authorities during shipping. Though Lundstrom himself is one of the 35 licensed cannabis providers in the province of Saskatchewan, his operation is limited. According to Health Canada, licensed providers like himself can only grow ample marijuana for his own personal use, and for the use of two other people - it's not exactly a large-scale growing operation.

This is where competitions like The Harvest Cup, and the more famend High Times Cannabis Cup, become worth it. They allow breeders to meet up, collaborate, and have an informal network that ensures those who need and want cannabis seeds and products will have access to them.

apart from the precise competition, there are also more educational elements to the cannabis seeds contests. There are lectures and panel discussions on cannabis culture, as well as lectures on breeding and growing. There are also trade shows where manufacturers and vendors can meet up and work together to build new strains or make cannabis seed much better and more efficient.

These lectures and discussions prove to be valuable and enlightening - especially for very first-time attendees. It can be a great way for beginners to familiarize themselves with growing cannabis, and cannabis culture itself.

Given both the dangers and benefits to keeping such occasions, it seems that it's still worth it to host even tiny cannabis competitions and conventions such as The Harvest Cup. As long as the organizers and participants work within the law and run the event by the book, there's no need to get worried. As for setbacks such as the confiscation of entries or the difficulty of finding venues or sponsors, we can chalk it up to the typical inconvenience of running an event. That is, until the law tends to make it simpler and more convenient for cannabis fanatics to gather and Commerce.