In early August, I visited cannabis fields in Heilongjiang Province.
The raw plant for hemp is called Cannabis sativa. In this region, cannabis has been bred into agricultural varieties whose seeds contain no detectable THC (i.e., below the analytical limit of detection). These are grown as raw material for industrial hemp (meaning there is no THC/marijuana component).
(Photo above courtesy of Kingdom)
During this visit I learned that multiple improved seed varieties (those without THC) are already under cultivation here. Ongoing research continues with the aim of extracting hemp fiber in the best, most optimal condition.
(Photo by the author)
When you think about it, cotton is well known as a key material in the expansion of globalized capital. But not only cotton—wool, rayon, linen, and even synthetic fibers (petroleum-derived) are now part of globalization, where raw materials shift to regions that can produce them more cheaply. As a result, raw-material origins and manufacturing sites are often separated.
By contrast, hemp from these cannabis fields benefits from a virtuous feedback loop: plants are cultivated locally, spun into yarn locally, and even bred locally to achieve the highest yarn quality. Of course, the yarn is sold worldwide, but this direct linkage between agriculture and industry suggests that each region may hold significant potential for hemp.
(Photo by the author)
A fresh breeze blew across the vivid green cannabis fields. The scene felt like a bamboo grove, or the grounds of a shrine or temple. Perhaps the way this fiber has long been regarded by people as noble and sacred comes from this very bodily sensation—an intuition that resonates with all five senses.
Daitoh
