NOT JUST A PIPE DREAM VANCOUVER MALL STORE HIGHLIGHTS THE MANY USES
OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP by By MIKE BAILEY ; Columbian staff writer
Copyright (c) 1997, The Columbian Publishing Co.

Rob and Gretchen Harris have a vision. Some day, in the
not too distant future, they picture a house where the
concrete steps leading to the front door are made with the
same material used in the walls of the house.

That material also is used to make the dining room
table, the sofa and the pipes used in the plumbing. At the
table, breakfast consists of pancakes and coffee, both of
which include the same material used in the concrete and
the walls.

Gretchen's cosmetics, the newspaper they read, the
treats they feed their dog and the clothes they wear all
come from that single source.

What is this wonder material that could revolutionize
life as we know it?

It's cannabis sativa L the Latin name for industrial
hemp.

Of course, it's also known by a few other names.

Grass. Weed. Marijuana.

By any name, the potential uses of fiber from hemp
seem limitless. But this is the bottom line: The U.S.
government has classified all forms of the plant as illegal
and that limits their use in this country.

It limits but doesn't stop its use.

To illustrate the versatility of hemp and educate
people in Clark County of its many uses, the Harrises have
opened a retail store called Cascade Hemp Supply on the
upper level of Vancouver Mall near Nordstroms.

Every item listed in the visionary homestead of the
Harris family is available on the market today and many of
those items can be purchased in their store.

The inventory includes designer clothes, shoes, luggage,
food products and cosmetics.

There's linen, a snowboard and even a supplement of
amino acids derived from the seeds that is taken like a
vitamin. A surfboard, made by a company owned by actor
Woody Harrelson, another hemp advocate, was to arrive
this week.

Many of the items are made in countries that allow
industrial hemp to be grown as a commercial crop.

Most of the countries are in Europe and Asia. Australia
and Canada have test plots of industrial hemp.

It is legal to import products made from hemp. Hemp
seeds can be brought into the United States if they have
been sterilized. The Harrises opened their store two weeks
ago and, as expected, the steady steam of customers has
been filled with the curious and the surprised. They've
also been loaded with questions, according to the Harrises.

"We've had everyone from teens to 80yearold women come
in and buy things," Gretchen said. "Some didn't even know
it was a hemp store when they came in."

With the serious shoppers have come a few pranksters.

"We get some of the young kids asking if they can smoke
the shirts," Rob said. "I told them, 'Sure, go ahead. It
won't make you high but you'll sure get a nasty headache
from it.' "

Those looking for a buzz by eating the hemp soap or
sipping on coffee with hemp seeds ground into the blend
will just blow a lot of smoke and money up in the air.

Genetic breeding of the plant has left industrial hemp
with minute traces (0.03 percent) of THC, the psychoactive
chemical in cannabis. Marijuana contains 8 percent to 13
percent of the chemical. Industrial

Industrial hemp usually is tall and grown for its
stalk. It has fewer leaves than its short and stubby
cousin, which is grown for its flowers and foliage.

Because the United States has such a rigorous
enforcement policy, getting hemp products into the country
can take time and be costly.

A 14ounce package of coffee with hemp seeds will cost
$ 15.

Clothing items can be spendy but generally cost about
the same as more conventional items found at the leading
department stores in the mall.

The most expensive dress in the store is $ 250. A sports
coat for men runs $ 50.

One of the benefits of hemp, according to Gretchen, is
fiber that takes on the properties of many materials. Hemp
jeans feel like demin and hemp silk is smooth and sleek.
Ultimately, the Harrises hope that by educating Clark
County residents about the many uses of hemp, they will
put themselves out of business.

"As soon as you can buy hemp products at J.C. Penneys
or Sears, we're out of here," Rob said. "And we're looking
forward to that day."

The motivation for the Harrises is the environment.

They see hemp as a resource that could save forests,
reduce the use of cancercausing pesticides and help stop
pollution of rivers and streams when it replaces wood in
paper production.

But they know their crusade is an uphill battle.

Because hemp is so closely liked to marijuana, there
is a stigma that comes with the recognizable green leaf of
the plant.

"We want to take the fear out of that leaf," Rob said.

At the same time, these former Merit scholars aren't
pushing for the legalization of marijuana as a drug.
Gretchen said she thinks they're on the right path,
especially since she's been able to convert her father, a
former FBI agent, to the benefits of hemp.

"If we can change the ideas of an FBI agent, there's
hope," she said.

STORE AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Cascade Hemp Supply.

LOCATION: Upper level of Vancouver Mall next to
Nordstroms.

PRODUCTS: Some 2,500 items made from hemp, ranging in
price from a $ 2 granola bar to a $ 250 prom dress.