Being in the same family as marijuana gave hemp a shady reputation (yup, even the Air Force recently banned a brand of Greek yogurt for having hemp seeds in it), but hemp has no more than three-tenths of a percent of the mind-altering ingredient Tetrahydrocannabinol. “That’s about as much THC as the poppy seeds on your bagel have opium,” California senator Mark Leno tells Prevention. California is the latest in a string of states, including Colorado, West Virginia, North Dakota, and Kentucky, to attempt to capture some of this hemp market; it just passed laws to facilitate the commercial farming of hemp. While farmers in these states are still waiting on the official green light from the federal government, Sen. Leno says he expects they’ll give the go-ahead this spring, in time to plant for a summer harvest. This is good news, since the hemp market is huge and the health benefits of hemp are well-documented. But is hemp made in the US better for you? It’s too soon to say, but it’s certainly better for the environment. A steady domestic supply of the plant should reduce the need for gas-guzzling, emission-releasing importation from countries like Canada, Mexico, and China, and the plant itself is easy on the environment, says Sen. Leno. “Hemp grows without herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides, requires less water than corn, and is great for crop rotation,” he says. “And the thousands of products made from hemp are all biodegradable—from food, clothing, and shelter, to paper and fuel.” What’s in it for you? The seeds offer plenty of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, bone-sustaining phosphorus and magnesium, and filling fiber and protein, says Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD, a nutrition consultant based in Burlington, Vermont. She recommends buying hulled seeds, which make the protein easier to digest, and sprinkling over cereal or salad, or stirring into yogurt. “It has the fat, it has the fiber, and it has the protein to give your meal staying power.” Once it’s locally grown? Even better.
