SHILLONG, Oct 16: The Flower Studio and outlet in Jylli Shop, Nongthymmai owned by entrepreneur DD Laloo and family is now stocking medicinal Hemp products such as an oil
for Arthritis Pain, Hemp protein powder, Hemp hearts packed with Omega 3+6 Potassium.
The store was inaugurated by former Home Minister, RG Lyngdoh. Speaking at the inaugural function, Lyngdoh said it is unfortunate that Hemp which grows well in Meghalaya has been maligned just because comes from the same family as marijuana or ganja.
“The medical benefits of Hemp far outweigh its potential for abuse and people should be informed enough to know that Hemp contains less than 0.3% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psycho-active compound that gets users high when they ingest or smoke it,” Lyngdoh pointed out. Lauding DD Laloo for being innovative and also having a social concern, Lyngdoh said that such innovative and creative entrepreneurship has helped create employment.
DD Laloo in a brief speech said that besides the Hemp store the premises also includes a range of products made by artisans from across the state, including artefacts from Garo Hills, plants sourced from Mawkriah, East Khasi Hills and knitted garments for children by local women who have found an outlet for their products.
“We have a 3-D printing outlet and we have signed up with Martin Luther Christian University and Eriben School next door to enable their students to understand and be trained in the techniques of 3-D printing,” Laloo said adding that he has never ever lost sight of his social responsibilities throughout.
Laloo informed that while hemp is yet to be legalised in India, Ratan Tata, former chairman of Tata Group, and Rajan Anandan, managing director of Google India, have provided funds to Bombay Hemp Company (Boheco) to carry out studies and produce medicinal products. Across the world today manufacturers grow hemp to produce a variety of products, including cloth, cosmetics, rope, printer’s ink, wood preservative, detergents, soaps, lighting oil and food items comprising hemp seed milk, protein powder and certain oils.
Studies also suggest that because hemp grows faster than trees and other crops, it is an excellent eco-friendly and sustainable alternative for paper products. Hemp seeds are also a healthy addition to any diet. They contain many vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E that can act as an antioxidant, reducing free radicals in your cells with its anti-inflammatory properties. Hemp has endless possibilities and the plant is cultivated for industrial uses, for food, and also for the therapeutic properties of CBD oil, extracted from the hemp buds. It is rich in health benefits and can be an alternative to other materials that are expensive and unsustainable. On the economic side, hemp has immense potential as a crop.
China is the largest producer of hemp in the world followed by Canada. In 2018, the US passed the Farm Bills making hemp legal essentially because of the CBD oil and its medicinal properties. Climate scientists say hemp has various environmental and economic benefits as a crop. It can clean toxins from the soil and requires little pesticides. Products made from hemp are carbon neutral and produce very little waste. Even hemp by-products can be put to use. Hemp also has the potential to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The hemp seed oil can be more effective as a biofuel source than other plants. Research findings show that hemp oil is a promising option for the future of biodiesel.
A proposal has been put forward to the Government of Meghalaya for hemp cultivation even while research is ongoing in the Botany Department, NEHU on the medicinal and other potentials of the hemp plant in Meghalaya.