Five years ago, vocal hemp supporters Kathleen Chippi and David Almquist put their money where their mouths were by opening the Boulder Hemp Company. The pair’s activism by way of commerce has since produced a line of cookies, snacks and baking mixes made with hemp flour, which they grind from hemp seeds shipped in from around the globe. In March the company went national with four flavors of Heavenly Hemp Tortilla Chips. Made with 30 percent hemp flour, the chips are a big hit in stores around the country, including Alfalfa’s and Wild Oats.

Motueka horticulture scientist Peter Smale says he will reapply to plant a trial research crop of industrial hemp. His decision followed last week’s announcement by Customs Minister Phillida Bunkle approving a working party by the Customs Service to resolve differing opinions on the crop.

Some 35,000 acres were grown last year in Canada, which legalized hemp production in 1998. The USDA study, which was released Friday, doesn’t see much demand for any of hemp’s uses.

In 1999, The Body Shop bought $108,553 worth of hempseed oil. We anticipate this figure will almost double in the coming year,” the letter reads. Mark Lathrop, a Chesterfield farmer, said Roddick promised to buy his entire crop of hempseed if the bill passes.

Hemp is destined to give wool a new life provided the industry can get off the ground in Australia.