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THE LOWDOWN ON HEMP HEMP VS. MARIJUANA Industrial hemp contains small amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the psychoactive substance in marijuana. Industrial hemp and marijuana come from the same family – cannabis sativa – and look very similar. Industrial hemp for cannabidiol (CBD) production and hemp for marijuana are both encouraged to have flowers which concentrate THC (for marijuana) or cannabinoids (for CBD production). Alternatively, industrial hemp for grain or fiber is grown closer together. — Suzanne Blecher WHERE HEMP IS GROWN While little industrial hemp is currently grown in the U.S., things are starting to change as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill that legalized its regulated production. The tricky part is that a lot of industrial hemp seeds sold are labeled for dual purpose – for grain and for fiber. The differences for textile grade fibers are in the manner it's grown close together, harvested, cut and mechanically processed. Decortication removes the pithy inside of the stalk. Hurd is inside, which is not used for textiles. Mechanical decortication separates the bark from the hurd, and then it goes through cottonization. The end result is a fiber similar to cotton, but greater strength and abrasion, antimicrobial properties and UV resistance. Industrial hemp is rain-fed and requires little water to grow. TRENDS A ventura Clothing, i n i t s A v e n t u r a women's brand and Ecōths men's brand, is laser focused on eco-friendly fabrications. The brands incorporate a variety of sustainable fab- rics into their styles, including hemp, as well as bamboo and recycled polyester. "We are particularly proud that we can trace the yarns in many of our sustain- able styles back to origins," says Tom Williamson, VP of marketing and sales for Aventura and Ecōths. "These sustain- able fabrics offer lightweight, breathable options for spring and summer that feel cool to the skin and perform great on hot summer days." Adds Williamson, "As far as trends, we definitely have noticed that hemp is the hot fabric right now, and we're seeing it pop up everywhere from shoes and lip balms to clothing. At Aventura and Ecōths, we've taken hemp, which is known for its durability, abrasion and UV-resistance, and combined it with recycled polyester to create shorts for men and women that have just the right amount of stretch for comfort, keep their shape after many wears, pack nicely for traveling and don't wrinkle easily." New for Spring 2020 from Aventura is the Temple Short, a Fair Trade Certified garment made with a hemp/recycled poly blend. It is lightweight, packable, durable and extremely comfortable to wear when the temps rise. New for Spring 2020 from Ecōths is the Dixon Pant, billed as "Quite possibly the most comfortable pant ever made." The Fair Trade Certified pant is made from a lightweight fabric of hemp and recycled poly. — Cara Griffin Ecoths Dixon pant Aventura + Ecoths Focus on Eco outdoorinsightmag.com 16 • Outdoor Insight • May 2019