HEMP WILL SAVE THE WORLD
“Plant the seed you want to grow in the world.”
Cameron Sims is the founder of Plant Culture, a social enterprise supplying premium hemp seed products in compostable or reusable packaging. Cameron’s vision is for New Zealand to be the global leader in regenerative agriculture and technology and for Kiwis to be role models as the healthiest, happiest and most environmentally proactive people in the world. And he reckons the place to start, is with hemp.
HEMP SEED IS THE MOST NUTRITIOUS SEED ON THE PLANT – TELL US ABOUT IT
Hemp seed is a complete protein profile, rich in omega 3, 6 and 9, and packed with essential vitamins and mineral. Plus it's delicious!
BUT WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
Hemp is a variety of the Cannabis plant with tiny, negligible amounts of THC in the flower so the flower can’t get you high like some varieties of cannabis. Hemp seed is created when the male pollinates the female flower. The male dies, the flower goes to seed and we harvest the seed as a sustainable source of protein and omega 3. Currently we can’t use the flower even though it’s full of medicinal properties so it’s left behind in the field. Hemp has thousands of uses, it’s the only resource on earth that can feed, clothe, house and heal us. It produces four main resources – the seed for food and fuel, the flower for medicine, the stalk for fibre and fuel, and the inner stalk for building. Each has many functional properties humans have utilised for thousands of years. It’s one of the fastest growing plants in the world and it phytoremediates the soil, which means it metabolises toxins so its great for reconditioning the soil for other crops. Industrial hemp was used across many sectors before synthetic chemicals were introduced during the world wars. The American declaration of independence was written on hemp paper.
HOW DO YOU USE HEMP SEED?
Sprinkle on salads, soups and cereal, add to smoothies, bliss balls, aioli, milk, cheese and burgers! My life evolves around finding fun ways to use it and I'm only just beginning. Cold pressed hemp seed produces oil and protein. Jamie Oliver drizzles hemp seed oil on his ice cream. Protein’s great for smoothies, nice cream (frozen banana hemp ice cream), bliss balls. Check out our recipes on our website.
SO HOW IS HEMP GOING TO SAVE US?
Hemp phytoremiates soil (metabolises toxins), hemp sequesters C02, it can replace or reduce demands for the world’s most environmentally damaging resources, crude oil, protein, omega 3, clothing, plastics etc. The flower medicine can replace many dangerous pharmaceuticals and regulates our endocannabinoid – the most understudied, ignored, system in the human body responsible for many important functions like thyroid function – I believe we are malnourished of cannabinoids. We have been using this entire plant for over 10,000 years and in the last 80 its been prohibited for financial growth of toxic chemical reliant industries.
Building demand for hemp seed in New Zealand gives farmers and enterprise a financially and environmentally viable alternative to traditional revenue streams. No tree or plant species has the commercial, economic and environmental potential of hemp. And when you invest time and money into hemp based products you help the food, fashion, construction and medicine industries move toward environmentally proactive solutions that contribute to a healthier, happier planet for generations to come.
WHAT ABOUT THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM?
Hemp is a non psychoactive variety of cannabis, it cannot get you high. It has insignificant amounts of THC in the flower, which wouldn't even show up in a drug test if you decided to smoke the flower. The flower will contain CBD, which is now accepted by WADA (World Anti Doping Association) legalising 2018 Olympic athletes to embrace cannabis. We’re talking about hemp seed, not pot (psychoactive cannabis flower). At Plant Culture, we embrace the polarising stigma of cannabis. It's the perfect catalyst to get New Zealanders proactively thinking, talking and moving on tidying up our backyard and becoming an inspiring role model for the rest of humanity.
IS TEA A DAILY RITUAL FOR YOU?
I love tea. I prefer mixing my own herbs, flowers, stalks and sticks. I have a cupboard full of herbs that I play with daily or I pick straight from nature. Kawakawa is probably my favourite NZ medicine but hemp flower is the ultimate – it’s calming like camomile and energising like some adaptogens. Damiana is awesome too. Fresh herbal teas are one of life’s greatest gifts.
WHO WOULD YOU INVITE TO A TEA PARTY?
Donald Trump, Henry Ford, Elon Musk, Thomas Jefferson, Gautam Budha, Jesus, Bob Marley, Jacinda Adern, El Gore, Will Smith, Eckhart Tolle, Jim Carey, Oprah, Tim Ferris, Tony Robins, Arianna Huffington, Yvon Chouinard, Warren Buffet, Arnold Shwarzenegger, Xavier Rudd, Mark Zuckerberg, St Germain and my girlfriend Ella, and anyone keen to join. I’m keen to hold some tea parties, I have friends who host tea ceremonies, text me and bring your herbs.
WHAT IS THE PLANT CULTURE POP UP?
I’m hosting my second Plant Culture Pop Up Restaurant at the Pah Homestead 22-25 April. This is a fun and inspiring few nights where I serve a hemp-based feast for 70 people each night over four nights. Sundayt is invite only. We will have guest speakers and you’ll learn Plant Culture’s vision, cannabis education – why it’s so good for you and the planet – and be treated to some out-of-this-world delicacies along the way!
Try our delicious Hemp & Matcha Raw Chocolate recipe here.
Tickets are on sale soon for the Plant Culture Pop Up in April.
Visit plantculture.nz or contact Cameron – hello@plantculture.nz
