SC - cornstarch and cannibis

[Jenne Heise]

> Mores the pity since it is such a relatively innocuous herb and medicinally 
> quite valuable despite government and conservative propaganda to the 
> contrary. Of course, this does not mean that such documentation does not 
> exist. It merely means that it was not found by you (or I) at the time. I was 
> particularly impressed by your use of a 1930s citation to dismiss the current 
> research into cannabis. 

Just to clarify the point, I was using a 1930s citation (before the
banning of cannabis in the US) to back up material from the Encyclopedia
Britannica (there was some allegations that information about cannibis was
being supressed or distorted by the campaign against drugs).

Interestingly, this month's Organic gardening has an interesting
allegation in the letters column, that claims that industrial hemp and
medicinal marijuana are different strains, and in fact look very
different. I don't know if it is true, but the OED (I'm so happy, my
school just got subscription to the OED online) sez:

"1. Common hemp, Cannabis sativa, a tall erect herb of the family Morace
having long dentate leaves on long petioles and common in central Asia and
other warm regions; different regional varieties, occas. distinguished as
Cannabis americana, Cannabis indica (Indian hemp), etc., are cultivated
for their fibre, their intoxicating properties, or the oil obtained from
their seeds."

Which might actually explain the lack of references to smoking of hemp in
the period English sources available-- they had the wrong variety for it.
(It may well be a pity: I hear that it is supposed to be good for
migraines, and currently theory holds that Hildegarde of Bingen probably
was a migraine sufferer. She pointed out that EATING too much hemp was
bad for the weak-brained, but apparently nothing about smoking it.) 

Anyone have more information about hempseed porridge or hempseed oil,
though? I have some secondary references to hempseed porridge.

> The cornstarch idea sounds good for the purpose you are using it for although 
> orris root serves to preserve the scent. A property that I was not aware that 
> cornstarch possessed. 

Nope. Cornstarch makes a good base, though. When I make powder for my own
use (I've made some using orris root as a base, and find that I like the
cornstarch better) I use a pinch of orris root to preserve the scents,
just as I do in potpourri (which is not documentably period as far as I am
able to find). I don't remember if I put orris root in with the take-home
baggies for those kids, but I probably did.


Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise	      jenne at tulgey.browser.net
disclaimer: i speak for no-one and no-one speaks for me.
   "My hands are small I know, but they're not yours, they are my own"