Cob: rope making fibers

[Shannon C. Dealy]

On Wed, 9 Aug 2000, Rosemary Lyndall Wemm wrote:

> > I would think hemp would make an excellent reinforcing fiber ......
> > hemp fiber is widely known to be quite rot
> > resistant.... As for its prohibition, that is a
> > political matter, and politics, I've been warned, is not to be brought to
> > this list.
> 
> No, I think it's a practical matter.  I think I would have a lot of trouble
> growing hemp in Australia without running the risk of being arrested and
> jailed. I don't like that idea!  It would certainly cut down on the time I
> had available to make cob ;-)  I imagine that I might experience similar
> problems in the US - and run the risk of being "exported" to Australia as
> well ;-(

Different countries, different laws.  You will probably have to check with
the local authorities on what is legal for you, I have heard that some
countries are loosening up on growing fiber grade hemp (minimal/no THC
content).  Here in the U.S., it is pretty much illegal to grow any form of
the hemp plant, though since there is no problem with importing
cloth/clothing and rope made from hemp, I would assume that you could
import the raw fiber as well.  Of course, given the added cost of 
importing hemp and the ready availability of straw (as a waste product in
many areas) throughout most of the U.S.A., for the time being it appears
straw will be the fiber of choice around here.

Shannon C. Dealy      |               DeaTech Research Inc.
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