Cannabis in Apulia

Today, I am going to tell you a story which gravitates around a plant, a special one.

In the middle of December, while walking in the city centre of Brindisi, I came across a tiny shop which actually displayed food and drinks made of cannabis.

“Is that possible to arrange an interview about this products?” I enquire. “Of course, you can talk with me. I am the president of Assocanapa in Apulia.” Andrea replies.

Great, I think to myself.

We exchanged each other the mobile number.

Therefore, I promised him that I would have called soon after the Christmas holidays.

A couple of days ago, I went to visit Andrea.

He runs a company, Crea, which studies and realizes solutions in terms of green economy.

He looks pretty busy and plenty of things to do.

“I have a land close to Torre Guaceto where I have planted 12 hectares of cannabis for industrial purposes.” Andrea says.

“After having harvested it, I sell it all to the South Hemp Tecno, located in Crispiano (Taranto). The company is run by Rachele Invernizzi.”.

This plant has always been used by human beings to make clothes, ropes, paper and so on.

The French and American Constitutions have been written on paper of cannabis.

Nevertheless, just before the 2^nd world war, the United States initiated the industrial development where oil took over the cannabis role.

Why?

“Oil implies a hierarchical system.  Renewable energies are horizontal, impossible to be controlled.” Andrea states.

In 1937, DuPont patented nylon.

In 1938, Roosevelt introduced a tax on each transaction related to cannabis.

The scope was to discourage the use of derived of cannabis.

“Italy was till the ‘50ies the second largest producer of cannabis in the world, behind Russia. Emilia Romagna, Piemonte and Campania were leaders of producing this special plant.

The plant we are talking about is the cannabis sativa, which contains a max of 0,2 THC.

“The Italian legislator should modify this value because that figure, introduced by the French, it is fine for a Nordic country. The plants cultivated in Italy benefit of a warmer weather, which implies a higher THC.” Andrea points out.

The Italian law says that you can plant just certified seeds.

ENZE is the national organization which certifies seeds.

Once they germinate, it is mandatory to report (autodenuncia) it to the police.

Italy buys a drug named Bediol (Bedrocan) from Holland, at a very high price.

The point is that Bediol is just dry weed, ready to be smoked, but only for therapeutical purposes.

Yes, because in our consumerist society, it is strictly forbidden to smoke it just for pleasure.

However, Apulia has been the first Italian region to adopt a project devised by the Apulian association LapianTiamo. 

Therefore, Apulia promulgated a law which allowed the cultivation and distribution of weed to the ASL, for therapeutic purposes.

The regional law has been stopped because, at the end, Italy has promulgated a very similar law which extend that idea to the entire country.  

This plant never quits of surprising us for its polyvalent.

In Taranto, a farmer who was obliged to kill all his sheep because plenty of dioxin, has planted cannabis in his farm in order to decontaminate the soil.

“There is in Italy a scientist, Stefano Mancuso, who runs the International laboratory of plant neurobiology, within the University of Florence. Plants are intelligent”. Andrea says.

Another amazing application of cannabis is within the green building. 

So, we are talking about bricks made of cannabis, which require much less water to be made. 

Additionally, such a bricks are fire-resistant as well as insulating.

Last but not least, canapa during its lifecycle, absorbes between 9 and 12 tons of CO2.

So, what the hell we are waiting for…?