Hemp vs Global Health Crisis

Malaria remains a global scourge, with hundreds of millions of new infections reported every year – but maybe hemp seed oil can help.

The World Health Organization reported that there were 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths in 83 countries in 2023 alone. It is spread to humans by some species of mosquitoes.

IND HEMP, the leading industrial hemp producer and processor in the United States, together with the National Hemp Association (NHA), have put together a pioneering, nutrition-based strategy to combat malaria using hemp seed oil.

Drawing on decades of scientific research, Fort Benton, MT-based IND spotlights hemp seed oil’s promise to reduce malaria’s global burden. NHA’s relationships in Africa and ability to unite diverse stakeholders strengthen the initiative, ensuring hemp-based solutions can be effectively implemented in malaria-endemic communities, according to a joint statement.

IND is a family business, Certified B Corporation and leading agricultural producer, processor and supplier of industrial hemp food/feed ingredients and natural fiber raw materials for a variety of industries and sustainable product applications.

The National Hemp Association is the largest grassroots advocacy
organization dedicated to promoting the use and acceptance of industrial hemp. 
 
Global Health Crisis

The most common medicines for preventing or treating malaria are artemisinin-based combination therapy, chloroquine and primaquine, according to hempgazette.com. But IND said research indicates Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids can be lethal to malaria parasites. Omega-3-rich foods include fish – and hemp seed oil.

“Recent research has identified hemp extracts as a promising, ecofriendly alternative to conventional mosquito-control methods,” noted nextlevelmedicalclinic.com. “Hemp (cannabis sativa) is well-known
for its myriad uses, including medicinal, industrial and nutritional applications. Now, its use in vector control is gaining attention.”

“Malaria is a global health crisis that demands a fresh perspective,” said Ken Elliott, President of IND. “We’ve reviewed a ton of scientific research showing Omega-3-rich foods like fish can help prevent malaria. More recent research has shown that a diet rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 can kill various blood-borne parasites, which also promotes the idea that Omega-rich foods like hemp seed oil can prevent
or reduce the risk of being infected with the malaria parasite.”

Every year, the statement said, over 250 million people contract  malaria, resulting in approximately 600,000 deaths — many among young children in Sub-Saharan Africa. “In response, IND and Washington, DC-based NHA highlight the potential of hemp seed oil’s potent Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which can provide a
two-fold advantage: directly suppressing parasite growth and mitigating inflammation that exacerbates severe malaria complications.”

The partnership seeks to initiate pilot programs with partners in several African countries, the statement continued, aiming to advance the science and rapidly supply hemp-based nutritional products — like hemp seed oil and protein-rich seed cake from the United States, while working to help establish farming and processing in Africa.

“We have had friends in Ghana for more than 15 years” noted Julie Elliott, the co-founder of IND, “and we were fortunate to welcome two college graduate engineers from there to intern with us in Montana and learn about industrial hemp as a crop and processing, so that they may take this knowledge back to their home farms and
communities. Learning about the severity of Malaria when we visited them in Africa this year was eye opening, and to see a pathway for the crop and food we produce and work with every day to potentially be beneficial for this motivates us to do something about it.”

Paving the Way

Over the past years, the organizations pointed out, both IND and NHA have worked in various ways in Africa, building upon personal and professional relationships and establishing trusted partnerships. “This groundwork paves the way to immediately execute a path forward to bring American hemp seed oil into Africa and distribute to
communities in need. Additionally, it allows a pathway for shared knowledge and integration of hemp solutions into current agricultural frameworks, ensuring a sustainable, community-led path forward.”
 
Geoff Whaling, NHA’s Chairman, recently returned to Africa with support from USDA, and discussed this approach with African leaders in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Ghana. 
 
“Industrial Hemp -- fiber and grain -- is more than a cash crop. It’s a catalyst for transformative change,” Whaling said. “By uniting with IND HEMP, we’re showcasing how hemp-based nutrition, including mechanically-pressed hemp grain, can improve health outcomes, stimulate local economies and address an urgent global challenge.We’re excited to bring this conversation directly to leaders on the African continent.”
 
Teamwork will be the key. “In light of the burgeoning evidence supporting hemp extracts as an effective tool in mosquito control, it is crucial to foster collaboration between researchers, policymakers and local communities,” nextlevelmedicalclinic.com concluded. “By doing so, we can harness the full potential of this natural solution and combat the relentless spread of mosquito-borne diseases.”