Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Hempy Holidays--Gifts for Grumpy, Adam & Robbie

The holiday gift-giving season is a great time for pushing my hemp lifestyle on my family. I gave my dad (my daughter calls him Grumpy), my husband Adam, and cousin Robbie, Dr. Bronner and Sun Dog's Magic Lip and Body Balm and long-sleeved 100%-hemp polos from Dash Hemp that I bought at Eco-Green Living. According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, I tapped into one of the gift-giving trends of the 2006 Winter Holiday. The following is excerpted from Jodie Gumz's December 22nd article, Reporter at Large: New place to shop is close to home:

Gifts fit for governors

Not too many people can present friends and family with the same gifts Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and first lady Maria Shriver got this year. But you can, if you shop at Dash Hemp.

Richard Dash, 61, of Bonny Doon has opened a retail shop to showcase his casual clothing made of hemp, a complement to his online sales site. He's got selections for men and women, shirts and lounge pants that have an upscale look.

Besides the jeans, which feel soft and already broken in, you'll see a lot of pastels.

"Hemp lends itself to earth tones," said Dash, whose hemp comes from China.

Conservative shoppers may be unaware of the economic benefits of hemp. To spread the word, Dash is counting on past customers. A coupon sent out to 450 previous buyers brought an online holiday rush, said Erika Dietrich, who handles sales.

Dash has a celebrity endorsement from Richard Branson, the flamboyant British billionaire who founded the Virgin companies, and he's looking for others — perhaps Jimmy Carter and Al Gore or Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner, who might look good in a stylish hemp spa robe.

The "Arnold" shirt, a rust-colored polo, is priced at $79. The "Maria" knit top, in blue steel, is $89.

Dash sent a package by FedEx to the governor, hoping he would sign legislation making it legal to grow hemp in California. Since hemp is related to marijuana, it may have been too hot to handle in an election year.

But the Hemp Industries Association hasn't given up, and Dash is sure legislative supporters will try again.

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