(Page 3 of 4)

Hemp tastes similar to pine nuts. The nutritional value is said to be the real selling point. Advocates tout the plant's seeds and oil as a miracle nutrient, high in vitamins B and E, rich in essential fatty acids and packed with protein.

Now, we can talk about the health benefits of such new products as Heavenly Hemp Tortilla Chips, HempNut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, and Cheddar HempNut Cheese Alternative.

High Fashion: As a force in fashion, hemp long ago beat the granola off its image. Giorgio Armani has featured hemp in his Emporio Armani collections. Other designers have followed suit.

There's even an all-natural, eco-friendly hemp thong. "You'd be surprised how well they sell," says George Bates of Shirt Magic in Lewiston, Calif.

"This is for the woman who has one eye on the environment and the other eye on impressing her boyfriend."

The Body Shop and Earthly Body are among the cosmetic sellers that hail hemp's high concentration of fatty acids for dry lips, skin and hair. Julia Roberts told British reporters last year that she favors Alterna's Hemp Seed Straightening Balm.

Seedy Joints: If you're really trying to make a statement, check into the HempWorld hotel in Amsterdam, where there's hemp in the doormat, the bedsheets, the bathroom shower curtain, the restaurant's house wine and the coffee.