“Hemp Can Change the World”: Shadi Ramey’s Carbon Neutral Hemp Cookbook

Shadi Ramey is a chef and hemp farmer who combines her love for cultural anthropology, diversity, sustainability, Ayurveda, hemp, and psychedelics to craft culinary, conscious wellness infused with herbalism and ethnobotany.  

Journey Into Hemp

Ramey’s journey began in 2014, when a ballot initiative to label genetically modified (GMO) foods was proposed in Colorado. Though the initiative failed, Ramey became passionate about the ingredients that we consume. She tried to open a dispensary in Colorado but was discouraged by the prohibitive costs. She procured a hemp license instead and began experimenting with food and body care. 

Shadi has been growing hemp on a micro-farm in Hygiene, Colorado since 2015. 

She is a strong advocate who believes that “Equitable access to organic and non-GMO foods is a human right.”

The Cookbook

Shadi initially wanted to create a hemp cookbook that showcased her passion for the plant and its myriad culinary uses. In the process of creating the book, she discovered that the printing industry is one of the top 5 toxic industries from an ecological perspective. 

“The book itself is political, an act of resistance,” says Shadi. 

Hemp can Change the World: A Cookbook is the first of its kind, a self-published cookbook dedicated to hemp, printed on hemp paper, a “100% carbon neutral project.” The book is filled with vegan recipes, many of which are conducive to paleo and keto diets. A portion of the proceeds go to the Last Prisoner Project, an organization dedicated to rectifying the harm caused by cannabis prohibition and incarceration. 

“The regulation is unacceptable to me; the way this healing plant is treated, the prohibitive costs associated with entering the industry, the inherent issues in the food system.” 

It’s clear that the book is a labor of love, a dedication to wellness and being, not just for the individual, but for the planet. 

Strawberry rhubarb crumble, hemp tabouleh, and hemp-based drinks are some of Shadi’s favorite recipes from the cookbook.  

Try this delectable recipe from the cookbook, filled with hemp and vegan goodness: