Former Beatles member, Sir Paul McCartney, has revealed that he cultivates hemp at his family’s farm in Peasmarsh, East Sussex, along with a variety of other crops.
During McCartney’s appearance on the River Cafe Table 4 podcast, he claimed that he had to keep the location of the farm secret to prevent teenagers from stealing it – presumably mistaking it for recreational, high-THC cannabis.
“We cultivate organic crops, and I enjoy doing things like spelt wheat, rye, and peas. We’re actually just getting into cultivating hemp,” he explained.
“The funny thing about government rules is that you have to keep it hidden because otherwise all the youngsters will come in and rob it!”
While hemp is a member of the cannabis family, the crop contains little to no THC – the psychoactive ingredient associated with the ‘high’ caused by cannabis consumption. In the UK, cannabis plants must not exceed a limit of 0.2% THC in order to be classified as hemp.
Hemp has been cultivated by humans for thousands of years and is believed to be one of the earliest domesticated crops. The leaves, buds, stalks, and fibre of the hemp plant can all be used for the manufacture of a wide variety of products, including textiles, cosmetics, and fuel.
The booming CBD industry has also offered a new use for hemp producers, as demand for natural remedies for improved wellness continues to rise.
While McCartney’s recent cannabis exploits are somewhat tame, the rock & roll star has had numerous run-ins with the law over cannabis possession over the years, including in Sweden, Japan, and Barbados.
However, McCartney claimed to have quit smoking cannabis back in the 2000s.
Hops that are used to brew the former Beatles member’s ale, Old Stinkhorn, are also grown at the McCartney family farm. While the ale is brewed by a local brewer, the batch sizes are kept relatively small:
“We don’t generate that much; it’s more of a personal thing,” McCartney explained.
The River Cafe Table 4 podcast involves the owner of the River Cafe, Ruth Rogers sits down with her celebrity customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories.
