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  • Presidential Candidate, Hemp Supporter, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to Present Keynote – video

    Presidential Candidate, Hemp Supporter, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to Present Keynote – video

    Special Announcement: Presidential Candidate, Hemp Supporter, Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to Present Keynote, Friday, Sept. 6, 1:30 – 2:00pm, Southern Hemp Expo, Williamson County AG Expo Park, Franklin, TN

    Rep. Gabbard Introduces Hemp For Victory Act: Legislation Vital to the Success and Modernization of Hemp through Research and Innovation to Protect our Environment

    FRANKLIN, TN (September 6, 2019) – The Southern Hemp Expo (SHE) is excited to announce that Democratic Presidential Candidate, U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard(D-HI) will present the conference’s keynote address via Skype teleconferencing on Friday, Sept. 6, 1:30 – 2:00 pm at the Williamson County AG Expo Park, Franklin, TN. Bestselling author of Hemp Bound, Doug Fine, who is also presenting during the conference, will introduce Rep. Gabbard. Attendees at SHE will be able to watch and listen to the congresswoman’s perspective on hemp as a commodity and her goal to modernize and maximize the potential for domestic hemp crops in the coming years.

    Rep. Gabbard introduced Bill #H.R. 3652,The Hemp For Victory Act, this past July to the Department of Agriculture. This legislation would provide a much-needed framework for the emerging hemp industry that protects family farmers and small businesses from the threat of a potential corporate takeover. Also, Bill #H.R. 3652 focuses on researching the benefits of hemp, while ensuring safe agricultural practices.

    “We’re very excited to have Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard deliver the keynote address and be this year’s special guest at the Southern Hemp Expo,” explains Morris Beegle, Southern Hemp Expo Producer. “We applaud the congresswoman’s support for hemp and respect her commitment for implementing effective hemp legislation to protect this growing industry.”

    Friday, September 6, 2019

    Tulsi Gabbard, (D-HI), U.S. Representative, Presidential Candidate

    Keynote address via Skype teleconference

    1:30 – 2:00 pm (EDT)

    Williamson County AG Expo Park, Franklin, TN

    About Tulsi Gabbard

    Tulsi Gabbard is a Democrat who was first elected to Congress in 2012 to serve the people of Hawaii. She is currently a member of the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Armed Services. She was deployed twice to the Middle East and was one of the first female combat veterans ever elected to Congress. She continues to serve as a Major in the Army National Guard. Tulsi Gabbard was Vice-Chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013 until she resigned in 2016 to support Bernie Sanders for his bid for President. Tulsi Gabbard announced her intention to run for President of the United States on January 11th, 2019. She does not accept campaign contributions from corporations, lobbyists or political action committees.

    EXPO Highlights 

    The second annual conference and exposition is expected to attract 5,000 attendees and is open to entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, manufacturers, producers, agriculturalists and consumers interested in products made from hemp, CBD and full spectrum hemp extract.

    This year’s SHE event features a business conference; farm symposium; and industry day with a business-to-business expo hall on Friday, September 6. The general public is then invited to attend on Saturday, September 7, with nearly 150 exhibitors, workshops and demonstrations.

    Expo attendees will receive up-to-date information about federal and state legislation and regulations, current trends in CBD and hemp supplements; the latest developments in processing, technology and innovation; certification, market research, compliance, and lab testing; breeding, genetics, seeds and clones, and more.

    Presenting Sponsor: Blühen Botanicals

    Tennessee’s Blühen Botanicals is the Presenting Sponsor of Southern Hemp Expo. Founded by a dedicated team of Knoxville, TN-based entrepreneurs, soil scientists, farmers and hemp advocates, Blühen Botanicals is a hemp biomass processing and extraction company with farming and distribution partners across the United States. With a dedicated, pharmaceutical-grade hemp research facility, Blühen works with manufacturers to produce custom formulations for its own blend of boutique wellness products such as full-spectrum hemp extract oils, soft gels, creams, and pet treats and oils. The company employs expert entomologists, plant pathologists, agronomists, chemists, and engineers. Learn more at www.bluhenbotanicals.com.

    About the Southern Hemp Expo

    The Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO, and producer ofNoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show and conference for industrial hemp. WAFBA is the founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services and the Colorado Hemp Company. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting, and advocacy. Learn more atSouthernHempExpo.com, and find us on Facebook and Twitter.

    Contact

    Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com

    Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, 970.541.0448, info@southernhempexpo.com

  • Licensed Hemp Acreage Increases 455% in 2019

    Licensed Hemp Acreage Increases 455% in 2019

    by Eric Steenstra

    Licensed hemp acreage increased 455% in 2019 vs hemp acreage under license in the U.S. in 2018, based on new research by VoteHemp.com.
    (View larger graph image)

    Everyone seems to be talking about and using hemp products these days. Hemp extracts are suddenly available almost everywhere including your local supermarket, coffee shop and gas station.  Hemp derived CBD and the benefits of the “entourage effect” from whole plant hemp extracts is driving a revolution in consumer health and it couldn’t come at a better time.  Consumers are seeking natural alternatives to help them live healthier and happier lives.  It also comes at a perfect time for the emerging hemp industry.

    The legalization of hemp farming in the Farm Bill last December was a watershed moment for the hemp industry and for American farmers.  The return of hemp to agriculture while farmers are seeking alternative crops created an intense level of interest in farming hemp and inspired literally thousands to enter the industry as evidenced by a massive increase in licensed hemp growers for the 2019 growing season.  The Farm Bill also inspired thousands of new hemp processors and brands to enter the market.

    Vote Hemp has been conducting an annual survey of state departments of agriculture since 2016 to track the growth of hemp cultivation in the United States.  This year we are releasing a hemp licensing report first to document intent and will follow up with hemp planting and harvesting data once it has been reported.  The results on licensing show more than 500,000 acres of hemp were licensed across 34 states, an increase of more than 455% over 2018 licensed acreage.  Intent is a good indicator but we know from previous years that significantly less hemp is planted than what is licensed due to a variety of factors including access to seed and/or clones as well as inexperience.  This will be the case again for 2019 and we estimate that 230,000 acres of hemp will actually be planted and significantly less harvested due crop failure.

    Another important statistic is the growth in the number of farms that were licensed to grow hemp in 2019.  Almost 17,000 licenses were issued for hemp cultivation in 2019, an increase of 477% over 2018 licensure.  A significant amount of this activity is coming from new farmers which is good news for agriculture.  In Tennessee alone, licensees increased by more than 1000% and many of them are small family farms.  The number of family farms in the United States has been in steep decline for decades.  Today, there are only about 2 million American farms in operation, down from nearly 7 million farms in 1935 and farmers are finding it ever more difficult to make a profit with traditional crops like corn, soy and wheat.  Hemp is helping farmers to find new and more profitable markets and is encouraging new people to consider farming as a way of life.

    However, hemp is not yet a commodity and while demand for biomass has been high, it is not yet clear what the total market demand will be for 2019 and 2020.  Due to this uncertainty, I strongly recommend that farmers only grow hemp with a contract to sell it in hand and carefully vet their partners.  It is also advisable to start with a small crop the first year as there is a significant learning curve.  Bottom line, don’t grow more than you can afford to lose.

    While farming alone contributed $132.8 billion to the US economy, the industry’s reach extends far beyond the soil. From the ethanol gas you recently pumped into your car to the IPA calling your name at the bar, countless products and industries rely on agricultural inputs to contribute value to the economy.  Projections from the Hemp Business Journal show that hemp is likely to add at least $2.5 billion to agricultural output by 2022 and likely will continue growing at a fast pace for at least the next 5-10 years as demand grows for fiber and grain.  The future is bright but there will be speed bumps along the road so drive carefully!

    To learn more about the growing hemp industry, download our hemp licensing report.  If you are looking for more in depth background on the best states for hemp cultivation, you may also be interested in the upcoming Hemp States Report I helped write for the Hemp Business Journal which should be released very soon.

    ERIC STEENSTRA
    PRESIDENT, VOTE HEMP

    Eric Steenstra is a hemp industry pioneer, co-founding hemp clothing and lifestyle brand Ecolution with Steve DeAngelo in 1992.  Eric was a founding member of the Hemp Industries Association and served as HIA Executive Director from 2008 to 2016.  Eric now serves as the president of Vote Hemp, the political advocacy organization that he co-founded and as Vice President of the California Hemp Council. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and trusted source to the media, including CBS, the New York Times, Forbes, CNN, Rolling Stone, Reuters and the Washington Post.

    Vote Hemp lead the effort to pass hemp farming legislation nationwide.  In 2005, Steenstra worked with Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX) to draft the first modern U.S. hemp legislation introduced in Congress (H.R. 3037). In 2012 he worked with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) to get companion hemp legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate. Steenstra worked with Congressman Polis (D-CO) and Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) to have hemp legislation included in the 2014 Farm Bill.  The 2014 Farm Bill authorized the first legal hemp farming in over 50 years and resulted in 78,176 acres of hemp being planted across 24 states in 2018. Vote Hemp also played an integral role in the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill including fully removing hemp from the Controlled Substances Act.

  • Southern Hemp Expo Tickets Selling Fast

    Southern Hemp Expo Tickets Selling Fast

     

    Jack Herer Golf Tournament – Hemp Harvest Party and More!

    Let’s Talk Hemp at the Southern Hemp Expo! Hemp Products – Education – Farm & Ag Equipment – Business – Entertainment and More! Avoid a Sell Out & Purchase Tickets Today!

    Friday, Oct 4th, 2019
    Tee off 9:00 AM

    8:00 PM – Cocktails & Silent Auction

    Recently we lost a dear friend of the hemp family and we are deeply saddened for the loss of Green Spring Technologies founder Mark Linday who passed away August 15, 2019. Mark was the first ever winner of the HIA Innovation Award in 2016 for his 3D hemp printing innovations, including the coveted hemp pen which was used by Senate Majority Leader to finalize the 2018 Farm Bill. He made numerous Silver Mountain Hemp Guitar picks, NoCo Hemp Expo commemorative treasure boxes, coasters and so much more. Rock on Mark, you will be missed.

  • Athletic Appeal – Former Professional Athletes Passionate About the Hemp/CBD Business

    Athletic Appeal – Former Professional Athletes Passionate About the Hemp/CBD Business

    Hear two-time Funny Car World Champion turned hemp farmer Matt Hagan, NFL veteran and CBD advocate Kyle Turley, and former NHL player Riley Cote, CBD entrepreneur and co-founder of Athletes for Care, speak at the 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo, September 6-7, 2019, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN.

    By Steven Hoffman

    Professional athletes know how to take a lickin’ and keep on tickin.’ However, after years in the sports world, athletes are increasingly turning to full spectrum hemp extract and CBD to help provide relief for stress and for injuries accumulated over a career or a lifetime of impact athletics.

    Three such former professional athletes were so impressed with results garnered from full spectrum hemp extract that they got into the business – one, two-time Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan, as a hemp farmer; another, Kyle Turley, is a former NFL player who says CBD saved is life; and the third, former NHL player Riley Cote, is a hemp advocate and educator and also a marketer of CBD products to athletes, weekend warriors and the general public. Matt, Kyle and Riley will be featured speakers at the upcoming Southern Hemp Expo September 6-7, 2019, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN.

    From Left: Two-Time Funny Car World Champion turned hemp farmer Matt Hagan; NFL Veteran and CBD advocate Kyle Turley; and former NHL player turned hemp educator and CBD entrepreneur Riley Cote. Photos: Matt Hagan: Matt Hagan/Twitter; Kyle Turley: NeuroXPF.com; Riley Cote: Athletes for Care.

     

    Matt Hagan – Funny CarWorld Champion Turned Organic Hemp Farmer

    Recognized as a top competitor in the world of Funny Car drag racing, Matt Hagan is also a beef cattle farmer. When the 2018 Farm Bill passed, he immediately started planning to plant 140,000 plants on 90 acres, making his TruHarvest Farms one of the largest hemp farms in Virginia. “Every day I feel better about it,” Hagan told his local TV station, WFXR, at the beginning of the planting season. “The first couple of days starting this up I was ready to puke, ‘cause it’s just the unknown, the fear of the unknown.” However, Hagan added, “We’ve picked up over 20 people to work this farm for this year and that alone is driving revenue back into our country and into our state.” Hagan plans to sell his organically produced hemp plants to create CBD and strives to break the stigma around hemp. In the future, he hopes to open his farm to educate people on the uses of hemp and its differences from marijuana.

    Riley Cote – From NHL Enforcer to CBD Educator and Entrepreneur

    Riley Cote is a former professional left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL). He spent four seasons (2006-2010) with the Philadelphia Flyers where he was renowned for his role as an enforcer. Upon retiring from the NHL, Cote founded the Hemp Heals Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting hemp as a viable renewable resource that can help increase the quality lives of all people. Cote also sits on the Pennsylvania Hemp Industries Council (PAHIC) board.  As a co-founder of Athletes For Care and one of its NHL League Ambassadors, Cote continues to pursue his passion to help athletes discover safe, non-toxic ways to find relief, manage pain and achieve a better understanding of self-healing. Riley recently launched BodyChek Wellness, a line of full spectrum hemp extract-based products with a mission to optimize everyday performance and challenge individuals to rethink the healing process. The BodyChek Wellness line reinforces Cote’s passion to help individuals discover safe nontoxic methods for pain management and self-healing.

    Kyle Turley – After 100+ Concussions in the NFL, CBD Saved His Life

    Diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) due to the 100-plus concussions he received during the 10 years he played as an NFL offensive lineman, Kyle Turley struggled with pharmaceutical addiction, violent thoughts, and suicidal tendencies — until he started taking medical marijuana. “It saved my life,” he says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today, I would not have my family, my kids, my house, everything I have right now, if not for cannabis.” To help save other lives, Turley founded the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition to use his story and those of other players to advance the idea of marijuana as a valid medicine for neurological conditions and other athletic injuries. “This plant has to be set free,” he says. “We have people committing suicide in football and other sports. How far do we have to go?” Knowing the value of the plant and the hurdles that the government and big pharma has placed on marijuana, Kyle has created Neuro XPF, a lab tested, federal guideline compliant, THC-Free, CBD (Hemp derived) cannabis supplement focused on bioavailability. CBD (cannabidiol) has shown in studies to have neuro-protective and antioxidative properties that could address a myriad of maladies facing our military and NFL veterans while supporting the general health and wellbeing of all aged athletes, says Turley.

    # # #

    Steven Hoffman is Managing Director of Compass Natural, providing brand marketing, PR, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic, sustainable and hemp/CBD products businesses. Compass Natural serves in PR and programming for NoCo Hemp Expo and  Southern Hemp Expo, and Hoffman serves as Editor of the weekly Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter, published by We are for Better Alternatives. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

  • USDA: National THC Testing Standard for Hemp Remains a Challenge

    USDA: National THC Testing Standard for Hemp Remains a Challenge

    August 22, 2019

    USDA: National THC Testing Standard for Hemp Remains a Challenge

    By Hemp Industry Daily

    Federal agriculture authorities are struggling to craft a nationwide THC testing standard so that state and local regulators can tell hemp from marijuana, complicating the release of standardized production rules, according to an official with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    William Richmond, head of the Specialty Crops Program in the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service, told a group of dietary-supplement and CBD business owners (at the American Herbal Products Association’s Hemp-CBD Congress in Denver) last week the agency hoped to have hemp rules prepared by now.

    But he said that the USDA is grappling with the Farm Bill‘s requirement for a national THC testing protocol “using post-decarboxylation or other similarly reliable methods.”

    “We need to have testing procedures in place,” he said. Coming up with reliable testing methods, he added, is “as complicated as you think it is.”

    Speaking at the American Herbal Products Association’s Hemp-CBD Congress in Denver on August 16, USDA crops specialist William Richmond shared that the agency is working hard on hemp policy, but that testing protocol for THC is “as complicated as you think it is.”

     

    News Briefs

    Gov. Polis Outlines Colorado’s Hemp Strategy
    by Westword

    Credit Unions Can Provide Banking to Hemp Businesses
    by Marijuana Moment

    Hemp: The Fabric of Fashion’s Future
    by Hypebeast

    Hemp Plastics Innovator Mark Linday Passes Away
    by Hemp Today

    Headline News

    2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo to Feature Business Conference, Farm Symposium
    by Colorado Hemp Company

    Southern Hemp Expo Producer Morris Beegle Featured on Thinking Outside the Bud Podcast
    by Thinking Outside the Bud

    Organic CBD Makers RE: Botanicals and Palmetto Harmony to Merge
    by Hemp Industry Daily

    Hemp Company Featured as Presenting Sponsor at 2019 Kentucky State Fair
    by WFPL News Louisville

    Doane University Offers Online Course to Train Hemp Industry Workforce
    by Lincoln Journal Star

    How CBD Can Help with Menopause
    by The Chicago Tribune

    National Black Farmers Association Founder Grows Hemp to Combat Trade War
    by The Columbian

    Michigan Creates Standards for Hemp Testing
    by The Washington Times

    Hemp Legalization Leads to Hundreds of Derailed Marijuana Cases
    by NBC News

    Hemp Extractor Thar Processing Expands Operation in Pueblo, CO
    by The Pueblo Chieftan

    Florida A&M University to Conduct Hemp Research
    by The Tallahassee Democrat

    Hemp Plants Proposed to Clean Excess Nitrogen, Phosphorous from Water
    by Lake Okeechobee News

    Oregon Hail Damage Drives Need for Hemp Crop Insurance
    by Hemp Industry Daily

    FDA Official Slams Government for Blocking CBD Research
    by Marijuana Moment

    Upcoming Events

     

     

    An Interview with Dr. Jan Roberts:
    From the China International Hemp Industry Forum in Harbin, China

    Join Morris Beegle and Rick Trojan for a brand new episode of the Let’s Talk Hemp Podcast, featuring Dr. Jan Roberts to discuss the endocannabinoid system in the human body, cannabis dosing issues, and the pros and cons of regulating the cannabis industry. Dr. Jan Roberts is a host on the New Hemp Times podcast, CEO and co-founder of the International Research Center on Cannabis and Mental Health (IRCCMH), and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

    About Let’s Talk Hemp

    Let’s Talk Hemp is a publication of Colorado Hemp Company (a division of We Are For Better Alternatives) focused specifically on the subject of industrial hemp and cannabis. We present features and curate news from across the globe to share the benefits of cannabis on health, energy, manufacturing and planet (H.E.M.P.). Colorado Hemp Company also is the Producer of NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, the nation’s leading hemp conferences and expositions.

    Publisher: Morris Beegle, Elizabeth Knight
    Editor: Steven Hoffman
    Web Developer: Debby West
    Design: Allen Haeger
    Circulation: Evan Tompros
    Let’s Talk Hemp Podcast: Rick Trojan, Morris Beegle

    Send Us Your Hemp News!
    Send press releases and news announcements to news@letstalkhemp.com

  • Tennessee Hemp Innovator Blühen Botanicals Leads All-star Sponsor Line-up for the 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo

    Tennessee Hemp Innovator Blühen Botanicals Leads All-star Sponsor Line-up for the 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo

    Tickets on Sale Now for Largest Hemp Industry Gathering in the Eastern U.S.,

    Sept. 6 – 7, 2019, 10 am – 6 pm, at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN

     

    FRANKLIN, TN (August 21, 2019) – Organizers for the Southern Hemp Expo (SHE) are gearing up in welcoming more than 5,000 hemp industry experts and enthusiasts to Tennessee, an epicenter for the exploding hemp market, this September 6 – 7 at the Williamson County AG Expo Park in Franklin, TN. As the hemp industry continues to grow exponentially, SHE is looking forward to returning to the great state of Tennessee for the second year in a row focusing on the economic impact and innovation in the marketplace for all things hemp.

    The two-day conference and exposition is open to entrepreneurs, business leaders, investors, manufacturers, producers, agriculturalists and consumers interested in products made from hemp, CBD and full spectrum hemp extract. This year’s SHE event features a business conference; farm symposium; and industry day with a business-to-business expo hall on Friday, September 6. The general public is then invited to attend on Saturday, September 7, with nearly 150 exhibitors, workshops and demonstrations.

    Among the speaker line-up, SHE is pleased to announce that two-time NHRA Funny Car World Champion turned hemp farmer, Matt Hagan, will take the stage for a keynote address on Saturday during the conference. Expo attendees will receive up-to-date information about federal and state legislation and regulations, current trends in CBD and hemp supplements; the latest developments in processing, technology and innovation; certification, market research, compliance and lab testing; breeding, genetics, seeds and clones, and more.

    Presenting Sponsor Blühen Botanicals

    Tennessee’s Blühen Botanicals will be featured as the Presenting Sponsor of Southern Hemp Expo. Founded by a dedicated team of Knoxville, TN-based entrepreneurs, soil scientists, farmers and hemp advocates, Blühen Botanicals is a hemp biomass processing and extraction company with farming and distribution partners across the United States. With a dedicated, pharmaceutical grade hemp research facility, Blühen works with manufacturers to produce custom formulations for its own blend of boutique wellness products such as full spectrum hemp extract oils, softgels, creams, and pet treats and oils. The company employs expert entomologists, plant pathologists, agronomists, chemists, and engineers. Learn more at www.bluhenbotanicals.com.

    Hemp’s Economic Impact

    “The excitement and momentum around hemp has amplified eleven-fold since the end of 2018, and the volume is only getting louder. People from all industries and all walks of life are showing interest and curiosity about the opportunities and benefits of this plant,” explains Morris Beegle, Producer of Southern Hemp Expo.

    Hemp-derived CBD sales alone increased 57% in 2018 over the previous year, according to Nutrition Business Journal, with sales reaching $238 million. Additionally, according to data gathered by advocacy group votehemp.com, hemp acreage under license across the U.S. increased nearly five-fold in the past year from 112,000 acres reported in 2018 to 480,000 acres reported in 2019. Eric Steenstra, President of votehemp.com, notes that the states of Kentucky and Tennessee are among the top five hemp-producing states in the U.S., and the state of Tennessee also has the highest number of applicants, indicating a strong level of interest in hemp production among small scale and family farms. Steenstra says that a full report on the growth of hemp acreage and other key agricultural data will be available at the Southern Hemp Expo.

    Other Lead Sponsors

    • GenCanna: Founded by industry pioneers who champion the world’s leading hemp genetics, cannabidiol (CBD) formulations, and groundbreaking legislation, GenCanna™ on scaling premium agricultural hemp production for food products to promote easy availability locally, nationally, and globally. GenCanna’s mission is to deliver wellness and quality of life to the world by helping farmers farm.
    • Hoban Law Firm: Hoban Law Group is one of the nation’s premier cannabis business law firms, serving clients with medical and adult use marijuana businesses as well as those operating in the industrial hemp sector. Hoban’s attorneys are actively engaged in legal and professional organizations around the world and are regularly featured speakers at all major cannabis industry conferences in the U.S. and abroad.
    • LabCanna: LabCanna is proud to call Franklin, TN home where they officially started in January of 2016 after Co-Founders, Joshua Camp and Ian Leadon decided to take part in Tennessee’s Industrial Hemp Research Program. In April of 2016, LabCanna was awarded the first ever Hemp Processing License by the State of Tennessee. LabCanna was also among the first to receive a hemp growers’ license in Tennessee, which was immediately put to use on their farm in Franklin, TN.
    • Restorative Botanicals: Boulder County, CO-based Restorative Botanicals, founded in 2015, offers a wide portfolio of full-spectrum hemp oil blends, foods, softgels and topical products made in a CDPHE-licensed, FDA-registered food manufacturing facility from certified organic and registered Colorado hemp. Restorative Botanicals oils are extracted using a solvent-free, low-temperature CO2 process that preserves the plant’s broad spectrum of beneficial compounds and optimizes its naturally occurring cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, antioxidants and phytonutrients.
    • Extract Labs: Combat veteran, Craig Henderson, started Extract Lab company out of his garage in 2016 after serving in the U.S. Army. He earned a Master’s of Engineering from the University of Louisville, in Kentucky and gained industry experience while working as a salesperson and expert instructor in supercritical CO2 extraction. In just two years, Extract Labs has grown exponentially in its Colorado headquarters and has recently added a second lab in Louisville, KY.
    • HGH Seed: Longmont, CO-based HGH Seed, a hemp genetics company, will be sponsoring the After Party to benefit the Jack Herer Foundation on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 8 pm – midnight. Committed to farming superior quality and consistent strains of hemp flower, HGH Seed Inc. aims to reinvigorate agriculture, foster new economic opportunity, and promote environmental sustainability.

    For a complete list of sponsors, please visit: https://southernhempexpo.com/sponsors/

    Tickets and Press Passes Available Now

    Avoid the lines and preregister before SHE sells out! Tickets are on sale and available now for purchase: www.southernhempexpo.com. For press passes, please contact Evan Tompros at Compass Natural Marketing at evan@compassnatural.com.

    About the Southern Hemp Expo

    The Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO, and producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show and conference for industrial hemp. WAFBA is founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services and the Colorado Hemp Company. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. Learn more at SouthernHempExpo.com, and find us on Facebook and Twitter.

    Contact

    Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com

    Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, 970.541.0448, info@southernhempexpo.com

  • We are the CHAMPions

    We are the CHAMPions

    We are the CHAMPions

    A New Public Private Partnership, the Colorado Hemp Advancement & Management Plan (CHAMP), Is Set to Strengthen the State’s Leadership Position in Hemp

    By Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural

    With the passage in 2012 of marijuana legalization in Colorado, the hemp industry also got an early start in the state, and Colorado is now considered one of the country’s epicenters of hemp agriculture, manufacturing and production. To further that leadership position, Governor Jared Polis has created a unique new public-private initiative, the Colorado Hemp Advancement & Management Plan (CHAMP). His priority in establishing the CHAMP initiative is for “Colorado to remain an innovating force in the promotion of this high-value agricultural commodity,” says the CHAMP website.

    Led by Betsy Markey, former Representative to U.S. Congress and current cabinet member of the Polis administration and Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, along with Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture Kate Greenberg, CHAMP is a year-long statewide initiative that brings together state, local and tribal agencies, as well as industry experts in cultivation, testing, research, processing, finance, economics and marketing.

    Read the full article here.

    News Briefs

    NHRA’s Funny Car World Champion to Present Keynote Address at 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo
    by Colorado Hemp Company

    CBD is More Popular Online than Kim Kardashian and Beyonce
    by Maxim

    USDA: Hemp Acreage Quadrupled in
    the Past Year
    by Quartz

    CBD-infused Snack & Beverage Maker Weller Closes on $3 Million Investment Round
    by BevNet

    Headline News

    Former FDA Head Says CBD in Food, Supplements is Illegal
    by CNBC

    2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo to Feature Business Conference, Ag Symposium
    by Colorado Hemp Company

    Gallup Poll: 1 in 7 Americans Use CBD Products
    by USA Today

    New York Times: CBD Ads Are Everywhere; Oversight is Not
    by the New York Times

    Food and Beverage Execs Cross Over to Cannabis
    by Food Dive

    Chinese Tariffs Have Minimal Effect on Hemp Industry
    by Hemp Industry Daily

    Cornell University Seed Bank Could Bring New Hemp Cultivars within Five Years
    by Hemp Today

    Webinar Charts Path Ahead for CBD Dietary Supplements, August 22
    by Nutra-Ingredients USA

    Hemp Farmers Struggle with Rejection from Banks, Social Media Ads
    by WRVO Public Media

    New Jersey, the Garden State, Greenlights Hemp Farming
    by NJ.com

    CBD Oil Popular for Helping Calm Anxiety
    by BBC News

  • NHRA’s Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan to Present Keynote Address at Second Annual Southern Hemp Expo in Franklin, Tennessee

    NHRA’s Funny Car World Champion Matt Hagan to Present Keynote Address at Second Annual Southern Hemp Expo in Franklin, Tennessee

    Photo: Matt Hagan, 2-Time Funny Car World Champion. Photo Credit: Twitter/Matt Hagan

    Tickets On Sale Now to Hear Industry Experts, Farmers, Exhibitors, Innovative Brands & Investors Discuss the Economic Power of Hemp

     FRANKLIN, TN (August 14, 2019) – Two-time Funny Car World Champion turned hemp farmer, Matt Hagan, will take the stage for a keynote address at the 2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo (SHE) at the Williamson County Ag Expo Park in Franklin, TN, on Sept. 6-7, 2019. Hagan, who is scheduled to speak on Saturday, September 7th during the Expo, will share a personal account on how he combines his two passions – from the race track to the field.

    Hagan will join more than 60 experts and leaders in the hemp industry and will speak on the “Let’s Talk Hemp” stage during the Expo – a gathering that unites more than 5,000 industry experts, innovative brands, farmers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. The SHE event is a robust and program-rich show specifically designed for the rapidly growing industrial, nutritional and therapeutic hemp industry.

    Speaker Highlights

    • Bob Hoban, Hoban Law Group: Bob Hoban is the President and Founder of Hoban Law Group, the nation’s premier full service ‘cannabusiness’ law firm, with offices in 13 states across the country. Through Bob’s legal counsel and policy efforts, he has won landmark cases that have ultimately shaped the creation and growth of the CBD industry.
    • Janel Ralph, Palmetto Harmony: Janel has been a parent advocate for CBD and hemp-based products after her youngest daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that was untreatable by modern medicine. Janel is the founder and CEO of Palmetto Synergistic Research, the CEO of Palmetto Harmony and the Executive Director of Compassionate South Carolina, plus a founder of American Hemp Seed.
    • Matt Hagan, Two-Time World Champion Funny Car Driver & Hemp Farmer: Race car driver, outdoorsman entrepreneur, and now hemp-farmer, Matt Hagan operates a 100-acre plot of cannabis near his 2,000 acre cattle farm in rural Virginia. Hagan who has been racing cars for almost half his life is trying his green thumb in raising hemp.
    • Colleen Keahey Lanier, Hemp Industries Association: Colleen was instrumental in coordinating the first state chapter of the Hemp Industries Association in Tennessee in 2013. In 2017, she relocated to Arizona and now serves as the Executive Director of the Hemp Industries Association.
    • Dani Billings, Nature’s Root & Colorado Hemp Project: Dani has been sharing her business expertise and farming experiences since 2014, the year she started Nature’s Root, an all organic, hemp-based body care company that specializes in therapeutics and nutritional food. In addition, Nature’s Root is the first hemp-based spa in the world.
    • Doug Fine, Author & Hemp Farmer: Doug is a nationally known cannabis activist and advocate, regenerative hemp farmer, researcher and bestselling author of HempBound. In addition, Doug is an award-winning culture and climate correspondent and regular on National Public Radio.
    • Franny Tacy, Franny’s Farm: As the first female hemp farmer in North Carolina, Franny Tacy has created a “Hempire” and has been featured in Entrepreneur Magazine, CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and more! Franny tells her story from seed to shelf and is a sought after national speaker and panelist.
    • Sean Murphy, Hemp Business Journal & New Frontier Data: Sean is the Founder and Publisher of the Hemp Business Journal, the hemp industry’s premier publication of big data and market intelligence.

    This year’s Southern Hemp Expo features a business conference; farm symposium; and industry day with a business-to-business expo hall on Friday, September 6. The general public is then invited to attend on Saturday, September 7, with nearly 150 exhibitors, workshops and demonstrations. Attendees will receive up-to-date information about federal and state legislation and regulations, current trends in CBD and hemp supplements; the latest developments in processing, technology and innovation; certification, market research, compliance and lab testing; breeding, genetics, seeds and clones, and more.

    “The Southern Hemp Expo is a unique gathering on a national scale that unites business leaders, entrepreneurs and consumers with experts who share common ground for the burgeoning hemp industry,” explains Colorado Hemp Company co-founder Morris Beegle, producer of NoCo Hemp and SHE. “The addition of race car champion Matt Hagan adds additional diversity and proves the popularity of hemp-derived products will only continue to grow across the country. SHE provides an excellent access point for emerging businesses looking to break into the hemp world – from farming to manufacturing.”

    Sponsors at Southern Hemp Expo (SHE)

    SHE sponsors include Presenting Sponsor Blühen Botanicals, a leading producer of premium hemp extracts based in Knoxville, TN. Other Sponsors include GenCanna, LabCanna, Restorative Botanicals, Extract Labs, ProVerde Laboratories, Myco Sativa, Key to Life and more.

    Tickets and Press Passes Available Now

    Tickets are on sale and available now for purchase: www.southernhempexpo.com. For press passes, please contact Evan Tompros at Compass Natural Marketing at evan@compassnatural.com.

    About the Southern Hemp Expo

    The Southern Hemp Expo is produced by the Colorado Hemp Company, a division of WAFBA LLC (We Are For Better Alternatives), based in Loveland, CO, and producer of NoCo Hemp Expo, the world’s largest and most comprehensive trade show and conference for industrial hemp. WAFBA is founder of TreeFreeHemp paper and printing services and the Colorado Hemp Company. Areas of focus include product and brand development, event production, consulting and advocacy. Learn more at SouthernHempExpo.com, and find us on Facebook and Twitter.

    Contact

    Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, 303.807.1042, steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com

    Morris Beegle, Colorado Hemp Company, 970.541.0448, info@southernhempexpo.com

    # # #

  • We Are Growing Native American Farmers… and Hemp

    We Are Growing Native American Farmers… and Hemp

    August 8, 2019

     

    We Are Growing Native American Farmers…
    and Hemp

    By Winona LaDuke

    Winona’s Hemp & Heritage Farm is growing. The winter seemed endless for us here in Northern Minnesota, temperatures ranged far, and the storms were brutal. We are grateful for the warmth of this time.

    Spring has passed, it’s summer now, and the crops are in. More are coming. Cannabis, or hemp, is one of many crops we grow here, to produce cordage, and soon textiles.

    This year, we are growing fifty female CBD plants, all to offer food, textiles and health products. We also grow corn, beans, squash, potatoes, tobacco and a host of garden vegetables. We are interested in growing food for future generations – Indigenous foods, biodiverse foods, and foods in a time of climate change.

    We learn from our work. That’s to say, we’ve grown traditional crop varieties for almost twenty years. As a young woman, my father, Sun Bear, or Vincent LaDuke, told me that he did not want to hear my philosophy if I could not grow corn.


    Harvard-educated economist, tribal leader, water protector, and former U.S. Vice Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke, through her work with Winona’s Hemp & Heritage Farm and the nonprofits Honor the Earth and Anishinaabe Agriculture Institute, is dedicated to advancing regenerative agriculture and a sustainable hemp economy among Native American communities in the U.S. WinonasHemp.com.


    News Briefs

    2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo to Feature Business Conference, Ag Symposium
    by Colorado Hemp Company

    Presidential Candidate Tulsi Gabbard Introduces 2019 Hemp for Victory Act
    by Tulsi Gabbard

    Rodale Releases Preliminary Results of Four-year Hemp Research Trial
    by Rodale Institute

    CBD-infused Snack & Beverage Maker Weller Closes on $3 Million Investment Round
    by BevNet

     

    Headline News

    Cronos Group Buys Maker of CBD Brand Lord Jones for USD $300 Million
    by New Cannabis Ventures

    Hemp Textiles in the U.S. Will Take Time, Say Experts
    by UPI

    Hemp Becomes Booming Crop for New York Farmers
    by Wall Street Journal

    KOTA TV Features Native American Hemp Farmer Alex White Plume
    by KOTA TV

    CBD Products Available for Sale Again at Thrive Market
    by Thrive Market

    Ex-Kellogg President: CBD Will Be “Widely Available” in Consumer Products
    by Yahoo Finance

    Monoculture Hemp a Recipe for Ecological Disaster
    by Hemp Industry Daily

    Hemp Processing in Kentucky Sees Flurry of Investment
    by Hemp Today

    British Farmers Prohibited from Growing Hemp for CBD Flowers
    by Hemp Industry Daily

    Credit Card Processor Canna Group Named One of 50 Best Companies to Watch
    by Access Wire

    Hemp Farmer Opts for Straw Over Plastic Mulch for His Plants
    by Oregon Mail Tribune

    First Look Inside One of 10 Farms Licensed to Grow Hemp in Nebraska
    by ABC KETV Omaha

    An Interview with Dr. Jan Roberts:
    From the China International Hemp Industry Forum in Harbin, China    Join Morris Beegle and Rick Trojan for a brand new episode of the Let’s Talk Hemp Podcast, featuring Dr. Jan Roberts to discuss the endocannabinoid system in the human body, cannabis dosing issues, and the pros and cons of regulating the cannabis industry. Dr. Jan Roberts is a host on the New Hemp Times podcast, CEO and co-founder of the International Research Center on Cannabis and Mental Health (IRCCMH), and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

    Send Us Your Hemp News!
    Send press releases and news announcements to news@letstalkhemp.com

  • 28 Dr. Jan Roberts – Pha-China

    28 Dr. Jan Roberts – Pha-China

    In this joint podcast with the New Hemp Times, Rick is joined by Dr. Jan Roberts to discuss the endocannabinoid system in the human body, cannabis dosing issues, and the pros and cons of regulating the cannabis industry.

    Dr. Jan Roberts is a host on the New Hemp Times podcast, CEO and co-founder of the International Research Center on Cannabis and Mental Health (IRCCMH), and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

    This episode was recorded at the China International Hemp Industry Forum in Harbin, China.

    You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave us a Rating and Review!

     

    Let's Talk Hemp on Apple Podcsts

    “Do epic shit. Don’t half-ass it. And if you fail, there’s no failure because you learn. If you learn, you’re winning.” – Rick Trojan

    Show Notes:

    • Why dosing is important for medical cannabis users
    • How Rick got into the cannabis space
    • Why more doctors need to know about the endocannabinoid system
    • Why natural cannabinoids are better than synthetic cannabinoids
    • How cannabis has transformed Rick’s life
    • Whether or not cannabis products should be regulated by the FDA

    “Everything that shines isn’t silver and everything that stinks isn’t shit.” – Jan’s grandmother

    Links Mentioned:

    Facebook | Jan Roberts, LCSW

  • Patchwork Legislation

    Patchwork Legislation

    Until FDA Issues Guidelines, Hemp-derived CBD Industry Forced to Navigate Shifting Federal, State and Local Regulatory Environments

    By Jane Wilson, Director of Program Development, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)

    As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sifts through the almost 4,500 comments it received during the recent public comment period requesting input on “Scientific Data and Information on Products Containing Cannabis or Cannabis-derived Compounds,” the hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) supplement industry remains focused on demonstrating that hemp CBD supplements can be used by consumers with the same confidence with which they purchase and use other supplement products to support their health and fitness. If the May 31, 2019, FDA public hearing on this same topic was any indication, many of the hemp industry’s leading companies, as well as the several national trade associations and advocacy groups that represent the hemp industry, submitted comments urging FDA to take prompt action to provide a critically needed regulatory pathway for these products.

    While FDA contemplates the possibility of such action, numerous states and local jurisdictions are enacting legislation related to the manufacturing and marketing of dietary supplements and foods containing hemp-derived CBD. Some of these laws allow for the manufacture, marketing, and consumer use of hemp-derived CBD products, while others appear to restrict or prevent further sales to consumers. Regardless of the intent, this type of legislation is creating a confusing patchwork of conflicting or inconsistent regulations across states and localities.

    States and local jurisdictions appear to be creating their own laws for hemp- or CBD-containing products due either to a perceived absence of federal regulations that pertain to these products or unfamiliarity with the existing federal regulatory frameworks for supplements and foods and how they can be applied to these products.

    What makes this situation so challenging? Currently, FDA’s position is that CBD is not a legal ingredient that can be used in dietary supplements and foods because it was first approved for investigation as a drug product. The current law for dietary supplements does not allow a compound to be a dietary ingredient or to be added to food, if it was first investigated or approved for use as a drug, unless the FDA issues a regulation that allows for that to happen. While the FDA does have the ability to take this acti

    n for CBD under the dietary supplement and food laws, the Agency has never used this part of the law before in the 25 years the dietary supplement rule has been in place.

    FDA has taken several encouraging actions since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill in December 2018, which marked the legalization of hemp cultivation and its removal from the Controlled Substances Act. The Agency has created an internal task force of high-level leaders to assess regulatory options, issued public communications, and conducted the May 31, 2019, public hearing and comment period, which concluded July 16, 2019. With public testimony and almost 4,500 comments submitted to the docket, FDA recently signaled they intend to expedite development of regulations for CBD and will provide an update on their progress in late summer or early fall.

    In the interim, hemp-derived CBD manufacturers are taking advantage of the self-regulatory mechanisms available to them, including certification programs that provide independent verification of the authenticity and quality of their hemp products and inspection of production facilities for compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMPs). Some are seeking organic certification for their hemp crops. These activities help the operators who are already in compliance with dietary supplement regulations differentiate their products to consumers in the crowded marketplace for hemp-CBD supplements.

    If you want to learn more about what’s going on in the hemp-derived CBD supplements industry, make plans to attend the American Herbal Products Association’s inaugural Hemp and CBD Supplement Congress taking place in Denver, CO, on August 15-16, 2019. The event combines the opportunity for technical workshops on applying GMPs and new dietary ingredient notifications (NDINs) to the hemp-derived CBD industry with a full day plenary that will explore the financial, supply chain, legislative and regulatory topics pertinent to this fast-growing segment of the supplement industry. More information is available here.

    AHPA also provides several free resources for the growing hemp-derived CBD industry.

    Note: Colorado Hemp Company, publisher of Let’s Talk Hemp and producer of the NoCo Hemp Expo and Southern Hemp Expo, is a supporting sponsor of the upcoming AHPA Hemp-CBD Congress in Denver, CO.

    Jane Wilson is the Director of Program Development at the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA), the national trade association for the herbal products industry. She serves as the staff liaison to AHPA’s Cannabis Committee and supports other AHPA services and activities related to the hemp and cannabis industries. Visit www.AHPA.org.

     

     

  • 500 Farmers, Enthusiasts Attend 4th Annual Hemp on the Slope

    500 Farmers, Enthusiasts Attend 4th Annual Hemp on the Slope

    By Heather Collins

    PHOTO: Hemp on the Slope, held on July 20 in Collbran, CO, drew 500 farmers, producers, manufacturers, advocates and others to Colorado’s Western Slope for a day of education, networking and information exchange as Colorado and the Western U.S. position as leaders in industrial hemp production.

    The rural town of Collbran, Colorado, located at the base of the Grand Mesa on the Western Slope, was alive on Saturday, July 20, 2019, in part due to the Hemp on the Slope summit that took place at beautiful Salt Creek Ranch.

    The Colorado Hemp Company, Salt Creek Hemp Co,  and Colorado Hemp Project hosted this educational hemp-centric event, which attracted nearly 500 attendees including experienced hemp farmers and some growers that are new to the industry. Lively discussions were held, including informative question and answer sessions focused on farming industrial hemp for food, fuel, fiber, animal nutrition, building materials, and many other uses of non-psychoactive cannabis.

    This year’s Hemp on the Slope featured more than 25 exhibitors that ranged from farm equipment processing demonstrations, to skin care to soil. There were many community advocates on hand to discuss the benefits of hemp production and answer concerns regarding FDA and USDA regulations. In addition, industry leading speakers discussed the economic impact hemp production will have on local economies and its rapid growth as a top commodity for Colorado and beyond.

    Next year’s Hemp on the Slope is already underway with plans for it to expand to Grand Junction. If you’re interested in attending more seminars and events like Hemp on the Slope, be sure to check out the  2nd Annual Southern Hemp Expo on Sept. 6 – 7, 2019 in Franklin, TN. Join in on the fun and visit with more than 5,000 farmers, entrepreneurs, investors, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers during this year’s Expo, which will be a program-rich conference, exhibition and trade show structured specifically for the rapidly growing industrial, nutritional, and therapeutic hemp industries. Attendees will receive up-to-date information about federal and state legislation and regulations, current trends in CBD and hemp supplements; the latest developments in processing, technology and innovation; certification, compliance and lab testing; and breeding, genetics, seeds and clones, and more.

    *Save the Date* for NOCO Hemp Expo, March 28 – 31, 2020 in Denver.

    Photos: Compass Natural

    Heather Collins is a longtime public relations professional serving the natural, organic and eco-friendly products market, and is a senior account manager with Compass Natural working with a number of hemp and CBD related companies.

     

     

  • Poll: Younger Americans More Confident in Benefits of CBD

    Poll: Younger Americans More Confident in Benefits of CBD

    July 18, 2019

    Poll: Younger Americans More Confident in Benefits of CBD

    By Hemp Industry Daily

    Data from a new Gallup poll shows that younger Americans are more confident in the health benefits of CBD – but the majority of people familiar with cannabinoids, regardless of age, believe it has at least some health benefits. A telephone poll conducted by Gallup in late May found that 78% of surveyed individuals across the United States who have an awareness of CBD believed that it has at least some health benefits. Of the more than 1,000 individuals surveyed, 64% had some awareness of CBD, while the balance were unfamiliar with the product. Among those with awareness of cannabinoids, the proportion who believed CBD has “a lot” of health benefits was highest among adults 18-29 – at 41% of the age group.

    According to a recent survey of 1,000 individuals from across the U.S., 74%-82% of individuals with an awareness of CBD within all age groups believed it has either “some” or “a lot” of health benefits.

     

    News Briefs

    State Ag Directors Want FDA to Move Quickly on Hemp Oversight

    by Progressive Farmer

    CBD on Fire, but Market Dogged by Consumer, Regulatory Confusion

    by Food Navigator

    Growers Seeking to Increase Security on Hemp Farms

    by KDRV ABC News

    Fashion Designers Rediscovering Hemp

    by The Spokesman-Review

    Headline News

    Women Leading the Way in South Carolina’s Hemp Revival
    by WSOC TV Charlotte

    Christian Book Distributor Changes Name Over CBD Confusion
    by New York Times

    Michigan Keeps Hemp Farmers’ Identities a Secret
    by Michigan Live

    New York Moves to Regulate Hemp Industry
    by WSHU Public Radio

    Hemp Farmers Searching for Harvest Storage Solutions
    by Marijuana Business Magazine

    Oregon Hemp Farmers Seek Stable Marketplace
    by the Register-Guard

    Texas Hemp Law Leads to Reductions in Marijuana-related Charges
    by The Texas Tribune

    Hemp and the Challenges of Farming’s Frontier
    by Harvest Public Media

    Tobacco Out, Hemp In for Tennessee Farmers
    by News Channel 3 Memphis

    4th Annual Farmer-Centric Hemp on the Slope Set for July 20
    by Colorado Hemp Company

    NoCo Hemp Village Featured at Arise Festival
    by Colorado Hemp Company

    Limited Sponsor & Exhibitor Packages Remain & Event Tickets Now on Sale for 2nd Southern Hemp Expo at www.southernhempexpo.com
    by Southern Hemp Expo

     

    An Interview with Andrew Bish: From Cornhuskers to Hemphuskers

    Join Morris Beegle and Rick Trojan for a brand new episode of the Let’s Talk Hemp Podcast, featuring Andrew Bish of Bish Enterprises, one of the nation’s leading hemp extract producers, and Hemp Harvest Works, based in Nebraska. We discuss the politics of hemp in Nebraska, Bish Enterprises’s new hemp harvesting technologies, and how the government and private companies are resisting the progress of the hemp industry.

    Send Us Your Hemp News!
    Send press releases and news announcements to news@letstalkhemp.com

  • 27 Andrew Bish – From Cornhuskers to Hemphuskers

    27 Andrew Bish – From Cornhuskers to Hemphuskers

    In this episode, we speak with Andrew Bish from Bish Enterprises and Hemp Harvest Works.

    We discuss the politics of hemp in Nebraska, Bish Enterprises’s new hemp harvesting technologies, and how the government and private companies are resisting the progress of the hemp industry.

    You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave us a Rating and Review!

     

    Let's Talk Hemp on Apple Podcsts

    “It’s time for the hemp industry to step up and say: enough of the bullshit!” – Morris Beegle on discrimination against the industry

    Show Notes:

    • What LB657 means for Nebraska hemp farmers
    • On the resistance to hemp farming in Nebraska
    • Whether or not feral hemp is harvestable in Nebraska
    • On Bish Enterprises’s new hemp harvesting tools
    • How drone technology is changing hemp agriculture
    • How Bish enterprises is supporting the Hemp Is Legal campaign
    • How the government and private companies are resisting the progress of the hemp industry

    Links Mentioned:

    Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Hemp Harvest Works

  • The Opportunity for Hemp Brands

    The Opportunity for Hemp Brands

    Doing it the Right Way, from the Ground Floor Up

    By Will Carr

    Where is the hemp industry headed? What are we doing and why are we doing it? How does CBD fit into the marketplace? How does branding contribute to the evolution of hemp-derived consumer product goods? We have an incredible opportunity to do things the right way from the ground floor up. From the very beginning, we can make an impact in niche markets. We can steer the course of mass-retail products, forever changing the landscape of the marketplace. We can piece by piece, little by little, create a future with a better world and improve the lives of people everywhere.

    There’s a lot of fluff in CBD and hemp right now. Hundreds of new brands and businesses are started every month with the idea that they’re going to sell CBD and make lots of money. Many of these same companies put little thought into the actual quality of their products, where the market is headed, and how their products will impact the environment. Where is the social responsibility? Where is the effort to market something truly better to the consumer?

    Brands are the answer to this problem. Brands that actually care. Brands that don’t just talk the talk, but truly walk the walk. Branding and marketing are often demonized as evil with the intention to trick the consumer into purchasing. This doesn’t have to be the case, though.

    What if brands provided more value than the cost of their products? When a brand markets itself as sustainable, as making an effort to provide healthy, nutritional products that genuinely supply a consumer good to the market that changes the game and makes a positive impact for Earth and all of us living here, then marketing becomes a beautiful thing.

    It becomes a connection between the brand, product, and consumer that is real. This type of synergy lasts because it’s all based in truth. The brand is creating positive change for the world and the customer gets a product they can feel happy about supporting. When done with honest and genuine intentions, branding and marketing become a catalyst for the hope of a brighter tomorrow and the opportunity for that change to become reality.

    As CBD exits the “fad” stage it’s currently in and the snake oil approach of “CBD cures all” gradually disappears, we are going to see many more dietary supplement and functional food CBD products come to market. As we recognize the true benefit of CBD for overall general health and wellness, to be treated like a dietary supplement and essential nutrient rather than a magical cure for everything, CBD will be in products sitting on the shelves of every aisle in the grocery store.

    The benefits of CBD are best noticed when paired with other nutritional ingredients, not as a stand-alone product. Will there still be a place for tinctures, oil drops, and gummies? Absolutely. They will just no longer be the “norm.” Instead, the products you’re already consuming will have CBD infused into them. That’s the approach we’ve taken at Genesee with our protein bars, plant-based protein powder, and wellness shots. We’re ahead of the curve and I think that’s a really fun and promising place to be.

    Where will the hemp industry be in 2, 5, 30+ years? I have my thoughts, but I can’t say for sure. The one thing I can tell you though, is that the people within this industry have inspired me, motivated me, and given me a new perspective on what it means to be a business owner and member of a community. As I’ve submersed myself in this space, the people I have met and the personal connections I have made have truly changed my life.

    As business leaders, it is our responsibility to take action, holding ourselves accountable to sustainable and ethical practices. It is also upon the consumers to research and support brands that are doing things the right way, following up their claims with actions to support them. To name one person or brand would do so many people a disservice, but you know who you are. I see you at shows and conferences tackling your ambitions. We are friends on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn… I see your daily life, personally and professionally, and I’m able to get a sense of who you are as a person. We look each other in the eye, shake hands (maybe hug), and I see your pure intention to do your part in making the world a better place.

    The slogan for the infamous hemp trade show, NoCo Hemp Expo, is “One Louder.” I like this because it’s true. If every one of us, one at a time, can make the mental shift and practice what we preach, we can start a movement with enough momentum to be unstoppable. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. In the hemp space, we’re making true change in the world. One action, one day, one year at a time, we are all making a difference. We are making an impact.

    So, if I have one last thing to say, it’s Thank You! All of you making this space and industry so incredible, meaningful, and fun to be a part of. Thank you for bringing your best selves to your work, to your businesses, and to the brands you support. One person at a time. One louder at a time. Let’s keep the momentum rollin’!

    See you out there.

    Will Carr

    Founder – Genesee

    Will Carr is the Founder of Genesee, a CBD Health & Wellness Brand based in Evergreen, CO. After graduating with a degree in Industrial & Systems Engineering, Will traveled to South America where he played basketball professionally. In the summer of 2017, Will had his first encounter with the amazing benefits of hemp and CBD. Recognizing the potential use within athletics and sport, Will founded Genesee and made it his goal to develop a line of dietary supplements geared for the fitness focused, active lifestyle individual.

  • 26 The 420 Bedlam Episode

    26 The 420 Bedlam Episode

    Welcome to Let’s Talk Hemp Special Episode with Honeysuckle Magazine, some great guests from NY, and an important upcoming #The422 episode announcement. This episode was recorded in collaboration with Honeysuckle Magazine on 4-20, 2019 at the Let’s Talk Hemp / Honeysuckle Cannabis meetup in New York City at Bedlam in the Lower East Side.

    We interview live on stage, attorney David Feldman from Duane Morris, Matthew Evertsen, founder and creative director of Ronin, and real estate attorney Harlan Greenman of Greenspoon Marder LLP.

    It was a pleasure hanging out and catching some conversation with these folks in the NY area who are working in the cannabis space, have plenty to say, and shared their time and knowledge. We talk about the state of the cannabis industry, the outlook for full federal legalization of cannabis, and about the power and impact of cannabis events.

    In other news, this is what has just happened to me and my company. Our newswire that we’ve been sending press releases out on since February of 2015 has notified us that we can no longer send out press releases through their service and they are going through one by one and removing all of my press releases over the last 4 years. Because their credit card processing company has threatened to cancel their processing if they release content pertaining to marijuana, cannabis, hemp, cbd or related products. Here is their statement attached to the 40+ rejected press releases that I’ve got back in the last 3-4 days. They are going through my entire list over the last 4 years one by one and sending me rejection notices that state:

    “Due to restrictions placed on ReleaseWire by our credit card processing provider, we are not able to allow press releases, company profiles or related content that discusses marijuana, cannabis, CBD, hemp and Related Products. If at such time we are able to solve this issue with our credit card processor, we will try to reactivate your press release. To learn more about this policy please visit our blog post.”

    So, we have credit card processors threatening newswire agencies who are putting out press releases related to hemp and CBD which are federally legal. This is what we’re coming to folks. 1984 is here and we need to change this bullshit. We’ll be diving into this more in the coming month but in the meantime please go check out Hemp is Legal and join the movement to put an end to organizations, government agencies and banking institutions discriminating against a federally legal industry. We need everyone. We need an army. So please, come join us and free the plant and the industry from this continuous obstruction.

    You can Subscribe and Listen to the Podcast on Apple Podcasts. And be sure to leave us a Rating and Review!

     

    Let's Talk Hemp on Apple Podcsts

    Show Notes:

    • Where New York State stands on industrial, medical, and recreational cannabis
    • When cannabis will become federally legalized
    • Why cannabis events are so impactful
    • How the cannabis industry is dealing with a lack of banking resources

    “It’s happening– it’s going to happen. The question is: what can you do now? That’s the question we’re struggling with, with a number of our clients.” – David Feldman on the complete federal legalization of cannabis

    Also, be sure to check out Hemp Events to see all the cool events happening this summer and fall, and with that, we have Hemp On The Slope coming up on July 20th at Salt Creek Ranch. This is the 4th annual event and we look forward to another great day on the farm. Tickets on sale now at Hemp on the Slope.

    A couple weeks after that on the weekend of Aug 2-4 we host the NoCo Hemp Village at Arise Festival which is a fantastic no-trace socially conscious event that has about 100 live bands, great food and vendors, and 10,000+ attendees.

    Last but not least, for this show anyway, sponsor and exhibitor registration is now open for the 2nd annual Southern Hemp Expo taking place 25 minutes outside of Nashville in the city of Franklin on Sept 6-7. Tickets go on sale on July 1st and we are expecting a huge turnout for this event so please get tickets early. And make sure to buy them before you book your plane tickets and hotel reservations. Word to the wise… Always get your event tickets before plane tickets.

    “When you get the right people into these rooms, the energy just magnifies and the movement is truly happening at this point.” – Morris Beegle on the impact of cannabis events

    Links Mentioned:

  • Hemp Harassment: Leading Online Retailer Thrive Market Forced to Cease Sales of All Hemp and CBD Products in Banking Backlash

    Hemp Harassment: Leading Online Retailer Thrive Market Forced to Cease Sales of All Hemp and CBD Products in Banking Backlash

    By Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural

    June 26, 2019

    In a seeming backlash to the burgeoning hemp economy, hemp and CBD retailers, industry associations and other hemp-centric businesses are being denied or threatened with denial of banking, credit card processing and other key business services, including a national newswire service that announced this past month it will no longer accept press releases from hemp companies, and is, in fact, deleting all existing and previously issued press releases related to hemp and CBD from its online archives. It is a disturbing trend in an industry that was made legal across the U.S. as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill and is projected to grow to $26.6 billion by 2025.

    It has forced such retailers as leading online natural products grocer Thrive Market to cease sales of all hemp and CBD products, a best-selling category over the past 18 months on its nationally recognized ecommerce site. The member-based online retailer boasts more than 500,000 members. “In early June, we received a notice from our merchant processor demanding that we cease the sale of all hemp and CBD products on Thrive Market. We unfortunately have no choice but to comply, and we’ll begin removing our assortment as early as Thursday, June 20,” wrote Thrive Market’s cofounder and CEO Nick Green in his blog on June 17. As of this writing, clicking on that assortment link takes you to a blank product page on Thrive Market’s website.

    Meanwhile, the U.S. Hemp Authority, a not-for-profit trade group developing certification standards for the industry, lost payment processing services in June after being dropped by its vendor, Stripe, based in San Francisco, reported Hemp Today on June 20. According a report in CNN Business, Stripe said it dropped the U.S. Hemp Authority’s account because of liability concerns, despite the fact that the trade organization is not a seller of any hemp products. “We’re being told we’re high risk. We’re actually trying to minimize human risk,” Hemp Authority president Marielle Weintraub told CNN.

     

    Abrupt Notice

    Since a leading credit card processor, Elavon, a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, abruptly notified its hemp and CBD clients in March 2019 that it had recategorized hemp and CBD merchants as a “prohibited business type” and was backing out within 45 days of handling payment processing for such companies, a number of hemp businesses have been scrambling to establish secure and durable payment processing relationships. According to one estimate by Philippa Burgess, cofounder of MMJ FinSol, a Denver-based financial services solutions company for hemp, cannabis and other “high-risk” businesses, Elavon’s policy changes affected up to 40,000 CBD companies.

    Another merchant processor, Fortress Payment Technologies, in May 2019 notified all its ecommerce customers selling CBD products that they would no longer be able to process Visa credit card payments through the bank. Some sellers received less than eight hours’ notice of these changes, reported Folium Biosciences, a vertically integrated hemp-derived phytocannabinoid producer based in Colorado Springs. The company recently launched a CBD/hemp friendly financial services platform for its customers to help remove the financial hurdles faced by the CBD industry, it said.

    Kyle Rapoza, cofounder of Vermont-based Mansfield Provisions, which distributes CBD products online and through brick and mortar retail partnerships, lost credit card processing services for his company in late May 2019, when Elavon stopped doing business with the hemp industry. He explained to Ganjapreneur Magazine that, in the wake of Elavon’s action, many of the industry operators he knows and does business with are moving back to high risk (and high fee) accounts. Rapoza has since been able to access more traditional business accounts through a state credit union, Ganjapreneur reported.

     

    Biggest Challenge Facing the Hemp Industry

    It’s a “difficult time” for the industry as it related to financial services, which he called “the biggest challenge in the industry right now,” Jonathan Miller, general counsel for Kentucky-based industry association Hemp Roundtable, told Ganjapreneur. “The law, we believe, is clear that since the [2018 Farm Bill], hemp and CBD are no longer controlled substances. There should be no concern whatsoever that there would be violations of federal law to engage in commerce. …Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation – it’s banks, it’s credit card companies, it’s merchant services that have been refusing to do business with these hemp and CBD companies.”

    Because banks have been so hesitant to serve hemp and CBD businesses despite the legalization of hemp in the Farm Bill, U.S. Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Ron Wyden (R-OR) – chief proponents of legalizing hemp – in April 2019 sent individualized letters to four federal banking and financial regulatory institutions, imploring them to prevent banking discrimination of the hemp industry, reported Cannalaw Blog.

    In addition, when pressed by U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) at a hearing in June 2019, Marijuana Moment reported that Federal Reserve board member Michelle Bowman pledged to inform banks that they can service hemp businesses. When Tester asked specifically how the Fed is advising institutions when it comes to hemp, Bowman responded, “We have not told them that they cannot bank them.” Tester countered that while he and Bowman might be on the same page, it is possible that banks were hearing a different message—hence why hemp businesses have said that they’re still experiencing difficulties accessing credit. Tester said clarification is especially important at this stage because of fallout from trade wars with China and Mexico, as hemp represents a potentially lucrative crop for American farmers. “I would agree with you. We would not discourage banks from banking these types of customers,” Bowman said. “We’ll try to clarify that. Hemp is not an illegal crop.”

     

    What, No Press Releases?

    While certain merchant banks seek to stifle hemp industry growth through the denial of critical financial services, another service provider in the media newswire business seeks to silence its voice.

    One leading hemp industry media and event production company, Colorado Hemp Company, based in Loveland, CO – producer of the NoCo Hemp Expo, Southern Hemp Expo, and the Let’s Talk Hemp weekly newsletter and podcast – was recently informed by its newswire service, ReleaseWire, that it will not post or distribute any new press releases that mention hemp, and in addition, it was deleting all existing and previous press releases mentioning hemp that Colorado Hemp Company had posted in the past. In a policy update issued on May 8, 2019, ReleaseWire, one of the nation’s leading online national newswire services, issued the following statement, after which it began informing hemp-centric businesses that not only were they not accepting new press releases for distribution, they were deleting all existing press releases and archives related to cannabis, hemp or CBD:

    “ReleaseWire was recently contacted by our credit card processor and informed that they have a policy in place that restricts merchants, including ReleaseWire, from linking to, or providing information about, marijuana, cannabis, CBD, hemp and related products. As such, we have been instructed by our credit card processor that we must not only stop taking press release submissions on these topics, but we must remove any existing press releases and related content from our site. They have provided us with a small window of time to complete this process or risk losing the ability to process credit cards.”

    Meanwhile, other newswire services including Cision, owner of PR Newswire and PRWeb, continue to accept and publish hemp, CBD and cannabis related press releases on behalf of clients.

     

    Hemp Friendly Payment Processors

    So which payment processors are willing to serve hemp and CBD companies? One such processor, Adept Payments, says on its website that it helps high risk businesses, including vape, CBD, adult, casinos and more.

    While financial services group, Edward Jones, has no official policy about outreach to the hemp industry, a broker in Bend, OR, contacted Hemp Industry Daily to say he was offering a “full spectrum of banking, investment, insurance and financial planning services to hemp farmers.” Officially, Edward Jones is “looking at the provision in the Farm Bill that addresses hemp growing,” John Boul, manager of global media relations for the St. Louis-based Edward Jones told Hemp Industry Daily in April 2019.

    Square, a leading online payment processor, recently soft-launched credit card processing for CBD companies, but the program is still in beta testing phase and is by invitation only. Former credit card processing professional and current blogger Phillip Parker, who describes his site, CardPaymentOptions.com, as a credit card processing watchdog group, posted a guide to the Best Merchant Accounts for Hemp Products in June 2019. Also, Merchant Maverick, a self-described comparison website that reviews and rates credit card processors, mobile payment services and other small business software, published a guide to the Best CBD Oil Merchant Account Providers in April 2019.

    For CBD sellers on Shopify and other major ecommerce platforms, a recently launched processor, Organic Payment Gateways, advertises that its mission is to help people in the CBD business process payments online, and that its payment gateways work smoothly with Shopify, WooCommerce and others. Leap Payments, Instabill and other services promote that they are dedicated to ensuring CBD businesses “can accept debit and credit card payments just like any other business can.”

    So, for now, you won’t find any hemp or CBD products at Thrive Market, however, the ecommerce retailer says it won’t give up without a fight. “We believe that ethical and sustainable hemp is another cause worth fighting for, so rest assured that we will be working behind the scenes in the coming weeks to get hemp products back on Thrive Market,” Nick Green wrote in his blog. “In fact, we’re already in conversations with a new processing partner to try to make that happen.”

    # # #

    Steven Hoffman, is Managing Director of Compass Natural, dedicated to providing brand marketing, public relations, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and hemp-centric businesses. Hoffman also serves as editor of the Let’s Talk Hemp Weekly Newsletter. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

  • Sage Advice: Tips for Starting up in Hemp and CBD

    Sage Advice: Tips for Starting up in Hemp and CBD

    By CanopyBoulder

    Thanks to the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill more, the hemp and CBD industry is increasingly normalized. You don’t have to look far beyond the shelves of CBD everywhere from gas stations to bookstores to know something big is coming. In fact, the industry is expected to grow to about $1.8 Billion by 2022. With this in mind, the benefits of making the leap into this space seem pretty clear.

    But isn’t everyone doing that? In an increasingly competitive space, here are some tips for making your entry into the space successful

    It’s not too late to launch your hemp business

    Now is the time to make the jump into the space. The winners have not yet been decided and the race has not yet been run. As Jonathan Shultz from Backyard Soda, a natural, CBD-infused soda, puts it: “It’s hard to win a race that hasn’t really started.” However, you should expect anyone and everyone to get in and try to make some money…especially the dietary supplement brands!

    Speaking of dietary supplement brands….

    Do your homework on how the FDA regulates supplements. The most recent FDA hearing on CBD seemed to only generate more questions but seemed to hint generally that hemp derived CBD products may soon be lumped together and regulated in line with dietary supplements. It may take as much as 18 months before the FDA finalizes regulations for hemp-derived CBD consumer products, so stay ahead of the curve and study up on some relevant case studies. Some great ones to start are Lovaza/fish oil and Lipitor/Red Yeast Rice – either will give you a better idea of how CBD regulations might playout.

    Trust but verify everything you hear!

    Hemp rules and regulations get spread like the game of telephone. Stay up to date on changes in regulations through reputable news sites, and verify, verify, verify before taking action!

    Get great legal counsel from experienced business and hemp lawyers

    This may mean you need to engage with more than one law firm. The startup space is a tricky space to navigate in general, let alone adding CBD/hemp into the mix. The space is rapidly changing, seeking legal counsel from lawyers who are experts in their particular field will save you big in the long run.

     Do something unique!

    Just throwing CBD into a capsule is not going to build value. Think outside the box – what is the gap that you can fill with your unique background and your company’s culture and ideals?

    If you are launching a finished consumer product, don’t skimp on brand investment. Your brand can make or break your success. Taking time to thoroughly think through the image you want your company to project to the world will provide you generous return on investment in the long run if done right. This is especially important in this space, as consumer understanding of CBD and hemp and its benefits is still minimal – making it hard to differentiate based on quality. Your brand is the impression people will take away from your company and differentiates you from the competition – take the time to do it right.

     Be open and honest with your customers. Most potential consumers are newbies when it comes to CBD/hemp products, which makes the space feel pretty intimidating. Consumers, especially in the health and wellness space, desire vast amounts of education and transparency from the products and brands they purchase. Helena Yardley of 6 Degrees Wellness comments that this is the time to educate consumers on the purpose and the most effective therapeutic dose of CBD, but take care not to make health claims you cannot back up. While we do have some strong anecdotal evidence, without actual science to back it up, we have to be careful not to over promise and risk undercutting the potential of CBD. Without taking the time to educate your consumers and properly labeling your product, Helena adds that the result could be both a waste of your consumers’ time without relief, and a waste of resources on a sub-therapeutic product. Even worse, people may give up trying to use CBD all together because they don’t feel an effect.

    CanopyBoulder is a seed-stage business accelerator and venture fund for the legal cannabis industry. Visit www.CanopyBoulder.com.

    Photo: Compass Natural

  • Kroger, Nation’s Largest Supermarket, to Carry CBD in Nearly 1,000 Stores

    Kroger, Nation’s Largest Supermarket, to Carry CBD in Nearly 1,000 Stores

    By Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural

    June 12, 2019

    As the hemp and CBD market continues to evolve at hyper-speed, the nation’s largest supermarket chain, Kroger, announced it is joining Walgreens, CVS, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Nieman Marcus and other major retailers that have all started carrying CBD products in their stores.

    Kroger, which made a “meaningful investment” in Boulder, CO-based natural foods chain Lucky’s Market, which itself is a leading seller of CBD products, announced on June 11 that it will now sell hemp-derived CBD topical products, including creams, balms and oils, in 945 Kroger-owned stores across 17 states, reported CNBC News, which referred to CBD as “one of the hottest consumer trends.”

    “Like many retailers, we are starting to offer our customers a highly-curated selection of topical products like lotions, balms, oils and creams that are infused with hemp-derived CBD,” said Kristal Howard, head of corporate communications and media relations at Kroger, in a statement. “CBD is a naturally occurring and non-intoxicating compound that has promising benefits and is permitted within federal and state regulations. Our limited selection of hemp-derived CBD topical products is from suppliers that have been reviewed for quality and safety,” she added.

    Consumer interest in and demand for products made with cannabinoid compounds or CBD derived from hemp extract is at a fever pitch. Hemp Industry Daily projects hemp-derived CBD retail sales will surge to as much as $7.5 billion by 2023, up from about $1 billion in sales in 2019.

    Yet, while CBD derived from hemp is now legal thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill passed by Congress late last year, the FDA maintains that companies still can’t add CBD to food or sell it as a dietary supplement. However, with so many CBD supplements and CBD-infused food and beverage products already on the market, the FDA on May 31 held a public hearing to learn more about the issue and hear from hemp industry representatives, manufacturers, advocates and others as it considers its position regarding sales of these products.

    For major retailers, selling CBD-infused, topical beauty and skin-care products brings less legal risk, which may explain why retailers such as Kroger, Nieman Marcus and others are starting to offer those types of products first. Given the explosive growth of the market, big box retailers Walmart and Target are also reported to be exploring the potential for hemp and CBD-related products in their stores.

    Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, is the world’s largest grocery retailer, with fiscal 2018 sales of $121.2 billion, and operating stores under names including Kroger, King Soopers, Ralph’s, Dillon’s, City Market, Fry’s, QFC, Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter and others. Kroger also is a leading seller of healthy lifestyles products – it’s sales of natural and organic products alone exceeded $16 billion in 2017. Kroger’s private label organic brand, Simple Truth, with sales exceeding $2 billion, is one of the largest natural and organic brands in the U.S.

    Kroger says it will sell the CBD products in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

    # # #

    Steven Hoffman, is Managing Director of Compass Natural, dedicated to providing brand marketing, public relations, social media, and strategic business development services to natural, organic and hemp-centric businesses. Hoffman also serves as editor of the Let’s Talk Hemp Weekly Newsletter. Contact steve@compassnaturalmarketing.com.

    Photo of Kroger Store:  Wikipedia

  • Five Questions With Morris Beegle, President Of WAFBA (We Are For Better Alternatives)

    Five Questions With Morris Beegle, President Of WAFBA (We Are For Better Alternatives)

    Morris Beegle and I share more than names, (Morris is my middle name) — we are both a part of a much larger world of cannabis. In Morris’ case, he is a leading cannabis/hemp advocate and entrepreneur. As co-founder and president of the WAFBA (We Are For Better Alternatives) family of brands, including the NoCo Hemp Expo, Silver Mountain Hemp Guitars, Tree Free Hemp, The Hawaii Hemp Conference, and more, he stays quite busy engaging audiences in N.A., Europe, UK, Nepal and beyond, presenting at a dozen or more hemp conferences each year.

     

    Read the full article here at Forbes