For decades Richard has been a leading innovator in the natural food industry. Starting with soyfoods such as TofuRella, Cottage Tofu Salad, and LeTofu sold around the world, in 1994 he turned from soya to hempseed, an older and far more nutritious protein source.
Since 1980 Richard invented, produced, and marketed dozens of products based on tofu, and was the only small or natural food company to be named the “Top Ten Innovators of 1985” by Food and Beverage Marketing magazine. In 1986 TofuRella, was introduced, sales of which landed the firm on the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies in the U.S. in 1993, done with no debt.
Once known as a “Tofu Mogul” he is also called
“The Hemp Nut” as HempNut Inc. was the first Best Practices hempseed foods company in North America, 1994 – 2002. He was the first by years to introduce shelled hempseed to North America, and provided the inspiration for today’s hempseed companies.
Richard designed a new company around the vision of branded shelled hempseed as a replacement for soy in the food industry. That company became the proof-of-concept business model for the hempseed industry to this day, and the segment is now 90% of Canadian hemp. The first significant change from millennia of fiber hemp, it is considered “Hemp 2.0” in the evolution of hemp.
At the time no one had imported non-sterilized shelled hempseed food. The risk was possible that if the U.S. wanted to stop this emerging industry, he could have been sentenced to multiple life terms based on the volume imported.
“Hemp is high in Omega-3, not THC”
- Spoke to millions about hemp foods for 7 minutes on CBS-TV’s afternoon
“The Roseanne Show” - Directly responsible for the use of hempseed in over 35 hemp industry meals, including Cannabis Cups in Amsterdam, NAIHC dinners, and HIA Cons
- Spoke on hempseed foods many times at industry conferences
- Mentored dozens of companies
- Funded a large-hempseed breeding project
- Introduced hemp foods to actor Woody Harrelson, The Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, activist Ralph Nader, CIA Director/Hemp Lobbyist James Woolsey, and millions more
- Co-sponsor of the 1995 Navajo Nation Hemp Project
- Had the first and largest online store for hemp foods
- Opened one of the first vegan restaurants
- Organized a 27-member global supply chain for hempseed foods
- Sold soy and hemp foods in Europe, Canada, Japan, China, and Australia
- Worked on the first campaign to legalize in California, Prop 19 in 1972
- “Selling tofu in the Reagan ’80s made it easy for me to sell Hemp foods in the Go-go ’90s”
Richard earned a BA in Marketing from Sonoma State University and graduated with an MBA, concentration in Marketing and International Business. Both were 4 night classes per week for years, all while running an Inc 500 fast-growing business and the latter while also pioneering a new hemp industry segment with HempNut. He was named one of the Distinguished Alumni in 2000 at Sonoma State U.
By 2002 when the US market for hempseed foods collapsed for years due to an ill-advised suit against DEA by a fiber group for DEA legalizing hemp foods, Richard had invested $2.5 million to make hempseed foods a new industry. So he sold his Rella Good Cheese Co. for millions and moved to Amsterdam, walking away from the whole fiasco.
Richard’s interest in hemp continues for food and medicine, especially CBD (Cannabidiol). Recently he created the first “open-source” brands Nobacco (artisanal CBD hemp buds for smoking), Not-Pot (ditto), created CannaSearch (opening consumer access to research of Cannabis for 100 medical conditions), the Medicinal Hemp Association, the Hemp Flower Products Association, and resurrected the Hemp Food Association.
Since 2014 he has created and curated thousands of original hemp content and context posts on social media, with over 35,000 followers. His Klout Rank in Cannabis is 99.9% (top 0.1%). Facebook Pages include RR.TheHempNut, The Richard Rose Report, Medicinal Hemp Association, Cannaceuticals, Hempreneurs, CannaSearch Daily, Hemp Flower Products Association, Hemp Food Association, CannaCoach, The Heretical Hempster, CBD Trade Marketplace, The HempNut Cookbook, The Hemp Nut, Nobacco.cool, Cannabology, CBD Today, Chemurgy, Cannaville, Not–Pot, Fretboard Revealed and More, Bluestronica, among others. His YouTube channel is The Hemp Nut, Twitter is @TheRRreport, Instagram is The_Hemp_Nut. LinkedIn profile is The Hemp Nut.
Experience
2018 – present
HempNut Pty Ltd – Consultant
Hemp food company – Consultant
Thai Cannabis company – Consultant
Jamaican Cannabis project – Consultant
2016 – present
CannaCoach – Coach
2016
CBD issue, Hemp Business Journal – Managing Editor
2014 – 2017
MediQi Energetics – Chief Cannabinoid Officer
2014 – 2016
Canna-ceuticals LLC – Hempreneur
2008 – 2010
Boulder Chamber of Commerce Small Business Development Center – SBA Business Counselor
2001 – 2014
Omega Nova – Founder and Principal
1994 – 2002
HempNut, Inc – Founder and President
1986 – 2001
Rella Good Cheese Company – Founder and President
1980 – 1986
Brightsong Tofu – Founder
Awards
2000 Distinguished Alumni Award of 2000, Sonoma State University
1998 Hemp World “Hempy Award” for Product Innovation
1997 Citizen Citation from Mayor of Baltimore
1997 Hemp Times “Bioneer Award” for Outstanding Achievement in Food
1997 Hemp World “Hempy Award” for Food
1993 Inc. 500 List of Fastest-Growing Companies; #287
1992 “Small Business of the Year” by the Sonoma County Chamber of Commerce
1986 Food and Beverage Marketing magazine “Top Ten Innovators of 1985,” for tofu products
Pro Bono
2018
Panelist at Société Civile Politiques Cannabis, Geneva
Panelist at 4/20 Roma
CannaSearch Breaking News – Founder
2017 – present
Hemp Flower Products Association – Founder
2017
Speaker at Cannafest on The Business of Cannabis
Speaker at EuroAm CBC on Europe: Hemp Supplier to the World
2016
Speaker at Cannafest on The Business of Cannabis and demonstrated hemp foods
Speaker at Hemp2020, Poland
Speaker at NoCo Hemp Expo on The Future of Hemp, at the Hemp Investment Summit, and the history of US hemp
2015
Hawaii hemp project – Principal Consultant; explained Hemp 2.0 to the Secretary of Agriculture, obtained commitment to support the program, assisted first breeders in seed development
Speaker at World Hemp Congress on The Future of Hemp
Speaker at Hemp-X on Hemp 2.0 and hemp farming issues in North Carolina
Speaker at Indo Expo on hemp
Speaker at NoCo Hemp Expo on The Emerging CBD market
North Carolina Hemp – Consultant; assisted in getting the Secretary of Agriculture’s commitment to start the NC hemp program
2014 – present
Medicinal Hemp Association – Founder
American Hemp Association – Director
Mentor to many small businesses and start–ups
Thought leader on Cannabis policy and product development/branding
2014
Speaker at The State of Hemp by Congressman Polis
Speaker at NoCo Hemp Expo on The Emerging CBD Market
1998 – present
Hemp Food Association – Founder
1998
Hemp Industries Association – Fiber Certification Manager
1996 – 2002
Hemp Industries Association – Food and Oil Committee Founder and Chair
1995 – 1998
Hemp Industries Association – Director and Treasurer, Sponsor
1995
Navajo Nation – Consultant; advised Elders of the Navajo Nation on implementing an industrial hemp program on its land, and helped fund the research
Publications (plus over 100 more articles published on LinkedIn)
2019
The Richard Rose Report
Model State Hemp Law
CBD is Not a Novel Food in the EU
What Is Hemp? (lyrics)
2018
CBD tri-fold brochure for consumers or stores
Comments to WHO regarding CBD
2017
Submission of Richard Rose to FDA’s Request for Comments on the Development of a List of pre–DSHEA Ingredients
It’s Nigh Time to Grandfather Hemp
Evolution of Hemp – 12,000 BC to 2017
Hemp’s Contretemps (lyrics)
2016
CBD Contraindications
CBD Koan: Legality of Hemp and Cannabinoids
2015
OECD Certified Cultivars
Farm Freedom Act
Review of the FDA Letters to CBD Companies
Food Development with Hemp
Europe – Hemp Supplier to the World
Old School v New School Hemp
Hemp – Our Future Crop
2014
Let’s Regulate Alcohol like Marijuana
2006
Secrets of Chord Substitutions Revealed eBook
Secrets of Jazz Arranging Revealed eBook
Secrets of Scales and Chords Revealed eBook
2005
Secrets of the Guitar Fretboard Revealed eBook
Circle of Thirds chart
Education (250 total units including 28 graduate, 3.22 GPA, mostly night classes 4/week)
1992 – 1995, Sonoma State University of Business and Economics
Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A abd, Concentration in Marketing and International Business)
1988 – 1992, Sonoma State University of Business and Economics
Bachelor’s Degree (Marketing)
Products Developed and Marketed by Richard Rose
2018
CannLib
2017
CannaSearch Breaking News
2016
CannaSearch
2015
Nobacco (open-source brand of artisanal CBD hemp buds for smoking as a tobacco replacement)
Not-Pot (open-source brand of artisanal CBD hemp buds for smoking as a tobacco replacement)
2006
“Secrets of Chord Substitutions Revealed” eBook
“Secrets of Jazz Arranging Revealed” eBook
“Secrets of Scales and Chords Revealed” eBook
2005
“Secrets of the Guitar Fretboard Revealed” eBook
“Circle of Thirds” chart
“Bluestronica” a new genre combining EDM with live blues guitar and blues vocal samples
2004
Recorded “Amstel River Sessions” with Matthue DeYarus, as Innerchange
Recorded “Sounds of Amsterdam” a field recording of Amsterdam sounds
The HempNut Cookbook (by The Book Publishing Co.)
2000
The HempNut Health and Cookbook
1999
HempNut HempScream
1997
HempNut hempseed oil
HempNut cookies
Cannessence essential oil
HempNut organic blue corn chips
HempNut nut butter
HempNut flour
HempNut chocolate (Bite Me Bar)
HempNut protein powder
HempNut lip balm
HempNut energy bar
HempNut toasted shelled hempseed
1996
HempNut shelled hempseed
HempNut cheese alternative
1994
Hemp Hummus
HempRella cheese alternative
Hempeh Burgers
VeganRella (100% dairy–free cheese alternative; Mexican, Italian)
VeganRella (100% dairy–free cream cheese alternative; Plain, Onion&Dill)
1993
AlmondRella (almond–based cheese alternative; Cheddar, Mozzarella, Garlic–Herb)
Zero-FatRella (fat-free tofu-based cheese alternative; Cheddar, Mozzarella, Jalapeño Jack)
Better Than Meat (meat analog free of fat, soy and wheat; Burger, Taco, Pizza and Breakfast Sausage)
1992
Heart’s D’Lite (fat-free tofu-based cheese alternative; Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Jalapeño Jack, Garlic-Herb)
1991
TofuRella Slices (Cheddar, Mozzarella)
1987
Free (dairy-free cheese analog)
Meat analogs
1986
Dry Mix Plus+ (powdered instant version of Mix Plus+)
Fruit D’Lite (fruit-sweetened sorbet)
Soy-O (cultured soymilk yogurt)
TofuRella (cheese alternative; Cheddar, Mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Jalapeño Jack, Garlic–Herb)
Le Yogurt (powdered instant frozen yogurt)
Powdered instant soymilk beverage (Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry)
Dry Le Tofu (powdered instant non-dairy soft-serve mix)
1985
Tofu Plus+ (powdered and liquid tofu for industrial use)
Concentrate Plus+ (powdered blend of tofu, solids and stabilizer for manufacture of frozen dessert)
Tofu Nog (imitation egg nog)
HempRella cheese alternative in the US and Canada
Hempeh Burgers
1984
Lite Mousse (fresh tofu pudding; Chocolate)
Le Tofu (non-dairy frozen dessert in hard-pack and soft serve)
Mix Plus+ (liquid mix to make tofu frozen dessert in an ice cream shop)
1983
Orange Sunshine (high protein soymilk beverage)
1982
Cottage Tofu Salad
Missing-Egg Tofu Salad
Tofummus (middle eastern-style hummous with tofu)
Hummous (garbanzo spread)
Lite & Creamy (tofu–based, with liqueur; Amaretto-Almond, Grand Marnier Chocolate)
Cottage Salad (Diet Center formulation)
Missing-Egg Salad (Diet Center formulation)
Strawberry Diet DeLite (with saccharin sweetener)
Tofu Pumpkin Puddin’ (fresh pudding)
Cottage Salad (tofu salad)
Skinny Dip (high protein tofu dip, with Vitamin B–12)
1981
Tofu Creamie (pudding; Strawberry, Almond, Carob)
Tofu Salad Dressing (fresh; Thousand Island, Green Goddess, Herb)
Tofunofish Salad (vegetarian tuna salad)
Tofu Mayo (fresh eggless mayonnaise)
Tofu Cream Pie (Strawberry, Carob)
Tofu Pudding (Olallieberry, Lemon)
Soysage (meat analog, okara–based)
Cal-gari Tofu (regular tofu made with a blend of cacium sulfate and nigari)
Cococarob Tofu Tart (baked tart with a crust)
Pumpkin Pie (tofu–based, baked with a crust)
Soy Nog (soymilk–based imitation egg nog)
Real Food Tofu Café (vegan restaurant)
1980
Marinated Tofu (tofu in a marinade)
Vege-Herb Tofu (tofu with fresh vegetables and herbs pressed into the curd)
Soy Juice (soymilk; Maple, Honey-Vanilla, Carob, Plain
Member or Sponsor (past)
International Hemp Association
Hemp Food Association
Medicinal Hemp Association
American Hemp Association
Hemp Industries Association
North American Industrial Hemp Council
NORML
Social Venture Network
Provender Alliance
EarthSave
Rainforest Action Network
Institute of Food Technologists
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