Hemp History

1996: Shaking its Seedy Past

1996: Shaking its Seedy Past

Shaking its seedy past. Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Jan 29 1996, by Ted Appel. Subhead: Industrial-grade hemp generating business surge It’s no pipe dream: Hemp, the clean-and sober cousin of marijuana, is becoming big business. Again.  Used for centuries to make ropes and paper, hemp is starting to shake its seedy reputation in the United … Continue reading "1996: Shaking its Seedy Past" ...
1996: Let Them Eat Hemp

1996: Let Them Eat Hemp

Let Them Eat Hemp. Hemp Times, Oct 1996, story by Peggy Matthews, photo by Dan Skye. Pull quote: “My advisors even said not get into hemp—which of course led me to think that I should” –Richard Rose Overnight successes usually aren’t. So when people wonder how Richard Rose got so successful so quickly, he laughs. … Continue reading "1996: Let Them Eat Hemp" ...
1996: Hempsters Consult With the Navajo Nation

1996: Hempsters Consult With the Navajo Nation

In September 1996 a few hempsters were asked to go to Window Rock in the Navajo Nation. Woody Harrelson, Chris Boucher, Michael Myers, Jim Robinson and I traveled there for 3 days, on our dime and at Christie Bohling and Patrick Lange’s request, to consult on hemp with the Navajo Nation administrators and a Judge. … Continue reading "1996: Hempsters Consult With the Navajo Nation" ...
1996: Citizen Citation

1996: Citizen Citation

City of Baltimore Citizen Citation Baltimore was where I first introduced hemp foods, at ExpoEast in the convention center in September 1994. When my amazing PR agent Sandra Weinstein asked them to give me this Citizen’s Citation and why, they agreed! It was a surprise, I didn’t even know it was a Thing. “City of … Continue reading "1996: Citizen Citation" ...
1996: Ancient Fun With Websites

1996: Ancient Fun With Websites

In 1996, my Rella Good Cheese Co. was still known as “Sharon’s Finest,” the company on the Inc. 500 in 1993. Rella then spawned HempRella and Hempeh Burger in 1994, then The Hemp Corporation, then HempNut, Inc. in 1996. I call it Continuous Improvement as applied to Branding. Web sites were fairly new back then, … Continue reading "1996: Ancient Fun With Websites" ...
1996 “When we introduced hemp cheese they said we must be smoking something. We are now.”

1996 “When we introduced hemp cheese they said we must be smoking something. We are now.”

“When we introduced hemp cheese they said we must be smoking something. We are now.” ...
1995: Hemp As Food

1995: Hemp As Food

Hemp As Food. SHARE Guide, Nov/Dec 1995, by Richard Rose. Care, Handling, and Preparation of Hemp Seeds It is taught that Buddha ate one hemp seed a day for three years in his ascetic period. If hemp seed was good enough for Buddha, it should be good enough for us. But how, and in what … Continue reading "1995: Hemp As Food" ...
1995: Healthy Hemp Burgers in the NY Times

1995: Healthy Hemp Burgers in the NY Times

In May of 1995 the Sunday New York Times Magazine gushed about Hempeh Burger, and included a picture. Authentic momentum is hard to create, but when it happens, it’s magic. Like this.

Later, it was seen on CBS-TV’s Good Morning America, and sported the hemp food industry’s only FDA-legal health claim “reduces risk of heart disease.”

Carnivores and vegans alike enjoyed the hearty taste, made with real food not powders. The first hemp burger was also vegan, high in fiber, gluten-free, keto-friendly, and sold coast-to-coast, 1994-2002. ...
1995: “We’re trying to de-demonize cannabis in general, and certainly hemp in particular”

1995: “We’re trying to de-demonize cannabis in general, and certainly hemp in particular”

We hit the national media jackpot this year: Details, Rolling Stone, the Sunday New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and High Times magazine. How do you Normalize Hemp in an era of stigma? Like this. Richard Rose Eyewitness, Details magazine, April 1995, by Sarah Ferguson.For all the new start-ups, there are also seasoned entrepreneurs venturing … Continue reading "1995: “We’re trying to de-demonize cannabis in general, and certainly hemp in particular”" ...
1995 HempRella For Victory

1995 HempRella For Victory

HempRella For Victory. High Times, 1995, story and photo By Gabe Kirchheimer. What’s spreadable, edible and incredible? Why, HempRella, the new cheese alternative made from hemp seeds! Now you can have your hemp and eat it too. “Just like cheese it’s firm when cold and melts when heated. Plus it tastes great! Our special process … Continue reading "1995 HempRella For Victory" ...
1994: Tofu cheese and rock ‘n’ roll

1994: Tofu cheese and rock ‘n’ roll

Tofu cheese and rock ‘n’ roll Santa Rosa Press Democrat Business section, Sept 18 1994, by Brad Bollinger. What can you make of a guy who has an MBA, hair down below his shoulders and plays guest guitar with a band called the Pink Flamingos?           A budding business star, according to Inc. magazine.           … Continue reading "1994: Tofu cheese and rock ‘n’ roll" ...
1994: Secret Government Hemp Crop Destroyed

1994: Secret Government Hemp Crop Destroyed

One of the most-persistent canards about hemp is that it was banned. But that’s not true, it always just needed a permit. In 1994, HIA co-founder Chris Boucher grew a ½ acre plot of Fedora and Kompolti hemp in Brawley California, with USDA’s permission on USDA land. But in mid-summer, with little warning, Imperial County … Continue reading "1994: Secret Government Hemp Crop Destroyed" ...
1994: How I Sold Not Just a Product, But Social Change

1994: How I Sold Not Just a Product, But Social Change

"This is how you sell not just a product, but social change. Normalizing Cannabis, one bite at a time." ...
1994: Hempeh Burger

1994: Hempeh Burger

HempNut Hempeh Burger wasn’t “just a hemp burger.” It was the first hemp burger, it had the first and only FDA-legal health claim on a hemp food, it was sold nationwide, in two countries, it was vegan, and it was organic. 1994-2002. As seen on CBS This Morning. This vegan organic tempeh burger containing 10% … Continue reading "1994: Hempeh Burger" ...
1994: Hemp Foods are pre-DSHEA, But Just Barely

1994: Hemp Foods are pre-DSHEA, But Just Barely

In 1994 I introduced the first perishable hemp food, HempRella cheese alternative. We were at Booth #1 in the foyer entrance of the huge ExpoEast natural food trade show in Baltimore. Coming down the escalator to enter it, you couldn’t help but notice us and our hemp leaf signs, we were <right there>. The booth … Continue reading "1994: Hemp Foods are pre-DSHEA, But Just Barely" ...

1994: “Then and Now”, Inc. Magazine

“I cut off my hair and wore suits and stuff for a couple years,” he says. “I thought I needed to do that to make it in the business world. And it didn’t work. So I went back to plan B and that was to be myself. And it’s working just fine.” ...

1992: Hempseed: Nature’s Perfect Food?

Lynn and Judy Osburn were the first to write about hempseed as food that I know of. Alan Brady was the first to make hempseed ice cream that I know of. While both used whole hempseed, my vision was to shell it in order to increase the nutrition and palatability. Dr Udo Erasmus was the … Continue reading "1992: Hempseed: Nature’s Perfect Food?" ...
1980-2020: Richard Rose Industry Firsts

1980-2020: Richard Rose Industry Firsts

Vegan and Soyfoods FirstsVegan restaurant in California (1980)Vegan egg-nog (1981)Tofu merchandised in a box (1985)Tofu frozen dessert powdered mixes (1985)Tofu ice cream exported to Japan (1986)Food & Beverage Marketing “Leading Innovator of 1986” (1986)Organic vegan cream cheese (1994)Introduced 80+ vegan and soyfoods (1980-1994): Brightsong Tofu, Marinated Tofu, Vege-Herb Tofu, Soymilk, Tofu Creamie, Tofu Salad Dressing, … Continue reading "1980-2020: Richard Rose Industry Firsts" ...
1954: Cover of Canapa [Hemp] magazine, Italy

1954: Cover of Canapa [Hemp] magazine, Italy

1954: Cover of Canapa magazine, Italy. December. “People may not realize this but hemp has been a living industry in Italy for a long time, so long that we have two museums dedicated to the agricultural history. That’s one reason Italian hemp seeds are so prized.” Credit: Museo Della Canapa. ...
1934: Henry Ford, Vegan Foods + Hemp Pioneer

1934: Henry Ford, Vegan Foods + Hemp Pioneer

As one who has processed tons of soybean into foods starting in the ’70s, and then the same for hempseed starting 25 years ago, I’m certain that if Henry Ford knew hempeed exceeded soybean in nutrition and flavor, he would have done all his food work with it instead of soya. Hempseed tastes way better, … Continue reading "1934: Henry Ford, Vegan Foods + Hemp Pioneer" ...

1915: Hempseed, the Original Animal Feed

USDA is demanding studies before admitting the obvious: Hempseed is the original animal feed. Ironic. In 1915 Hempseed was one of the grains used to develop modern animal feeds, and the idea of combining proteins to increase quality. Here are more Hemp citations found in academic literature that I commissioned in 1999 for my book … Continue reading "1915: Hempseed, the Original Animal Feed" ...

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