If I’m ever on a Podcast again, it’s been a year since the last one, hopefully it’ll be focused on branding, marketing, and entrepreneurship. If so, here would be my suggested questions to get deep, fast:
Q: Since FDA doesn’t do multi-molecule plants as drugs, what is the future of hemp phytocannabinoids?
Dietary Supplements: functional cannabinoids for peak performers. Sub-psychoactive amounts of phytocannabinoids from sun-grown plants, not stainless steel tanks, combined with organic hemp protein in ready-to-eat forms like gummies and bars. Omega-3 from the seed is an Endocannabinoid System precursor. The 20:20:1 ratio of CBG, CBD, and THCa means no “high” (40:40:2 mg).
Relieves pain, reduces inflammation, increases endorphins, diminishes depression and anxiety, and improves mood daily. Even if only intRAstate distribution is possible, non-perishable packaged foods allow alternative retailing such as farmers’ markets, festivals, street fairs, MLMs, etc., plus the usual channels.
Positioned as a daily nutritional supplement in food form, high in minors and other wellness ingredients: “Get the Endorphin Edge” and “Happy and Healthy, not High.” The minimum psychoactive dose of D9 THC is 2½ mg for THC-naïve people. Low dosing will also encourage an increase in consumption of units, taking two or three instead of just one. In 2 flavors of sweet and 2 of savory, because not everyone wants to eat candy daily for their health.
Q: How did hemp get on thousands of supermarket shelves in two countries literally in the last century?
In 1994, I pivoted my established Inc 500 fast-growing food company from buying tons of soybeans to buying tons of hempseed. With a large international sales and distribution network, it was the right product at the right time. A big neon-green leaf + HEMP on the front label was a mini-billboard intended to de-stigmatize the plant; two years later California voters passed Prop 215, the first medical marijuana initiative.
Hemp never actually went away in the U.S., just the farming did. And now, 8 years after legalization and acres down 95%, it appears no one wants to farm hemp anyway, just synthesize dirty forms of THC from cheap foreign CBD.
Q: What products did you sell?
In the years 1994-2002, we had shelled hempseed called HempNut and value-added ready-to-eat foods like chocolate chip cookies, energy bars, blue corn chips, smoked cheese, Hempeh burger, nut butter, and oil; evidence of my long history of “Americanized” branding of new foods. All that before today’s companies even started.
Q: But no marketing can sell bad products for long, tell us about them?
Since they would be many people’s first introduction to hemp foods, I wanted them to be best-in-class: organic, an FDA-legal health claim for reducing risk of heart disease, FDA-legal structure-function claims, advanced packaging, stellar graphics by Al Haeger, a quarter-million dollars in ads and PR to let people know about them.
The burger was hearty real food, not made from powders; even carnivores loved it. The chips were made from organic blue corn masa and had an argon-flushed metal mylar bag protecting them for years. The energy bar had three layers: granola bottom, nut butter middle, and chocolate topping.
Q: Then what happened to slow it?
In 2001, DEA tried legalizing 98% of all hemp products, no max THC. Despite having no burden of compliance, the hemp fiber association sued to stop it thus killing food sales for years, almost taking all Canadian hemp down with it. Having sold my Rella Good Cheese Co. for millions but with no more hemp food market to work in, I retired to Amsterdam.
Q: How can people get into this?
I wrote a free eBook on how the average person could make money on hemp foods with no farm, factory, or finances; “Seedy!.” Start there to learn how to finance your activism with hemp foods.
Also, the Hemp Food Association, the oldest hemp association still existing, offers dozens of exclusive advanced free entrepreneur resources, including Breaking News on hempseed research. Major advances are seen monthly.
Q: With acres in the U.S. down so much, what will it take to get hemp production sustainable here like it is everywhere else?
Indeed, which will be the “Hemp Grain State?” North Dakota? Minnesota? Wisconsin? Montana? Michigan? Pennsylvania? Time will tell which has the vision to move their state’s hemp agriculture forward in a serious and legitimate manner.
A Northern regional co-op growing primarily grain and processing it into value-added branded consumer and industrial foods at a 5 to 100% level is the best bet for hemp’s sustainable expansion in the U.S.
Add an integrated fiber processing facility to separate the hurd and bast, then also make branded consumer and industrial products from those. A vertically-integrated grain and fiber operation committed to brilliant product development and branding has the most potential for sustainable growth and long-term existence. Sub-standard grain can go to animal feed.
That project could even start with just a factory shelling imported hempseed, thus providing the “Made in America” designation. That allows one to start the co-op’s branding, marketing, sales, new product development, and distribution efforts, generating profits to help fund the later factory build-out.
But that’s a big project eventually involving thousands of acres within an hour of the factory, and will require that which Americans are worst at: co-operation. It’s not a one-man, 3-acre CBD processor mentality anymore, but a huge co-op requiring a large number of Stakeholders. Local government assistance and USDA/NIFA and other federal and state grants will be needed. A formidable venture, it’s not for the inexperienced, timid, or vision-challenged to pull off.
Q: Since most people even hempsters don’t know hemp is food and in their local supermarket including Walmart and Costco, or that it is driving acres, sales, and profits everywhere but the U.S., perhaps it’s time to promote it?
Agreed. I’ve done a ton of education over the last 32 years, but I still hear hemp influencers surprised that hemp foods are actually a Thing, despite being the largest hemp segment. I could use some help spreading the word.
Because making foods from shelled hempseed is such an easy phenomenon, no one can corner it and make money like emerging technologies in construction or drug hemp, so they ignore it; no margin then no ink. Altruism is dead, few do good just to do good for the industry without expecting an ROI on every little thing. HempToday® magazine can’t carry the whole load; hempsters need to step up too.
Acres have crashed 95% since legalization in 2018, in part because most of the seed sold on American shelves is from foreign farms and few will talk about hemp’s path out of that mess, her first billion-dollar segment: food from the grain.
Q: Does the fiber industry benefit from growing for hemp grain?
Success in growing hemp grain also requires managing the stalks, roots, and biomass, which are nuisance byproducts. At least 4 times more weight in stalks than the grain harvested is generated for fiber uses, and the dense roots are ideal for producing biochar. But those “nuisances” are a blessing in disguise, free fiber for houses and animal bedding, an essential component of the hemp economic infrastructure, plus valuable biochar from “useless” roots. It’s the rare hemp industry Win-Win-Win.
Q: How can the average person support hemp?
Go to your local supermarket and buy a bag of Hemp Hearts today, any brand. Then use it daily in your cooking; it’s high in omega-3 and protein and tastes like pine nuts. You’ll feel better within a week, I guarantee it. We offer hundreds of free recipes, but it’s not hard to cook with; think sesame or sunflower seed, or soya if making dairy alternatives like milk.
Q: How can people learn more?
I offer two ad-free sites with a huge number of exclusive free resources for people and entrepreneurs to explore…
Hemp Food Association, since 1998: https://the-hfa.org
The Richard Rose Report, since 2019: https://therichardrosereport.com
