Apr / May / June 2018
ISSUE 03
$7.99
HOW SMALL HEMP FARMERS CAN COMPETE THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION | HEMP-FED MEAT | INSURING THE NEXT HARVEST
Home, Home. • Kentucky Proud • Shelled Hemp Seeds Extra Virgin Hemp Seed Oil Hemp Honey Hemp Protein
victoryhempfoods.com
Kentucky Grown Hemp Growing Hemp Seeds, and Farmers Too.
In life, little victories add up. Like feeding your family delicious, healthy foods that support U.S. farmers, too. That’s why we work with U.S. hemp producers to grow and process the superfood of the future: a tiny grain full of nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, calcium and fiber. A tasty powerhouse packing 50% more protein than almonds and no allergens, that’s never GMO, and requires less intensive farming. Blend it into your morning smoothie or add it to your favorite meal. When you do, you’ll join the move to improve U.S. farming – and benefit everybody. With Victory Hemp Foods, every bite is a little victory.
victoryhempfoods.com
Aceso Wellness promotes energy and mood stability*
Aceso Soothe eases minor aches and pains*
Aceso Calm relieves stress and nervousness*
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
We harnessed the power of whole-plant cannabinoids including CBD from hemp, combined it with time-tested botanicals, terpenes and other natural ingredients to produce targeted results. All of this in a unique, great-tasting effervescent beverage powder or oral spray. Available now at www.MyAceso.com
10% off
enter Hemp20 at MyAceso.com
Restore your basic nature.
Luce Farms, a family hemp farm in Vermont, makes ends meet by raising chickens and goats, as well as producing CBD honey and beer from hemp. Read more on page 60
editor’s note
PARADOXES IN THE traditional
American agricultural industry manifest themselves throughout the supply chain. First, government agencies pay subsidies to farmers so that they won’t farm, then billions of dollars’ worth of produce is wasted in transport while millions go hungry and, all the while, the image of the small pioneering farmer is lauded as the American ideal while regulations promote large corporations instead. Nowhere are the contradictions more evident than in the hemp industry. The hemp plant has no psychotropic effects, yet the federal government refuses to grant it full legality. And while many traditional agricultural commodities — such as corn and cattle — stress the soil and the atmosphere, hemp’s healing properties are left unresearched and its seeds are left unplanted. But thanks to these contradictions, the hemp industry is a unique place for the small farmer. Without insurance, certified seed banks or federally legal marketplaces, the small hemp farmer faces challenges different from traditional small farmers. But this also means that they can thrive in an industry lacking institutional corporate competitors and benefit from a boost in hemp oil prices because of hemp’s relationship with marijuana. In this issue of HEMP, we’re focusing on these small farmers. Over the past few months, we’ve talked to small farmers across America about the problems they’ve faced and the innovative solutions they’ve created to remain profitable and thrive in the industry (“How Small
04 thehempmag.com
Farmers Can Compete,” pg. 50). From a Vermont couple making hemp honey to a Kentucky woman who switched from farming beef to producing hemp for chocolate, this issue profiles the people who form the backbone of the modern American hemp industry. Within these pages, our writers also discuss and debate issues with politicians such as Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) regarding crop insurance (“Insuring the Next Harvest,” pg. 47) and with federal water bureaucrats about hemp farm access to federal irrigation channels (“Water Wars,” pg. 36), and much more. When I talked with Barry Cook, a father of three who farms hemp and nursery stock in Oregon (pg. 52), he said that he thinks one of the biggest factors holding back the hemp industry is the lack of open communication channels between different hemp farmers. “This is an industry that doesn’t communicate as well as traditional agriculture,” Cook told me. “Farmers have a reputation for having strong opinions, but in the hemp industry, we don’t have a history of sharing those opinions with each other.” At HEMP, we’re hoping to open up those communication channels — and to give the small hemp farmer the connections and information they need to succeed. Julia Clark-Riddell, Managing Editor
PHOTO COURTESY LUCE FARMS
Small farmers are finding unique opportunities in the American hemp economy, but the current gray market presents unique challenges.
®
ISSUE Three
features Shane Davis has spent the last few years planting several test fields of hemp for his Boulder Hemp Farms. Read more on page 55
HOW SMALL HEMP FARMERS CAN COMPETE 50
Meet the American family farmers forging new, profitable paths in the hemp industry.
BARRY, SAM & BO COOK 52
NICK AKINS & ETHAN BROWN 58
SHANE DAVIS 54
JOE & REBECCA PIMENTAL 60
By Francesco Guerreri
By Joel Hathaway
ELLIOT BROWN & LYDIA SMITH 56
LAURA FREEMAN 63
A long-time activist in Colorado supports other small farmers and uses sustainable growing methods.
A Colorado couple switches from farming marijuana and starts producing hemp. By Mitchell Colbert
06 thehempmag.com
Two Oregon friends grow hemp for CBD flower, not for oil. By Joel Hathaway A husband and wife team in Vermont makes hemp honey and collaborates on CBD beer.
A Kentucky beef producer and organic pioneer turns to hemp, and back to pesticides. By Annie Rouse
PHOTO COURTESY SHANE DAVIS
An Oregon father and his sons grow hemp and focus on environmental restoration. By Julia Clark-Riddell
ISSUE THREE
Mission Lago Farms’ first hemp crop thrives in 2017 in Central Point, Oregon.
contents
HEMP-FED MEAT? 30
STATE OF HEMP: SOWING SEEDS FOR A NEW SEASON 13
By Joel Hathaway
A federal hemp lobbyist gives the forecast for this year’s planting season and describes the potential storms brewing on hemp’s horizon. By Ben Droz SEEDS OF DOUBT 18
Without widely available certified hemp varieties and with an overeager DEA patrolling the border, hemp farmers struggle to access the seeds they need for successful hemp production. By Annie Rouse
IS HEMP A SOIL SAVIOR? 23
Bankruptcy and lost data have stunted research into hemp’s radioactive remediation abilities, leaving the public left to sift through misinformation. By Mitchell Colbert
08 thehempmag.com
Hemp cultivators are bringing the plant into traditional agriculture and onto your table. SPAGYRIC HEMP EXTRACTION 33
This ancient technique creates a full-spectrum hemp extract containing the plant’s original terpenes, cannabinoids and minerals By Bryan Caruso WATER WARS 36
Hemp farmers in western states face down the federal Bureau of Reclamation for the right to irrigate in time for growing season.
INSURING THE NEXT HARVEST 47
In an increasingly unpredictable environment, hemp farmers look to Washington, D.C. for help insuring their crop against the elements. By A.J. Herrington PRODUCT REVIEWS 66 CBD salves and topicals. By HEMP Staff RECIPE: HEMP ENERGY BARS 69
No cooking is necessary to make these easy energy bars packed with nutrients. By Laurie Wolf
THE FORECAST 70
By Kit O’Connell
The stories on HEMP’s horizon.
THE ROAD TO LEGALIZATION 40
HEMP HINDSIGHT 72
The Hemp Road Trip has traveled through 48 states in two years, bringing a pro-hemp message from sea to shining sea. By Emily Stifler Wolfe
Insight from one of history’s heroes.
TOP PHOTO COURTESY MISSION LAGO
EDITOR’S NOTE 04
1 1/4 98 SPECIAL
LEAN KINGSIZE
PEACEMAKER
EMPERADOR
SUPERNATURAL
CHALLENGE We are the #1 cone in the world – Our cones are the best in the world and smokers overwhelmingly agree. Why would anyone spend $100 on good material and then try to save a penny on a cheap yucky tasting generic cone!
Dusk at Boulder Hemp Farms is a beautiful and melancholic sight, as sun sets over a field of hemp.
Publisher
Eugenio Garcia Art Director
Todd Heath Managing Editor
Julia Clark-Riddell Contributing Editor
Ben Droz Copy Editor
Joel Hathaway Assistant Photo Editor
Emily Joan Greene Advertising
sales @ thehempmag.com Subscriptions
subscribe@ thehempmag.com Editorial Submissions
editorial@ thehempmag.com Stay Connected
facebook.com/hempmagazine instagram.com/hempmag twitter.com/hempmag CONTRIBUTORS
Dan Armstrong Brian Caruso A.J. Herrington Mitchell Colbert Francesco Guerreri Adam Jones Kit O’Connell Annie Rouse Matthew Staver Laurie Wolf Bruce Wolf Emily Stifler Wolfe On the Cover
THEHEMPMAG.COM
10
HEMP TODAY MEDIA, LLC
PHOTO SHANE DAVIS
The Stanley Ranch in Fossil, Oregon plants hemp in June 2017, with consulting help from the Boring Hemp Company. Photo by Barry Cook
HEMP. HEMP.
Cultivated by humans since 8000 BC. Perfected by since 2009.8000 BC. Cultivated byDixie humans since Perfected by Dixie since 2009.
Perfectly balanced with CBD and THC in a 1:1 ratio, Dixie Synergy produces a harmonious
effect greater than the sum of the individual cannabinoids. Our Synergy line of mints, Perfectly withrelief CBD and THC in a treatment 1:1 ratio, Dixie Synergy produces gummies,balanced drops, and balm offer that’s as effective as aitharmonious is precise. effect greater than the sum of the individual cannabinoids. Our Synergy line of mints, gummies, drops, and relief balm offer treatment that’s as effective as it is precise.
state of hemp The family at Boring Hemp Company works to minimize risks with clever signage.
SOWI NG S E E DS F O R A N E W S E AS O N A federal hemp lobbyist gives the forecast for this year’s planting season and describes the potential storms brewing on hemp’s horizon. By Ben Droz
is upon us, and promises to bring another historic harvest. Thousands of acres of federally legal hemp are now being cultivated and new supply chains are bringing wholesome American hemp product to market. Finally, years of grassroots activism are paying off. But just as a farmer faces a slew of uncertainty after they plant their seeds for the season, so too is the hemp industry facing a year of unknowns. Farmers must endure torrential rains and spring storms, but the biggest threat isn’t the weather — it’s legal challenges. Here is the forecast for the upcoming season, as it looks now. THE 2018 PLANTING SEASON
PHOTO EMILY JOAN GREENE
STATE GROWTH
In 2014, prior to the passage of the Farm Bill, ten states had passed hemp legislation. Less than a year later, it had doubled to 20 states ready to grow. Today, at least 34 states have hemp laws, and more than 20 have active programs. In 2015, the first season of legal hemp, seven states planted hemp: Colorado, Kentucky, Hawaii, Indiana, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont. Colorado harvested around 2,300 acres and Kentucky planted 922 acres; ultimately around 4,000 acres were harvested this first legal season. The following year, America more than doubled its hemp harvest to 9,649 acres in 15 states, with participation from 30
universities and 817 hemp licenses issued. The increase in states, universities and acreage showed that the industry was on a strong course for success, which was validated by another year of exponential year in 2017. Last year, more than 25,000 acres of hemp were grown across 19 states, in 32 universities, with 1,456 licenses. We finally have 25,000 acres to match the potential 25,000 uses of hemp (as asserted by a famous Popular Mechanics article in 1938). Judging by this growth trend, 2018 will be our most productive year yet. IS AMERICA READY FOR HEMP?
While 2018 holds promise, challenges exist on the horizon. On Jan. 4, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama-era “Cole Memo,” a toothless act that doesn’t affect hemp, but still foreshadows speed bumps ahead. For example, at an event in February, the undersecretary for the USDA Greg Ibach said, “Opening the door [to hemp] nationwide, with no restrictions, may not be in the best interests of the hemp industry” and reiterated the federal Department of Justice’s jurisdiction over hemp. HEMP-DERIVED CBD STORM BREWING
On Feb. 12, authorities in Tennessee raided 23 stores and confiscated hemp CBD products in what they called “Operation
#hempmag 13
A CBD-rich plant weathers the storm.
Candy Crush.” All charges were later dismissed. In Indiana, similar raids occurred with CBD vendors, until the state’s governor signed a law in March reiterating that selling CBD is legal. While these cases both ended in victory, they sent a chill through the industry and illustrated the power of anti-hemp forces and misinformation.
Medicines Agency granted the drug approval to treat a rare tumor disorder. If Epidiolex is approved by the FDA in late June as anticipated, the federal government could increase enforcement against CBD companies not approved by the FDA, which is to say, everyone besides GW Pharmaceuticals. HEAVY RAINS FOR A ROBUST CROP
Just three days after Operation Candy Crush, a major court heard oral arguments in Hemp Industries Association v. DEA, a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate the DEA’s classification of CBD under the ‘Marihuana Extract Rule.’ Attorney Robert Hoban, with added support from 28 members of Congress, represented the hemp industry well, but the judges still seemed confused by the complexity and immediacy of the CBD issue. The turbulence and challenges with CBD may just be beginning. GW Pharmaceuticals’ new drug, Epidiolex, which is essentially a CBD extract, has been under review by the FDA for years. On Feb. 27, the European
14 thehempmag.com
Despite the challenges, I believe that hemp’s forecast is good and the industry will weather the storms. While we have ongoing challenges, they pale in comparison to our progress. Because of the Farm Act of 2014, American farmers, researchers and businesses will plant tens of thousands of acres of hemp this year. Even without full legal status, we can still build and develop our industry, supply chains and credibility. In fact, as long as hemp is not fully legal, we actually have our foot in the door to the great opportunity to build the industry we want, without influence from gigantic corporations. Hemp is now only available for the true hemp entrepreneurs — the small farmers and the enterprising individuals that make the hemp industry so vibrant and dynamic. When hemp is fully legal, it could open the floodgates, pushing out some small producers to make room for larger corporations. This growing season, we should stay focused on developing the best hemp industry we can and pushing forward long-term values and visions. The planting season is now, so let’s get out there and grow some hemp!
THE URBAN BACKPACK
FIT FOR THE STREETS AVAILABLE IN 3 INDUSTRIAL-INSPIRED COLORS
DimeBags.com
SE E DS OF DOUBT Without widely available certified hemp varieties and with an overeager DEA patrolling the border, hemp farmers struggle to access the seeds they need for successful hemp production. By Annie Rouse | Photos Emily Joan Greene
WHEN BRIAN FURNISH became one of
the first approved hemp farmers under the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, he didn’t think that the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) would seize the seeds he intended to plant, but they did. Fortunately, this didn’t deter Furnish. Instead, he teamed up with thenKentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jamie Comer and attorney Jonathan Miller of Frost Brown Todd. The group sued the DEA shortly after the seizure, forcing the DEA to release the seeds. Four years later, Furnish is still planting hemp on his 2,000-acre farm, but says he hasn’t had to deal with anymore DEA legal battles when it comes to acquiring seeds. Furnish says the process “is much more streamlined now, because the state Department of Agriculture knows how to do it now. They know what the DEA expects [and] the DEA knows what they want.” Still, Furnish says, “It takes a lot of paperwork … but if you do the paperwork right, you can have seed to you in seven to ten days.” Today, Furnish gets his seeds from Ecofibre, an Australian company that has acquired a large seed bank from around the world. But other farmers have much more trouble acquiring seeds and genetics than Furnish. Kentucky farmer Michael Johns has taken incredible risks to source hemp seeds. Her family farm, Greenman Gardens, grew from seed last year, but had issues with consistency in the cannabinoid spectrum. Some of their
28 thehempmag.com 18
greenhouse plots tested well below the legal THC concentration, whereas other plots, using the same seed variety, tested well above the legal THC concentration. Some of this inconsistency may be related to stress, but it could also be related to unstable seed varieties. Given the inconsistencies with seed variety, Greenman Gardens has moved towards clones, but in order to clone the plants, the farm had to acquire their own genetics. The process was not simple. After locating a few genetic sources, Greenman Gardens worked with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture to ensure the varieties had success growing in Kentucky. Johns then drove out to Colorado to solidify an agreement with a trustworthy genetics source, and then drove the mother plants back to Kentucky for reproduction. For now, Greenman Gardens felt this option was the best way to move their growing operation forward while they search for more stable seed varieties. CREATING RELIABLE GENETICS IN THE U.S.
Today, there are genetics firms focusing on fixing the seed dilemma in the hemp industry. For example, New West Genetics — a Colorado-based genetics research and development company working to create hemp cultivars for grain, cannabinoids and fiber — has been collecting feral and donated seeds and then crossbreeding the seeds over many generations to create variations. New West then selects for desired traits such as uniformity, cannabinoid profiles, terpenes or seed size.
According to Wendy Mosher, CEO and cofounder of New West Genetics, their varieties are “designed to be harvestable with existing, large-scale mechanical equipment that are on farms right now.” However, designing these plants isn’t an easy process. It takes years to make a good variety and the process involves a thorough analysis of the genetic traits. Breeders also must be patient and “willing to throw out 99 percent of what they are growing,” says Mosher. Eventually, the analytical data is used to certify the plant variety, which is helpful for farmers and for protecting the intellectual property through patents. In January, New West Genetics became the first company in the United States to have an approved U.S.-bred certified hemp seed cultivar, NWGElite. Now that it is certified, the company will begin to multiply the seed so processors and their farmers can license the variety, but this process also takes considerable time. Certified seeds are more approachable for farmers, given that the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) also validates traits like germination rate and, in the case of hemp, proof that the variety tests below the 0.3 percent THC threshold. FOR NOW, SOME FARMERS ARE IMPORTING THEIR SEED STOCK
While there are not many certified hemp varieties in the United States, they are plentiful abroad. Companies like Ecofibre, Atalo
Barry Cook, owner of Boring Hemp Company, sifts through the seeds for his next hemp crop.
#hempmag 19