Arizona’s budding hemp-growing industry is suffering growing pains as levels of THC that are too high force some farmers to destroy crops instead of harvesting them.
About 41% of the Arizona hemp plants tested for THC, the compound that gives marijuana its high, have failed, according to the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Plant Services Division, which oversees the program.
Growers in other states around the country have had issues managing the THC content of hemp plants, with crops in Hawaii and Nebraska also testing too high, but not as much as in Arizona’s early months, the Arizona Republic reported.
Arizona began issuing hemp-growing licenses to farmers in 2019 and harvesting started later that year.
When lawmakers considered legalizing hemp growing, supporters predicted that the plant use to create CBD oil, rope and other products would an economic boon.
But growers face a challenge in managing crops because the hemp must be destroyed, not harvested, if the THC level is too high.
“At 40%, that’s off the charts,” Sully Sullivan, executive director of the Hemp Industry Trade Association of Arizona, said of the state’s THC findings. “I’m taken aback by that. That’s substantial.”
A Plant Services Division official official had a milder assessment.
“The failure rate is not unexpected based on anecdotal information from around the country regarding variable seed quality and genetic expression, for THC content, between the varieties planted,” Associate Director John Caravetta said in an email.
Arizona farmers began having the agriculture department test their hemp plants’s for THC levels before harvesting started in late 2019.
Dustin Shill, head farmer for Arizona Hemp Supply Co. which has 40 acres (16 hectares) in Yuma, said although his plants haven’t yet been tested by the department, he’s paid for weekly independent testing. His last batch of 10 tests cost $12,000.
“It’s a high-risk deal,” Shill said. “Right now, it’s just a shot in the dark really. It’s crazy.”
Not spending the money to test is too risky, he said, even though testing costs reduces profits.
“But if you don’t spend that money and go into it blind, you’re just rolling the dice. You got to know when to harvest,” Shill said.
“The THC and CBD go hand-in-hand,” he said. “When it’s going up, THC is going up, so it’s a fine line to determine when it’s ready.”
Ryan Treacy, founder and CEO of an Arizona lab that tests cannabis and hemp, said several factors may contribute to failed tests.
Treacy said that just because a seed for a plant worked in another part of the country does not mean it will adapt well to Arizona’s hot and dry climate.
“Stressed plants do crazy things,” he said, adding that the new environment may contribute to a plant having a higher THC level.
The state’s testing process could be another factor.
Despite the early issues, Shill said he is confident Arizona eventually will be one of the best places to grow hemp in the country.
“Arizona is going to dominate this,” Shill said. “It’s just once we get it all figured out.”
As marijuana becomes legal across the country, a select few companies have come to dominate the market with some bad business practices. But Willie Nelson is trying to stop them.
Thirty-five years ago, as Willie was playing his music at Live Aid, a benefit concert for those affected by the famine in Ethiopia, he had the idea for a benefit concert that supports local farmers.
But Bob Geldof, the organizer of Live Aid at the time, thought that his proposal was a “crass, stupid, and nationalistic” conflation of the two issues. As Willie listened to him downplay the importance of farmers affected by a drought, bankruptcy, and a corporate takeover of the industry, it only solidified his desire to start his own concert, thus Farm Aid was born.
In their first year, Farm Aid included artists such as Johnny Cash and B.B. King and raised over $9 million for down-and-out American farmers.
“We were losing like 300 farmers a week” to suicide, Nelson recalls. “[But] things are a little better now. People have started thinking about buying and growing sustainably.”
Since Farm Aid began, a paradigm shift has occurred. People are now talking about sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and organic food, and the likes of Big Tobacco, Big Agriculture, and Big Biotech have become stains on American identity.
Willie Nelson was as much a player in this cultural shift as anybody, but he knows that the battle isn’t over yet. In recent years, Willie has set his sights on something very near and dear to him, marijuana.
As a life-long marijuana smoker, Willie Nelson has a deep concern about the way that cannabis is grown and distributed. Out of this passion for weed came the start-up company Willies Reserve, a company started by Willie and investor Andrew Davison that seeks to bring social responsibility into the pot market.
“I really believe in the environmental aspect of this. It’s a great way to revitalize small farms, and I want to make sure that any product we grow is as clean as we can make it and that, wherever possible, we’re trying to lower the environmental impact of our operations.’” – Andrew Davidson on Willie Nelson’s response to his proposal.
The legalization movement was founded on the values of justice, liberty, and health. Many people, often disproportionately black, have been thrown in jail for victimless crimes relating to cannabis. Although marijuana is now legal to smoke in many places, it is not always legal to grow or sell. In order to do so, you must get a medical permit, or a cannabis business license respectively, in which the government is handing out very few.
“It looks a lot like the concentration of capital that we have seen with Big Alcohol and Big Tobacco. I think that’s problematic for cannabis-law reformers, because it plays into our opposition’s strongest argument.” – Alison Holcomb, drafter of the original cannabis legalization law in Washington State
Big Pot has also begun using harmful pesticides, none of which cannabis activists and consumers ever desired to smoke. Prior to legalization, black market growers typically would not use any pesticides because the quantity of plants tended to be low.
“But when you’re investing millions of dollars in a large cultivation center, you can bet they are not going to take the risk of their crop getting wiped out by mold or mildew or insects.” – Keith Stroup, founder of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
Oddly enough, there are no chemicals approved for use on the cannabis plant. This tends to mean however, that companies are using whichever chemicals they want without much oversight. These chemicals include Avid, Floramite, myclobutanil, and imidacloprid, which professor of entomology at Colorado State University Whitney Cranshaw claims actually develops more mites on the plants.
To make matters worse, labels such as “clean” and “natural” have a striking resemblance to the Big Food term “all natural,” in that there are few regulatory requirements resulting in meaningless labeling used solely to market products as less dangerous than they actually are.
Although Willie Nelson has recently announced his retirement as a weed smoker, he is still in charge of his company and is rumored to take edibles frequently. However, he has stated before that he “[doesn’t] like edibles that much.”
“I had a bad experience the first time I did it. This was 50 years ago. I ate a bunch of cookies, and I lay there all night thinking the flesh was falling off my bones.” – Willie Nelson
Willie’s Reserve empowers local farmers by allowing them the Willie Nelson branding in exchange for particular rules they must follow, such as restrictions on pesticide use and that they must be small companies. This ensures quality weed and empowers small businesses seeking to compete with the big names like Privateer Holdings and Diego Pellicer.
“They [consumers] want to know where the product comes from, they want to know it’s clean and cared for, they want to know it was local grown and that it has a connection to their community.” – Andrew Davidson
Willie has another enemy in the pot industry, GMO Marijuana. In one of the biggest moves to consolidate power in the cannabis industry to date, Bayer and Monsanto are maneuvering to take over the cannabis industry with genetically modified strains, which you can only grow if you have a license from the company.
“These problems could have been fixed on the first day, but you have a lot of bureaucracy and bullshit, a lot of big corporations. So that’s what we’re up against. They’re trying to monopolize it all. That’s horseshit. That ain’t right, and we’ll do everything we can to keep that from happening.” – Willie Nelson
Phillip Schneideris a student as well as a staff writer and assistant editor for Waking Times. If you would like to see more of his work, you can visit his website, or follow him on the free speech social network Minds.
In doing this product review on Two Bears Hemp pre-rolls, I must say I have many reservations and apprehensions on why the hemp / cannabis industry is moving towards Hemp pre-rolled smokes when it seems clearly, much of the world is moving away from this…And it’s a multi-verse world, all things seems to good for some! Who knew I’d find 13 tasty reasons hemp pre-rolls are worth the smoke…
I’m hesitant because I gave up ‘cigarette smoking’ a while back and I then I realize, I do inhale smoke of MMj from time to time, so who am I fooling, smoke without chemicals has been going on since the beginning of time, it seems…so now, I’m good with this! I’m very curious about the difference in taste and feel, not only from herbalMMJ but from tobacco as well. AND, mainly for research and feedback for you our inquisitive readers who’d like to know if these are good enough to give them a smoke. I’m sure, like everything, all brands are different – I’m trying Two Bears Farm, from Durango Colorado.
As I am tasting this delicious Hemp Flower with Lavender pre-roll smoke, here’s what I’m discovering and experiencing to my suprise.
The pre-roll is tightly rolled like a 1 gram smokable joint with a non-filter cardboard tip.
It lights easily and smokes with an even burn, very smooth.
The taste of this one, Hemp Flower with Lavender is somewhat light, sweet and smooth, yet still strong enough to let me feel the inhale – which most smokers desire!
This burns very slowly, not going out right away so I can lay it down for a bit wile I’m writing, and when I pick it up, no worry about re-lighting constantly.
Definitely taste better than an American Spirit AND I feel better about inhaling this – no chemicals at all – pure organic Two Bears Hemp!
What’s most excellent is that these do not have the smell of cigs at all, from the burning chemicals. This is huge for those wanting the feeling of smoking but know cigarettes are so smelly and disruptive in today’s world, mainly because of all the chemicals they have.
Now that I’ve taken 4 or 5 puffs, I do feel kind of’a relaxed euphoria, not high or any feeling associated with MMJ smoking, however I do feel slightly different, in a good way.
Shared this with my non-smoking friend, he appreciated first that it did not smell like MMJ or tobacco. Next he noticed the slightly aroma test, coming from the Lavender in the one we’re sampling. Now, in 10 minutes he’s reporting a kind of euphoric, relaxed feeling – ‘comfortable’, he’s smiling. He took three puffs and yes, he did inhale…lol
Now I’m trying the plain 100% flower that I already smoked yesterday. I must have smoked this same preroll at three separate times, and still only smoked a third of it. Relighting this feels just as smooth as when I first lit it. Not like smoking that harsh taste of a re-lit cig…I actually like the taste and feel of this, very natural.
Shared this with my friend again, he’s a nutritionist who has never smoked tobacco and does not like it! He has smoked MMJ, so there’s that. Again, he appreciated the fact of no chemical nasty smell of cigs around and felt this Hemp Smoke was smoother than MMJ. ‘interestingly’ he said, ‘this gave him a heightened state-of-well-being feeling’. Sweet!
I’ve now left the non burning hemp smoke in the ashtray, left the room and came back – no disgusting smell from the ashtray.
Did I mention these Hemp smokes, aka pre-rolls come packaged in a glass cylinder with a screw on cap. This is perfect because it’s labeled and easy to explain, this is not MMJ, if we must. Also, they’re perfect because you may end up puffing on the same smoke 4, 5, 6 times and this little carrying cylinder is locksolid with no order. And when the cap comes off, I was very surprised to notice, as I tried to, there was little to no odor at all.
Something else has crossed my mind about this. For those who are wanting to quit smoking cigarettes or cut down on smoking herb, MMJ, I would venture to say for me, these Hemp pre-rolls, aka smokes could be a great replacement.
As I mentioned who knew I’d find 13 tasty reasons hemp pre-rolls are worth the smoke… All in all I’m a fan and even look forward to smoking these very tasty Two Bears Hemp Smokes…
Benefits according to Two Bears The benefits are instant Cannabinoids and Terpenes to the body. Since we grow legal hemp, our delta 9 THC content is less than .03% . Their hemp flower was grown with care and organic nutrients and then slow cured to preserve the terpenes (which are a very high percentage at 4%). They are dried in a humidity controlled environment to ensure no mold growth. The plants are grown and cured similar to MJ.
The effects are reduction in inflammation and a possible shift in energy towards relaxation, though it could also be uplifting to some.
Hemp Pre-Rolls
Available In The Following Strains
Cherry Blossom, T1 x Berry Blossom, Cherry Wine, Berry Blossom, Tokyo x Berry Blossom, PM x Berry Blossom, Tokyo x Abacus, T1 x Space Candy, and The Wife
COST – 1 gram – $5 to $10 Depending on Quantity
About TWO BEARS FARM
Founded by Marine Corp veteran, Sara Sheeler in Durango, CO, many of the 20 people on staff are also veterans or folks who deserved a hand up. In our 3rd year of production, Two Bears Hemp Farm has high standards in our conscious & organic practices to care for the hemp plants. By creating abundant, living soil, there’s no need for harsh chemicals. Established in 2017, we have recognized the trials and tribulations of the pioneers that farmed before us. We honor the plant through sacred practices and believe we have what it takes to make it to your doorstep. Our premium hemp is appreciated by people of all backgrounds.
The current rate of plastic production is about one billion tons in three years. That is what a 2016 article in ScienceDaily says, quoting a University of Leicester study. Plastic is inert and hard to degrade. So it becomes a toxic techno-waste that has severe polluting effects on the earth’s biodiversity.
National Geographic reports that plastic kills millions of marine and land animals every year. Experts have found that we are all consuming microplastics. The effects of these microplastics in the food supply may cause damage to our digestive and reproductive systems and eventually lead to an early death.
Mother Nature has provided a simple solution to this menace: The Hemp Plant.
Hemp: A Victim of Human Folly
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is one of the earliest plants that our ancestors cultivated and used. Archeologists have found evidence of the use of hemp fiber some 10,000 years ago. Experts estimate that hemp cultivation began about 8000 years ago.
The many benefits of hemp have been available to human beings for centuries. But its cultivation and use were banned in most countries across the globe in the 20th century. The only crime of the plant is that it belongs to the same species, Cannabis Sativa, as marijuana.
But there is a significant distinction between hemp and marijuana. That is in the concentration levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the component that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties. Marijuana can contain up to 30% of THC per dry weight.
Hemp, in contrast, contains 0.3% THC per dry weight. It does not have the psychoactive potential to get people high. Hemp got banned because this vital difference got overlooked.
The 21st century has, at last, brought a realization of this mistake. Many countries across the globe have now legalized hemp farming and the production of hemp derivatives fully or partially.
With the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Farm Bill 2018), hemp is now legal across the USA. It is also legal in the EU countries as long as the THC content is 0.2%. It is now legal in Australia, Canada and several other European and South American countries.
In Asia, China is the biggest grower and supplier of hemp seed and hemp products across the globe. China also has the longest history of continued hemp production for almost 6000 years.
Hemp Against Plastic
People once hailed the 1907 innovation of synthetic plastic as a solution to a wide range of problems. However, it has now become an unmanageable problem in and of itself. But we do not need any technological innovation to counter it. The hemp plant offers a ready solution.
Hemp fiber can produce a non-toxic and fully biodegradable substitute for plastic. Natural plastic derived from the cellulose fibers in plants has been in use since much before the current petrochemical-based synthetic plastic was invented.
The cellulose fiber in plants is used for producing several varieties of biodegradable plastic. Hemp has about 65-70% cellulose, which makes it a viable plant for natural plastic production.
Henry Ford produced the original Model T Ford in 1941 using hemp plastic panels. This plastic was 10 times stronger than steel in withstanding the impact of a hit without denting.
Substituting synthetic plastic with 100% biodegradable hemp plastic will be a blessing for our environment. Apart from being eco-friendly, hemp is also sustainable.
Why is Hemp Sustainable?
Hemp is sustainable for a variety of reasons. Apart from being a natural source of non-toxic biodegradable plastic, the hemp plant helps in topsoil conservation. Farmers use hemp as an in-between crop to keep their soil fertile.
Hemp cultivation needs 50% less water than cotton. Hemp is totally free from pesticides because it is naturally insect resistant. It is also easy to grow hemp plants organically.
Hemp is a source of paper more efficient than other trees currently used for paper production. One acre of hemp can produce four times more paper than an acre of trees. Incidentally, the first paper ever used was in China, and it was hemp paper.
Hemp is also a source of biofuel. If we use a biofuel derived from hemp, our transportation fuel will be 86% greener than gasoline. It is not for nothing that Henry Ford designed his first Model T hemp plastic car to run on hemp biofuel.
Hemp Plastic and the Chinese Plastic Pollution Riddle
This is an obvious question. If hemp plastic is such an eco-friendly product, why does China still contribute 30% of global plastic pollution? China is the global leader in producing and exporting hemp and its products. It truly seems inexplicable.
But the answer is rather simple, as it happens. First of all, much of China’s plastic pollution is because the country was importing plastic waste from many European countries. China believed that it has solved the recycling problem of single-use plastic. The country started making products out of hemp plastic.
However, because the products proved to be below international standards, China had to stop making them. It also banned the import of plastic waste from European countries in 2016. But the aftermath of this import policy is still far from over.
Secondly, because of the long-term ban on hemp and its products in much of the world, hemp plastic is only just beginning to find its way into public consciousness. As of now, hemp plastic is far more expensive than the kind of cheap single-use plastic the world has become used to.
This is another barrier. Global commitment to end plastic pollution is not high enough to make hemp plastic commercially viable immediately. China is not an exception in this. Only a strong global political will to ban single-use plastic within national boundaries will facilitate the uptake of the more expensive hemp plastic.
If world leaders can actually make a concerted move, planet earth will benefit in a number of ways.
The Many Benefits of Hemp
Hemp seeds are highly nutritious and constitute a source of complete plant-based protein. The omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acid content of hemp seeds is precisely the right proportion (1:3) that the human body needs. Hemp seeds are ideal for vegans as no other plant-based protein is so complete.
Dehulled or unshelled hemp seeds are also rich in fiber. Hulled or shelled hemp seeds lack in fiber content. But even hulled hemp seeds are high in nutrition value. These seeds are also extremely versatile, usable in several ways – cooked or raw.
Hemp seed oil is also equally nutritious with a high content of good fats and a low content of the harmful ones. Cold-pressed hemp seed oil preserves the goodness of the oil in its entirety. Like the seeds, the oil derived from hemp seeds is also versatile.
Hemp seed oil is edible and can be taken by itself or as a salad dressing. It is also good for cooking, except for deep frying. Topical use of hemp seed oil can improve hair and skin health. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
The cannabinoids (CBD) derived from hemp buds, flowers, leaves, and stems have much medicinal potential. CBD oil is particularly good for arthritis. Healthcare professionals have also used it with success to manage anxiety and sleep disorders.
Hemp stalks yield fibers that can be processed into fabric for clothing. Hemp fiber is also used for making ropes and sails. All of these products have natural antibacterial and antifungal properties. Incidentally, canvas used to be made of hemp fabric.
Finally, hemp can also be used as a building material. There are amazing benefits attached to this use as well. This easy to grow plant seems to provide an environmentally sustainable solution to many problems we’ve created for ourselves!
Written By: Vishal Vivek. This originally appeared at PSBiz.net.
The ‘sober’ cousin of marijuana deserves some more time in the spotlight. While it’s not going to give you a buzz, it is capable of an even higher power.
Hemp is already known to produce vital resources such as rope, clothing, and paper, however this humble plant will likely serve an even greater purpose in our immediate future.
Harmful fossil fuels, mountains of plastic, and our ever-growing population are rapidly sucking the earth’s resources dry. We are terribly unsustainable as a population, and our actions have resulted in this climate crisis, which will be the biggest issue that we will ever face, and it’s already happening.
While we may be hoping that some technological advancement will be what saves us, really – it could be as simple as this humble hemp plant. Maybe we don’t need to colonize another planet. But we definitely do need to change our ways.
Not only can hemp produce a biodegradable alternative to plastic, be made into an eco-friendly and sustainable fuel source, and save the trees – it can also work to reduce the negative impacts of industrialization.
As more and more architects turn to hemp as a sustainable material, it may soon be a realistic alternative that with hope, could replace our traditional toxic materials. A biotechnology company known as Mirreco, which is based in Australia has recently shared its plans to 3D print hemp homes.
Mirreco cites environmental concerns as one of their primary motivations. Within their time working with this technology and material, they have developed a way to produce hemp panels which can be used in both residential and commercial building projects.
Mirreco says that these 3D printed panels are “structurally sound, easy to produce, and provide superior thermal performance.”
In a recent statement, the company said:
“Just imagine living and working in buildings that are 3D-printed and available to move into in only a matter of weeks. The floors, walls and roof will all be made using hemp biomass, and the windows will incorporate cutting-edge technology that allows light to pass through glass where it is converted into electricity.”
Currently, there is not enough sand to sustain the increasing demand for conventional concrete. This poses a huge risk in the environmental crisis. Since the specific sand which needed for concrete is often harvested from riverbeds, gathering this, in lieu, destroys the ecosystem and threatens the biodiversity of plants, fish, and animals.
While people don’t often think much of sand, this is actually our second most used natural resource in the world. Surpassed only by water. There is such a high demand for sand that there is an incentive for cartels to fight over resource-rich territories. Yes, the sand mafia exists.
The construction industry really needs to make a change. If they were able to adopt a renewable alternative such as hemp, it could seriously improve many of our social, economic and environmental concerns.
While Mirreco isn’t the first company to make houses out of hemp, they are the first to do so with 3D printing technology. This company may be worth researching and investing in!
