The room was buzzing at the National Industrial Hemp Council (NIHC) Event in Portland OR, this month of August 2019.
Conversations with attendees from all over the world, on and off stage was the explosion of Hemp beyond CBD. How refreshing to know that those who have educated themselves in this arena know, Hemp/Cannabis will be the ‘what’ that saves all of us with its emerging multi-billion dollar industry, way beyond CBD. Hemp is the next Industrial economic, environmental and wellness evolution.
The presenters covered everything from Hemp Farming to Hemp Banking along with all the many facets Hemp can grow in; textiles, biofuel, plastic, paper, hemp buildings, clothing, automotive, any thing petrochemical can be made with hemp.
It seems the larger companies from around the world are seeing the writing on the wall. CBD is the small corner stone to bring Hemp medicine back into the world. In the meantime on a much grander scale there’s the entire industrial hemp industry about to blossom in our country!
NIHC had some excellent speakers and presenters. Among them was the Honorable Jeff Merkley, US Senator for the State of Oregon; Jay Noller, Director and Lead Researcher at Oregon State University’s Global Hemp Innovation Center; Greg Ibach, US Department of Agriculture; Kate Greeberg, Colorado Department of Agriculture; Ed Elfmann, Agricultural Policy for the America Bankers Association; Lowell Schiller JD, Commissioner, Policy of the Food and Drug Association.
NIHC – Aligning Your Marketing with Hemp Production
THE .03% HEMP LAW
It seems the policy makers are under many guidelines they must adhere too that truly need adjustments and as we know, everything in the bureaucratic world moves very slowly. Example, the .03% THC is the definition of legalized Hemp. This .03% seems to be an arbitrary number that would satisfy the FDA for food and drug products in the Hemp arena. However the question comes up over and over, what happens if a farmer grows ‘hot’ and the THC exceeds .03%? The answer right now is, the crop must be destroyed! Which is why Farmers Insurance has been created!
For many of us, especially women (just sayin), because we like to think beyond ‘what is’, why does it matter if the Hemp crop is hot at .06% or even 10%? This ‘hot’ hemp crop would be perfect for HempCrete, Hemp shoes, Hemp Biofuels, Hemp Plastics, Hemp Textiles and so many more hemp industrial uses. Why would FDA care what percentage a hemp tennis shoe or hemp graphite, or biofuel is? Why do we need to pay such close attention to the THC level if it is not a food or drug? Those questions were asked and no real answer came from it. What was said regarding the .03% Hemp Law is ‘this is what Congress has made Law, therefore it’s what it is and where we’re at right now’. My response was, ‘However, how does a farmer put their life on the line financially, knowing if not perfect, they could lose a lot? Why not allow this hemp to produce the rest of the mega Hemp Industry?’ The response from the Honorable Jeff Merkley, US Senator for the State of Oregon, ‘everything takes time’ – my response, ‘we need to start pushing for this now, with Climate Change happening, time is not on our side!’
Women of Vision –
I do want to acknowledge the women who spoke and presented in their earnestness and factual materials. Brie Abramowicz of Phylos.; Amy Ansel, and Tanya Hart of TITANBioPlastics.com and Lucy Infeld of Beveridge&Diamond and many more women I met off the stage. Marylou Burton of the Cannabis Collaborative Conference, CCC-CON.com Gina Kolhage of Cannabiz Journal Cannabizjournal.com, TanyaHeart of TITANHEMP, TitanHemp.net, Ptricia Sheikh, Roots of Peace, Roots of Peace.org, Dr Jamie Green, ThinkandGrowFrams – ThinkandGrowFrams.com.
I’m acknowledging these three women because of the deep care and commitment to what’s right for our world and our people right now They all seem to agree, time is of the essence today for tomorrow’s sustainable world to grow!
I am grateful to be have attended NIHC 2019 Hemp Business Summit in Portland.
ABOUT NIHC is for the Awareness, Growth and Integrity of the Industry.
- We promote public awareness and understanding of industrial hemp and hemp industry.
- We promote the sustainable long term growth and profitability of the industry
- We provide a strong, unified voice on legislative, regulatory and policy issues that affect the hemp businesses.
- We protect and enhance the integrity of the hemp industry.
NIHC is a network of organizations available as a resource for industry and consumers to learn more about the availability, applicability, and proven benefits for hemp and its derivatives.
I highly encourage those of you who earnestly wants to see change in the laws of this mega industry begin going to HEMP Events and make your voice heard. It’s amazing how many people came to me afterwards and thanked me for asking the questions that, ‘needed to be asked’. As a journalist and a huge activist of the Hemp world, there’s no way I can not ask these questions. The full legalization of the cannabis plant will be the greatest change our entire planet could benefit from. Game is on, get involved, it’ll make a world of difference!
Together We Grow!
Darlene Mea
CEO/FOUNDER
