Have you heard the saying, “you can see the soul of a dog through their eyes?” We have an undying love for our canine friends which inherently causes an immense amount of sadness when we see them suffer. CBD oil can have a profound impact on helping to minimize our canine’s pain and discomfort.

This amazing oil extract derived from the hemp plant can reduce inflammation, joint pain, and relieve an array of other physical ailments, such as seizures for our beloved furry friends. CBD is also life-changing for dogs who suffer from owner separation anxiety, as well as loud, triggering noises that cause undue stress on so many dogs, like Fourth of July fireworks. CBD oil may come to your loved one’s rescue, calming and soothing your canine when they need it most.

5 PERCENT OF DOGS SUFFER FROM SEIZURES

Five percent of dogs suffer from seizures with the two most prominent types being epileptic and idiopathic seizures. If your dog experiences seizures, it’s essential to visit or consult a veterinarian. Commonly prescribed drugs, such as phenobarbital and potassium, can be of help but also be harmful to your dog’s organs. In some cases, CBD oil may be a safer, natural solution to minimize and reduce the severity of canine seizures.

Safety is undoubtedly a primary focus when considering how and what to utilize to relieve your canine’s symptoms. CBD impacts the dog’s endocannabinoid system, a network of receptors throughout the brain, nervous system, and immune system. Dogs are extremely sensitive to THC, the active ingredient in psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”). For canines, it’s important to avoid using any tinctures or CBD products which have even trace amounts of THC. Dogs can have strong reactions to amounts far smaller than humans would even notice.

HOW TO GIVE CBD OIL TO DOGS WITH SEIZURES

CBD oil for dogs is administered orally by tincture form, capsules or dog treats. You can give CBD to dogs between one to two times daily. The same “finding your sweet spot” dosing regimen used for humans is the same used for animals as well.  After giving the same dosage for a 5-7 day period without desired relief of symptoms, you will want to consider adjusting the dosage with your veterinarian’s guidance. Usually, start very small and adjust upwards with your veterinarians’ guidance.

There is often a stereotypical misconception that our dogs will obtain a euphoric high from CBD oil. CBD itself is a non-psychoactive compound and does not produce the intoxicating effect like the psychoactive compound, THC. Again, it is important not to give your dog any amounts of THC as even the trace amounts found in most CBD oils can accumulate in the body over time with consistent usage.

GETTING STARTED WITH CBD OIL FOR YOUR DOG

What should you do before starting CBD oil for a dog with seizures? Just as you would with a human, it’s vital to your dog’s health to establish care with a reputable veterinarian. If possible, find a vet that understands the value in the holistic and natural approach and supports using CBD oil. Schedule a consultation to discuss the core benefits of CBD oil, dosaging and why it may be a safer alternative.

You may be wondering if the CBD oil used for humans is any different than CBD oil for dogs. The answer should really be no. Both humans and pets require the same quality of pure hemp extract. Low quality CBD oil can be riddled in heavy metals, solvents, pesticides, or evewn molds. Bad quality CBD oil isn’t good for humans or pets. It is important to use a high quality, full spectrum, zero-THC CBD Oil derived from organically grown hemp for yourself and your pet. The only differences of the CBD oil between humans and dogs are the potency amounts and sometimes the carrier oils. In tinctures, organic coconut oil is the best for dogs as they digest, though some humans may develop flatulence or more frequent bowel movements from coconut oil.

CBD OIL CAN HELP DOGS LIVE BETTER LIVES

Dogs leave paw prints on our hearts. As loving owners, we can further help them in times of need. The same natural remedies that benefit us can sometimes help our dogs too. As long as you take the time to consult with your veterinarian and do the research, CBD oil can be of great assistance when it comes to helping your dog get back its fun loving, energetic self.

The post Best CBD Oils for Dogs With Seizures & Epilepsy [2022] appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Canopy Growth, based in Canada, launched their lawsuit on December 22, 2020. That’s the same day the massive cannabis corporation received an expansion on a key patent, according to Marijuana Moment.

The Canopy Growth lawsuit “will impact the industry for the next 100 years.”

Troy Ivan, CEO of ExtractCraft

The Canopy Growth lawsuit could have lasting consequences for the hemp and cannabis industry. At issue is a patent, currently owned by Canopy Growth, which covers CO2 extraction. Nearly every brand in the hemp and cannabis industry uses some form of CO2 extraction. This key technology has decades of use by chemists, cannabis researchers and scientists.

If they win their lawsuit, Canopy Growth wants GW Pharma to pay for the use of CO2 extraction in the creation of a prescription CBD drug. In theory, they could then demand fees from dozens or hundreds of other hemp companies. Some limitations apply to how long Canopy Growth could use the patent to demand licensing fees from other brands. However, the impact of the lawsuit could be long lasting, setting the tone for a growing industry.

A battle of cannabis-industry behemoths

UK-based GW Pharmaceuticals is the creator of Epidiolex, a CBD-based treatment for severe epilepsy. Epidiolex is the first U.S. Food & Drug Administration-approved medication based on a cannabis plant extract.

While multiple methods of extracting CBD and THC from hemp or cannabis exist, CO2 based extraction is the current gold standard. Consumers and researchers alike prize these extracts, which are pure and free of solvents and other toxins. Though the patent covers CBD or THC extracts, the best extracts usually feature other cannabinoids and terpenes to create the desirable “entourage effect.”

GW Pharma and Canopy Growth represent two of the most powerful companies in the industry. The core issue: whether basic cannabis extraction technologies can be patented, could reverberate for years.

Troy Ivan, CEO of ExtractCraft, told Ministry of Hemp that the legal battle between these two behemoths would be “incredibly fun to watch.”

However, he said that the results of the Canopy Growth lawsuit “will have a very powerful impact on the industry for the next 100 years, one way or another.”

Purchased patent leads to Canopy Growth lawsuit

At the heart of the Canopy Growth lawsuit is Patent 10,870,632, “a method for producing an extract from cannabis plant matter.”

In the lawsuit, Canopy Growth claims ownership over “pioneering processes for extracting cannabidiol (CBD).”

The patent specifically covers the extraction of THC and CBD, along with the related acidic forms (THC-A and CBD-A) of these major cannabinoids. Researchers at Bionorica originally obtained the patent. But Bionorica sold their cannabis research business to Canopy Growth in May 2019.

Ivan told us he believed Canopy Growth purchased Bionorica’s cannabis business, including the patent, “specifically for this agenda.” In other words, they intended all along to try to profit off of other brands’ use of this key technology.

In response to inquiries about the lawsuit, Canopy Growth sent us a brief prepared statement from Phil Shaer, their chief legal officer. The statement claims that the patent represents “pioneering processes for extracting cannabidiol (CBD).”

However, though the patent was first filed in 2001, it’s likely that cannabis enthusiasts and researchers have been using CO2 extraction since at least the 1990s.

Canopy Growth lawsuit could be ‘terrible for consumers and the industry’

“We have no interest in restricting access to Epidiolex^®,” Shaer wrote in the Canopy Growth lawsuit statement, “but the Company should be fairly compensated for GW’s use of our intellectual property.”

Neither Shaer nor any other representative of Canopy would answer further questions from us.

If Canopy Growth wins, it seems unlikely that they will stop with demanding licensing fees from just GW Pharma. Why should they, when virtually every major CBD and THC extract producer uses CO2 extraction?

While stressing that he isn’t a patent lawyer, Eric Steenstra, president of Vote Hemp, expressed grave concern over the lawsuit.

“If Canopy prevails, it will be terrible for consumers and the industry.”

Could Canopy Growth become ‘patent trolls’?

It seems to us at Ministry of Hemp that Canopy is becoming what’s often known as a “patent troll.”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation wrote that the patent system “is “supposed to represent a bargain between inventors and the public.”

By protecting a unique invention for a period of time, inventors are encouraged to innovate, with that technology eventually becoming accessible to all after the exclusivity period ends.

“If Canopy prevails, it will be terrible for consumers and the industry.”

Eric Steenstra, President of Vote Hemp

In the hands of a patent troll, intellectual property doesn’t protect innovation. It stifles it. A patent becomes a weapon instead of protection.

While we’re not patent lawyers either, it appears that Canopy Growth wants to control a technology with widespread use. It could become prohibitively expensive for smaller companies to bring their products to market, even if they represented a new or unique use for a CO2 extract.

These added expenses and legal threats could be disastrous for the hemp industry, which is struggling to find its footing amid a pandemic, just 2 years after federal legalization.

We’ll continue to closely monitor the Canopy Growth vs. GW Pharmaceuticals lawsuit, and update this article accordingly.

Conflict of interest disclaimer: The author owned 4 shares of Canopy Growth stock, which he sold just before writing this article. As of this writing, he owns a single share of GW Pharmaceuticals stock in a very small portfolio of cannabis industry stocks.

The post Canopy Growth Sues GW Pharma Over CO2 Extraction Patent appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Reports of Figi’s death first appeared online on April 7. According to a Facebook post by the family, Figi died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest after an extremely severe seizure, likely brought on by illness. Her entire family were sick with a severe illness resembling COVID-19 for a month prior.

Figi suffered from Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy that begins in the first year of life. People with Dravet syndrome suffer frequent, intense, prolonged seizures and the condition resists conventional forms of epilepsy treatment. Remarkably, cannabidiol, a natural compound found in cannabis that’s better known as CBD, brought relief from the hours-long seizures she often suffered, reducing their length and frequency.

In 2014, International Business Times called Charlotte Figi “the girl who is changing medical marijuana laws across America.” Through the lobbying efforts of the Figi family, Charlotte became the figurehead of a nationwide movement. Soon, lawmakers changed cannabis laws, allowing thousands of children and others with severe, untreatable epilepsy to access CBD. She helped lead the way to nationwide legalization of hemp in 2018.

A low-THC, high CBD strain of hemp called “Charlotte’s Web,” one of the first strains bred for this purpose, is named for Figi. Charlotte’s Web, the largest CBD supplement brand in the industry, also bears her name.

CBD pioneer dies amid growing COVID-19 pandemic in U.S.

Reports of Charlotte Figi’s death first appeared on April 7 in a Facebook post made by a friend of the family. 

“Charlotte is no longer suffering,” the post reads, “She is seizure free forever.”

As of this time, the post has been shared over 7,500 times.

“Charlotte was ten feet tall and carried the world on her shoulders.”

Memorial email from Charlotte’s Web CBD brand staff

KRDO, a local news station from Colorado, where Figi lived, reported that Charlotte died from COVID-19. However, an update posted by Charlotte’s mother Paige, corrected the record somewhat. Although Charlotte did not test positive for COVID-19, doctors treated her as a COVID-19 patient due to her symptoms and the timing of her illness. The test for the COVID-19 virus may be inaccurate in as many as 30% of cases.

People with epilepsy are not considered “immunocompromised” or otherwise extra vulnerable to infection by the COVID-19 virus. Even though many of the worst victims are much older, everyone is vulnerable to this pandemic, regardless of age. KRDO reported 179 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Colorado so far.

On April 8, USA Today reported 404,352 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. Nationwide, COVID-19 has killed at least 13,829 so far. Many other reports suggest these figures could be far too low. There is currently no cure or vaccine.

Charlotte Figi stood ‘ten feet tall’: Young girl inspired thousands 

Charlotte Figi was one of the most visible of several young children whose examples helped change cannabis laws. Even the most conservative lawmaker finds it difficult to ignore a suffering child.

Beyond state legislatures, Figi inspired thousands to investigate the potential of cannabis to heal. Numerous studies show CBD and other cannabinoids can relieve symptoms of epilepsy in children. Dravet syndrome can be fatal and Figi required frequent hospitalizations due to her intense seizures. In June 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, a prescription-only CBD-based treatment for severe epilepsy. This was the first time the FDA acknowledged the medical benefit of cannabis. We see it as another part of Charlotte’s legacy.

“Charlotte was ten feet tall and carried the world on her shoulders,” wrote the staff of the Charlotte’s Web CBD brand, in a memorial email sent on Tuesday. The email continued:

“Inspiring is a lacking word, as are courageous and vivacious and strong and beautiful. … She grew, cultivated by a community, protected by love, demanding that the world witness her suffering so that they might find a solution. … Charlotte, then, became everyone’s daughter or sister or friend and enlivened empathy and love from anyone who had the privilege of hearing her story, as millions did. Her story built communities, her need built hope, and her legacy will continue to build harmony.”

All of us at Ministry of Hemp mourn Charlotte’s Figi’s death. Our thoughts are with her surviving family and friends. It is deeply tragic that, after finding relief from Dravet syndrome, Figi died at such a young age. We believe her legacy will continue to grow, as more people hear her story and discover the ways CBD and hemp can heal.

The post Charlotte Figi, CBD Movement Pioneer, Dies At Age 13 appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound that is present in hemp, a close relative of marijuana. It is nonpsychoactive—meaning, it doesn’t make people feel stoned. CBD is also known to have various medical benefits that can help relieve patients from pain, inflammation, anxiety, lethargy, and other conditions. When taken, CBD allows a person to feel relaxed without the intoxication.

WHAT MAKES CBD DIFFERENT FROM THC AND OTHER CANNABINOIDS?

CBD is notably different from other cannabinoids, or chemicals which are found in hemp and cannabis. While all other cannabinoids interact with two significant receptors in the nervous system, CB1 and CB2, CBD has very little effect on both of them. CB1 receptors are found in different parts of the brain, including those concerned with emotion, sensory perception, memory, and cognition. CBD does not induce a mind-altering state.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), on the other hand, is another story. It is the chemical responsible for majority of cannabis’s psychological effects, sending you on a cerebral adventure. It is found mainly in the resin secreted by the glands of the marijuana plant. THC attaches itself to both CB1 and CB2 receptors. This activates them and affects a person’s thinking, perception, memory, pleasure, and concentration, making the person feel high.

CBD may also moderate the effects of THC. While some people report anxiety from consuming marijuana, strains which are high in CBD tend to cause less of these effects. CBD itself may be beneficial in the treatment of anxiety.

POSSIBLE NEUROLOGICAL EFFECTS OF CBD

CBD is known to have several medicinal properties, but because the field of marijuana studies is fairly young, more research is needed to explore the properties of marijuana’s compounds. Here are some of the possible medical benefits of CBD. More research is needed to determine whether CBD can effectively be used to treat all these conditions.

• Neuroprotective Effects

CBD could be useful when treating neurological diseases because it protects neurons from degeneration. In a study about Alzheimer’s, CBD was seen to hinder and the development of Alzheimer’s symptoms.

• Analgesic Effects

CBD has proven itself useful in suppressing pain. It is able to inhibit neuronal transmission without causing analgesic tolerance. Because of this, researchers suggest that CBD and other nonpsychoactive components can be used as a foundation to the treatment of chronic pain.

• Antitumor Effects

Studies have shown that very high doses of CBD no toxic effects in humans and that it might be used to inhibit the growth of cancer cells due to its antitumor properties. This could even help treat leukemia and similar diseases.

• Antianxiety Effects

CBD has been shown to reduce anxiety in patients. Researchers have also suggested that it can be used on patients with a variety of related conditions including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In a 2011 study, a test was administered to 24 patients with social anxiety disorder. 1.5 hours before the test, the patients were given CBD or placebo. It was found out that the anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in patients who were pretreated with CBD had significantly reduced, compared to those in the placebo group.

HOW CBD WORKS IN THE BRAIN

CBD produces effects through various molecular pathways. Although CBD does not really bind with two of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, it acts through several different receptor-independent channels. CBD enhances and inhibits the binding action of certain protein-coupled receptors.

Listed below are some of the receptor systems and their relationship with CBD.

• Serotonin System

CBD targets a specific serotonin receptor, the serotonin 1A receptor. Its affinity with this receptor is associated with a lot of CBD’s therapeutic properties.

Take note that serotonin receptors regulate the release of hormones like cortisol, which is responsible for metabolism and reactions to stress, and oxytocin, which affects social behavior. Serotonin receptors also affect a person’s mood, cognition, and appetite.

Enhancing the activation of serotonin 1A receptors supports the theory of how CBD impedes certain problems and disorders such as neuropathic pain, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and nausea from chemotherapy.

• • Vanilloid Receptors

CBD binds to TRPV1 receptors, which are also called vanilloid receptors, to achieve a therapeutic effect. As an ion channel, TRPV1 plays a role in thermoregulation (temperature regulation), inflammation, and the perception of pain.

• • Orphan Receptors

GPR55 is called the orphan receptor because researchers are still not sure if it belongs to a larger receptor family tree. It is involved in the process of modulating blood pressure, bone reabsorption, and bone density.

When it is overactive, GPR55 may cause osteoporosis. GPR55 also contributes to the multiplication and migration of cancer cells. CBD blocks GPR55 signaling. This could affect the likelihood of cancer cells proliferating under the right conditions.

• • Nuclear Receptors

Peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPARs), also known as “nuclear receptors,” are activated by CBDs to produce an anticancer effect. They are found on the surface of the cell’s nucleus. When activating a receptor known as PPAR-gamma, an antiproliferative effect begins. Its activation also causes tumors to regress in lung cancer cell lines.

CBD AS AN ANANDAMIDE REUPTAKE INHIBITOR

According to a study, CBD in the brain inhibits anandamide reuptake and breakdown, which increases endocannabinoid levels in the brain’s synapses. Anandamide is an extremely powerful, cannabis-like chemical in the brain. This, in turn, has neuroprotective effects against seizures and other problems.

Since it is a plant compound, CBD has to pass through the cell membrane to get inside a human cell and bind with a nuclear receptor. It does this by attaching itself with a fatty acid binding protein (FABP), which takes it into the cell’s interior. The same intracellular molecules also transport THC and the brain’s cannabis-like molecules, the endocannabinoids anandamide and 2AG, to different parts inside the cell.

CBD has a strong attraction to three kinds of FABPs. This causes CBD to compete with endocannabinoids. Once endocannabinoids are inside the cell, anandamide is broken down by fatty acid amide hydrolase, a metabolic enzyme. CBD interferes with endocannabinoids’ process by reducing anandamide’s access to transport FABP and delaying it from entering the cell.

THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF CBD IN THE BRAIN

CBD has therapeutic properties that can aid individuals facing both physically and psychologically related problems.

• • Anxiety, Stress, and Depression

While THC can amplify the anxiety in some people, a study done by Neurotherapeutics suggests that CBD can help lessen the anxiety felt by people with particular anxiety disorder. The neurological effects of CBD could lead to it being used as a supplement to existing treatments like pharmaceutical drugs.

• • Epilepsy

A study posted in Epilepsia suggested that CBD is able to treat epilepsy and neuropsychiatric disorders. Since CBD has antiseizure properties, it has a low risk of adverse side effects on people who already have epilepsy. Because of this, there are more and more studies being conducted with the focus to treat many of the disorders linked to epilepsy, such as neuronal injury, neurodegeneration, and psychiatric diseases.

• • Sleep Quality

Since CBD can help reduce anxiety, this, in turn, can help out with sleep difficulties. It may increase the overall amount spent sleeping by subduing chronic pain and insomnia. At a small dosage, CBD induces wakefulness and reduces daytime sleepiness, but heavy doses taken a few hours before bedtime have a balancing effect that often leads to a good night’s sleep.

CBD’s IMMENSE POTENTIAL

While most of the studies have put their focus on understanding THC, cannabidiol has been consistently showing great potential with regard to its medical uses. It is important to understand all the properties of cannabis and hemp so that people can use it to help benefit the human body.

As they understand this chemical more, scientists may find newer ways to improve human health and healing, without having the fear of the stigma that comes with cannabis.

The post CBD In The Brain: The Neurological Effects Of CBD Oil appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

It’s called hempcrete, a composite made from fibers of the industrial hemp plant mixed with lime.

The United States is perfectly positioned for a hempcrete building boom. Interest in green building is growing as people seek out sustainable, low-cost alternatives to traditional buildings made from petrochemicals or dwindling natural resources like wood. At the same time, the stigma around hemp is disappearing as more learn about the plant’s benefits. Hempcrete has unique health benefits and, because it enables low cost, modular design, it could even be a part of the solution to America’s affordable housing crisis.

“It’s just an awesome material,” declared Greg Flavall, CEO of Hemp Technologies, a leading builder of hempcrete homes. “I’ve never seen anything like it and we have studied other materials like flax, corn stalks, linseed oil stalks, even wood, and hemp wins by far hands down.”

In 2009, Hemp Technologies oversaw the first permitted hemp home build in North America, in North Carolina. However, hemp’s uncertain legal status sent Flavall to New Zealand, where the crop was legal to grow for use in building materials. He’s traveled the world helping create hempcrete structures ever since, working on everything from jungle cabanas to wine tasting rooms. Now that hemp is becoming popular in the U.S., demand for his services is skyrocketing here too.

We recently caught up with Flavall to learn more about why hempcrete is better than other green building materials, and to hear about one of his most recent projects, a home retrofit which could soon be part of an upcoming TV show on hempcrete homes.

HEMPCRETE IS HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE AND AFFORDABLE TOO

Agricultural hemp is the close cousin of psychoactive cannabis or “marijuana” (the plant people consume to get high). While marijuana is prized for its flowery tops, hemp is grown for its tall, fibrous, leafy stalks which are a little bit similar to bamboo. Hempcrete is made from hemp shivs, which are the fibrous, woody core of those stalks, also known as the hurd. The shivs are chopped up into chips, which are mixed with water and a lime binder to form concrete-like stone slabs that have a pleasant, earthy appearance that many people find appealing.

Hemp is a more sustainable option than many other commonly grown crops, because it requires very few pesticides and can easily be grown in very dense plots. But the benefits don’t stop there, especially when it comes to hempcrete homes.

“We have seen, anecdotally, reductions in healthcare cost and absenteeism because of living in a hemp building,” Flavall said.

Like many aspects of hemp science, more research will be needed to prove how significant a health benefit hempcrete can have for its occupants, but Flavall’s claims make sense when you consider the many documented beneficial characteristics of the material. Much like the original hemp plant, hempcrete is known to be extremely pest resistant. It’s also extremely durable and fire resistant, which is especially important when Flavall builds in environments like New Zealand, where both rain and seismic tremors are extremely frequent.

“Hempcrete works so extremely well. It dries out, it continues to breathe, and it makes the indoor quality of living phenomenal.”

As hempcrete dries, it absorbs the carbon dioxide produced by the occupants and grows harder, essentially turning to stone. Not only does this make the building stronger, but it makes hempcrete into a carbon-negative building material by leaving less of the greenhouse gas in the atmosphere than is produced by building with it. Even in this form, hempcrete remains “breathable” — homes remain rain proof but permeable to gases and moisture are less prone to mold and better for the overall health of their occupants.

According to Flavall’s calculations, hempcrete buildings in the U.S. remain carbon neutral even though most of the hemp used in current building projects must be imported from overseas. It’s also a surprisingly affordable option: he said it meets or beats other common building materials in up-front costs when used properly, in addition to incredible savings on heating and cooling costs over the lifetime of the building.

“At the end of the day when you turn the key to move into your new home you’re at the same price as regular construction,” Flavall said.

MAKING FRIENDS WITH HEMPCRETE: HEMP HOME RETROFIT BECAME A ‘RELATIONSHIP BUILDER’ FOR PETERSEN FAMILY

“Our hempcrete project began with a passion for natural building,” Stacey Petersen told us.

After other sustainable building fans tipped her off to their work, Greg Flavall and Hemp Technologies led a major hempcrete retrofit of the Petersen family’s home, located in Excelsior Springs, Missouri, in December 2017.

The simplicity of working with hempcrete allowed everyone, even family friends, to participate in the building process.

“It’s not rocket science to build like this and it really brings people together,” Petersen recalled. “It was a relationship builder on top of having our house insulated with hempcrete.”

Stacey’s husband, Jon Petersen, is the Pastor of Ministries at Desperation Church In Liberty, Missouri, and their embrace of the hemp is another sign that the stigma around this misunderstood crop is disappearing. Not only are they already planning their next hemp project using leftover supplies (“a greenhouse or a mother-in-law cottage,” Petersen told us), but they also use CBD oil, an extract of industrial hemp, to ease symptoms of severe epilepsy in their 10-year old son, Jeriah.

A growing body of research suggests CBD oil helps kids with epilepsy, and that’s been true for Jeriah as well. While not a miracle cure — he still suffers from severe seizures that sometimes land him in the hospita l– the supplement seems to reduce the number of seizures. Perhaps even more importantly, Stacey Petersen believes it helped the family wean Jeriah off a potentially dangerous medication which was actually making his symptoms worse.

‘There’s one kid in Colorado who’s been trying to wean this drug for a year and a half, it’s so intense, and we were able to do it in about 2 months.”

The Petersens are continuing to use CBD as Jeriah explores other forms of treatment, and his illness also inspired their interest in hempcrete. Since Jeriah uses a wheelchair, the Petersens swapped their previous multi-story home for single-story 1960s house of about 2300 square feet.

“My son, obviously he has a lot of challenges so we need healthiest living environment possible for him,” Stacey Petersen said when I asked her about the appeal of hempcrete.

But she also told us she loves that hempcrete is fire and termite resistant, and requires very little upkeep. “Anything to make my life more simple I’m all about that!”

HEMPCRETE HOMES ON TV AND HEMPCRETE AFFORDABLE HOUSING: LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE

The retrofit of the Petersen’s new home was filmed for a prospective new TV series, “HT Global Hemp House Build,” currently being developed in a partnership between Flavall and Diana Oliver of Thunderbird Productions, producer of the Hempsters documentary series. The show is currently seeking sponsors, but they’ve already filmed multiple episodes including the one featuring the Petersens which will be cleverly titled “The Hempster and the Pastor.”

Flavall and Oliver worked together on a pilot episode in 2011, along with Ervin Dargon of Mingo Video, but the sudden death of Flavall’s business partner, Dave Madera, from cancer, cut the initial phase of the project short. The first episode is dedicated to Madera.

Last year, with Flavall once again building with hempcrete in the U.S., they decided to revive the show.

Oliver told us, “It’s a homeowners dream to lessen their carbon footprint and build a beautiful house to last generations that is mold, pest and fire retardant.”

The timing for a show like this seems perfect to Flavall, who said interest in hemp and hempcrete is booming. Even though he’s been legally building with hempcrete in the U.S. and elsewhere for almost a decade, he credits the current rising interest to the spread of marijuana legalization.

“I’m a Baby Boomer and I’m seeing a lot of those Baby Boomers coming back to me and saying ‘I guess now that it’s legal to smoke it’s legal to build with it.’”

Next, Flavall hopes to help tackle the affordable housing crisis in the U.S. by building add-on units to existing homes, made from hempcrete. “We have a lot of interest from people who have the ability to build an addition or retrofit their garage or put up a detached ‘granny flat.’”

Hemp can help “bring their mom and dad home, or bring the kids home, whichever it is, and create additional space with low impact.”

Between the growth of green building, and widespread interest in “tiny homes,” Flavall believes hempcrete has a big future in the United States.

The post Hempcrete Homes Are Sustainable, Durable, And Healthier To Live in appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.