Business owners and entrepreneurs are reaching out to wholesale CBD companies to include hemp flower and other related CBD products as part of their product offerings, but is it the right business for you? 

The simple fact is CBD has proven to be a moneymaker and seems like it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. According to Grandview Research, in 2018, the global cannabinoid market was valued at $4.6 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22.2% from 2019 to 2025. Obviously, this is a huge marketplace! However, does it make sense for the average small business owner or entrepreneur to enter into this market? 

In today’s article, we’re going to discuss the benefits and pitfalls of wholesale hemp flower booming marketplace and what you need to know to get started in the CBD business.  We will suggest a reputable hemp company with a great wholesale program for you to contact and give some tips to help jumpstart your new business venture. 

We’re going to kick things off with benefits.

Benefits of a wholesale hemp or CBD business

The CBD market is an emerging market with a great deal of potential for existing business owners seeking additional products to offer, or for those interested in starting a new business venture. Either way, CBD might just be a perfect choice.  

Let’s look at 4 key benefits.

• Financial

There is money in selling CBD products. For example, the profit margins on hemp flowers are around 50%! And with the average sale around $100, that’s a net profit of $50.00

• Helping people

CBD is making a real difference in people’s lives. Owning a business that contributes to helping people is a business worth having.

• Low cost of entry

It doesn’t take much upfront cash to get started in the CBD business. We’ll touch more on this further down, but realistically, a few thousand dollars can get you started. 

• Minimal inventory

You don’t need much inventory to get started in the hemp or CBD business. In fact, only a small amount of inventory is needed. 

Not that we’ve touched on the key benefits of getting into the CBD business, it’s time to address the potential challenges.

State law versus federal laws

Of course, it’s important for any business owner to obey the law. Depending on where you live, hemp flower may exist in a kind of “gray area.”

You see, in 2018, the production and marketing of Hemp were made federal legal via the 2018 Farm Bill. However, although federally legal, states have something else to say.  

Some states allow retailers to sell CBD and hemp flowers freely but impose testing or labeling requirements. Other states prohibit the distribution, marketing, sales, and use of CBD or hemp flower (smokable hemp).  You can see a full breakdown of states where CBD is legal, published by Leafly.

It’s up to each business owner to learn the state and federal laws, consult an attorney and move forward accordingly. 

Banking, social media & the legal gray area

Even if CBD, hemp flower, or anything related is legal, that doesn’t mean you can easily run a successful hemp business. The state/federal ‘gray’ area doesn’t make things easy for resellers. It can be challenging to open a bank account or accept credit card payments. While not easy, it’s not impossible. There are options available. 

It’s up to you to investigate the options available to make the best decision. It’s important to plan in advance for how you’ll handle the flow of money, before investing in the business.

You’ll also need to be a bit more creative about advertising than with other products. Both Facebook and Twitter largely ban openly advertising hemp products, but sometimes there are workarounds. You’ll need to be flexible and use organic marketing techniques (word of mouth, etc) to promote your products.

Finding a wholesale hemp flower partner

It is much easier to find a CBD wholesale partner than it was just a year or so ago.  However, it’s up to you to perform your due diligence to find a reliable and trustworthy partner.  The last thing you want is to invest time and money with the ‘wrong’ wholesale CBD/hemp company. Below are some key points to focus on when researching CBD companies. 

• Review: This is a pretty obvious one, but reviews can tell you a lot about a company and its products and service offerings. Make sure to really dive into reviews to read what others say. Also, take notice of whether the company responds to negative reviews. Everyone makes mistakes; it’s how a company handles its error that makes all the difference. 
• MOQ (minimum order quantity): Some wholesale programs require their customers to order a certain number of products or spend a set dollar amount each month to do business with them or qualify for discounts. So, those on a tight budget might not have the ability to meet MOQ requirements. 
• COA (certificate of analysis): A COA is a document issued by an accredited third party laboratory that outlines the makeup of the CBD products and any possible contaminants. This includes the percentage of CBD and other cannabinoids (including THC) and the terpenes profile, as well as contaminants, heavy metals, etc. It is vital to conduct a thorough review of a potential vendor’s COA’s during your due diligence.

Choosing wholesale CBD & hemp flower products to sell

The CBD market has become a competitive market. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s something that a potential CBD business owner needs to be aware of. Like all competitive markets, to be successful, business owners should focus on what makes them different than their competitors, and one way to do this is with the products being offered. 

Existing businesses like to stay with what works, and CBD companies are no different. The vast majority will sell their CBD tincture and other similar oils but may be missing the boat on other items like Delta 8 or hemp flower. Both of these products are getting a lot of attention in the market and might be a good entry point for a new CBD shop owner or someone interested in expanding their product offerings.  

Hemp flower, for example, is gaining traction in the marketplace because of its effectiveness and versatility compared to CBD oil. Hemp flowers are unprocessed; they will have a full profile of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other compounds like chlorophyll. Depending on the extraction method, CBD may not contain this same full profile. Hemp can be vaped, smoked, used in cooking, and to make tinctures. CBD oils do not have the same level of versatility. 

Of course, this is not to say one shouldn’t offer tincture oils or CBD isolate products, but maybe focus more on emerging market products. It’s also important to note that emerging product sales typically lead to larger profit margins — another plus.

Budget

Really, this section should probably be at the very top because determining a working budget is going to dictate so much. Many of the areas shared already will be determined by how much working capital is available. 

The great thing about the CBD business is that it can be started with a relatively low budget.  For example, Mr. Hemp Flower has a good reputation for its quality products and competitive wholesale hemp flower prices, with a point of entry around $500. 

In addition to inventory, there will be other business costs that need to be taken into consideration. One such cost is a marketing budget. 

Marketing budget

Sometimes business owners forget to include marketing into their budget calculations, and this can prove to be a costly mistake. You can have the greatest product in the world, but you still need to sell it. 

When doing your due diligence, make sure to look at the different marketing opportunities available and dedicate a portion of your budget to marketing. 

Realistically, a $500 – $1000 marketing budget should get you started. These funds can help with:

• Store signage
• Mailers
• Magazine advertising
• SEO (for online stores)
• And many others

So make sure you don’t forget about this important piece of business. 

Can wholesale hemp flower work for your business?

Getting into the CBD business can prove to be a moneymaker for many would-be entrepreneurs. With a sound plan, due diligence, and some hard work, who knows what could happen. 

The post Wholesale Hemp Flower: Is The CBD Business Right For You? appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Since cannabidiol (CBD) is still relatively new to the mainstream, many entrepreneurs have considered making a name for themselves within this industry. However, though the market is projected to reach $20 billion in sales by 2024, newcomers may have more difficulty than that optimistic number suggests.

“This industry needs people everywhere,” Franny Tacy, Chief Creative Officer, Owner & Operator of Franny’s Farmacy, tells us. “So, I always say, look beyond just CBD. Because hemp is the only crop that can feed, cloth, shelter, and provide medicine. There are so many different opportunities within this industry.”

As with any fast-growing industry, competition is tough. There are hundreds of reputable CBD companies already out there — and plenty more which don’t meet industry standards (i.e. third-party laboratory testing). Being as hemp production continues to skyrocket, the number of CBD companies is only bound to grow as resources become unbounded.

The current story of the CBD industry is one of contradictions: rapid growth, but falling profits for many companies, including some of the original players.

To get a clearer picture of the current state of the CBD industry, we asked some leading industry professionals what it takes to stand out in this highly competitive field.

Chronic fatigue diagnosis leads to CBD business

Ken Lawson, CEO of FOCL, spent much of his twenties grinding to get a start-up going. After years of strenuous work hours, his body was in a state of constant exhaustion. Partly from stress, partly from unhealthy eating habits, but mostly from not taking care of his mind and body.

“One day my body just shut down,” Lawson tells us. “I couldn’t function. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong and, after a couple of years, I was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.”

For many, a chronic fatigue syndrome diagnosis can last a lifetime. However, if you’re young enough and make drastic changes, you can make major steps towards recovery. Lawson took full advantage of this opportunity. Through this journey, he began exercising and taking all-natural supplements. Eventually, he stumbled upon CBD.

“At that time, CBD was still illegal and, though there were people selling it, it was still very much a grey market. So, it was hard to start a real business” Lawson explains. “When the farm bill passed in December 2018, I was ready for a new [business] venture. I decided that was my time to jump in and show my passion for wellness and my experience for online marketing.”

Passion is ultimately what it takes to start a business of any sort. If you’re not passionate about CBD or health and wellness, what’s the point in adding your name to a list of other products already out there? Just because CBD is popular doesn’t mean it’s quick cash-grab. There are a lot of CBD businesses out there — many of which think hemp is the next cash crop. Maybe it will be on a national economic scale, but that doesn’t mean it will be for you.

The right timing

Admittedly, Lawson got into this industry at a prime time. When hemp and CBD were legalized on a federal level, the public began to notice. With proper education, the demand grew higher than expected and, with that, so did the number of entrepreneurs trying to make a name for themselves.

Since this time, the CBD industry has changed drastically. And it continues to change.

New regulations are on the horizon. The federal government has reacted promptly to the large demand for CBD and is devising new rules for the industry. One of which includes federal backing on insurance and loans for CBD companies.

Of course, it can be expected that the Food & Drug Administration will soon create regulations concerning CBD production. Though this is more beneficial for consumers as it will provide us with safer CBD, it’s also going to have an impact on businesses. New regulations mean new practices within the industry all of which are going to come out of a business owner’s bottom line.

With that, it’s safe to say Lawson had the advantage of getting into the game and learning the market before these regulations become a reality. Not to mention, those who made their name before Lawson.

A blueprint for success in CBD industry

So, what does this mean for someone who didn’t make it into the market early on? It means there’s a lot of information out there concerning what is expected within the CBD industry.

With the right research, you’re given a blueprint for what is necessary to run a successful CBD company. Remember, when Lawson had first begun, the CBD industry was very wild west. Many companies took their attempt and failed because they didn’t have the knowledge of what people are looking for when purchasing cannabidiol. There were no standards such as testing or using only all-natural ingredients.

We now have the knowledge and standards and it is one of the most valuable tools you can use to build a company.

There’s no ‘business as usual’ in CBD industry

Not to mention, there are a lot of veterans of this industry who are happy to spread knowledge of this industry. One of the biggest out there is Franny Tacy, who was the first woman to legally plant hemp in the state of North Carolina in over 70 years.

For over 12 years, she worked within various sections of the pharmaceutical industry. At one point working directly with corporate America and running a $10 million territory.

“I worked on the farm for 3 years before I was able to quit my job,” Franny tells us. “And it was the next year I started planting hemp. I didn’t even know if it was having any impact.”

She would soon find out it would. She grew her business to heights any entrepreneur would dream about. Now, Franny’s Farmacy is a staple within this industry and has become one of the largest white/private label products suppliers.

Of course, this isn’t to say it was easy for Tacy to get to this point.

“This is not business as usual. We are entrepreneurs,” she proclaims. “My husband and I have started many different ventures, from restaurants to real estate. Cannabis, hemp, CBD — nothing business as usual. Your banking, your credit card processing, advertising, marketing, media – all of that got shut down time and time again.”

But she didn’t give up. Like Lawson, Tacy had a passion for helping better people’s lives through the right medication. And that passion is what instituted Franny’s Farmacy as one of the best known CBD businesses currently out there.

Advertising the unadvertisable

If you’ve ever started a business online, you know well that one of the biggest ways to get eyes on your company is through paid advertisements. Whether it be through Google, Facebook, or other social media platforms.

The thing about CBD and hemp is these products are practically banned. Most who attempted a paid advertisement of a CBD product had that advertisement taken down. Many even got banned from the advertising platform as a result, even if they’re trying to advertise a non-CBD product.

This is not business as usual.

Franny Tacy, founder of Franny’s Farmacy

Some companies have worked around this issue. Recently, Facebook has relaxed their rules concerning CBD brands in some ways. You’re allowed to run an ad that links back to landing pages featuring hemp and CBD products. However, these ads aren’t allowed to feature the products. Their main reason for limiting ad runs is due to the fact that different states have different regulations concerning hemp.

Due to these limitations, CBD business owners have had to get savvy with their advertising. Some have taken advantage of the numerous hemp and CBD publications appearing across the web, supplying these companies with a product to review for their readers. Regular hemp/CBD events are also a great way to get the word out.

Marketing CBD means creative branding

But truth be told, in order to market a CBD product, you really need to get creative. And this all comes down to branding.

“The brand is everything,” Tacy says. “What are you looking for in brands out there? They’re all trying to sell the benefits of CBD. Well, where’s the person behind that?”

What Tacy is talking about are the stories behind CBD. The founders of some of the top companies have had their struggles with a particular ailment — Lawson’s story, mentioned above, is simply one of many. These people needed CBD when all seemed lost. They know other people out there are also in need. By telling us of their own struggles through life, the customer has a story to relate to. The brand is no longer just another CBD company.

This is what Franny means when she says, “the brand is everything.” Beyond traditional marketing strategies, you need something that’s really going to make people think. We can’t forget that even though CBD has hit the mainstream, we’re still coming out of a nearly century long prohibition on hemp products. Public opinion is still changing.

White/Private Label Companies: CBD Industry Friend or Foe?

One way many entrepreneurs have entered the CBD industry is through white/private label companies. Though these are great for cutting costs for new businesses, they do take away from the personality of a brand.

“[The CBD industry] has become very competitive,” Lawson details. “[CBD] came, sort of like a Gold Rush, and the market got saturated fast. Largely due to these white label companies.”

A white/private label company is a CBD business that provides products (i.e. CBD oils, CBD topicals, etc.) to various brands within the industry. Since the white label company is producing the product, they are the ones responsible for many of the regulations surrounding this industry. This includes regulation fees, extraction costs, and testings.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill, white label companies have appeared all over the market. For people who develop their CBD business through a white label company, the cost and barrier to entry are greatly reduced.

For example, testing for pesticides alone can cost upwards of $40,000 a month. This doesn’t even include all of the testings we’re used to seeing within a Certificate of Analysis. Even still, investing in the CBD industry through white labels is expensive.

“There’s two huge manufacturing companies out of Colorado that white label probably 80% of products,” Franny explains. “They have a $20,000 minimum per product you wanna launch. So, that takes most of your entrepreneurs — your working class American — out of the picture. Because if you want to have 10 products in your product line, you’re looking at a $200,000 investment right off the top.”

Most people just don’t have this kind of capital. And, for those that do, a white label company can very much appear to be a friend. But as Lawson suggests, there are some downsides to working through a white/private label.

“These manufacturers made it really easy for anybody to get in,” he explains. “And a lot of people got in. So, I think there’s going to be a big shake out over the next couple of years. Especially, as regulations kick in.”

What makes a customer want your CBD?

Currently, there’s numerous near-identical CBD products for sale. CBD oil (tinctures) alone are almost identical from brand to brand, with only slight variations that help them stand out.

If you think you have what it takes to start a successful CBD business, it’s vital you ask yourself, “Why would a customer want to buy my CBD?”

Due to a flood in brands, what was once an innovation is now the standard. The majority of reputable CBD companies have a Certificate of Analysis. Many are switching to extracting CBD from organic hemp, and they make sure their products meet various customer necessities (vegan, gluten-free, cruelty-free, etc.).

For some time now, CBD companies have looked identical to one another. Some have tried to innovate with different products. Others capitalize on a compelling story.

Growth will slow as market expands

Cyrus Partow, CEO of CBD Nerds, has been around this industry for some time and is keen on what customers are looking for. “I’ll look for brands that have longevity and a good reputation,” he tells us. “Typically, I do some research into the ingredients and avoid brands that are clearly just white labeling. I much prefer seeing a brand that’s seed-to-sale.”

Having control over what’s happening seed-to-sale is a vital attribute. Though it costs more in the long run, it shows customers your care and passion for hemp and CBD.

“The market will continue to grow, but probably at a slower pace than what we’ve seen,” Partow continues. “I see smaller brands entering the market and diluting existing brand’s customers.”

Live your story to stand out

CBD companies that are just getting their feet off the ground have a sharp understanding of much of the knowledge discussed within this article. The foundation for the CBD industry was laid down throughout the past few years. This offered a solid blueprint to people with new innovations in mind.

“Companies are coming out with new, creative products to capture different parts of the market,” Partow goes on. “You’ll see companies offering things like CBD face masks, inhalers, bath bombs, and so much more.”

These innovations matched with a solid brand are what will make you stand out. The market is already flooded with tinctures and gummies — why not compel long-time CBD veterans and those who have just heard of it?

Still, even with an innovative idea, one of the most important things is you must have passion for CBD. Customers aren’t ignorant and can tell when someone genuinely cares about their product. In a market that’s centered around health and wellness, this care is an essential.

The people with this passion usually have a story about how CBD has affected them. If this story is powerful and relatable, you’re going to naturally grab attention.

“Everyone’s trying to create their story,” Franny proclaims. “We live our story every day.”

The post CBD Industry Insiders Speak: Standing Out In The Competitive CBD Industry appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Few industries are as rewarding as the cannabinoid sector right now, but in order to find success in a saturated market, there are some basic rules to the cannabinoid game you should know ahead of time. CBD is no longer up and coming, it is here. To gain traction today, you need to make sure your brand is unique, compliant, and on-target.

No matter when you enter the cannabinoid industry, consumers will still be crazy for this plant and its beneficial constituents. However, now is the only time to capitalize off of emerging new cannabinoids and the long-awaited development of a reliable CBD supply chain, and we are here to show you how. 

Table of Contents

• Quick guide to starting a white label CBD business
• Lab Testing
• Identify Your Audience
• Find A Supplier
• Establish Your Brand
• Pro-Tips: Make Your White Lab CBD business Stand Out
• Ongoing Optimization
• Wrapping Up: FAQ on White Label CBD Business

Quick guide: How to establish your CBD business

Before we dive in, let’s outline the next steps:

1. Find a supplier, and determine how your brand will stand out in a saturated market.
2. Create a website, select a merchant processor, formulate your products, and upload product descriptions.
3. Support your brand with on-site content, guest posts, social media, and other marketing efforts.
4. Respond to the shifting market and customer concerns to develop the best brand possible.

Unlike any fad, CBD is only becoming more popular with time. The massive popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) is, in fact, also raising attention to other non-psychoactive cannabinoids that THC has overshadowed for too long. Rather than receding and going away, CBD is only growing in importance within the global economy, and it’s bringing all the other cannabinoids found in Cannabis sativa along with it.

Although all business involves tough challenges, the CBD industry remains a wide-open door for anyone with the skill and perseverance to walk through.

Armed with the right information, these challenges become insurance that competitors won’t make it as far as you have in the CBD industry. There are five major steps you’ll need to take when starting a white label CBD brand, and we’ll break it all down for you in this guide.

Step 1: Research compliance and lab testing

CBD is unlike any other industry. While recent efforts to synthesize cannabinoids from terpenes have met with some success, Cannabis sativa remains the sole commercial source of CBD, THC, and all the other cannabinoids so far discovered by science. Although many jurisdictions have liberalised cannabis laws in one way or another international laws remain antiquated.

Processing and marketing CBD is perhaps easiest in the United States, but even the American market has its challenges. Check your knowledge on CBD compliance:

• In what way did the 2014 Farm Bill open the American general market to CBD sales?
• How did the 2018 Farm Bill cement these changes into law?
• Is the FDA currently deliberating how to regulate CBD?

If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you have some research to do before you start selling CBD. While crackdowns on upstanding CBD companies have historically been rare, there’s no telling what the coming years will bring. Plus, rarity does not excuse the brutality with which the FDA has brought the hammer down on CBD companies it deems “non-compliant.”

It’s certainly possible to sell CBD in the United States, but the process can be so complicated that many newbie cannabis entrepreneurs deem the enterprise impossible prematurely. Selling CBD is actually easier than selling THC-rich weed in the United States despite mounting marijuana legalization efforts nationwide.

What about lab testing?

It used to be possible to get away with limited or even no testing whatsoever as a CBD company. Things have changed. Met with an overwhelming number of options, consumers can only buy from brands that fit their particular tastes.

Consumers in the 21st century want CBD products that are naturaland most importantly, thoroughly lab-tested. It doesn’t matter if you have an in-house lab at your production facility⁠—you’ll need to have an independent third party lab test each batch of your CBD products for contaminants and potency if you want consumers to trust you with their dollars.

That’s one of the reasons it’s often easier to white label CBD oil rather than opting to produce it yourself. CBD white label manufacturers have to provide access to high-end labs to stay competitive, which provides you with access to the nation’s best and often costliest labs for a fraction of what it would set you back to send your own oil in for testing.

Step 2: Identify your audience

If you’re new to the CBD market or you’ve been out of the game for a while, you may be surprised by how diversified the industry has become. It used to be enough to put together a “one-size-fits-all” CBD brand that covered all the bases. The truth of the matter is, though, that dozens, if not hundreds, of companies, have already entirely dominated that approach.

We’ve reached a natural level of maturation within the CBD industry. The cannabidiol market has reached an incredible level of saturation, which means brands are in hot competition for customers. Instead of starting a price war that everyone would lose, leading CBD companies are opting to land customers in new and unique ways.

• Find out how you want your brand to be different
• Remember to keep your audience focused while not keeping it too narrow
• “Health-conscious soccer moms with diabetes” might be too targeted…
• Try “busy female professionals with kids” instead!

Knowing who your audience is will empower you to reach an existing customer base once your brand is up and running. Otherwise, you’ll simply try to bash into the huge bubble that is the CBD industry without any plan.

No matter how great your products might be, you can’t sell them without a brand. The first step to making a successful brand is understanding who you want the buyers of your revolutionary CBD products to be.

Step 3: Find a reputable supplier for your CBD business

Realize that building out a full-scale lab and all the other equipment necessary to manufacture CBD takes a significant amount of startup capital. The only entities capable of putting together reliable CBD manufacturing laboratories are investors with cash to burn or successful businesses expanding their services.

What you should be asking yourself is, “What are the top-rated white label CBD labs?” Before you protest that we’ve prematurely decided that making your own CBD is impossible, let’s explain. Manufacturing CBD in bulk requires:

• Securing top-shelf genetics
• Investing in toxin-free, organic production facilities
• Preventing any contaminants from entering your products
• Growing and harvesting finicky hemp plants
• Extracting, winterizing, and distilling CBD-rich hemp extract
• Formulating CBD extract into products

It used to be the case that industry outsiders could jump in on the ground level of the CBD industry and succeed. These days, however, one of the only viable options is to secure a safe, stable source of white label CBD products and start building a brand that differentiates itself from all the other players on the market.

How to white label CBD products with the right supplier

The right CBD supplier will:

• Offer a diverse range of products
• Provide full transparency, lab testing, and product information
• Clearly express why its products are superior to a competitor’s
• Be flexible and offer to create custom products
• Offer competitive prices
• Have superior production facilities
• Be available for questions or concerns anytime

Step 4: Establish your brand

Now that you’ve found the right supplier to fuel your rise to CBD stardom, it’s time to figure out how to separate your CBD business from the competition. As industry insiders, we can say with confidence that the CBD market is going through a phase of over-saturation, and the bar to entry is somewhat higher than it was a year or two ago. With the right mindset, however, this challenge can be turned into an opportunity.

Many cannabis entrepreneurs have now turned away from CBD. Deeming the industry “too hard” to enter, they’ve left things up to a handful of 10 or so brands that dominate the market. What nobody seems to realize, however, is that these circumstances have created a perfect storm for true creative brands who want to enter the CBD market.

• The truth is that CBD isn’t novel anymore
• Consumers won’t pay for “just any” CBD
• They need to be convinced that a particular product is better for them than a competing item
• Just like eyeshadow, car tires, or any other industry, the CBD market has matured
• Diversification is now the key to success

While “off-the-shelf” CBD white label product options work for some brands, a careful assessment of your needs might make you realize a more active, customized approach would yield better results. It’s definitely still possible to succeed in the new CBD market⁠—just remember that custom formulas allow you to create unique products, and pre-made products are best for tackling high-competition CBD verticals.

Tips for making a CBD brand that pops

• Show consumers why they get something different from your brand, even if it’s just a new approach to customer service or an unusual product formulation
• Consumers have reached a certain level of fatigue regarding CBD, so make efforts to keep your product lineup fresh and significantly different from what “mainstream CBD producers” are offering
• If you decide to white label CBD gummies, try using natural ingredients and throwing in beneficial vitamins, minerals, or trending natural ingredients like spirulina or reishi mushrooms
• Integrate your web and social media presence, and learn about the latest ways that Google is rewarding FAQ-based content and penalizing wordy, wall-of-text copy

Step 5: Keep your CBD business optimized

You have a brand now, so you think you’re all done. Not so fast⁠—how are you going to prepare for changes in the future? Any effective brand strategy allows room for ongoing optimization, and the CBD industry is no different. In fact, the volatile cannabinoid market demands even more optimization than established industries, and here are a few of the categories you should focus on:

SEO

If you want consumers to learn about your brand, you need to make your site searchable. Search engine optimization (SEO) is complicated, and the rules are always changing.

Staying visible on Google and other search engine providers (SERPs) remains critical, however, so you’ll need to invest a significant portion of your marketing budget into SEO. From product descriptions to blog posts, learn which types of content Google rewards, and choose content strategies that will provide your pages with the most search impressions.

Social media

It’s up to you how in-depth into social media you get. At the very least, however, you need to make it possible for customers to find you on Facebook, Instagram, and (in some cases) Twitter. Instagram, in particular, is a hotbed of CBD advertising, but as with other social media giants, it’s hard to market CBD directly on this platform.

Instead, you’ll need to get crafty and find ways around anti-hemp censors. Expect social media optimization to take up around 10-20 hours per week when you’re getting started.

Brand adaptivity

Your business itself must remain adaptive if you want to succeed in the CBD industry. Whether that means switching suppliers, adding new ingredients, or even canceling existing product lines and developing entirely new ones, you have to stay flexible. If you start out by making your CBD brand more open-ended, it will be easier to make necessary changes as your dream takes flight.

Wrapping up: Starting a CBD business FAQ

• White label vs. private label⁠—what’s the difference?

Private labeling is when you make product lines for a single brand while white labeling is when you make product lines for many different brands. In most private labeling relationships, a supplier has made an exclusive relationship with a retailer. White labeling, however, allows multiple brands to sell the same supplier’s products.

• How do you get customer reviews?

Getting verified customer reviews is essential to building trust in your brand. Start by asking customers to leave reviews in order confirmation emails, and make sure to ask for reviews on social media as well. A Facebook user might give your business page a five-star review just for answering a question, after all.

• Is dropshipping from a warehouse an option?

Shipping your products directly from the manufacturer’s warehouse is often a simpler solution than distributing orders from your location. Some white label CBD manufacturers offer this service. 

CBD business tips: The CBD industry is changing

Whether it’s your dream to offer CBD gummies, vape, edibles, tinctures, isolate, full-spectrum, or any other type of hemp product, there’s never been a time to get started. From taxes to web hosting to compliance, there are a million-and-one things to learn as a new CBD business owner, but the five steps we’ve covered above will set you up for success regardless.

Whatever industry you’re entering, the keys to success lie in making a firm plan and persevering. In a way, CBD is just like any other industry now; it’s hard to start a brand and make an impact, but there aren’t any specific impediments in your way anymore. CBD and cannabis are becoming normalized across the globe, so even if the competition is steeper, the potential rewards are only made that much sweeter.

Accordingly, treat your CBD brand just like any other business. Reward hard work, think innovatively, and work together to succeed. CBD consumers are gravitating away from “shady weed dealers” and moving toward “trusted health partners,” so build your brand to be as transparent and honest as possible. That might mean more hard work right now, but an ethical approach will ensure your ability to ride out today’s enlightened consumer habits and come out on top as a CBD champion.

The post CBD Business Tips: How To Start A White Label CBD Business appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

The hemp industry has experienced and continues to see a surge of growth and awareness nationwide. Following passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, permanently legalizing the crop and removing hemp from its classification as a controlled substance, consumer demand for hemp and hemp products like CBD have skyrocketed.

Unfortunately, there remain many challenges. Confusion about hemp’s legal status — and the differences between hemp and its intoxicating cousin, marijuana — has too often stymied commerce in the industry, particularly with traditional banking products and merchant services being limited in their availability to those trying to grow their businesses.

New federal guidance opens doors

This month, we witnessed a breakthrough development. Upon the bipartisan urging of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Ron Wyden, four federal banking regulatory agencies — Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Federal Reserve, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network — joined by the Conference of State Bank Supervisors — issued joint guidance confirming the legal status of hemp and the requirements for banks providing financial services to businesses.

Secure banking is a key target, and ongoing problem for the hemp industry.

The new guidance achieves many necessary benchmarks integrating hemp and banking, such as no longer requiring banks to file suspicious activity reports for customers solely because they are engaged in the growth or cultivation of hemp in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. Further, the guidance clarifies the difference between hemp businesses and marijuana businesses — adding yet another point of relief to banks concerned with national and state legality.

The hope is that the joint guidance should alleviate any fear of audits or regulatory crackdowns that have slowed financial institution integration with the hemp industry. However, this does not require banks or financial entities to participate in business with hemp companies. Nor does this guidance directly address the legality of hemp-derived CBD commerce.

Hemp banking rights and the SAFE Banking Act

With all of this in mind, there is still work to be done. Priority #1 is passage of the SAFE Banking Act.

This bipartisan legislation, initially focused on providing a green light to marijuana banking in states where pot is legal, was amended to ensure a separate safe harbor for hemp, with far fewer hoops since it is not a controlled substance. It also directs federal financial agencies to provide clear guidance to both banks and other financial institutions — such as credit card companies — that hemp and CBD commerce are legal. The bill was passed overwhelmingly by the House in September and we are hopeful to see full Senate consideration soon.

Banking is one of the key targets that the hemp industry is aiming to secure, as this will allow for an increase in legal hemp business growth and practices. The goal of the U.S. Hemp Roundtable is to provide consumers with safe and legal hemp products along with the knowledge that the companies are meeting the highest standards and complying with national and state law.

The post Banking Rights in the Hemp Industry: We Need “SAFE” Banking appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Ministry of Hemp visited NoCo Hemp Expo 2019.

Jessica, Drew, Kit, and Matt from Ministry of Hemp headed to Denver for NoCo Hemp Expo 2019. This video has just a few of the many highlights from the trip. Marcus Grignon from Hempstead Project Heart talk about patents on hemp during the Indigenous Perspectives of Hemp panel, Kit O’Connell, our very own editor in chief, talks about language in the hemp industry, and Keith Butler from Life Patent tells us about how our bodies process CBDA!

NoCo 6 was a blast, we can’t wait for next year!

TOPICS FROM NOCO 6: FURTHER READING

• Hemp Can Help Sustain Native Americans
• Life Patent CBD-A Oil Relaxed Our Sore Muscles
• Ministry of Hemp Podcast, Episode 3: Farming The Fields Of Green

The post NoCo Hemp Expo 2019: Patents For Hemp? Bodies & CBDA Decarboxylation appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

“I’ve got three on site at the moment that are made,” says Michael Balderstone president of the HEMP Embassy in Nimbin, a small town in northern New South Wales, where the caskets are designed, built, and sold.

“People ring up and order them. I can make one in a day. They’re beautiful.”

The coffins, which are built with a 19mm lightweight pressed hemp board from Germany and are lined with hemp rope handles, are usually colourfully painted by artists in Nimbin. The town, which hosted the 1973 Aquarius Festival, is Australia’s answer to Woodstock.

“It takes people all their life saving up for their funeral,” says Balderstone. “In Nimbin we want to wrap them in a cloth and compost them, but you’re not allowed so you’ve got to do the cheapest (thing) possible.”

The hemp coffins cost only between $700 and $900, he says. That’s similar to the cost of a regular coffin, but constructed from sustainable materials that will biodegrade more quickly.

“They are popular,” says Balderstone.

“Even my father, he was very conservative. Never got stoned but said, ‘I wouldn’t mind one of those hemp coffins.’”

“I’ve been encouraging people to buy them early, get in early.”

And they’re also versatile, as a sign in the window of the HEMP embassy highlights.

“Can be used as a broom cupboard or book shelves etc in the meantime,” it reads.

HEMP COFFINS ON THE RISE WORLDWIDE

According to small-scale manufacturer Rawganique, which makes hemp products, local demand for its willow-hemp caskets and coffins “is more than enough” for its single artisan workshop located on Denman Island, British Columbia. Their products feature organic hemp ropes, come in a variety of colors, are chemical and fertilizer-free, and completely biodegradable. Meanwhile, hemp burial shrouds are also available through Australia-based Life Rites.

The Australia and New Zealand Food Standards Code has allowed the sale and consumption of low-THC hemp seed foods since November 2017. The move was described as a “landmark” by the not-for-profit Australian Industrial Hemp Alliance (AIHA).

The Nimbin HEMP Embassy, formed in 1992, aims to educate people about the integration of hemp in people’s lives. The Embassy runs a shop and information centre “to fund our protest” against Australia’s cannabis laws. Its shop displays everything from a hemp surfboard to a hemp bees-wax food wrap, while its hemp bar offers a range of hot beverages and desserts containing the plant. Other restaurants and shops nearby also sell hemp products.

Balderstone is also president of Australia’s federally-registered HEMP Party, which will contest in the upcoming election in May.

According to reports, Australia is one of highest users of psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”) in the world, even though recreational use of cannabis is criminalized there. Medicinal marijuana is legal in the country.

The post Hemp Coffins: Elevating The Afterlife In Australia With Hemp appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

CBD is expensive! There’s no getting around the fact that when you buy CBD your pocket book’s going to take a bit of a hit.

On average, we see the price of CBD per milligram around $.15. If a standard 30-milliliter tincture contains 500 milligrams of CBD, you can expect to pay around $75.00, not including tax and possibly shipping for online shoppers.

That might be acceptable for some, but cash-strapped consumers may not have the disposable income to keep up with a consistent dosing regimen needed to manage their ailments. When this happens, patients may end up looking to inferior CBD products that can be incorrectly labeled, impure, or even unsafe rather than lab tested, high-quality CBD.

If you’re curious as to why CBD is so costly, read on because we’re going to breakdown the costs associated with CBD products, and provide tips on stretching your CBD dollar as far as possible.

EXPENSES BEGIN BEFORE THE FIRST HEMP SEED IS PLANTED

As with any agricultural farming, the first set of costs are the land and farming and cultivation costs such as; seeds, labor, cultivation equipment, state, city, and county licenses, etc.

With regards to farming hemp (and marijuana) there are additional reporting and testing costs over other agriculture due to the nature of what’s being planted and each state has their own set of requirements and costs. These costs can be as low as $25 in Vermont and as high as $500-$1000 depending on whether the license is for a grower or hander, plus a $5.00 per acre fee. To get a better idea of costs, we recently published an article overviewing the hemp market for Nevada, Vermont, Oregon, and Wisconsin.

Some states also have specific licenses or certification programs for hemp seed distributors and producers. Click to read each state’s hemp statutes.

THE HIGH COST OF HARVESTING AND EXTRACTION

Once the hemp plants reach maturity it’s time to harvest them. According to coolbean.info, the cost to harvest an acre of hemp in Minnesota will run between $300 to $600 per acre. This is down substantially from 2017 when the cost averaged between $970 to $2,500 per acre.

Once the harvest is complete, the hemp plant stem needs to have the various components separated with a machine called a decorticator. This machine can run upwards of $2 million.

After decortication, the next step will be to extract the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. from the plant. The two most popular methods of extractions are through a Supercritical CO2 extraction or an ethanol extraction with CO2 extraction becoming the standard.

According to Cannabis Business Executive, a CO2 extraction machine can cost around $135,000 to $150,000 plus $20,000 to $35,000 for a rotary evaporator and centrifuge.

Of course these machine costs are in addition to the buildings, infrastructure, labor, and the raw materials for those not growing their own.

FROM EXTRACTION TO PACKAGING

Once the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other plant materials are extracted from the cannabis or hemp plant, there are still a number of steps needed before the CBD reaches store shelves.

What is initially extracted is a cannabis concentrate that has contains acids that need to be decarboxylated. The cost for a decarboxylation oven cost around $5,000 to $7,000 for ovens that have a capacity of 10 cubic feet and can go up to 38 cubic feet.

After the concentrate is decarboxylated, what’s left is full spectrum cannabinoid oil. Full of all the cannabis plants cannabinoids, including CBD, terpenes, and the plants chlorophyll, lipids and waxes. When it comes to the “entourage effect,” this is the best option.

However, not everyone wants the plant materials and/or the THC. Many patients prefer oil with higher concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD) and not concerned with plant properties or THC. To remove the plant properties, the CBD concentrate will first be winterized to isolate and remove the unwanted compounds, followed by distillation to further ‘clean’ the oil. If THC is being removed, the distilled concentrate will then go through a chromatography machine. Cost for the equipment to perform these functions can grow to the hundreds of thousands plus the labor to run them.

THIRD-PARTY LAB TESTING IS VITAL, BUT ADDS TO THE COST OF CBD

Once complete, the finished product now needs to be tested to prove product purity and concentration. There are a variety of tests available. Following are a list of services by a well known testing facility in Arizona.

Testing Services:

• 10 cannabinoids ($50/bottle)
• Mold and fungus screening ($25/bottle)
• 19 Residual Solvents ($35/bottle)
• 41 Terpenes ($40/bottle)
• Moisture Content ($15/bottle)
• 4 Microbial Analyses ($40/each count)
• Custom Services

After testing, the CBD concentrates are bottled, packaged and prepared for delivery to their distributors to sell.

LEGAL EXPENSES, BANKING, & OTHER FACTORS INCREASE COST OF CBD

Obviously the largest costs come from the manufacturing side, but we can’t forget about the product distributors who have their own set of operating costs. Operating costs themselves are just a part of doing business. But operating costs for cannabis companies can be twice, even three times as much. In addition, due to the ‘gray’ area of cannabis and hemp laws, CBD companies must take extra precautions to insure they are protected. This, of course, adds to the cost of CBD.

Let’s take a look at the bare minimum of operating costs a CBD company is going to incur.

Insurance

A general liability business insurance policy for cannabis companies can easily amount to $500 to $700 per month! This same insurance policy for a non-cannabis company would only be about $700 for a year!

Credit Card Processing

Credit card and banking options are very limited for cannabis companies. In order to accept credit cards for hemp purchases distributors need to sign up with merchants specializing in ‘high risk’ processing. Costs with these processors can be exorbitant. In some cases they can run hundreds of dollars per month.

If a high-risk domestic merchant cannot help, distributors are then forced to look off shore for credit card processing. These don’t come cheap. Off shore processors will normally require a business to incorporate in the country that processes the cards. Incorporating in the UK costs roughly $500 plus monthly fees that can also run in the hundreds per month. These are in addition to the higher-than-normal monthly processing fees for the service.

Banking

Bank accounts and business loans are not available to cannabis companies, which means they need to find unique, and sometimes costly, places to store their cash and have access to it for payroll and other business related expenses. Again, this often results in the opening of costly offshore accounts.

In-House Compliance Officers

Since the state level requirements for CBD derived from hemp and marijuana differ, CBD companies usually have someone in-house make sure the company is adhering to each state’s regulations. They also make sure all the products meet the specific states allowed THC percentage. In most cases, this is 0.3 percent THC or less. They also monitor the percentage of CBD contained in the products are inline with the product labels.

An article from ProjectCBD.org states that according to the FDA, 69 percent of CBD products are mislabeled. In-house compliance officers work to insure this doesn’t happen.

Attorney

A company selling CBD better have an attorney. If not, they’re taking big risks. Attorneys will help insure companies are acting in compliance and keeping up with the ever-changing state laws on cannabis.

Countless stories have come to surface about CBD companies getting hassled by police, and in come cases even getting arrested! A good attorney can help insure business owners’ rights are not being violated and assist in navigating the gray areas of cannabis law. Attorneys will also help set up a legal corporation and the operating agreement of said corporation.

CBD AS A STATUS SYMBOL

Perception impacts price. Premium pricing techniques are often used when trying to reflect the exclusivity of a product. CBD is mix of both.

Let’s face it; there is a certain level of mystique and sexiness associated with CBD. The thought of consuming a product that borders on breaking the law presents a sense of danger and excitement. These factors absolutely have an affect on the price of a product, especially for a new product that can also heal! Companies know this and definitely price accordingly.

The good news is in time, when the ‘newness’ wears off and more companies come to market, prices should go down.

SAVING MONEY ON THE COST OF CBD

Regardless of where CBD prices are currently at, there are things consumers can do to stretch their dollar and reduce the cost of CBD.

The first thing a user can do is to try and cut back on their CBD daily doses. When it comes to CBD more is not better, less is best. The easiest way to cut back is to consume slightly less with each dose. For example, if you normally take 15mg of CBD twice per day, try decreasing each dose to 11 or 12 milligrams each time. This simple move will save roughly 5 milligrams of CBD each day. Our bet is your body will not even miss those 5mg. In case it does, you can always increase the dosage back to 15 mg.

Switch to a lower grade CBD. Experienced CBD users know the term full spectrum all too well. Full spectrum CBD oil is the preferred choice for many, but doesn’t mean it’s the only choice. CBD isolate is definitely a lower grade product, but it does work quite well. In fact, many of the ‘full spectrum’ products actually contain only a small amount of true full spectrum oil and are mixed with an isolate.

Lastly, there are a number of CBD companies that offer discounts to active military and veterans, the disabled and those with low income. We plan to collect some of the best assistance programs into an upcoming article. In the meantime, we recommend searching Google for “CBD assistance program” or check with your preferred CBD brand.

WHY IS CBD EXPENSIVE? SOME FINAL THOUGHTS

Most of you reading this know that both CBD and industrial hemp were officially legalized this past December under the 2018 Farm Bill.

With this legalization, we’re expecting sweeping reform to take place throughout the hemp industry. It’s safe to say that many companies are eagerly waiting to get in the CBD business. The floodgates will open. From banking and insurance companies to new hemp manufacturers, distributors and retailers, costs across the board should decrease.

Immense pressure is being put on the powers that be to provide federal regulations on CBD products that create quality standards industry-wide. That could get things moving towards lowering costs, too.

The post The High Cost Of CBD: Why Is CBD Expensive? appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Putting aside the health benefits for a moment, how do you feel about clothes made from hemp? You’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s an heavy, course material, mostly popular with hippy-types who favour function over fashion. While most hemp clothing companies trade in little more than simple t-shirts, Hemp Horizon offer a diverse range of items, featuring everything from tight-fitting high-necked dresses to more free-flowing outfits with elegant bows.

Their products blend hemp with other organic materials, demonstrating not only its versatility, but also how much hemp production has been refined over recent years.

“Hemp is very much misunderstood,” said Karen Kay, head designer at Hemp Horizon.

“Forty years ago the fabrics made from hemp were crude, and didn’t have the refinement that today’s mills can produce,” Kay told us. “Now, when blended with fine silks and other organic yarns, hemp is soft yet durable.”

Kay works closely with business partner Steve Esser, who looks after marketing. Zoey Kay models the products.

We spoke to Karen Kay about the values behind the brand, the development process, and why hemp is a perfect fit for the future of fashion.

A ‘REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT’ IN WOMEN’S HEMP FASHION & HEMP AWARENESS

“[Hemp’s] the perfect choice for high quality, comfortable garments that look great, feel good, and last for years,” Kay said.

This is the most remarkable aspect of Hemp Horizon’s products: the fabric used is light and silky, making for items that wouldn’t look out of place at a luxury high-street store. It’s a far cry from the rough, scratchy hemp-based clothes of yesteryear.

The design philosophy is simple, Kay said. “High quality, flattering and comfortable with a unique design which is unmistakably Hemp Horizon.”

She continued, “Our tag-line is ‘Awareness Is Key,’ as we’d like to be a part of this revolutionary movement around this magnificent plant.”

Of course, the hemp world has its fair share of unscrupulous traders attempting to capitalise on its increased prominence in the mainstream media. Happily, Kay and Esser take an altogether more reputable approach.

“We searched the globe for mills that produce fine hemp-blended fabric, sourcing from China and the USA, and we’re now looking also to source from Eastern Europe to reduce our carbon footprint.”

These environmentally-conscious credentials play a major part in the forward-thinking philosophy that underpins Hemp Horizon.

“We hope that our customers will appreciate our endeavours and belief,” said Kay. “We are very aware of the eco-friendliness of hemp and the other organic fibre we use for our garments.”

HEMP HORIZON PART OF INCREASINGLY POPULAR UK HEMP INDUSTRY

Hemp is one of the most eco-friendly crops on the planet. It uses very few pesticides, and can often be grown almost anywhere. Hemp is ideal for a future in which sustainability becomes ever-more important.

“As well as being the base fibre for creating high quality fabrics it’s a high yielding plant with a very diverse range of uses,” agreed Kay.

Although CBD derived from hemp is becoming more popular in the UK, there is still a lack of understanding about hemp’s legal status.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BneOQIgnutS/?taken-by=hemphorizon

“We’ve never had any legal issues,” Kay said. “But we have found that people need to be educated about the simple fact that hemp cannot get you high.”

As an independent business, Kay admits that getting things off the ground hasn’t been easy:

It’s been quite a long journey to get to this point, almost two years — designing the garments, creating templates for the patterns and investing in machinery, all to ensure we’re totally self sufficient. Our development journey has been challenging, and required a whole new learning curve. There have been delays along the way, mainly in terms of investment as this project has been totally self-funded.

For now, Hemp Horizon’s range is mostly focused on women’s clothes such as t-shirts, skirts, dresses and jackets. There are plans to expand.

“We’re planning to launch a more extensive range of men’s products in early 2019,” said Kay.

Currently this is limited to a smart herringbone design cap made from 100 percent hemp, and a pair of bamboo wood sunglasses.

Hemp Horizon has no plans to move into hemp-based health products, in part because of ongoing confusion between hemp and psychoactive marijuana.

“As the public become more aware of the differences then we can look to cross sell all the benefits.”

HEMP LEGALIZATION BRINGS A NEW ERA OF SUSTAINABLE FASHION

Hemp has been grown for centuries, used for everything from paper, rope to food and has a range of uses far beyond the benefits of CBD and other cannabinoids.

With the prohibition era juddering to a halt across the Western world, we can look forward to more forward-thinking companies using hemp in increasingly impressive and sustainable ways. Fashion is just one industry to benefit, as both the public and government authorities realise just how useful this plant can be.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BlviVTiHouu/?taken-by=hemphorizon

As for Hemp Horizon, the products speak for themselves. This boutique brand is a cut above the rest, not only with their stylish range of products, but in how they point toward a future where eco-friendly hemp becomes established as the most important crop on the planet. Like so many others, Kay believes hemp can be a key part of creating a more sustainable way of life.

“If everyone is thinking more consciously we can help contribute to the healing and sustainability of our planet for the future generations.”

The post Hemp Horizon Brings Flowing Elegance To Women’s Hemp Fashion appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

On April 6 and 7, thousands of people flocked to the Ranch Events Center in rural Loveland, Colorado, for the fifth and largest ever annual NoCo Hemp Expo. The sold-out event featured a crowd of 6,000 people in attendance over the two days, according to a press release issued by the event organizers.

With almost 1,500 more people than in 2017 and 150 vendors, the NoCo Hemp Expo has gotten so large that organizers will move it to Denver next year. Vendors ranged from the best of hemp fashion to innovative foods infused with CBD oil, as well as new offerings for hemp farmers.

“The interest level for this plant and all that it can do was overwhelming,” said NoCo Hemp Expo co-founder Morris Beegle.

Ministry of Hemp attended the NoCo Hemp Expo this year, conducting interviews with some of the top figures in the hemp industry, and sampling new products for review. We’ll have much more in upcoming weeks, but below is a short synopsis.

NOCO HEMP EXPO REVEALS EXCITEMENT ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HEMP & CBD

The Expo took place at a virtual “crossroads” for industrial hemp in the United States. Enabled by provisions of the 2014 Farm Bill, hemp growers in 19 states produced over 25,000 acres of hemp last year. However, the industry is still plagued by government interference over issues like water rights and the DEA’s interpretation of the Controlled Substances Act as it pertains to CBD.

Many attendees, whether hemp advocates, vendors, or representatives of nonprofits, felt that these hurdles could soon be removed, leading to explosive growth for hemp in the U.S. The Hemp Farming Act of 2018, which was just introduced by Sen. Mitch McConnell, could fully legalize hemp, and the industry seems ready to take advantage of this change should it occur in 2018.

“This is really the beginning of a strong new movement,” declared Arran Stephens, co-founder of Nature’s Path Foods and one of the NoCo Hemp Expo’s keynote speakers.

U.S. HEMP IS TAKING OFF LIKE A JETPACK

https://youtu.be/7CtpPxxvSZg

At the culmination of the NoCo Hemp Expo’s second day, Apollo Flight Labs launched a jetpack for a brief flight around the Ranch Event Center, sponsored by Willpower Products, makers of a new CBD-infused protein powder.

At the expo, Ministry of Hemp met diverse members of the hemp industry. We interviewed the creators of the Callie and Friends series of parents guides to hemp and cannabis, and representatives of Sana Packaging, creators of sustainable packaging that aims to replace disposable, single use paper and plastic with hemp. We took in panels on indigenous use of hemp and the development of hemp fashion. We even sampled Hempway Foods vegan hemp veggie burgers and queso and Steepfuze CBD-infused coffee.

In all, industrial hemp feels like a jetpack, ready to blast off, if we just can remove the final legal barriers to its success.

Be sure to LIKE the Ministry of Hemp on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to our newsletter to see up all our upcoming coverage from the NoCo Hemp Expo.

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.

The post Largest NoCo Hemp Expo Ever Outgrows Loveland, Colorado appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

That’s the message of the Texas Hemp and Garden Show, which took place on March 13 and 14 in Austin, Texas, at a downtown nightclub near the heart of the popular SXSW festival and not far from the capitol building.

2018 marked the Hemp and Garden Show’s second year, and there were about a dozen different vendors or organizations represented when I dropped in on the second day. Activists helped passersby fill out voter registration cards on the sidewalk, a DJ spun tunes from a small stage outside, and inside a succession of experts spoke about topics ranging from agriculture to the war on drugs. At night, musicians took over for the speakers including a surprise appearance from rapper Lil’ Flip.

“To get the vendors from other states that have legal programs interested in showcasing here in Austin was very exciting,” said Mónica Enriquez, one of the organizers of the event.

https://youtu.be/W3ybaPp2xwM

Enriquez saw the Texas Hemp and Garden Show as an opportunity to educate locals about this beneficial but misunderstood plant while simultaneously bringing national attention to the state’s burgeoning hemp industry. While Texas hasn’t yet legalized industrial hemp, there are signs of slow progress for cannabis in the region.

‘WE’RE GOING TO BE THE BEST STATE’: A FUTURE FOR TEXAS HEMP

“A lot of people are surprised that Texas does have a medical marijuana program in effect,” explained Enriquez. “Once upon a time, Gov. Greg Abbott said that would never happen under his tenure so that’s already a very promising sign of some change for us.”

Under the current program in Texas, a very limited number of patients with severe epilepsy are able to access low-THC CBD oil made from cannabis grown in the state, but there’s already talk of expanding the program to include more residents.

While hemp research is legal nationwide under the 2014 Farm Bill, the law left it up to each individual state to create a legal hemp program, something Texas has resisted so far. Enriquez credits groups like the Texas MAMMAs (Mothers Advocating Medical Marijuana for Autism) with changing attitudes for the better. Another group working on legalization, and one which had a booth at the Hemp and Garden Show, is Foundation For An Informed Texas, which is focusing on educating rural parts of the state about the benefits of cannabis.

https://twitter.com/KitOConnell/status/973990709828227073

The Texas legislature won’t meet again until early 2019, giving advocates like Enriquez time to build a groundswell of support for changing Texas hemp law.

“With the legal program there, we’re not going to be the last state, and hopefully we’re going to be the best state,” she said.

“We’re very hopeful for Texas and obviously if federal law changes than our battle is won.”

TEXAS HEMP AND GARDEN SHOW CREATES EDUCATION & NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

Along with her husband, Enriquez started Lazy Daze Counterculture, an Austin smoke shop that soon expanded to multiple locations around the country. This led the pair to found Texas Green Rusht to help entrepreneurs and other Texas hemp advocates and professionals network and support each other through shared challenges.

“There’s a lot of different issues that come up running a business in this industry even though our business has nothing to do with touching the plant,” she said.

This in turn led to the creation of the Hemp and Garden Show to capitalize on the massive influx of attention and visitors SXSW brings to Austin. “We really wanted to show what Texas has to offer the rest of the country when it comes to this industry.”

One highlight of the show was a panel of Texas veterans advocating for access to medical marijuana. “That was a very exciting panel, my father’s a veteran and the veteran issue is very important, for us to provide that service to those who have served us.”

In addition to several different CBD brands and a pretzel vendor (they were delicious!), the show also featured a booth representing Dr. Bronners and their Hemp History Week organization.

https://twitter.com/KitOConnell/status/973982648979861505

Another unique vendor was Colorado Hemp Honey, which offered CBD oil infused honey in a variety of flavors. I grabbed a jar of the ginger flavor and hope to review it in the future here on Ministry of Hemp.

https://twitter.com/KitOConnell/status/973981804423254016

“It really was like a ‘Field of Dreams’ experience — if you build it they will come — and we were really excited that other people were excited about what we were doing,” Enriquez told me.

If the enthusiastic response to the Hemp and Garden show is any indication, then hemp has a bright future in Texas.

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.

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