Maybe you’re just curious about the differences between the two. It’s easy to assume that these two compounds are similar since they both come from the same plant. But while they can both play an important role in managing chronic pain, CBD and THC are very different substances, and each one works differently in the body.

In this article, we’ll explore how these two popular cannabis compounds work to relieve chronic pain — both separately and together.

The Basics of THC and CBD

CBD (short for cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) belong to a group known as cannabinoids, and they are derived from the cannabis plant – either hemp or psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”). There are over 100 different cannabinoids, but CBD and THC are the most dominant substances in cannabis, making them responsible for most of the effects that marijuana is famous for.

Both CBD and THC work by interacting with the endocannabinoid system, which refers to a group of receptors in the body that regulate various physiological processes, including pain, digestion, mood, and sleep. Cannabis is well-known for its versatility, helping people worldwide with problems like insomnia, PTSD, and pain – and it’s all because these endocannabinoid receptors are involved in so many different bodily functions.

By far, the most notable difference between CBD and THC is that THC causes a high, while CBD does not. CBD’s lack of psychoactive effects is one of the reasons it has become so popular as of late. In fact, CBD can counteract some of THC’s psychoactive effects (like euphoria and anxiety). This is why high-CBD strains of cannabis are often popular for pain relief since they allow one to keep a clear head.

THC is also associated with more side effects than CBD, although these tend to be mild and are temporary. Some well-documented side effects of THC are dry mouth, red eyes, and hunger. Most people who use CBD report little to no side effects, with sleepiness being the most common, especially at high doses.

CBD Benefits

Research has established that CBD is an effective anti-inflammatory, with strong evidence that it can relieve pain from inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. For example, a 2017 study concluded that CBD can reduce osteoarthritis-related pain and inflammation, and prevent nerve damage.

Other studies support CBD for the relief of neuropathic pain and incision-related pain. CBD’s effectiveness at relieving different types of pain has led to its popularity among people with conditions such as fibromyalgia, IBS, multiple sclerosis, and cancer.

THC Benefits

Although there is plenty of research supporting the use of cannabis for pain relief in conditions like Crohn’s disease, chronic migraine, and fibromyalgia, less attention has been paid to the specific benefits of THC. The few studies that are available tend to be small and show conflicting results.

A recent study in Neurology found THC is effective for alleviating chronic nerve pain. A larger study, involving 177 cancer patients, found that while THC was not effective at reducing pain, the patients who took a CBD/THC combination had their pain reduced by over 30 percent when compared to placebo. Another double-blind study supported this conclusion when using THC for post-surgery pain. Meanwhile, a 2017 study found both THC and CBD, when taken alone, were effective for reducing chemotherapy-related pain in mice.

The same study also discovered that when combined, previously ineffective doses of CBD and THC could relieve pain. The entourage effect enhances the pain-relieving properties of CBD, and this relates to an important benefit of THC.

There are new THC products available in the market that are available to buy, we have done Delta-8 gummies and Delta-8 carts reviews on the website. Which is a version of THC which is currently legal to buy in the US.

How CBD and THC Work Together: The Entourage Effect

Although CBD and THC are the most dominant compounds in the cannabis plant, they aren’t alone. There are dozens of other cannabinoids and terpenes that work together to provide different synergic effects. For example, the third most dominant compound in cannabis, cannabichromene (CBC) has shown anti-inflammatory benefits similar to those of CBD.

The entourage effect refers to the benefits that one can experience by ingesting multiple cannabinoids together, including CBD and THC. In short, while CBD and THC have their own powerful benefits, they tend to be more potent when combined – especially when it comes to pain relief. An analysis of 18 studies on cannabinoids for multiple sclerosis pain found that the combination of THC and CBD was slightly more effective for pain reduction than CBD on its own.

The entourage effect is why CBD products fall into 3 categories: full-spectrum, isolate, and broad-spectrum. Full-spectrum CBD products incorporate all the cannabinoids and terpenes that extraction included along with CBD. On the other hand, isolate CBD products remove all traces of these other substances, resulting in a product that is pure CBD.

Some people have better success using full-spectrum CBD products for pain relief because of the entourage effect. However, due to the variety of cannabinoids and terpenes, full-spectrum products can be somewhat unpredictable in their effects. Those who can’t tolerate any traces of THC, or need to avoid it due to drug testing, often prefer Isolate CBD products.

Legalities and Limits of THC In CBD Products

The majority of CBD products you’ll find on the market today are made from hemp, which by law can contain up to a maximum of 0.3 percent THC. This means hemp-derived, full-spectrum CBD products are likely to contain low amounts of THC. CBD oils made from marijuana instead of hemp have a higher percentage of THC. Dispensaries tend to restrict these products for legal reasons.

Closing Thoughts on CBD vs. THC

As you can see, there isn’t a simple answer for whether CBD or THC is better for chronic pain. Both compounds bring their own benefits to the table, and in regard to chronic pain, there is evidence that they’re more effective when taken together due to the entourage effect.

Either way, it’s clear that cannabis has plenty to offer for chronic pain patients, and cannabis products can vary widely in effectiveness. So if you don’t have success with one product, don’t give up; try something new, whether it’s a different blend of cannabinoids or a different potency.

The post CBD vs THC: Comparing Two Potent Cannabinoids appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Delta 8 supplements are a new class of products that are rapidly flooding the hemp market. While you may see them sold from brands that also sell CBD, these products create a very distinct sensation. Consumers that try Delta 8 feel stoned, making this more like psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”) than CBD. 

Because these supplements come from legal industrial hemp, Delta 8 supplements may be legal to possess anywhere in the United States. Many experts think this is a legal loophole that the government will close very soon.

“Law enforcement and regulatory bodies don’t necessarily like it when you exploit loopholes that can get people high,” commented Jordan Lams, founder of Moxie Seeds and Extracts. 

Lams, who has over decade’s experience in the cannabis and hemp industries, helped us understand this substance.

Editor’s Note: In November, Jordan Lams visited the Ministry of Hemp podcast to discuss Delta 8. -KO

For now, various companies like Exhale Wellness are producing Delta 8 products and are widely available. We thought it was important to create this guide to help you understand this new cannabinoid, how it’s made, and how to safely use it if you choose to try it. 

While we suspect Delta 8 is safe to use as other forms of cannabis, we didn’t want anyone to try it without realizing how it differs from CBD. 

Table of Contents

• What is Delta 8? How is Delta 8 different from CBD?
• How is Delta 8 made? Is it safe?
• Is Delta 8 legal?
• How do you use Delta 8?
• Will the government ban Delta 8?

What is Delta-8 THC And How Does It Make You Feel?

Most Delta-8 is made from hemp and often sold by CBD companies. If you look at the marketing for these products, it’s not always clear what you are getting into.

For legal reasons, most companies won’t openly advertise the fact that Delta 8 gets you stoned. 

Rather than CBD, Delta-8-THC is much more similar to Delta-9-THC. Commonly just called THC, this is the main active ingredient found in psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”). When consumed, it can cause euphoria, relaxation, pain relief along with giddiness, creative moods, or even potentially make you more anxious … In other words, Delta 8 causes most or all of the effects commonly associated with the regular form of THC. 

Delta 8 is made from hemp but, unlike CBD, it will get you high.

“It’s probably a nuanced difference from Delta-9-THC,” said Lams. “Molecularly, it’s pretty darn similar but it’s not exactly the same.”

The chemical differences between the two forms THC are very small, and they both interact with receptors in our brain and nervous system (the “endocannabinoid system”). For more information, look at our article which compares CBD and THC. 

Some people do experience slightly different effects. We asked our readers on Twitter, and looked at some consumer reports on Reddit. Many people report feeling more of a physical, “body high” from Delta 8, with less of the mental effects of THC/marijuana. 

“My experience with it has been very pleasant, from a consumption standpoint,” said Lams.

Remember though, experiences vary a great deal from person to person.

How is Delta-8 made? Is it Safe?

If you’re new to sensations of feeling high, we recommend you proceed with caution … First, however, we want to address whether these products are safe or FDA approved.

We prefer to recommend plant-based compounds The process of transforming one cannabinoid into another sounds unnatural, but Lams said that’s a misconception. To create Delta 8, chemists expose CBD extract to a process called isomerization. 

“It’s not a scary process with a lot of chemicals,” said Lams. “It’s really just manipulation of the chemistry through heat and pressure.”

Chemists working in the legal cannabis industry have been creating Delta 8 from regular THC for a while, but using CBD is relatively new. 

“The onset when you take too much can really be overwhelming.”

Jordan Lams, Moxie Seeds And Extracts

Even so, hemp brands “quickly scaled up the ability to do isomerization,” he continued. “So the chemical purity of the products they’re converting from CBD … it’s pretty good stuff.”

Cannabis has a very long history of use without any fatal overdoses. So Delta 8 is probably physically safe to consume. Of course, we’re not doctors, and there’s a chance it could interact with prescription drugs or other substances. In addition, getting high causes significant mental changes that make it more dangerous to drive or perform other risky activities. 

Probably the biggest risk is that inexperienced users might take too much and have mentally challenging experiences. 

“I do know of a couple of different people that were inexperienced THC users that used Delta 8 and ended up having an adverse overdose and checking themselves into hospitals,” cautioned Lams. “The onset when you take too much can really be overwhelming.” 

To restate, they probably weren’t in physical danger but were mentally very overwhelmed. 

Is Delta-8 THC legal?

After the government legalized hemp at the end of 2018, lots of people grew hemp and produced raw CBD extract. Too much of it! Combine a glut of raw CBD, with a potential legal loophole allowing brands to sell mind-altering substances, and you can see why lots of brands are experimenting with this.

We’re not lawyers and we can’t say for sure what the legal consequences could be for possessing, or especially the manufacture and sales of Delta 8 products. Since Delta 8 made from hemp is so new, most lawyers can’t say for sure either. 

Police field tests probably can’t tell the difference between illegal marijuana and ‘legal’ Delta 8.

Lams compared this substance to kratom, which is under threat by the government, and salvia, a herbal psychedelic that got banned after widespread use. “If you look historically at attempts to utilize loopholes to commercialize psychoactive products, that doesn’t typically go well.” 

A consumer using Delta 8 products is still going to face serious charges if they get caught driving impaired or otherwise put people at risk. 

“In the eyes of the average public safety official, they’re not going to be able to tell the difference.” 

Most field tests used by police probably won’t be able to tell the difference, either. 

Lawyers seem divided about whether Delta 8 is legal at all. The CBD industry is unregulated, and there isn’t much precedent for this kind of thing in the hemp world. 

“It’s such a polarizing legal issue that I think it will be addressed swiftly,” Lams said.

How to Purchase and Use Delta-8?

Never buy Delta 8 from a gas station or other disreputable location. Only purchase from brands that are transparent about their sourcing, manufacturing process, and offer third-party lab results. These lab results should verify the strength of the product and its purity, showing you that it’s free from contaminants like pesticides, mold and heavy metals. The date on the test results should be recent (ideally 6 months or less) and the brand should carry out new tests on every batch.

Even though their effects are very different, Delta 8 supplements are used in much the same way as CBD. Most commonly, you’ll find tinctures, edibles like Delta 8 gummies, and Delta 8 vape cartridges. 

When it comes to dosing, we recommend that you “start low and go slow.” Begin with a very low dose, especially if you are inexperienced. Consider taking half a dropper full (or less) of tincture. Split strong edibles into pieces.

When it comes to dosing, ‘start low and go slow.’

A vape or tincture will usually take effect more quickly than an edible. Sometimes people take too many edibles beause they think it’s “not working.” In reality, it’s just working slowly and can build up dramatically over time. 

If you do take too much Delta 8, don’t panic and remember the sensations will pass. The same advice people give for getting over feeling too stoned applies here: stay calm and hydrated, make yourself comfortable, and find pleasant ways to distract yourself until you sober up.

Conclusion: Is Delta-8 Legal?

If we’ve seemed harsh towards Delta 8, it’s because we don’t want someone stumbling into these products without the proper education. Lams stressed that Delta 8 can benefit people, just like the more common form of THC.

“Having access to something that can provide a different type of therapy, for those seeking medicinal relief, it could be really great.” He said. “More access is important for scientific research.”

“The looming issue is what’s the FDA going to do? What’s the DEA going to do?”

Jordan Lams, Moxie Seeds And Extracts

Yet it’s a form of relief which could disappear at any time. He doesn’t think this will threaten the CBD industry as a whole. It’s likely to be dealt with in a “standalone” way. Still, the future is uncertain.

“The looming issue is what’s the FDA going to do? What’s the DEA going to do, what are state and local public safety officials going to do?”

He continued, “I don’t believe this should be a criminal issue, when the overall regulatory framework is so new.” 

Even so, it’s possible that we could even see police raids against establishments selling Delta 8 and other serious consequences for the people who manufacture and sell these products. 

We’ll continue to update this article as this fast-moving issue develops.

The post What is Delta 8 THC? Effects, Safety & Legality appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Every election season, more and more states open their doors to psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”). Alongside that, many THC-focused companies are expanding across the country. Businesses that could only operate in Colorado or Washington can now open doors in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Michigan. This expansion is bound to eventually hit the entire country.

However, these very companies are now seeing an ever-growing market for a cannabis product which is already legal nationwide. Since the 2018 Farm Bill, the demand for hemp has skyrocketed. The stigma we hemp enthusiasts fought against is now diminishing. And people who never had interest in cannabis are opening up to all the possibilities CBD products have to offer.

Cheeba Chews transition from psychoactive cannabis to hemp seemed worth exploring to us.

In 2009, James Howler developed a THC-infused taffy for medical cannabis patients within the state of Colorado. The goal of these candies was to provide the public with a safe, reliable form of cannabis which didn’t require a puff of smoke. A decade later, after much success, Cheeba Chews set its eyes on hemp.

Eric Leslie, the Marketing Officer of Cheeba Chews, discussed with us the transition from THC to CBD.

“The demand [for CBD] was coming from many consumers outside of legal cannabis states that we operate in,” Leslie told us. “I believe there is a large contingent of consumers that are totally apprehensive about trying THC infused products, due to societal perception through years of probation.”

CBD DISTRIBUTION OUTWEIGHING MARIJUANA

While marijuana continues to fight against stigma and prohibition, hemp has taken a large towards becoming the social norm it should have always been.

As Leslie believes, the main reason people are turning their heads towards CBD is to seek out, “an outlet to experiment with alternative health and wellness options while not worrying about any sort of psychoactive disorientation.”

Public opinion and demand seems to confirm this statement. Just recently, CVS Pharmacy announced it’s going to begin carrying CBD products. This is pretty big news since consumers trust drug stores more than the smoke shops that often sell CBD. Furthermore, it really shows the demand has now reached a very corporate level.

“The conversation about CBD has hit a tipping point,” Leslie said, “and consumers are more open than ever to trying hemp derived products.”

Businesses are trying to get into this game as quickly as possible, before the market is saturated with competition. Cheeba Chews are no exception to this. One of their primary goals in creating hemp-based taffy is to reach the very states where marijuana remains illegal.

“We will track local, state, and federal regulations closely as we develop our distribution plan,” Leslie noted. “Having our website as a direct purchasing source for consumers means anyone, in any part of the country, can have access to our reliable and delicious hemp infused Cheeba Chews.”

CBD OFFERS SOMETHING MARIJUANA CAN’T

The healing benefits of CBD encouraged Cheeba Chews decision about releasing a hemp line of products. Despite the many benefits of marijuana, the psychoactive effects turn off many consumers.

“We have always believed in making a positive impact in the lives of those that trust in and consume our products,” Leslie mentioned. “Federal regulations and limitations on ‘official’ research restricts us from explicitly expressing any sort of specific medical benefits, but we believe in the power of CBD.”

Everyday consumers also believe in this power. Word of mouth is powerful! While the government remains reluctant to study hemp, regular CBD users are already discovering new benefits. Due to this, they’re spreading the word around to others in need of natural medicines.

This word of mouth is one of the main reasons finance professionals predict the hemp industry will hit well over $2 billion by 2022. Still, it takes more than just oral communication to develop a prediction. Just as importantly, companies must build trust with their customers.

Leslie claimed the primary goal of Cheeba Chews is, “to help distribute our reliable, and trusted products to more people, and assist in continuing to change the narrative and stigma around CBD.”

THE FUTURE OF CHEEBA CHEWS AND HEMP

Leslie expressed excitement about Cheeba Chews’ growing line of CBD-based taffy products

“We’re looking to expand out award-winning taffy flavor variety,” Leslie anticipates. “In fact, next month, we will be launching our new Orange Cream taffy flavor in both our cannabis and hemp line.”

Still, they’re keeping an open mind for products outside of taffy.

Hemp Cheeba Chews are currently available in four flavors on the official website. They’re available for sale to all 50 states. Each taffy piece offers 25mg of CBD.

“With the global CBD movement amplified by the passing of the U.S. Farm Bill, greater understanding of the benefits of Cannabidiol has helped shift public perception of the plant, increasing demand for hemp-based products,” said Eric Leslie.

“With award-winning flavors, consumers already trust and rely on the brand for creating the highest quality cannabis products, and we have taken that same approach in developing our line of hemp chews.”

The post Best Hemp Cheeba Chews : New Cheeba Chews Wellness Line Offers CBG appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Hemp Business Journal recently released their 2022 hemp industry analysis, reporting sales of hemp products hit $820 million. Despite ongoing legal and regulatory complications, the industry grew a total of 16 percent last year.

And that number is expected to continue rising. With more and more states seeing the value in hemp, legalization is spreading like wildfire.

CBD PRODUCTS LEADING THE WAY IN US HEMP SALES IN 2022

Hemp Business Journal laid out a market breakdown of where hemp products did their best. Turns out, CBD and personal care products dominated the business.

Responsible for 23 percent of U.S. hemp sales, CBD products banked in at $190 million last year. Personal care items come in at 22 percent, generating around $181 million.

Here are other major uses for hemp and the total value of those sales:

• Industrial applications – $144 million
• Food – $137 million
• Consumer textiles – $105 million
• Supplements – $45 million
• Other consumer products – $16 million

As mentioned, U.S. hemp sales are expected to rise as laws and regulations around hemp continue to ease.

With Congress increasingly supportive of total federal legalization of industrial hemp, hemp experts are predicting sales can more nearly triple within the next 5 years.

US HEMP SALES COULD APPROACH $2 BILLION BY 2022

Though it’s only an estimate, Hemp Business Journal expects U.S. hemp sales to reach $1 billion in 2019, and climb as high as $1.9 billion by 2022.

This is due to two important factors: Hemp is easier to grow than other resources, such as cotton or corn. With it’s over 25,000 known uses, businesses see large potential in hemp as a resource.

Still, we have a long way to go until these estimations become a reality. In 2022, over half of the hemp industry was based in Colorado alone. The biggest barrier: not every state is on board with hemp legalization.

Since hemp is still only partially legal, the amount of production allowed varies from state to state. Therefore, we aren’t seeing as big of a hemp boom as we could because farmers and vendors still face regulatory hurdles from growing their crops to bringing products to market.

As of this time, experts expect the hemp industry to grow in much of the southern states (namely, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee) as well as a great area of the Midwest (particularly, Minnesota and North Dakota).

However, with more laws being put into place, such as the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp holds the potential to grow even beyond the estimates mentioned here.

LEGAL COMPLICATIONS LIMIT POTENTIAL US HEMP SALES

Congress could be key to this industry’s success, thanks to a bill proposed on April 12th, 2018. The Hemp Farming Act of 2018 was introduced by Senate Leader Mitch McConnell and supported by Senator Ron Wyden as well as Senator Jeff Merkley.

Senators later added the act as an amendment to the 2018 Farm Bill. If Congress passes the Farm Bill as expected, the Department of Agriculture will regulate hemp on the federal level. This would not only make hemp more widely available to farmers but to consumers as well. Almost inevitably, full legalization would increase sales.

Still, complications will continue to persist under current plans for nationwide legalization. The current language of the amendment bans anyone with a prior drug felony from growing hemp. The U.S. does not regulate any other crops in this manner.

This law could put existing farmers such as Veronica Carpio at risk. Carpio is an early contributor to the hemp industry and the president of Grow Hemp Colorado, but she also holds a past felony cannabis conviction. With this new bill, there’s potential she’ll be kicked out of the industry, in spite of all she’s already done. Future hemp entrepreneurs could also be locked out by their criminal record. However, some hemp industry experts hope the law could be reformed after passage.

We can only guess at how high hemp sales could get. Though hemp farming is growing, companies simply don’t have enough of the resource to offer a full range of commercial products. Imagine if hemp was as widely available as cotton. Who knows how many hemp products we’d see on the market?

The post US Hemp Sales Reach Record-Breaking $820M In 2022 appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

There are many products that utilize hemp; clothing, skincare products, CBD oils & tinctures, and hemp-enhanced edibles, but there remains a noticeable absence of hemp in the alcohol industry. Most notably, the craft beer market, a market that’s notorious for experimentation to produce unique flavors.

Thanks to unmet market needs and the relaxing regulations towards hemp & cannabis products, breweries such as New Belgium have initiated their foray into the hemp craft beer market. Upon their release of “The Hemperor,” the Colorado brewery gained nationwide media attention due to this trailblazing and delicious beverage.

Previously, we reviewed The Hemperor and interviewed a local maker of hemp wine. The recent growth of hemp craft beer left us eager to look deeper into this enticing topic.

THE CURRENT STATE OF THE HEMP CRAFT BEER MARKET

Other breweries looking to imitate New Belgium’s success must fight a gauntlet of obstacles.

Thanks to the difficulty of state and federal regulations, New Belgium had to experiment with many iterations of The Hemperor. This is because the use of hemp flowers & leaves in products is forbidden by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The use of CBD is also forbidden in alcohol products with national distribution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKqUX7QQlTo

Eventually, the brewery landed on hulled hemp seeds as the base for The Hemperor. Hulled hemp seeds, better known as hemp hearts, are an ingredient that can be found in your local supermarket. Hemp hearts are versatile, and can be used in many applications such as making hemp milk. Now, The Hemperor is available in all states except Kansas (party poopers if you ask us).

With the success of New Belgium, major beer companies are looking to get a slice of the pie. Corona & Modelo manufacturer Constellation Brands, Blue Moon founder Keith Villa, and Molson Coors are some of the notable names looking to dip their toes into hemp and cannabis beer. Constellation Brands and Molson Coors partnered with Canadian cannabis producers, while Keith Villa is working with a producer in his home state of Colorado.

BREWERIES THAT MAKE HEMP CRAFT BEER

New Belgium Brewing: The Hemperor

New Belgium are experiencing a moment as the most recognized hemp craft beer trailblazer. Released in April of this year, New Belgium have already experienced an instant success with The Hemperor. While they haven’t released a statement with future plans, one can almost be sure that they will release more hemp infused products.

Sweetwater Brewing Company: 420 Strain G13 IPA

This Atlanta based brewery has long been a fan of cannabis culture. Their best seller is the aptly named “420 Extra Pale Ale.” This past June, the brewery finally released their first (of seemingly many to come) hemp-enhanced beers. Their new beverage, “420 Strain G13 IPA,” mimics the famous G13 strain of psychoactive cannabis in terms of smell and taste, without the high. Sweetwater achieves this by infusing the pale ale with hemp, hops, terpenes, and other organic materials.

In a statement in the New York Times, co-founder Freddy Bensch says: “We think the drinker and the cannabis consumer are the same person.”

Bensch means that by releasing their G13 product, the brewery is tapping into a market that’s already connected to their traditional target-market. It’s worth noting that in just a couple of months, the G13 IPA has become their 2nd highest selling product.

Lagunitas Brewing: Hi-Fi Hops

With the recreational use of psychoactive cannabis becoming legal, California-based Lagunitas Brewery pounced on the new market. Releasing their “Hi-Fi Hops” product line, in collaboration with CannaCraft (a cannabis-extract manufacturer), they offer cannabis-infused sparkling water drinks. Hi-Fi Hops products can only be found in medical marijuana dispensaries in California. While a little more left-field, the introduction of a cannabis-infused sparkling water opens the conversation up from merely a beer product, into a whole slew of hemp, CBD & THC-infused beverages.

Lagunitas is at the forefront of the fusion of cannabis into traditional drinks.

WHERE HEMP CRAFT BEER FITS INTO CRAFT BEER CULTURE

So where does hemp craft beer stand within existing craft beer culture?

Craft beer culture is already at the forefront of counterculture. Craft beers began with mad-scientist brewers looking for new flavors in unconventional ingredients. Long synonymous with bearded, beanie-wearing hipsters, craft beer culture is comfortable standing out. In fact, being different is the greatest asset of a craft beer. One needs only to look at the ingredients and artwork on their bottles to recognize this.

Cannabis and hemp belong to the same family of plants as hops. Breweries such as New Belgium and Sweetwater are using the green & herbal notes of the hemp plant to enhance their IPAs, which already tout flavors of bitterness, freshness and hoppiness.

So, we think that hemp craft beers will fit right in! In fact, we believe it’ll do more than fit in, we think they will thrive. The same hipster beanie-wearing dudes who drink IPAs are probably already using hemp in their breakfasts or daily supplements; so why not have hemp with their beer?

The post Hemp Craft Beer & The Breweries That Make It appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Despite the low levels of CBN found in hemp and psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”), popularity in this cannabinoid is booming.

More and more information seems to be coming out on the positive effects of cannabinoids. Today, we’re going to look at CBN (cannabinol) and why some companies that sell CBN are calling it the next big thing for those suffering from insomnia, glaucoma, and arthritis.

While you know we’re big fans of hemp and everything made from it, we’re also believers in science, and the science of CBN is very new. As we’ll explain below, there’s still not a lot of evidence to back up brands’ claims when it comes to the benefits of CBN. At the same time, what is there is promising, suggesting CBN can help people feel better like the other compounds found in hemp such as CBD or Cannabigerol (CBG).

Table of Contents

• What is CBN?
• Does CBN help with insomnia?
• Other potential benefits of CBN
• How to take CBN
• Can CBN interact with pharmaceutical drugs?

What is CBN?

Cannabinol is one of the many cannabinoids found in the cannabis or hemp plant. What’s unique about this cannabinoid is that it doesn’t synthesize from Cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) like most cannabinoids. Instead, this cannabinoid is formed from aged tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). But unlike THC, CBN is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid. It won’t make you feel high.

CBN is found in high amounts in older cannabis but is still less than 1% total in the plant. 

Is CBN a sleep aid? Can CBN help with insomnia?

By far, the most popular, and most controversial property of CBN is its use as a sleep aid. It’s controversial because while some users (and hemp brands) swear by its sleep aid properties, the research is much less conclusive. 

In one CBN controversy, a lab retracted a study suggesting it worked favorably when compared with diazepam.

One study, conducted in 1975, looked favorably at the effects of CBN on sleep. However, it involved CBN used in combination with THC, the main active ingredient in psychoactive cannabis. The results seemed to show that subjects felt more drowsy when taking THC with CBN, but didn’t feel much difference from cannabinol alone.

Other than this single study, there’s not a lot of evidence to scientifically prove whether cannabinol helps you sleep better.

In a CBN sleep aid controversy, Steep Hill, a cannabis science and technology company, published a study comparing the effects of CBN to the powerful prescription sleep drug diazepam. Recently, however, they changed the text to read “Initially, it was reported that CBN was a promising adjunct in the treatment of insomnia, but with the advent of a few small trials, sedative qualities have not been observed. Further study is required.”

Right now, it seems like CBN may or may not act as a sleep aid. It might work better when combined with other cannabinoids, especially THC, because of the “entourage effect.” Until more research is done, our readers should try it for themselves and see how it works. Everyone is different and what does work for one doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another. 

Other benefits of CBN

In other early research, CBN is showing many medicinal properties. Of the different websites we explored, Leafly offered the most comprehensive list of this compound’s benefits.

One thing you’ll notice about this research is it’s very preliminary. Just because something works in a lab or on rats, doesn’t mean it will work the same for humans. With that in mind, let’s take a look.

Potent antibacterial agent

A 2008 study looked at the effectiveness of cannabinoids on antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Cannabinol showed promise in the lab as an antibacterial agent. It’s important to note, we still don’t understand the mechanism of action — in other words, scientists don’t understand how hemp compounds fight bacteria.

Possible neuroprotectant

In a 2005 study of cannabinol in rodents, researchers used the compound as a treatment for ALS. They found it was able to delay the onset of the condition.

The authors note, “Further research is necessary to determine whether non-psychotropic cannabinoids might be useful in ameliorating symptoms in ALS.”

Appetite stimulant

In yet another study on rodents, CBN was shown to increase the amount of food that rats ate. It’s interesting that THC, the cannabinoid known for giving users the “munchies,” is the precursor for CBN.

Mild benefits for glaucoma

CBN might help those suffering from glaucoma. In a 2007 study on rabbits, CBN (as well as THC) reduced intraocular pressure – the biggest risk factor for glaucoma.

Before you get too excited, it’s important to note that CBN did not prove to be more helpful than traditional glaucoma medications. 

Cannabinol as anti-inflammatory agent

As with other cannabinoids, CBN acts as an anti-inflammatory agent and helps those with rheumatoid arthritis. In one study on rodents, it was shown to reduce symptoms of arthritis.

How to take CBN

The most popular way to take CBN is under the tongue (sublingually) via tincture. You should hold the tincture under your tongue for at least 30 seconds and swish it around your mouth a bit before swallowing. This ensures maximum absorption.

Most CBN tinctures contain between 50 – 300mg of CBN per 30ml (1 ounce) bottle. Many of the tinctures available offer a combination of CBN and CBD, most commonly in a ratio of 1 part CBN to 3 parts CBD.  It is also sold in combination with CBD and other cannabinoids as a full-spectrum oil.

‘Start low and go slow’ — begin with half a dropper or less before bed, and try that for a while to see how it affects you.

Although CBD and CBN do work synergistically, especially as a sleep aid and for pain management and inflammation, there is one word of caution when combining these two cannabinoids. While it is perfectly safe to combine them, they do have contrasting benefits. For example, CBD can act as a mild appetite suppressant while CBN works as an appetite stimulant. So, depending on what ails you, it may be more beneficial not to combine them.

You can also find this compound in capsule form, especially intended as a sleep aid. You can also sometimes find cannabinol as an isolate (an odorless, flavorless powder or crystal) or smoke the compound in hemp and cannabis flower.

Dosage advice: As always with cannabinoids, we recommend that you “start low and go slow.” That means you should take begin by taking a very small dose of CBN, and wait to see how it affects you before increasing.

For example, you might start with a half dropper of tincture before bed, and try that for days or weeks, adjusting up or down as needed, to find your optimal dose. Be careful when mixing CBN with other substances that might make you drowsy or dizzy.

Can CBN interact with pharmaceutical drugs?

Presently, there are no known interactions when combining CBN with medications. However, this doesn’t mean things won’t change as this compound becomes more mainstream and is studied more.

Though there are no proven interactions, check with your doctor before starting any new cannabinoid supplement.

In our article on CBD side effects, we talked about the possibility that CBD could interact with drugs that have a “grapefruit warning.” Right now, we don’t know if cannabinol has similar effects or not.

As noted by Project CBD in 2020, a study published in Drug Metabolism and Distribution looked at the risks of interactions between plant cannabinoids and a drug-metabolizing enzyme called carboxylesterase (CES1). CES1 Is important for activating and inactivating drugs that regulate blood pressure, as well as the drug Ritalin.

Researchers at the University of Michigan and Florida showed that the cannabinoids THC, CBD, and CBN all inhibit CES1. However, this is probably not a cause for alarm because of the large amounts needed to cause harm.  For example, they said it would take hundreds of thousands of milligrams of CBD to do any damage. Though CBN is more potent, the dosage needed to interfere with these drugs still far exceeds the dosages used by consumers.

As always, it’s best to check with your doctor before taking this or any other cannabinoid supplement.

A promising natural compound

We hope this article on cannabinol provided some useful information, even though there’s still so much we don’t know.

As mentioned briefly, cannabinoid use affects everyone differently. There is no exact science to this yet. So, while it’s important to do your research, it’s also as important to be patient and try different cannabinoid combinations and dosages until you find what works for you.

Kit O’Connell contributed to this guide.

The post CBN: What Is Cannabinol (CBN) & Why Is It Getting So Much Attention? appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Canada is divided into provinces that, like the states in the U.S., have their own laws and regulations separate from federal rulings. That means that although the Cannabis Act applies to all of Canada, depending on where you live your ability to purchase cannabis may differ. As the law rolled out some infrastructure problems made the transition a little bumpy, with supply chain issues and confusing regulations. When it came to accessing CBD products, in particular, consumers were really confused.

Is CBD Oil Legal in Canada?

This is where things get tricky. CBD has had a complicated journey towards legislation in the U.S. with different states determining it to be either legal or illegal, with the final say often coming down to how it was produced. CBD derived from hemp has generally been considered permissible while CBD from marijuana has not.

With the passing of the Farm Bill, it was thought that all hemp-derived CBD would be totally legal but a press release from the FDA threw more confusion into the mix with a warning that CBD cannot be added to foods, that health claims would be rigorously tested, and a suggestion that in the future they would “consider whether there are circumstances in which certain cannabis-derived compounds might be permitted in a food or dietary supplement.”

One of the sticking points seems to be that although there are studies showing CBD can alleviate feelings of social anxiety and that it reduces inflammation and works as a pain reliever, medical claims made by CBD producers and manufacturers are untested and not regulated federally.

As reported by Ministry of Hemp, in some states CBD products are sold out in the open in major grocery chains and yet in other states, people are still being arrested for selling CBD products.

An Overview Of Legal Cannabis in Canada

The new official rules in Canada allow members of the public to possess and share up to 30 grams of legally acquired cannabis and grow up to 4 plants per residence for personal use. That provision that the cannabis must be “legally acquired” states that it must come from an approved provincial or territorial retailer. It’s also of note that in the official announcement mentions of CBD products specifically are missing.

The Cannabis Act states that “Other products, such as edible products and concentrates, will be legal for sale approximately one year after the Cannabis Act has come into force and federal regulations for their production have been developed and brought into force.”

It seems that the Canadian government is going with a soft launch focusing on psychoactive cannabis containing THC with plans to address CBD and other cannabis products at a later date.

Coupled with this slow rollout is the fact that government officials and lawmakers have not made a distinction between products containing THC and CBD, as Trina Fraser, partner at Brazeau Seller Law, in Ottawa, Ontario explained:

“CBD, in and of itself, falls within the definition of “cannabis” in the federal Cannabis Act.  As such, it is regulated just like all other cannabis products containing THC. Hemp farmers can grow hemp for the purpose of CBD extraction, but the plant must be sold to a federally licensed processor to conduct the CBD extraction, and then the CBD is subject to the same rules as all cannabis extracts.”

Canadian Cannabis Law Causes Confusion Over CBD Products

Fraser explained that there was a proposal to permit natural health products containing CBD, but it seems the process was stalled and never completed.

As CBD oil products do not have the same effect as THC consumers believe falsely that they are always legal. “There seems to be a pervasive misunderstanding as to the legal status of CBD,” said Fraser.

“Mary” from Ottawa [name changed to protect from possible prosecution] is one such confused consumer. She uses CBD to control her anxiety and told us that life without it is immeasurably worse. “I really need my CBD products, they help to keep me relaxed and to deal with symptoms of PTSD, but I really don’t understand whether or not I am allowed to legally purchase them. I order offline from a US company and they mail it to me. I have always received it with no problem, but I find I am anxious until I get my package,” she said.

What Are Licenced Producers?

Steven Looi, Director of Origination at White Sheep Corp and an industry expert from Toronto said that “CBD is treated the exact same way that THC is treated, in fact, all cannabinoids receive the same treatment in Canada. CBD is illegal unless it comes from a licensed producer.”

Health Canada claims that to become a licensed producer in Canada applicants must go through a screening process that is the toughest in the world for cannabis producers.

Consumers cannot legally purchase cannabis from any other producer.

“I really need my CBD products, they help to keep me relaxed and to deal with symptoms of PTSD, but I really don’t understand whether or not I am allowed to legally purchase them.” — “Mary,” a Canadian CBD consumer

According to Statistics Canada, there are over 100 licensed producers registered in Canada, although there may not be that number currently producing and selling their products.

Only those people with a prescription for medical marijuana can purchase CBD and only through companies authorized by the MMPR — the Marijuana for Medical Purposes Regulations. Of those 100 licensed Canadian producers, only 23 have been registered under the MMPR and are able to sell directly to the public. Therefore legally purchasing CBD in Canada, even if you have a prescription, can be very difficult.

Change is Coming For Canadian CBD Consumers

Changes are coming soon though in conjunction with ongoing public consultation, slated to be completed by the end of 2022. “All sorts of new product types will enter the legal marketplace and permit the legal sale of many products that are currently only available illegally,” said Fraser.

However, although it may seem that all of this uncertainty will be ironed out by years end, purchasing CBD in Canada will still require effort, despite the new laws. Legal CBD products will continue to only be available through authorized retailers and products will carry security features on the packaging like cigarettes and alcohol. There will also be strict limitations in place in terms of the health claims producers can make. Health Canada follows the legislative leaders and also makes no distinction between CBD from hemp or marijuana.

Looi pointed out that “For folks going the legal route for a CBD, legalization will give them greater access, and more products. For folks that always sourced their meds in the black market, not a whole lot has changed.”

Once edibles and other cannabis products are legalized Looi said Canadians will have access to some of the same types of products that are currently flooding the American market.

“Canadians will have better access to a proliferation of CBD products. Marketing, storytelling, and promotion will encourage many new consumers to purchase products featuring CBD,” he said.

As with any emerging industry, there are certain to be teething problems both in Canada and the United States. Unfortunately for CBD users in Canada, the much longed-for legalization has not automatically made CBD accessible for all.

The post Why Can’t I Easily Get Legal CBD Oil In Canada? appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

In addition, terpenes work in concert with the better known compounds found in the plant such as the cannabinoids THC and CBD to provide their own unique health benefits.

One reason we enjoy writing about hemp is the opportunity to learn new cannabinoid science and then get to share it with our readers. We’ve said it before, but it bears repeating, there really is so much more to the cannabis plant than just CBD and THC.

Of course, both of these two cannabinoids, along with the other hundred or so cannabinoids, are instrumental in the healing and feel better properties of the cannabis plant. But increasingly researchers believe other parts of the hemp plant work synergistically with the cannabinoids to maximize the healing properties, Today’s article focuses on one of those parts: terpenes. While all forms of hemp contain terpenes, some are especially prevalent in psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”), which we’ve noted below.

Table of Contents

• Video: An introduction to terpenes in hemp
• What are terpenes?
• Learn about different common terpenes
• How to use terpenes for better health

What are terpenes?

Cannabis isn’t the only plant that produces terpenes. According to Wikipedia, terpenes “are a large and diverse class of organic compounds, produced by a variety of plants, particularly conifers.” Terpenes give these plants their unique scents and assist plants in a variety of ways.

Terpenes attract pollenating insects for plant reproduction. They also ward off or even kill predators. They slow plant maturation and regulate metabolism. Terpenes are a major component of plants’ essential oils. Aromatherapy treatments frequently use terpenes due to their medicinal properties. Some terpenes develop because of stress to a plant, like excessive heat.

The exact number of terpenes found in the cannabis plant ranges between 100-200 depending on different variations in scientific classification.

For example, the popular terpene limonene gives citrus fruits their unique smells. It is found in both lemons and oranges, but in different concentrations thus creating a different scent, or variations.

Here we discuss nine primary terpenes found in hemp and share the healing properties of each.

Types of terpenes explained

Below, we look at 9 of the most prominent terpenes: mycerne, limonene, carophyllene, pinene (Alpha/Beta), terpineol, borneol, linalool, eucalyptol, and nerolidol.

Myrcene

Mycerne is the most common terpene found in hemp. In some strains, over 60% of the essential oil is made up of mycerne. It smells very similar to cloves. Scientists consider myrcene a potent analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antibiotic.

Mycerne blocks cytochrome, aflatoxin B, and other pro-mutagenic carcinogens. It has a relaxing, calming, anti-spasmodic, and sedative effect. Myrcene works synergistically with THC and may also increase the psychoactive potential.

The essential oil of  citrus fruits contains high levels of myrcene. Many claim that eating a mango 45 minutes before consuming psychoactive cannabis results in a faster onset and greater intensity.

Limonene

Limonene is often the second, third or fourth terpene found in cannabis resin and produces the smell we find in citrus fruits. Like mycerne, limonene contains anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-carcinogenic properties. It is also said to protect against Aspergillus and other carcinogens found in smoke.

Even more, a cancer study from 2013 revealed that terpene reduces tumors in women with early-stage breast cancer. Limonene quickly and easily penetrates the blood barrier, which increases systolic pressure. What’s more, some experts say limonene increases attention, mental focus, well-being, and sex drive.

Citrus fruit rinds, rosemary, juniper, peppermint, and several pine needle oils all contain limonene.

Caryophyllene

Many herbs and spices contain caryophyllene. Black pepper contains high amounts, giving it that spicy flavor.

As with the previous two terpenes, caryophyllene has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and anti-fungal properties. It has affinity for our bodies’ CB2 receptors making it a common ingredient for anti-inflammatory topicals and creams. Topical application of caryophyllene also relieves toothaches.

One interesting note about this terpene is its promising role in alcohol rehabilitation. In a study on mice, scientists found that caryophyllene reduces the voluntary intake of alcohol.

In addition to black pepper, Thai basils, cloves, and cinnamon leaves have caryophyllene. Lavender also produces caryophyllene in small quantities.

Pinene

Pinene, as the name implies, creates the smell associated with pine and fir trees. Doctors use pinene in medicines as an expectorant, bronchodilator, anti-inflammatory and local antiseptic. Pinene also improves concentration, personal satisfaction, and energy. Patients suffering from arthritis, Crohn’s Disease, and cancer may benefit from pinene.

A unique fact about pinene: Smoking cannabis with high levels of Pinene may give the sensation of sucking more air, which can lead to coughing or hyperventilation.

Many conifers and non-coniferous plants, balsamic resin, pinewoods, and some citrus fruits produce pinene.

Terpineol

Terpineol smells of lilacs, crabapple, blossoms, and lime blossoms. Plants with high-levels of pinene often also produce terpineol. If you’ve ever enjoyed Lapsang souchong tea, part of the flavor came from the terpineol in the pine smoke used during processing.

Terpineol creates a sedative effect often connected to indica strains of psychoactive cannabis. During tests on mice, terpineol reduced mobility by 45 percent. Experts also believe terpineol has antibiotic and antioxidant properties.

Commercial producers of terpineol often derive this terpene from Monterey cypress trees.

Borneol

Borneol smells like mint and camphor. Chinese herbalists use borneol in medicines against fatigue, stress, lingering illness.

Some researchers believe this terpene’s natural insect repellent properties and could be used against diseases caused by ticks, fleas, and mosquitoes such as West Nile Virus. One study published even show that borneol kills breast cancer cells.

Linalool

Linalool has a floral smell similar to lavender and spring flowers. It is currently being used in the treatment of various cancers.

Linalool has a calming action, antianxiety, and produces sedative effects. Linalool is responsible for the sedative effects of certain psychoactive cannabis strains. In tests on mice their activity decreased by 75%. It also has analgesic and anti-epileptic properties.

Patients suffering from arthritis, depression, seizures, insomnia and cancer have all found relief with this terpene.

The Lamiaceae plant and herb family, which includes mints, laurels, cinnamon, rosewood, and Birch trees, all produce linalool. Linalool is a precursor in the formation of Vitamin E.

Eucalyptol

Eucalyptol is the main ingredient in eucalyptus essential oil. It has a minty smell and found in small amounts in psychoactive cannabis.

Eucalyptol relieves pain, improves concentration, and inner balance. Plants containing eucalyptol enhance meditation and concentration. It is showing promise as a treatment for Alzheimer’s, but it’s still in early stages of research.

The Eucalyptus plant, bay leaves, sage, sweet basil, and cardamom contain notable quantities of eucalyptol.

Nerolidol

Nerolidol has a unique woody and fresh bark aroma. This terpene may have anti-fungal, anti-cancer, and anti-malarial properties. It could also prevent certain kinds of parasites.

Neroli, ginger, jasmine, lavender, and tea tree oil contain nerolidol.

Understanding and using terpenes

Again, these are just some of the most common terpenes found in hemp and cannabis. There are many more. These profiles were summarized from Alchimia and Greencamp, where you can read more on terpenes.

After reading this article, we hope you understand how the benefits of terpenes and pair so perfectly with the benefits of CBD, and all the other cannabinoids. We hope you start incorporating them into your daily CBD regimen.

More and more CBD supplement companies recognize the importance of terpenes and now add different terpenes to their products to supplement those already found in hemp. Some brands even sell terpene concentrates for customers to incorporate on their own.

However, if you’re unable to find the terpenes you want through your local CBD store or online, try looking to a non-cannabis plant type or spice and simply combine with your CBD.  You might not achieve the same synergistic effect as when the terpenes are naturally present, but you should still receive the healing properties of the terpenes themselves and the healing properties of the CBD.

Jessica St. Cyr contributed to this article.

The post What Are CBD Terpenes? Types Terpenes, Their Benefits & Risks appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

The 2020 election was a referendum on the legalization of cannabis, as much as it was a vote about who would represent us or lead the country. We believe that federally legalizing cannabis will help the hemp industry, too.

In the 2020 election, voters in 4 states legalized the possession of psychoactive cannabis (a.k.a “marijuana”) by adults. Two more states approved medical cannabis. In total, 36 states now support some form of possession of psychoactive cannabis, whether for medicinal or recreational purposes. And President-elect Joe Biden might be more supportive of legalization and reform of the war on drugs than any president in our lifetimes.

Legalizing cannabis is an issue many politicians dismissed or avoided discussing for years, even as more of the populace began to openly support the idea. Polls about cannabis legalization consistently show that the majority of Americans support both recreational and medicinal cannabis. And those numbers seem to increase with every year and every poll.

We believe that legalizing cannabis is good for the country, and good for industrial hemp too. Even though the U.S. legalized hemp in 2018, barriers remain that make it hard for our favorite plant to thrive here. Some of those would disappear if all forms of cannabis became legal.

Update December 2020: U.S. House of Reps passes ‘MORE Act’ Calling For Cannabis Decriminalization

About one month after the election, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the historic Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. This bill would deschedule cannabis, making possession no longer a crime, and expunge past cannabis convictions as well.

The House voted to approve the MORE Act on December 4, 2020 despite heavy criticism from members of the Republican party. The vote was split largely along party lines. Republicans issued statements and took to Twitter to lambast their political opponents for even attempting to pass cannabis legalization legislation. As a result, passage in the GOP dominated Senate looks impossible.

“It’s important for farmers … it’s important to get people out of prison and for our own well being.”

As we discussed below and in a December 2, 2020 Ministry of Hemp podcast episode on cannabis legalization, this illustrates the stark divide between popular opinion and political will on psychoactive cannabis (a.k.a. “marijuana”). While Republican leaders like Sen. Mitch McConnell are enthusiastic in their support of another form of the same plant, too much stigma remains for them to openly embrace support of THC-rich cannabis. That’s even though psychoactive cannabis is generating billions for state economies during an intense economic downturn.

Not only would legalizing cannabis help clear up some remaining issues in the hemp industry, “it’s important for our farmers, it’s important for business revenues. … it is important to free up frivolous lawsuits and get people out of prison that should not be there and it’s important for our own wellbeing,” as our podcast host Matt Baum pointed out during our recent discussion.

With a run-off election imminent in Georgia and more political change ahead, support for cannabis could continue to grow. We think it’s time for Republicans to contact their lawmakers and tell them they support cannabis legalization too.

The connection between hemp and ‘marijuana’

Two years ago, Pres. Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill, a massive omnibus agricultural funding bill which included an amendment that legalized hemp.

Hemp advocates celebrated this long-awaited move but, despite bi-partisan support of industrial hemp, the new industry is off to a difficult start. Everyone from banks to social media companies continue to stigmatize hemp, associating it with cannabis which they still deem illegal. That makes it hard to grow the industry, or invest in new uses for the plant.

To fully legalize hemp, we need to support access to the plant in all its forms.

The fact that every state has slightly different laws for treating both hemp and cannabis creates an ongoing mess of legal confusion and prosecutions. Police don’t have reliable ways to tell the difference between hemp and cannabis. Some states are responding by banning smokable forms of hemp, despite their exploding popularity and the fact that the Farm Bill legalized all forms of hemp.

Industrial hemp is a different form of the cannabis plant that doesn’t get people high. Legally speaking, the only difference is that hemp needs to remain below 0.3% THC. Crops that go over this amount typically must be destroyed, causing a tremendous amount of waste at every harvest. 

Psychoactive cannabis is consumed for pleasure, its medicinal benefits, or both. Hemp has countless uses, from medicine to clothing to food and beyond. With their distinct uses, and distinct ways of being grown, the hemp and cannabis industries will probably always be separate.

But if we want to clear up the remaining legal hurdles around hemp, legalizing all forms of the plant seems like an obvious next step. Election 2020 brought us much closer to that goal.

The future of hemp after election 2020

Support for the total legalization of cannabis is creeping up in Congress. The MORE Act, which would legalize cannabis nationwide, could see a House vote as soon as next week. 

While it’s unclear if Congress is quite ready to take this step, the country as a whole seems ready. More than half of states allow cannabis possession in some form. We’re well past the stage where the federal government could effectively stop legalization. There’s just too much momentum. 

After the 2020 election, it seems likely that the U.S. may legalize cannabis, and fix hemp regulations too. Timing makes a big difference, however. It took hemp about a decade to really take off in Canada after they legalized the plant. Cannabis could end up legalized with so many strings attached that the black market continues to thrive. This dysfunctional, divisive political moment could delay progress for years.

To ensure a bright future for our favorite plant, cannabis and hemp need to become priorities for our legislators. If you love hemp, you need to put pressure on lawmakers to also legalize cannabis and to do so in a way that’s just and equitable.

If we come together in support of our favorite plant, we can ensure it thrives in every form.

The post Hemp After Election 2020: Legalizing Cannabis Will Make Hemp Thrive (UPDATED) appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

In episode 64 of the Ministry of Hemp podcast, our host Matt is joined by the whole Ministry of Hemp crew: Editor in Chief Kit O’Connell, Brand Manager Drew De Los Santos, and Videographer Desiree Kane to discuss cannabis on the election 2020 ballot. While the American public may be split on somethings, cannabis legislation is not one of them.

For more on the subject, Kit’s article on hemp after election 2020, too.

You’ve got hemp questions? We’ve got hemp answers!

Send us your hemp questions and you might hear them answered on one of our Hemp Q&A episodes. Send your written questions to us on Twitter, Facebook, matt@ministryofhemp.com, or call us and leave a message at 402-819-6417. Keep in mind, this phone number is for hemp questions only and any other inquiries for the Ministry of Hemp should be sent to info@ministryofhemp.com

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Cannabis legalization & hemp after the election: Complete episode transcript

Below you’ll find the complete transcript of episode 64 of the Ministry of Hemp podcast, “Cannabis legalization & hemp after election 2020”:

Matt Baum:
I’m Matt Baum and this is the Ministry of Hemp podcast brought to you by ministryofhemp.com America’s leading advocate for hemp and Hemp education.

Matt Baum:
Hope everybody had a good Thanksgiving holiday and I know ours was a little strange in the Baum house because of COVID and whatnot. We didn’t really get to hang out with the family, but we still made the best of it and it went really well, but it felt like a nice relaxing end to a pretty stressful month and the main stress of this month yes, definitely COVID but there was also an election. So today we’re going to talk about the election, but don’t worry. We’re not going to get into the Trump stuff and Biden stuff. Not at all. Today, we are going to talk about cannabis on the ballot.

Matt Baum:
I wanted to give everybody a few weeks to just decompress after how gnarly the whole election process really was before we can talk about this kind of stuff, but it seemed like a really good time to get together with the other Ministry of Hemp guys and just talk through what went down as far as cannabis measures that were on ballots all over the United States. So here is our little Ministry of Hemp round table discussion about cannabis and the 2020 election.

Meet the Ministry of Hemp team

Matt Baum:
I am joined here today by the entire Ministry of Hemp crew, which is awesome because we’ve never done this. We’ve had Drew, Kit and I have done some shows, we’ve had Drew in some shows, but Desiree is here too. Desiree, why don’t we start with you say hi to the kids and tell them what you do for Ministry of Hemp.

Desiree Kane:
My name is Desiree Kane. I’m a Miwok two-spirit that recently moved to the Pacific Northwest in occupied Salish territory. What I deal with Ministry of Hemp is right now, I’m doing the holiday guide with Drew and Kit, where I get to take beautiful pictures of a whole bunch of products that you can come to Ministry of Hemp and see Kit’s input and review and learn some things about CBD comes in so many different forms and you can expect to see my pictures in there. Sometimes I also do educational videos. So you’ll see me making spritzers and also perhaps explaining to you what is CBG or what is CBN.

Matt Baum:
You have the glamorous job. We’re all here rolling around in the muck and editing and you’re making spritzers and making videos.

Desiree Kane:
It’s not awful.

Matt Baum:
Fair enough. That was the most punk rock intro we’re going to hear tonight by the way and I really liked it. Drew introduce yourself again. We know you but you know, just for the kids who are the new listeners.

Drew De Los Santos:
Yeah. My name is Drew and I am the brand manager at Ministry of Hemp, just making sure everything’s flowing and that we keep working with great brands

Matt Baum:
And then kit our editor in chief say, hi.

Kit O’Connell:
Hi everybody this is Kit O’Connell great to be here again.

Matt Baum:
Do you know kit? He’s been with me on a bunch of our Q and A shows. We’re not doing a Q and A show today, but what we are going to do, I don’t know if you pay attention to the news or not. It was a little election recently and it got some coverage and people freaked out about stuff and I know my heart almost stopped a few times and if it wasn’t for CBD, I probably wouldn’t still be here. But luckily I have lots of samples and they got me through that week. We just wanted to let it re-decompress a little bit, maybe except what happened with the election and then we can move forward from there. But we’re not here to talk about that.

Matt Baum:
We’re here to talk about marijuana and Hemp in the 2020 election. Because while we can say that it looks like America is very split. If you look at the election results and how many votes went to Republicans and many went to Democrats. One thing they don’t seem to be split on at all is marijuana and Hemp, which is kind of shocking. It was on a ton of ballots all over the United States and it won pretty big not just that but psychedelics as well in the form of mushrooms seem to win really huge Desiree you just moved to Portland. Tell us what went down in Oregon, which blew my mind by the way.

Cannabis & other drug laws change after election

Desiree Kane:
So Oregon, basically it is now legal or will be by 2023 to have therapeutically administered psilocybin therapy, which psilocybin is also known as magic mushrooms. They also decriminalized low levels of all drugs.

Matt Baum:
So what does that mean? Exactly? Because there are some pundits that freaked out, of course, and they’re like, Oh great, now kids can walk around with heroin. Like what does that exactly mean small amounts of drugs? Or is there a number on anything or-

Desiree Kane:
That’s something that I would have to look into it following that vote. I do know that basically they’re going to approach it as a public health thing and if you have certain types of controlled substances, you’ll be into a therapy program instead of sentenced to the prison industrial complex which creates a whole other set issues that are problematic.

Matt Baum:
It’s also very similar to a lot of programs that are going on in Europe right now, where rather than demonizing addiction, you work with addicts and [crosstalk 00:06:07].

Desiree Kane:
It’s the same thing Portugal has done.

Matt Baum:
Yeah, and it’s super successful and it scares a lot of people here in the United States, but guess what? It works folks, and it’s here because you have voted for it. So what else did we have on the ballot? Anybody let’s try in, let’s talk about this.

Kit O’Connell:
Well, I want it to jump off of what Desiree with the same, because what’s just happened in Oregon. You know we don’t know what’s going to happen at the federal level. Obviously a lot is still to be seen about what’s going to come. But if you look at the platform for president elect Biden, his platform that he ran under actually was quite progressive on the war on drugs and one of the things that he talks about in there is encouraging the people be diverted away from the prisons for possession. So we could see that there actually has been some Republican support for reducing the war on drugs too.

Kit O’Connell:
So they’re seeing as something that has some bipartisan support and there’s even one of the things that we’re seeing that’s interesting is that there’s this growing bipartisan support from the people of the United States, across the political board for cannabis legalization, a majority of people, it’s almost 70%. I think in one of the studies I saw across the political spectrum now support cannabis legalization and that’s really extraordinary. So that includes Democrats, Republicans, young people, old people, people from all backgrounds, races, if you lump them all together and take an average, the vast majority of people support this idea.

Matt Baum:
So real quick, just to spell it out, marijuana specifically cannabis was made legal for medicinal reasons in Mississippi and South Dakota. These are two distinctly red States like South Dakota has legalized medical marijuana and they have a governor that didn’t want people driving Hemp through the state. So the people have definitely spoken there pretty shocking and then voters legalize the possession of marijuana by adults in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota. So they got medical marijuana and recreational marijuana in South Dakota, which I thought for a long time, I’ve been saying for a long time, Nebraska will be the very, very last state to legalize marijuana and it will be after Puerto Rico is a state. So watch for that and now South Dakota has just proved me, right? Because South Dakota they’re very hostile to this stuff, but the voter [crosstalk 00:08:42]-

Kit O’Connell:
Montana?

Matt Baum:
-Yeah, I mean it blows my… Actually Montana we’ll see, from what I understand, that’s going to be on the ballot there soon too. So we’ll see. It’s the people that are coming out and voting for this. We listened to what a lot of officials say and look at laws. They’re trying to put on things to hold cannabis back, hold Hemp back. But then whenever it goes to the ballot, guess what? It gets voted in. The only reason it wasn’t on the ballot in Nebraska it’s because our governor said, there’s a problem with the paperwork. Try again next time and then ran around in circles so they couldn’t catch him because we were basically saying, what is the problem with the paperwork? Tell us they wouldn’t answer until it was too late and so it didn’t make the ballot and just like you said, kit, when polled in Nebraska, 74%, 74% of the population said, yeah I’m fine with it. It does not bother me at all.

Election 2020 shows cannabis popular in ‘red’ states too

Desiree Kane:
There also not a governor that can avoid in States like the Dakotas or any of the bread basket States, the big agriculture industry that comes with it. So the farmer, I think we can expect the farmers to be a little more mobilized around it and that’s why you have governor Noem in North Dakota, doesn’t want it driven through or whatever. But there are Hemp farmers who are being locked out of a crop and at the end of the day, that’s the constituency base that rules those States, right? So in the best interest of the farmers is to get on board and that will inevitably shift the politics of the governorship.

Matt Baum:
Oh definitely, and if you look at that list of States, almost all of them barring New Jersey really are well in Arizona maybe are agricultural States. So this States know where their bread is buttered. Nebraska is one where we have gently said, well we want to look into what it’s like growing Hemp and they’ve been very wishy-washy about it because the farmers want it. But like you said, you have governors who have to run on their constituency and they are terrified that their constituency will look at them and say, “Oh you’re a hippie and you like smoking weed now, got it.” We’re going to vote for this crazy person. That’s going to tell us it’s a sin or whatever. So-

Desiree Kane:
The supreme court recently resolved that issue where the electoral college didn’t have to vote the will of their constituency base. So moving forward, your vote is going to matter in a way that it hasn’t been before really and so it will become increasingly important to vote when you have these opportunities, because it can change American politics if we wanted to, we just have to actually organize around that.

Matt Baum:
Definitely. I also think it’s hilarious that a lot of these States you have very hard line, not just anti-cannabis, but just anti-drugs all across the board. Candidates who now have to look at the people that voted for this and go, “Oh, okay well, I guess that changes things a little bit and maybe I have to loosen up on some ideas of my own.” So-

Drew De Los Santos:
I mean, I think it’s like, it’s become undeniable of the various benefits of legalizing cannabis and legalizing Hemp and making sure that they get those regulations out quickly I think because in Texas, like right when all of the other States legalized cannabis and marijuana, one of the state senators, or state representatives in San Antonio, he put down a bill to legalize it here in Texas stating that, because of Corona virus, there’s a $4.6 billion budget hole that we’re going to have to deal with next year and the years to come. So it’s like, here’s an easy solution that doesn’t involve raising people’s taxes, you know add another revenue stream and it’s like, there’s only so many times that you can ignore that before it’s just like glaringly obvious.

Matt Baum:
It’s funny because we voted for gambling here, but we couldn’t vote for cannabis and I know don’t get me wrong, cannabis has ruined far more lives than gambling has in this country. We all know that to be true. So it’s absolutely ridiculous.

Drew De Los Santos:
Speaking of the records, one thing that was cool that happened in Arizona was as soon as it was voted in one of the district attorney in Arizona’s largest County started dropping the charges for people like immediately. So they immediately started dropping marijuana charges for folks there, [crosstalk 00:13:27]. which I thought was great.

Matt Baum:
That’s even more important. Definitely like, that’s the even larger side of this is when you start legalizing it for adult usage, you have to look at all these ridiculous cases and overcrowded prisons and overcrowded courtrooms and just get rid of this garbage, get rid of it. So we can focus on real issues, real crime, real problems, not the guy that had an ounce in his pocket when he got pulled over for doing five miles over the speed limit or something. So I’m really interested to see where that goes.

Kit O’Connell:
It has to be said too, they’ve done studies now consistently that showing that there’s a racial disparity when it comes to arrests around drugs and one of the problems that we’re seeing is that that racial disparity does not disappear even under most forms of legalization, “legalization.”

Kit O’Connell:
There’s always still ways that you can break the law in a legal state. You could sell weed without a permit or you can have too much of it or all kinds of things can happen and they’re showing that it’s still a disparity that black people and people of color are arrested more even though when they do studies in drug use, it’s the same that white people and people of color use drugs at the same where even white people use them more depending on the drug. So we need to make sure that we’re expunging cases and we’re making sure that there’s an accessible and like a level playing field under whatever we call legalization.

Matt Baum:
Definitely. So what happened in Texas? Tell me Texas people, Drew and Kit are both Texans. What happened? I thought this was supposed to be on the bill. I thought it was supposed to pass. I thought you guys were going to flip blue. You both promised me it was going to happen.

Kit O’Connell:
[inaudible 00:15:15] We always say that We’re going to flip blue.

Drew De Los Santos:
Maybe if it had been on the ballot, we would know but I think it always gets caught up like marijuana legalization bills always get caught up like in the Senate committees or they never leave the committees and I think our governor hasn’t been very willing to sign it, even if it does go through, but maybe Kit you can speak more to that.

Kit O’Connell:
Well, that’s one of the things that we’re seeing is it, we talked about how the people tend to support legalization, but the politicians don’t always. That’s definitely the case here in Texas and Hemp it’s very distinct on the whole. They’ve passed a very pretty broad, you know they nationally legalized Hemp in 2018, but here in Texas, the policy is pretty broad. They did try to ban smoke able Hemp, but even that got overturned by our court and least temporarily people can smoke hemp here again. Yeah so the populace wants it, the politicians are resistant, but Hemp is supported. It’s interesting that we talk about this a lot. There are two forms of the same plant they’re growing in very different ways, but they are at the base the same plant and it’s weird that politicians have accepted that it’s safe. As long as it doesn’t have THC in it. It’s, it’s very arbitrary amount of THC 0.03% is extremely low, so low that it’s even hard for people who are just making CBD products sometimes to keep it below that throughout the entire process.

Cannabis after election 2020

Kit O’Connell:
So we’ve created this arbitrary distinction, and now we’re talking about how we’re going to enforce it, or at least the politicians really want to enforce it. I hope to see that that is breaking slowly there’s talk that we may see a congressional vote on some form of marijuana legalization in 2021. I don’t know if we’ll see enough to get it through both parts of Congress, but we probably will see a vote on it. Biden does seem like he supports medical marijuana and he supports the States, making their decisions on recreational. That’s based on his platform. Obviously you’ve seen presidents change once they actually get into office, but based on his platform, he wants to see less jail time for people for possession in general, he wants to see a medical marijuana nationally passed and he wants the States to make up their mind recreationally. That’s a pretty good if we could get there, that’s pretty good.

Matt Baum:
I mean, we’re almost there 36 States. We have 36 States that have either enacted or voted to enact medical marijuana and then we have 15 States where adult usage is totally fine. So we’re way past halfway there. I can’t do that math but that seems like it’s close to 50, you know?

Kit O’Connell:
We’re even at the point where… One of the things I thought was interesting that started recently was there was some proposal. I saw this in Hemp Industry Daily. So I’ll give them a shout out, that we’re starting to see so many States legalize that theoretically those States could start working together and sort of forming blocks. Like right now we have the Oregon cannabis industry and the Washington cannabis industry and each state is in a silo. But there’s enough neighboring States that have all legalized. They could start actually working together and your dispensary in Portland could be selling the best stuff from Washington state. I’m sure there’s pros and cons of that

Matt Baum:
You got a conference just like college football. [crosstalk 00:18:53] You’ve got conferences, all of a sudden.

Kit O’Connell:
I think there’s a lot of interesting potential. The more that’s starts happening, the less it starts to live viable for the country to keep it illegal at all.

Why cannabis matters to hemp

Matt Baum:
Now I know people that listen to the show and I’ve had a couple of comments come at me whenever I do a podcast where we start talking about marijuana or THC related stuff and they say, I thought this supposed to be a Hemp show. Why are we talking about marijuana? So why are we all sitting here talking about marijuana when we are the Ministry of Hemp? Why is that?

Drew De Los Santos:
Well, I think that Hemp has helped to show an economic opportunity for the plant and it’s just like, there’s so much business that’s it just comes along with opportunity for people and not controlling a plant. Like these things are connected, not controlling business, not controlling what individuals do, when it doesn’t harm anybody else and it hasn’t been proven to harm anybody. Then the other thing about it is that it’s related because people still get arrested for Hemp. Like you were mentioning people can’t drive through South Dakota and people get arrested here in Texas for Hemp, even though it’s legal. So if marijuana was legal, that problem would go away and it would be time that wasn’t wasted money that wasn’t wasted going through this arbitrary legal process.

Matt Baum:
I just totally tricked Drew into saying exactly what I wanted to hear. That was perfect.

Drew De Los Santos:
Hey, that’s my opinion.

Matt Baum:
No, but I don’t disagree at all. I think we’re at a point now in the United States, where as bizarre as this sounds, I would argue that marijuana is probably less regulated, not regulated, but is probably easier to gain legally and work with legally than Hemp is in a lot of States. And that is preposterously stupid. Just inane. If we’re afraid of THC fine, let’s be afraid of THC, but the United States has shown we’re not. We’re not scared of it. When you put on the ballot, we’re going to vote for it. So it’s time to stop pretending like one, there is some issue with 0.03 THC in Hemp that makes it perfectly safe and okay, we can raise that number. We could raise it to 10% and you still wouldn’t even be coming anywhere near the good stuff, if you will. You know what I mean?

Matt Baum:
And it’s so limited right now. I just did a wonderful interview with a woman. That’s going to… I don’t know if it’s going to be next week or the week after that was talking about Hemp plastic and one of the reasons that’s holding things back like Hemp fibers and Hemp plastics is because big business doesn’t know what to do yet. They’re looking at marijuana being legalized and going, well their safe money there and we know we can do that. We can take credit card payments for it now in a lot of States where this has been approved and whatnot. Banking is becoming easier for marijuana than Hemp and that is ridiculous. That makes no sense to me. Does anyone have any thoughts on why we’re still having to talk about this at this point 36 States voted for medical marijuana, 15 it’s totally legal, but Hemp is still having trouble and it was legalized by the farm bill. Why are we still talking about this?

Kit O’Connell:
One problem is just like, we don’t want to get into the details on this show, but there has to so much just like divisiveness and politics, even though sometimes there’s been bills proposed to fix some of the issues with Hemp that’s left behind in the Hemp industry. There just hasn’t been the time or the energy or they’re being distracted by other things. It’s hard to get it on the agenda. Hard to get a lot of things on the agenda and Hemp is included in that list right now unfortunately.

Kit O’Connell:
Even though some people do want to fix it, even Mitch McConnell has shown that he has said he wants to fix some of the holes that were left behind by the 2018 farm bill legalization of Hemp, but it was just too much [inaudible 00:23:00] and there’s too much going on as we all very well know to let that in [inaudible 00:23:05] I think one problem too is just this like we do have this patchwork of laws. They still don’t have a FDA regulation. We still don’t have a USDA regulations that everybody can agree on and all of that’s holding the industry back too, and it’s even still this sort of like some States do it this way. Some States do it that way and I’m sure, you know the banking industry wants to come in and do a one way across the country and that’s still not possible for Hemp.

Matt Baum:
Yeah. Banking and insurance, both especially crop insurance. That’s one of the things with a lot of the farmers that I’ve talked to. Crop insurance is such a nightmare because it’s different from state to state to state. Now that is true also with corn and soybeans, but corn and soybeans are not limited other way in other States are [fightyard 00:23:53] traded as commodities and Hemp is not. So it’s little things like that. It’s easy for us to say “we did it, we voted, we won, we’re legalizing marijuana and we’re fighting for Hemp.” But that fight is not over. It’s nowhere near over and we need to keep telling the people in power.

Matt Baum:
We want this and we don’t just want this because one, we want to get high. That’s it man. Or we’re hippies and we like wearing Hemp clothes. No, we want it because it’s important for our farmers. It’s important for business revenues. Like Drew said, it is important to free up frivolous lawsuits and get people out of prison that should not be there and it’s important for our own wellbeing. There’s so many pluses to this and we can’t stop fighting yet. I think that’s the most important thing to remember. Let’s not just say, “we did it, we got rid of Trump, all our problems are gone. All of them.” No, they’re not.

The history & future of cannabis in the U.S.

Desiree Kane:
Well, I think that there’s honestly a debt to be paid on a national level when it comes to cannabis. Because look at the history, cannabis was first called Indian Hemp and it came illegal when there were floods of Mexican, quote unquote Mexican immigrants like migrating in. So it’s part of a vast criminalization mechanism that is built into the system. So when you ask and I liked Drew’s answer about why it’s important with marijuana, with THC, with Hemp, with all of these things, there’s so much that has gone into why that plant is illegal and it is very racially motivated against black and Brown people. So we have to actively combat that as we as a nation are going through this moment of racial equity. Some moments are happening and that the fight around cannabis is a frontline in that way.

Matt Baum:
One of the really cool things that I’ve seen in Nebraska, just like every other state, we have definitely jerked our native American people around and now they’ve said, “well, we’re going to start growing marijuana and Hemp because it’s our land and you guys don’t want to patrol it, you don’t want to take care of it, you say it’s not part of the United States, so there you go.” And they are, and they’re doing a fantastic job and our governor hates it, and I love that he hates it. You jerks are the reason that they are living where they’re living. Okay. So now we can’t get mad and decide, wait a minute. We don’t like what you’re doing on the land that we said as yours. That isn’t really good for farming other stuff, but that which we’ll do very well there, by the way, and make you a ton of money. Now we’re upset.

Desiree Kane:
I really like what NuWu is doing in Las Vegas. It’s where I grew up. Oh my goodness. It’s beautiful to see native people with economic empowerment that is fueled by a plant that is within the natural order.

Matt Baum:
Right. Not fueled by casinos, which is just-

Desiree Kane:
[inaudible 00:27:24] Around casinos and all of that. But with cannabis, you know it’s another way that you can treat many things. As we know, there are multiple benefits for consuming cannabis of all varieties.

Matt Baum:
Absolutely.

Kit O’Connell:
Desiree can you introduce what NuWu is real quick? There’s a lot of people listening. Won’t know what that is.

Desiree Kane:
Yeah. NuWu I call it the pot grocery store, but it’s a beautiful marijuana dispensary in Las Vegas that is run by the Paiute people native to Las Vegas, who, you know Las Vegas is built upon their ancestral bones. Every time you go swimming there, guess who’s underneath your pool.

Matt Baum:
Yeah. But we like to say, “nah, it’s just a desert. They came out to this desert in the middle of nowhere and we built a strip and now it’s beautiful and gorgeous and there’s famous people in restaurant.” And like, yeah there was something there before you jackasses and it wasn’t just sand. So-

Desiree Kane:
Oh, there’s also like a beautiful Springs there that that tribe has really fought to preserve also.

Matt Baum:
This is awesome and this has been a great discussion and I think again, we go into speaking about marijuana THC, because it is the same plant at the end of the day. It’s the same plant and any legislation that is good for marijuana is even better for Hemp because it erodes that case. That’s out there and saying, “well, we don’t know and it might be a little scary and maybe we shouldn’t feed it to animals and if kids eat the seeds, what’ll happen.” Like it’s time to settle down. It’s time to listen to the American public that has voted and said, we want this and we’re going to see more and more States fall and it is going to be legal. I think it is a foregone conclusion and it wouldn’t surprise me in the next two years. We don’t even have to talk about this garbage anymore and we can laugh about it. Remember that? That was ridiculous. That’s where I hope we end up guys. Thank you so much. Thank you for joining me. This was fantastic.

Drew De Los Santos:
Thanks Matt. I was just going to say one thing real quick, is that another reason it’s important is because if it’s one that we all Agree on, like we should hold on to one good thing that people from all walks of life can agree on. We need that right now.

Matt Baum:
Right. Because it seems like there’s not a lot ofs we do agree this country at the moment. So.

Kit O’Connell:
I think in our ideal world, what would I see for the future? You know we are still going to have distinct industries. It’s not like Hemp is going to disappear if we legalize marijuana, because they are so different. I hope we will invest more in fiber Hemp and in all the ways we can use Hemp, if we get rid of all these like you said, just all these distinctions, if we’re allowed to explore the whole plant, but I think it’ll be better for everybody.

Matt Baum:
Most definitely because we’re not going to, in a position where it’s like, okay, so marijuana is legalized. Let’s make cattle feed out of it. No, that is where Hemp will come in. You know, that that fibers woods, plastics, cardboard’s, that is where Hemp is going to come in and it’s going to come in huge and there’s just no way to stop it. It’s just a matter of catching up, education, that’s what we’re here for help you guys and we just have to keep screaming in our leaders and letting them know we want it fights not over. That’s a most important thing to remember big wins in this election, but the fight is not over.

Kit O’Connell:
I agree completely.

Final thoughts from Matt

Matt Baum:
I hope you dug this little break from our usual format, and I hope it was informative too and I hope you understand that. Yes, just because things have changed and we will have a new White House and a lot of people have new governors and senators and congressmen. We’ve still got to stay on them. We’ve still got to let them know we want cannabis legislation in this country, because it is better for everyone from the buyer to the farmer to keep fighting the good fight out there guys and don’t forget, we hear the Ministry of Hemp think that an accessible world is a better world for everyone. So you can find a complete written transcription of this episode in the show notes for this post at MinistryofHemp.com

Matt Baum:
That brings us to the end of this episode, but maybe you have some questions about legislation in your state or who you need to talk to, to help fight the good fight, or maybe you just have some Hemp questions. That’s totally cool and we would love to hear from you. You can call us at (402) 819-6417 and leave your Hemp question on our hotline. We, perhaps this panel we had today, we’ll answer it right here on one of our Q and A shows, or you can also send an MP3 question to me, Matt@MinistryofHemp.com just make sure that your message is in MP3 form so we can play it on the show and be sure to leave your name too so we know who we’re addressing and if you want to read more about this subject, head over to MinistryofHemp.com we have a fantastic story.

Matt Baum:
Hemp after election 2020 legalizing cannabis will make Hemp thrive. It’s one of our featured stories right now, and it really drills down into a lot of these subjects, really informative stuff. If you enjoy informative stuff like that, follow us on all our social medias @ministryofhemp/ministryofhemp and if you want to support us and help us get more of this information out there and push more Hemp education, head to patrion.com/ministryofhemp and you can become a Ministry of Hemp insider. We’ll have a link right in the show notes for this episode, you can click on and when you do it, any amount that you donate to help us out, first of all, I can’t stress how much it helps, but any amount you donate makes you an insider. It gets you access to early stories to podcast extras and all kinds of other cool stuff we’re doing.

Matt Baum:
But first and foremost, it helps us so much. Also, if you dig what you hear, do me a favor rate this podcast, give us a star or even a short written review, because it’s seriously, it helps so much to push us up in search algorithms to get this show in front of people that are looking for more information on Hemp. All right, I can go on about this all day long but I got stuff I got to do. So I’m going to get out of here and I like to sign off the same way every time by saying, remember to take care of yourself, take care of others and make good decisions. Will you, this is Matt Baum with the Ministry of Hemp signing off.

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