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Tag: Austin

Hemp Industry Leaders of Texas

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

My company will donate 250k to lobby a bill
to save your business.  Please read up and send it to your friends.

AJ Velador here, I’m pretty sure you all know me by now and the ones who don’t please
ask around because I’ve been in trenches with all of you during the inception of Hemp in
Texas. Just like all of you, I have retail locations, wholesale operations, and farms all at risk
if they ban legal THC.

My partners and I are prepared to donate $250,000 in an effort to lobby a bill that will
regulate our industry to save it for all of us. Our days are numbered, we have one year or
less before a ban on Delta 8 & THCA is coming.

We are NOT asking for donations but rather your support in the coming months.
We will be forming a committee of entrepreneurs and activists who want to participate in
our endeavor to keep Hemp THC legal in Texas. Again, we do not require any financial
obligations other than your time and support.
“Help us help you!”

My partners and I will fund the cost of our lobbying efforts and we’ll commission a
committee of Industry Leaders that can contribute their time and expertise towards
passing a bill that would prevent any future bans on Delta 8, or other Federally legal THC.
We will be hosting three events in the following cities.

Dallas – Target Date Friday, July 12th 2024
Houston – Target Date Friday, AUG 26th 2024
Austin – TBD

 

The purpose of our committee and its members will be to delegate responsibility to
achieve our independent goals that the committee will approve and execute. We have a
plan that we need help on all sides to accomplish. The different agendas will encompass;
drafting bill regulations, community service initiatives, and petition of registered voters to
demonstrate our strength which may involve a call to action outside the Court House that
we plan to make headline news, more to follow on this.
Proposed Plan

#1 Draft Bill
(Proposed Hemp Regulation)
We are searching for committee members who are passionate about assisting in the
development of guidelines and work closely with our attorneys to draft a bill we can lobby
into effect. This should be an easy task as we can adopt regulations from other Cannabis
states such as state-approved vendors, state-approved products, state-approved retailers,
age restrictions, packaging requirements, etc., as long as we can avoid any metrics
tracking we should be able to continue to thrive.

#2 Media Campaigns
There will be numerous media campaigns that have specific agendas such as:
Win Heart and Mind of Texans – shining a positive light on our industry through
charitable food drives, clean-up projects, etc. I will personally commission any initiative
that helps our communities.

Education – Lots of opposition are mothers complaining about their kids access to THC.
These mothers want to ban Delta 8 entirely. I want to reach these mothers through the
media and remind them of two things. First, if they outlaw D8 entirely, it will open up the
black market and invite fentanyl-laced drugs, cartels, and drug dealers back to our
schools and communities. Second, educate them that there will be a loss of 1 billion
dollars of tax revenue that actually makes their communities safer.

#3 Call to Action
(Petition Voters and Show our Strength)
30 million population in Texas, and a poll found that 82% of Texans support the legislature
passing a bill that would allow people to use cannabis. We will build the largest coalition
of retailers, wholesalers, and farmers that will use our customer base for a few different
agendas, such as:

Phone, e-mail, and social media blitz campaigns to their state representatives asking
them to support our bill for various reasons.

Host huge rallies with our supporters in each of our major cities, basically Cannabis
Festivals/Rallies throughout the year, with our main objective to gain support to raise
100k voters outside the Court House during the session in early 2025 while using the
relationships of our media outlets that we befriended earlier to make our gathering a
global phenomenon. We will have our designated spokespersons ready to deploy on
camera to promote our message and show strength to our politicians that we mean
business. Considering by this time, all House and Senate Representatives have been
receiving an abundance of calls and correspondence that will weaken any opposition’s
support that is already on the fence or neutral. Meanwhile, we will have our committee
leaders, including myself, lobbying with politicians to include LT Governor, Sen. Perry, and
other opposition to negotiate our terms to enhance our outcome. Ultimately, we just
need to get a majority vote to pass our bill.

I’ve already reached out to advocate leaders such as Hometown Hero ⁩and others to find a
way we can all collaborate our efforts for maximum participation and exposure.
Again, WE ARE WILLING TO PAY THE BILL ON ALL OF THIS, FREE FOR YOU TO HELP
US SAVE THE INDUSTRY, but without your assistance, we will surely fail, so what do you
say? If I pay for us to stay legal can I count on you to help us accomplish our goals? I have
experience in this field and my connections are strong so I’m down to put my money
where my mouth is!

Thank you guys and gals, and I look forward to meeting all of you.

2024 Counter Culture Awards

Bahama Mama & Ropeace: Redefining Excellence in the Counter
Culture Industry with Best Retailer in the Central USA Award

 

In an era where the counter culture industry is burgeoning, with new brands and stores
popping up at every corner, standing out from the crowd is no small feat. Yet, Bahama
Mama & Ropeace CBD Wellness has done just that. Established in 2020 by a
management team with a combined 25+ years of retail experience, it quickly rose to
prominence, expanding to 65+ locations by the end of 2023. This rapid growth and
commitment to excellence culminated in a significant accolade at the beginning of 2024:
Bahama Mama / Ropeace was awarded Best Retailer in the Central USA at the Counter Culture Awards, held during the CHAMPS trade show in Las Vegas on February 14th.

 

The Counter Culture Awards are known for recognizing the best in the industry—those
who push the boundaries, innovate, provide exceptional service to their customers and
contribute to the betterment of the industry. Winning such a prestigious award is a
testament to Bahama Mama & Ropeace dedication to creating an unparalleled
shopping experience. Unlike typical smoke shops & CBD retailers, Bahama Mama &
Ropeace prides itself on creating a luxurious, product-rich environment that puts
customers first. This customer-eccentric approach, combined with a constant curation of
the highest-quality products and knowledge-based sales approach, has set Bahama
Mama & Ropeace apart in the competitive landscape of counter culture retail.
What makes Bahama Mama / Ropeace victory at the Counter Culture Awards even
more remarkable is the company’s history. In just three years, Bahama Mama, which
started in Houston has not only expanded its footprint across multiple cities (with
Ropeace launching in Austin in 2021) but has also created a strong, family-like
relationship with all vendors across every vertical of its supply chain. The keen attention
to detail on their execution has created a “customer-first” company culture that is
embodied by even the most junior staff members who have successfully retained this
culture as it scaled over the past three years.

 

 

For those in Houston, Austin and Dallas looking to experience what makes Bahama
Mama /  Ropeace the Best Retailer in the Central USA the options are plentiful. With
several locations in and around the city, customers can easily find a store near them.
For those in Austin, Ropeace locations are found on both sides of the river. Each
location is designed to offer a unique shopping experience that reflects the brands
commitment to luxury and quality. Whether you’re a connoisseur of the counter culture lifestyle or new to the scene, Bahama Mama /  Ropeace knowledgeable staff and wide
range of products ensure that every visit is both educational and enjoyable.

Bahama Mama & Ropeace victory at the Counter Culture Awards is not just a win for
the brand but a win for the industry at large. It signifies a shift towards more customer-
focused, experience-driven retail environments in the counter culture market. As
Bahama Mama / Ropeace continue to grow and evolve, it sets new standards for what
consumers can expect from their retail experiences. The award for Best Retailer in the
Central USA is just the beginning for Bahama Mama & Ropeace brand, and the industry will undoubtedly be watching what they do next with great interest.

Website – https://www.bahama-mama.com/

lucky leaf podcast day 2 texas hemp reporter

Episode 31: Lucky Leaf Expo Day 2

Host: Russell Dowden and Jesse Williams

Live from The Lucky Leaf Expo at the Austin Convention Center (May 15, 2021 ) we interview Nishi Whitley board member at Foundation for an Informed Texas (FIT) is a 501c3, tax-deductible, educational nonprofit focused on educating Texans about cannabis through tools, resources and outreach. We also speak to Joe Pedraza TPS Lab who talks with us about soils and farming, Nathan from Hempliance also says hello, and finally actor Daniel Villarreal stopped by for a quick chat. Daniel works with PAKALOLO PLUG in San Antonio and is best known for his work with landing his first acting part in Stand and Deliver playing Chuco, the finger man. Best known as Little Puppet in American Me.

Nishi Whiteley (pronounced Nee-sha), is the COO of CReDO Science, LLC, a biopharma IP holding company dedicated to commercializing patented products generated from CReDO’s investigation of the cannabis plant and the endocannabinoid system (ECS). She is also the VP of Business Development at Breeder’s Best, a cannabis IP genetics company, a cannabis educator, speaker and author. 

Episode 30: Austin Lucky Leaf Expo 2021 Day 1

Live from The Lucky Leaf Expo at the Austin Convention Center (May 14 , 2021 ) we interview many colleagues from the Hemp and MJ space in Texas. Jax Finkel of Texas NORML along with Heather Fazio Director of Texans for a Responsible Marijuana Policy join in along with Coleman Hemphill of the Texas Hemp Industries Associates as we all get together and talk about the new wave of growth in the Lone Star State!