A 2 Part Series: Weather Modification, & Soil & Water Support for Ranch/Ag, Conservation & Fire Protection. January 19 & 26, 2023 ~ 3:00 – 4:30 PM – CST
Miles Research: Advanced Weather Modification for TX 1.19.23
Sky to Soil: 2 part zoom series on mid-to-large scale solutions related to weather and soil About: From farms, to forests, to coastlines, current extreme weather events are impacting our food and eco systems. This is taking a dramatic toll the lives and livelihoods of those who work as America’s food and ecosystem, producers and protectors. CEOs of two of the most remarkable environmental companies to date – David Miles (Miles Research/Atmospherica), and James Gaspard (Biochar Now) – will be providing information on advanced weather modification and severe weather protection – and – the benefits, uses, and funding, available for biochar.
Sky- beginning January 19, 2023 – 3:00 pm CST/1:00 pm PST (1.5 hr) Miles Research/Atmospherica: Mid-scale Advanced Weather Modification Attendees will learn about the range of advanced weather modification solutions (allevi- ation of extreme drought/wildfire/tornadic events, flooding and more); including: • overview of technology • examples of successful projects • timeline • cost • benefits and ROI • Texas regulation and licensing
SOIL:
January 26, 2023 – 3:00 pm CST / 1:00 pm PST (1.5 hr) Biochar Now: Biochar for use in agriculture, feed, wild lands, wetlands, and car- bon credit. Attendees will learn about the scope of uses, benefits and effectiveness, and funding available for various projects. • agriculture/soil/water/wild lands uses • grants • costs and ROI • grants For more information, or to register, contact Nikki Florio: [email protected]
Coming off of an exciting Texas Hemp Summit, I can’t help but be a voice of reason in the room. It was awesome to see so much support and interest in the burgeoning hemp industry here in the lone star state. We got to hear from Texas AG Commissioner Sid Miller and had leaders in hemp fly in from across the United States to weigh in on the future of hemp, and really cannabis, in Texas.
As a CBD retail operator since 2018 myself, I am no stranger to the ever-moving landscape here. From newly discovered cannabinoids hitting the market like CBC and THCV, to the emerging market of chemically derived cannabinoids like hemp-derived delta 9 THC. We’ve faced lawsuits as a state, most recently losing the manufacturing and processing of smokable hemp products in Texas. And we’ve seen the state slowly introduce a medical marijuana program, which to me, is the domino that needs to fall before we see any type of adult use market here in Texas.
Which is exactly where I want to dive in. If Texas legalized adult-use cannabis tomorrow, who would get a license? How many licenses would they issue? What would a license cost? And if full plant access was granted, what would that do to the thousands of CBD retailers operating in Texas alone?
These are questions not meant to intimidate you, but rather to prepare you.
I spend a lot of time studying this market, as I mentioned I have skin in the game and want to ensure I’m doing my due diligence to take the best next step forward. But I also, through my podcast To Be Blunt, have ongoing conversations with industry leaders across the United States and even globally, deciphering their failures and successes in hopes of gathering enough intel to speculate what and when Texas might make her move.
I think a good indication is to look at where medical marijuana is currently at in Texas. For those who may be unaware, there are three licenses in circulation under the Texas Compassionate Use Program (TCUP), with only two in operation. The application to even apply for a dispensing organization license is $7,356 and the license fee is $488,520 for a two-year period. That is just to get your license to operate, not counting all the operational costs, etc. On top of that, the TCUP license requires vertical integration meaning you have to grow, extract, process, manufacture, distribute, and sell.
So I ask you, who has the funds and assets to qualify for a TCUP license? And out of the thousands of operators currently selling CBD and hemp-derived cannabinoid products, who is going to qualify for one of the limited available licenses under the current program and rules?
Look, I am hopeful like the rest of you, but I also live in reality, and to ignore these facts is to willingly walk into a wall.
I recently saw the Texas DPS announce they were considering opening up TCUP licenses, which would be a step in the direction towards adult use recreation because I believe we need a more advanced Medical Marijuana/ TCUP program before you see adult use/ recreation legalized in Texas.
TCUP is currently limited to a 1% THC cap, and the broadest qualifying condition is PTSD as expanded during the 87th Texas Legislative session. Our 88th legislative session kicks off in January 2022 and I anticipate whatever movement we get will be an indication of how much that program will advance, leading us to infer the progression of the legalization of cannabis in the state.
On top of all of this, hemp is currently capped at .3% Delta 9 THC on a dry weight basis, the language of “dry weight basis” has made a massive loophole not just for Texas hemp brands but really nationally we’re now seeing a wave of hemp derived delta 9 THC hit the market.
A rolled marijuana joint half burnt, isolated on white.
So from my perspective, on one hand, we already have legalization of THC in Texas to some extent, and on the other hand, how in the hell does this all get regulated, and who will it affect?
Some speculate Delta 8 and hemp-derived Delta 9 will be taken away, others argue how can they “put the cat back in the bag” so to speak. And personally, I’m not really sure what this legislative session will hold, but I can tell you I’m gonna roll up my sleeves and advocate and influence policy however I can.
Texas advocates and business owners should be prepared at minimum to fight like hell if needed.
Texans turned out to the polls late October and early November to show who they favored to be stewards of Texas for the next two to four years.
The results are a largely unchanged Texas legislative landscape. Republicans still have a majority, a few new faces will appear, and statewide incumbents that ran kept their seats.
Last year, I chimed in on delta-8 in Texas. I noted that in this next legislative session we can expect to see varied interests coming out on all sides, including medical marijuana groups that are going to have input about this, and the hemp industry needs to be ready with answers and be ready to fight for their products. We are all in this together and we all need to push the industry forward together in a healthy and responsible fashion if we want this to work.
I think those words are still true today. With what everyone saw transpire in the 2021 legislative session, people should be ready for a war on the hemp front overall. Delta-8 is not the only thing on the line.
We watched as several bills moved over to the senate, to include one that dealt with penalty reduction measures for concentrates of marijuana. The hemp clean-up bill was involved in the mess that resulted in the death of both bills.
Take a look at the current planks for the Republican Party of Texas and you’ll notice that they mention hemp. That the party wishes to reduce the regulation of hemp in the state. How would that even be done in a state where the state is looking for its program to meet just the minimum federal requirements to stay as open as possible?
The program gets more restrictive is what takes place. How can removing regulation make things more restrictive you may be asking. Currently the state of Texas has a regulation as part of the law for the hemp program that keeps a county from banning hemp as a whole or in part. They cannot ban the transportation through their county, per federal law, but when has that stopped Texas from still arresting for the transportation of hemp and confiscating the plant?
Deregulating in that area would allow places like Montgomery County, Navarro County, and counties across the panhandle to explicitly ban the substance. It could be flower they ban, it could be oils that they ban. Edibles could go away, so could industrial hemp if they so desire. They could just say that hemp as a plant is banned there.
Delta-8 was the obvious target last session. It was setup in a way to cause factions between the hemp industry. Farmers vs shops was the dichotomy that was evident in the end. Both should be on the same team though. The farmers make money from their product currently being sold by shops as the industrial side is still getting set up to process mass product. Ending either side of that equation in the next few years will cripple the Texas hemp market even further.
Federally a court has ruled that delta-8 is a legal item on that level. That if congress intended for it to not be an item of legal availability, the body could have done something about it by now. There is nothing that explicitly states though that a state has to keep a specific isomer.
This should be expected in the upcoming legislative session. And it must be said as a big picture item that hemp bills are not the only place where hemp can get torn apart. The industry will have to pay attention to all of the cannabis bills put forward this session. Delta-8 could face issues in any number of bills.
Pay attention to the advocacy organizations in the state and when they are releasing updates about legislative items. If you’re a consumer, be ready to write letters and show up to hand out information or be available when a mass lobby day is announced. For business owners and consumers alike, be ready to testify at committee hearings that could be scheduled for 8am one morning and not have the bill heard until 9-10pm at night or possibly later.
If you are a business owner in this space, this is part of running your business from the start of the legislative session, until the end of said session in 2023. Your business is on the line, your farm is on the line, your processing facilities are on the line. If you are a consumer, your favorite products are on the line. Do not let this slip away without a massive push to keep it in place at a minimum.
Texas TRU Distribution is a local distributor that features Craft and Organic spirits and our services include importing/warehousing and logistics. Founded in 2010, our goal is to focus on the growth and development of quality products in the state of Texas.
We also talk about the new car we are offering around town for Live Remote Recordings.
What is The Texas Hemp Show ?
The Texas Hemp Show is the official podcast for the Texas Hemp Reporter Magazine: The Texas Hemp Show is recorded every Wednesday at from 6 -7pm and is released each Friday. For news and the latest information on the growing Hemp & Cannabis industry in the Lone Star State subscribe to our magazine the Texas Hemp Reporter online and follow us wherever podcasts are available.
The Texas Hemp Reporter magazine and the Texas Hemp Show are a proud media sponsor for the Texas Hemp Summit Nov 11th – 12th at the Texas A&M Agrilife Center in College Station.
Many guest speakers talked on Hemp, Genetics, testing, media, farming, marketing and other panels. Hosted by the Texas Hemp Coalition the first annual event has been a successful gathering of industry leaders and those in the rising cannabis industry in the Lone Star State.
The newly elected Texas AG Commissioner now serving in his third term; Sid Miller was the Keynote speaker on Saturday and discussed the possibility of the future industrial Hemp in Texas as well as the rise in American companies going green with electric cars, sustainable energy and sustainable development in farming in the coming years. Industrial Hemp will hopefully pick up the pace in emerging technologies in science especially in construction and building one panel shared on Friday with a focus on Building with Hemp.
Veterans in Hemp also shared a panel on Friday as well as the panel hosted by Dr Russell Jessup who runs the Hemp breeding program at Texas A&M University. Several of the grad students spoke on genetic programs and research into hybridization of Cannabis in interbreeding among the types of strains.
In all, the event is a great success and will explore more opportunities for Hemp in Texas. We are members of the Texas Hemp Coalition ourselves and also encourage you to consider a membership of you have interest in participating in the Blooming cannabis space in Texas.
for mmore information about the event and the Texas Hemp Coalition visit them online at http://TexasHempCoalition.org
Texas Hemp Coalition, the premier advocacy group for the hemp industry in Texas, is hosting its inaugural B2B industry event, The Texas Hemp Summit, this November 11-12, 2022 at the Texas A&M Agrilife Center in College Station.
The event is poised to bring together B2B industry leaders from all across Texas and beyond to discuss farming, processing, cannabinoids, fiber, and retail topics concerning hemp operators through educational conversations and presentations.
The goal of the summit is to address trending issues that are directly impacting our state’s hemp operators, as well as be a learning opportunity for those looking to get into the industry and scale.
Anyone who is interested in getting more involved in the industry, launching a brand, scaling their business, or who may be seeking job opportunities is encouraged to attend.
During these two days, the Texas Hemp Summit will pack keynote presentations, panel discussions, as well as networking opportunities for attendees to get plugged into the most pressing subjects relevant to their passions, and business interests.
Confirmed speakers are:
Keynote with the Texas Department of Agriculture, Sid Miller
A legal fireside chat with Lisa Pittman of Pittman Legal and Cameron Field of Michael Best
Overview of Texas A&M University Hemp field research with Dr. Russell Jessup
And more to be confirmed, so check the website for more details.
The event has industry support from: Flex Payment Solutions, Shimadzu, Tejas Hemp, Caprock Family Farms, Sweet Sensi, Drops of Life, Boveda, Agilent, Hemp Industries Association, Hemp Building Ventures, Michael Best, Haus of Jayne, and more who will also be in attendance to meet you and answer your questions in person during the summit.
Tickets are on sale now for $110 at the Early Bird rate until October 24th, 2022 when they will increase in price, and the event is FREE to all students with valid student ID.
To learn more about the event, and purchase tickets visit: TexasHempCoalition.com/SUMMIT
If you would like to explore membership opportunities, the Texas Hemp Coalition holds regular meetings to discuss pressing topics and would love to invite you to join us as an official member to help champion and advocate for hemp in Texas TexasHempCoalition.org/MEMBERSHIP
How did Rocket Seeds start as a business and what was the vision? Rocket Seeds started up roughly 5 years back in Los Angeles Ca. It was created with the vision of having all the seed banks under one roof like amazon but for only cannabis seeds.
Tell me a little bit about the backstory of the company and what your position is with them. It begin when Crop King Seeds was introduced to the States by the founder, then brought along other Canadian-based seed banks. It was here in LA when our CEO Landra came up with Rocket Seeds and I have been with the company for over a year now. I started in an entry-level job and then became Marketing Director/ Social Media Manager. I knew nothing about growing or even about cannabis. I have learned a lot about this growing business. (No pun intended ) It’s crazy to think people really overlook seeds and honestly, they are important.
How does the concept of a seed bank work? Seed banks usually develop cannabis strains OR outsource them thru a trusted breeder to get high-quality seeds. Seed banks usually sell to commercial and individual growers. But we have seen a rise in the wholesale side as Retail stores want to have seed packs available at their location/s. The individual grower now has options as to what strain they would like to grow next, and the options are endless: shipped directly to their doorstep discreetly or walk straight into a hydro store, smoke shop, etc. and pick up a pack!
How does it work with both interstate and worldwide commerce with the varying laws? The statement the DEA put out stated that cannabis seeds containing less an 0.3% are legally hemp and they are legal. None of our seeds have THC in them TILL cultivated. So we recommend the buyer to know their state laws regarding cultivation.
What varieties does Rocket Seeds offer? We have a large variety of different strains; Regulars, Fast Version, CBD, Hemp, Feminized & Auto flowers. Regulars – these seeds have a 50/50% chance of being either. Sometimes, however, they can also produce intersex plants. We recommend these to experienced growers as these seeds can be used to create new genetic profiles. Feminized- Just as it sounds these only produce female plants. They are more desirable as they produce more working substances such as THC and CBD than male plants. We recommend this type of seed to growers with some experience. Auto-flower- Are easy to grow and easy to maintain as they are cannabis strains cross-bred with ruderalis. Perfect for small places indoor or outdoor with a short flowering time. Fast Version- similar to Autos but these offer a slightly larger yield and can be cloned for mother plants. CBD/HEMP – what makes this different from Hemp seeds is that CBD contains cannabinoid content as hemp doesn’t not. And CBD Is usually used as a treatment for a variety of reasons. You can still consume both but you won’t get high.
You all provide a great deal of education through your blogs – what are some effects you’ve seen in that side of your company with what that brings to both consumers and your business? The effect that we noticed from our educational blogs is that we do get a lot of novice growers feeling ready to try their hand at cultivating. We are glad to give that confidence thru this and also have a list of recommended growing sites we promote so you can get all the information you need. We really want our customers to thrive.
The Texas Hemp Reporter recently returned from our New Mexico trip to the Lucky Leaf Expo in Albuquerque and we left a few gifts to our fellow neighbors there. MJ Monthly is the Texas Hemp Reporter magazine with a different cover in the Land of Enchantment and now recreational Cannabis.
We often are reporting on activities in both Oklahoma and New Mexico with regards to their growing medical program in OK. as well as the successful recreational market in NM since April 1st 2022. We have been printing our publication in the last 12 months in Sante Fe and this has gained interest with our printing partners there, and they have been asking when we would like to make plans for distribution in New Mexico. So given the history with Chad and his Lucky Leaf Expo’s that we’ve attended , we decided to launch the TX Hemp Reporter sister brand at the Albuquerque event last weekend.
We have partnered with Moo Publishing in New Mexico to handle distribution in Sante Fe , Las Cruces, Albuquerque & El Paso & Tactical Transportation in Oklahoma to handle our distribution in Oklahoma City & Tulsa. Moo recently delivered the current issue to more than 200 cannabis dispensaries and smoke shops around New Mexico. The footprint represents three of the states largest four grossing revenue markets for cannabis sales. We are only missing Hobbs which comes in 4th in New Mexico in gross cannabis sales, likely to its close proximity to neighboring Texas cities like Odessa, Big Spring, Midland and Lubbock.
The advertising pricing is the exact same pricing as the Texas Hemp Reporter Magazine. In fact, for now . . All advertisers are sharing the the same publications real estate, so both Texas , OK, and New Mexico readers will enjoy the same content, news & advertisers for the time being.
MJ Weekly News is a forthcoming podcast / radio show that Patriot Media Group will produce covering cannabis news for the Southwest US cannabis markets. The sister website will also be MJMonthly.com in the coming weeks for the NM & OK reading audience or both sites will mirror each other similarly.
December Cover New Mexico & Oklahoma.
So just to recap, MJ Monthly is also available in New Mexico & Oklahoma & in Texas as “The Texas Hemp Reporter” your neighbor states of Texas also receives MJ monthly and our advertisers and marketing partners benefit from our combined circulation. Since we print in Sante Fe and deliver 1st to New Mexico and then OK & TX every 60 days while each client benefits from the 3 markets circulation.
Expanding to Oklahoma in December of 2022.
We are currently seeking media partners and advertisers to target their products to the hundreds of retailers that will be receiving MJ Monthly in their stores across the state this December. Over 1200 smoke shop retailers in 3 States!! MJ Weekly News Radio Program Coming Soon . . . .
Russell speaks with Chad the founder of the Lucky Leaf Expo. The two discuss opportunities in the New Mexico recreational market. Russell recording live from the Albuquerque Convention Center at the Expo. Many vendors and industry insiders are present. Russell introduces the magazine to New Mexico NOT as the Texas Hemp Reporter, but as MJ Monthly in the land of Enchantment. We are seeking articles and story content for business and cannabis news in both Oklahoma , New Mexico & Texas!
Rachel & Russell talk about the Harvest Edition of the Texas Hemp Reporter magazine as well as discuss the Texas Hemp Awards nominations, including our coverage of many upcoming events like The Lucky Leaf Expo, The Texas Hemp Summit, Texas Hemp Harvest Festival and finally the Taste of Texas Hemp Cup are all covered.
Show Notes
New Mexico , MJ Monthly Special Events –
Coming Soon — Flavor Flav to the podcast
What is The Texas Hemp Show ?
The Texas Hemp Show is the official podcast for the Texas Hemp Reporter Magazine: The Texas Hemp Show is recorded every Wednesday at from 6 -7pm and is released each Friday. For news and the latest information on the growing Hemp & Cannabis industry in the Lone Star State subscribe to our magazine the Texas Hemp Reporter online and follow us wherever podcasts are available.
Don’t forget to Vote for us on the Texas Hemp Awards!
Texas has two big names on the ballot for AG Commissioner in November. Meet the incumbent challenger, Susan Hays.
If you’ve been in the cannabis space since Texas went hemp, you likely know of her. If you don’t, at least one other person in your connection for hemp in Texas does. Susan Hays is a prolific attorney in Texas that has been at the forefront of cannabis legislation for quite some time. Hays was heavily involved in the crafting of the original language of the Texas hemp bill HB1325 in the 86th regular legislative session.
Susan was named the first cannabis Super Lawyer® in the state of Texas, and continues to be a top attorney in the state of Texas on the topic. Hays has been involved in many other highly prolific cases in the state such as issues with voting in the state and women’s healthcare.
Hays latest case she was involved in revolved around the smokable hemp ban language from DSHS and created by the legislature with HB1325. The state ruled that the legislature’s language was constitutional per the state constitution and federal guidance, but that the DSHS language would have its injunction upheld as the agency dropped their argument. Hays has stated there are limits on what DSHS can add. So it’s likely that they realized they were possibly exceeding their limits as an agency.
Susan’s family has been ranching in the West Texas areas since shortly after the Civil War in the US. She’s a fifth-generation Texan. She and her husband own land outside of Alpine Texas which is southwest of Fort Stockton where they have been experimenting with growing both hemp and hops. She’s noted that her family over the years had started to find a balance between farming/ranching and becoming educated in other industries in order to continue their legacy in the area. Her generation being the ones that left the area for the cities to get higher education and better paying wages. The area has been known for cattle and cotton.
Americans and Texans have not only seen the global economy change, but the Texas economy as well. Along with changing geographical issues that have been arising from recurring droughts in Texas, Hays has seen the need for farmers and ranchers to diversify what they grow or raise. Being dependent on one or two items alone will eventually cause a town and its residents to suffer long term.
On the issue of cannabis though, Hays really dispels the notion that moving the plant towards a legalization direction is a societal disaster waiting to happen. A phrase advocates have used is that the sky is not falling from legalizing anywhere. And Susan is quick to point that out as well. The writing is on the wall. All Texas has to do is read it and be smart about expanding cannabis laws, and Susan feels she is best equipped to do just that as an attorney who understands agriculture.
Susan notes that leadership roles in Texas with their failure to deal with cannabis reform the right way has caused issues. Their failure to adequately fund criminal justice has created a void in the state’s ability to identify and test dangerous black market products. Susan has pointed out several times in discussions that funding for police education and training is vital to the success of these programs and the safety of the citizens in the state as well. When these mechanisms aren’t utilized correctly the market will always fill a void where there is money to be made. Hays points out that Texas’s failure to get ahead of the market only allows the black market to expand while good cannabis operators are at a disadvantage.
She’s publicly stated as well that our forensic crime labs in the state are seriously underfunded. These same labs lack the ability to test mystery substances or do full spectrum analysis on possibly dangerous items such as black-market vape pens. These same labs are already having difficulty processing rape kits and dangerous drugs quickly.
Hays has positioned herself that the state of Texas needs to fund criminal justice and legalize cannabis the right way. Susan believes that a healthy cannabis regulatory regime should focus on some core values:
Cannabis should not be regulated more heavily than other products unless there is a valid scientific, medical, or public safety reason to do so.
The regime should promote public health and safety while creating economic opportunity for as many Texans as possible.
Regulations and taxation should accomplish a clear goal without economically burdening the industry ⎯ or patients.
As Susan Hays puts it: Farming is hard, ethics should be easy
Industry raked in more than $40 million yet again, with no signs of slowing down. The state’s population centers of Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Hobbs, and Rio Rancho saw the highest July & Aug sales numbers.
The Land of Enchantment’s Green Rush is in full swing. After an impressive July, sales records were set again in August hitting over $40 million beating the previous month by around $300,000. Adult-use sales made up a whopping $23 million of that total in August, eclipsing July by over $1 million.
Analysts continue to be pleasantly surprised by New Mexico’s impressive cannabis sales numbers, bucking trends in other newer markets and setting the bar high (no pun intended). The state’s market remains robust, indicating there are good things to come.
“In most states, you see very early sales during the first few months. Typically sales will fluctuate after that,” explained Andrew Vallejos, Interim Director for New Mexico’s Cannabis Control Division, in an interview with KOAT news. “ We don’t know if there will be seasonal variations in sales. Right now, it looks very encouraging.”
Lucky Leaf Expo will bring two days of high-impact networking, education, and expositions to the Albuquerque Convention Center October 21st and 22nd. The conference is considered a must attend for licensed operators and industry newcomers, offering something for anyone wanting to be a part of New Mexico’s thriving cannabis marketplace.
Join us at our Albuquerque, NM event to catch up with canna industry experts and businesses.
* Explore more than 100 exhibitors
* Hear from a variety of speakers
* Network with other industry professionals and more at the Lucky Leaf Albuquerque business convention and seminars
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of death worldwide in people under the age of 45. Many who survive severe head injuries suffer permanent behavioral and neurological impairment that adversely impacts learning and memory and often requires long-term rehabilitation. An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability.
Even so-called mild cases of TBI can result in post-traumatic seizures, impaired brain function, and lower life expectancy. People can also suffer an acquired or nontraumatic injury, such as in the case of stroke, which causes similar damage to the brain by internal factors like lack of blood flow and oxygen (ischemia).
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD may reduce the trauma and the symptoms that follow brain injury thanks to their positive interaction with the endocannabinoid system (ECS). A 2011 article in the British Journal of Pharmacology describes the ECS as “a self-protective mechanism” that kicks into high gear in response to a stroke or TBI. Coauthored by Israeli scientist Raphael Mechoulam, the article notes that endocannabinoid levels in the brain increase significantly during and immediately after a TBI. These endogenous compounds activate CB1 and CB2 receptors, which protect against TBI-induced neurological and motor deficits.
By manipulating the endocannabinoid system with cannabinoids, medical scientists have been able to reduce brain damage and improve functional recovery in animal studies of stroke and TBI. According to a 2010 report in the British Journal of Pharmacology, CBD can limit the amount of damaged tissue and help normalize the heart rhythm disturbances like arrhythmia that are common after a closed head injury.
A damaged brain can be remarkably plastic, but there is only a limited window of opportunity — generally thought of as 10 to 60 minutes — for therapeutic intervention to prevent, attenuate, or delay the degenerative domino effect of brain cell death and damage to the protective blood-brain barrier that occurs during a secondary injury cascade (a wave of further damage that occurs as a result of the lack of blood flow to the brain following the initial injury). CBD expands that window of opportunity. Researchers have learned that CBD can convey potent, long-lasting neuroprotection if given shortly before or as much as 12 hours after the onset of ischemia.
In 2016, scientists at the University of Nottingham (UK) reported that CBD shields the protective blood-brain barrier from the damaging effects of lack of oxygen and fuel after an injury. CBD prevents your blood-brain barrier from being damaged and becoming more permeable by activating the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor and the PPAR-gamma nuclear receptor.
CBD also protects the brain by increasing the concentration of endocannabinoids in the brain.
The researchers at the University of Nottingham have also conducted preclinical animal or laboratory research that examined the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), the raw, unheated version of CBD found in the cannabis plant. “Like CBD,” the researchers concluded, “CBDA is effective in reducing blood brain permeability and inflammation in a cellular model of stroke.” CBD and CBDA both restore blood-brain barrier integrity by activating the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor, which mediates CBD’s and CBDA’s anti-inflammatory effects.
Several athletes claim that CBD can help to ameliorate the lingering neurological problems associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a particularly severe form of TBI caused by the accumulation of numerous concussions.
CTE increases the risk of neurological problems later in life and hastens the progression of dementia. The anecdotal benefits of CBD-rich cannabis oil for CTE are well known among football players, boxers, and other professional athletes who are prone to head injuries.
Project CBD’s 2019 survey found that among people using CBD for a brain injury, CBD proved most helpful for relieving headaches, irritability, and agitation. CBD was less helpful for balance issues. In a small percentage of participants, CBD seemed to make issues with memory, concentration, and self-expression worse, but it’s unclear if that was the result of CBD or THC or if there were other unknown factors at work.
Frank Rodriguez and his family have paid the ultimate price for farming marijuana. Collectively, Rodriguez said his father, his brothers and himself have spent decades in federal prison for their crimes. But today, Rodriguez is redeeming his family legacy through his legal business, Gulf Coast Hemp Farms in Harlingen, Texas.
“I spent 10 years in federal prison for doing what I’m doing now,” he said. “This is very, very important to me. … It means the world to me. I’m very passionate about what I do. I love my job. I love the scientific part of the plant. I love to research the cannabinoids, terpenes, flavanoids.”
When it comes to his farm, Rodriguez said there’s no place on Earth he’d rather be.
“I live here on my farm. I don’t really leave too much from my farm. I’m here 20 hours a day, every day. I really don’t sleep. I’m just kind of vibing with my plants.”
Flourishing fields
When he launched his current business, Rodriguez said he tested seven different seed strains from Halcyon Seed Company in Colorado to see which would work best in the South Texas drought-prone climate.
“Out of my seven strains, four did well,” he said.
According to Rodriguez, planting 2,500 plants per acre is a widespread best practice in hemp farming. However, he said he came up with a way to plant 9,000-10,000 plants on a one-acre plot of land.
“Everyone was telling me I was crazy and wouldn’t be able to do it,” he said. “I have a beautiful field right now. I don’t have patches or dead plants. My field is complete.”
While there are concerns about the lack of essential air flow in overcrowded fields — which can lead to root rot — Rodriguez engineered a way to make it work. In late September, he began harvesting 85,000 plants from his 10-acre farm.
He also nurtures his plants with plenty of TLC, even playing music for them.
“Whatever I’m vibing to, whatever I’m feeling, I just play something that makes me feel good,” Rodriguez said. “I figured plants are alive, so they work off the vibration. So, you just put some good vibration for them, and they’ll be fine.”
Rodriguez said the yields from his hemp farming operation in Harlingen are used to create CBD-infused oils, and he works with a business partner in Oklahoma to grow cannabis.
“I have 10 greenhouses and a 6,000 square-foot warehouse, and I grow all my high-quality flower up there,” he said.
Plants over pills
Rodriguez said his nephew’s journey with post-traumatic stress disorder ignited a passion for exploring hemp’s medicinal benefits. He said his nephew served in the U.S. Marine Corps and is haunted by horrific wartime experiences.
“He spazes out a lot, and the medicine I make really calms him down and makes him a totally different person. The VA prescribed him so many different pills, and he was a zombie.”
Lately, Rodriguez said he has been working with a few doctors and cancer specialists to develop products for patients.
“The sky is the limit as we’re discovering what all the different cannabinoids do. I just want to keep pushing and keep discovering and see how I can make existing medicine better or create a new medicine from my plants.”
When he was shopping around for land to start his business, Rodriguez said he experienced a special synchronicity when he learned that a prospective piece of property was owned by Dr. Nadeel Sarhill, a medical oncologist. The pair worked out a lease-to-own agreement in a seemingly meant-to-be transaction.
“This is God’s plan. I can not see it any other way,” he said. “I’m growing a CBG strain, and it’s doing very well. It’s known to help with brain cell reproduction and chronic pain.”
Rodriguez noted that there are many cannabinoids inside the hemp plant, but only a few have been researched.
“I just want to push forward and continue to grow and to help move our industry to a better spot,” Rodriguez said.
An evolving legacy
For Rodriguez, his passion for farming hemp and cannabis stretch much further than providing a quality product to customers.
“My mom’s really sick. She had a heart attack last year. She’s felt her whole life was a failure because my dad, brothers and I did so much time in prison, but she didn’t fail. She didn’t do anything wrong. It was us; it was the laws.”
Looking back, Rodriguez said he tries to put himself in his mother’s shoes.
“I could just imagine what my mom went through as a mother,” he said. “Imagine always having to defend your kids, your husband, your whole family. Eveyrone’s talking down. Just imagine what it was like for a single parent. I just couldn’t even imagine being in her shoes and what she went through, and I just want to bust ass and make things better for her.
All photos courtesy Gulf Coast Hemp Farms
“I want to make her proud. I want to make her feel like what she went through wasn’t for nothing. To make the remainder of her years as joyful as possible — that’s all I care about.”
You’ve likely heard of the growing state and hyper localized movement in the cannabis legalization space: Ground Game Texas (GGT).
GGT has been working several cities on progressive measures to include decriminalization of misdemeanor amounts of marijuana flower. The success has already taken root in Austin, and now Texans wait to see if other towns such as Denton and San Marcos will join the ranks after this coming election in November. I had a chance to reach out and inquire with the co-founders Julie Oliver and Mike Siegel to get some insight and see what is in store for the blooming reform group in Texas.
Jesse Williams /TX Hemp Reporter: – How did GGT come to be the organization it is today? I know that both Mike and you have been candidates for congressional office in the past. What happened for each one that y’all made the jump from that to cannabis advocacy?
Julie Oliver: After our congressional losses in 2020, Mike and I knew we wanted to stay involved in helping push progressive issues forward in Texas while also helping turn out voters. Texas has a terrible record when it comes to voter turnout; e.g. in November 2020, 5.7 million registered Texans did not vote.
Mike Siegel – Julie read a post-mortem on the 2020 election, and one page in particular stood out – it was a page on all of the ballot initiatives that outperformed Democrats in red and blue states. Florida passed a $15/hour minimum wage by ballot initiative. Missouri expanded Medicaid. Nebraska reformed the most predatory of lending practices – the payday loan. And both Montana and South Dakota legalized cannabis. These are really progressive issues that won overwhelmingly in these states, but folks aren’t connecting the dots that their elected officials aren’t passing these issues as legislation.
So voters in each of these states took it into their hands to make change; it’s direct democracy. In Texas, we do not have the power of citizen-led statewide ballot initiatives, but we do have the power to make change happen locally in several cities in Texas. So we decided to start in our own city with cannabis decrim.
TX Hemp Reporter: – I know of movements in Denton, Killeen, Harker Heights, Austin, and San Marcos here in Texas that are doing decriminalization measures. Are there any other cities currently trying to get a ballot initiative going?
JO – We completed signature collection in Elgin as well. More cities to come in 2023.
TX Hemp Reporter: – Are there any other cities that Ground Game is looking to focus on next with an attempt to decriminalize misdemeanor marijuana possession?
MS – We are looking at a number of cities for 2023, but Houston is likely one of the cities we will work in with a group of activists there.
TX Hemp Reporter: – The Ground Game website states, “We’re not waiting for politicians to make change. We will work to put popular policies on the ballot and engage voters on the issues.” In Austin the decriminalization measure was also with a measure to end no-knock warrants. Are there any other policies that ground game is looking at in Austin, or any other city for that matter?
JO – In South Texas, we are working on $15/hour minimum wage increases for city employees and city contractors. In El Paso, we are finalizing signature collection for a climate initiative that would require the city to take steps to meaningfully address climate change. I think we can also have meaningful reform through the ballot initiative when it comes to civil asset forfeiture.
TX Hemp Reporter: – Some ballot initiatives like the one in Austin are aimed at getting the vote done during the primary election season/statewide election off season votes. Others are aimed at getting the vote on a midterm election ballot. Can you elaborate on why those votes take place at separate times. Is it because of when voter signatures are due?
MS – We think that putting popular, progressive issues on ballots across our state will help drive turnout in a state that ranks near bottom in terms of voter turnout. Texas had 5.7million registered voters who did not vote in November 2020; that means more folks didn’t vote in Texas than voted for President Biden.
When a ballot initiative shows up on a ballot is a function of when signatures are turned in to the City Secretary or City Clerk, when the City Secretary/Clerk verifies the requisite numbers of signatures have been submitted, and then when City Council takes it up for vote. Ultimately, we’d love to help drive turnout in lower-turnout elections (like the midterm election later this year).
TX Hemp Reporter: – What other organizations has Ground Game partnered with that are local and statewide organizations to fight for change? I know of Mano Amiga, Texas Cannabis Collective, and Decriminalize Denton, as I have personally worked with all three in some capacity on campaigns for signature drives and events to change cannabis law in San Marcos and the state?
JO – Yes, we’re grateful for the boots-on-the-ground partnerships we’ve made in the cities you mentioned. We couldn’t do any of this work without local partners. In Killeen, we are working with local activists and the former Mayor Pro-Tem, who retired from City Council but still wants to see meaningful criminal justice reform in her city. In El Paso (which is probably our most ambitious and comprehensive initiative), we partnered with the local Sunrise Movement hub. In South Texas, we are working with Lupe Votes. And as I mentioned, if we do work in Houston next year on cannabis decrim, it will be in partnership with local advocates there as well.
TX Hemp Reporter: – Are there any other big names whether they be current officer holders, former office holders, celebrities or the like that have shown support for Ground Game Texas? Or are there any names that would come as surprising to show support? I know that Beto O’Rourke has made cannabis a talking point of his campaign for Governor, I can imagine he supports GGT.
MS – I’m sure there are 🙂
TX Hemp Reporter: – What does the organization see as its future after the 2022 elections?
JO – Texas is a huge state, and we see the opportunity in many cities to put “workers, wages, and weed” on ballots across our state.
TX Hemp Reporter: The website for Ground Game Texas is https://www.groundgametexas.org/. Are there any other avenues of information for readers to check out to get a better grip on what’s going on with the policy changes you’re tackling that you all could recommend?
MS – In addition to our website, we also have a social media presence – IG, Twitter, FB – @groundgametx
Every now and then a customer walks into my CBD store, RESTART CBD, and asks for a product or cannabinoid that we don’t currently sell. And as a business owner, I take the ownership of filtering through all the requests we get and ultimately deciding on what product to put on the shelf. That paired with tracking industry trends, requires businesses to stay on top of consumer demands.
While consumers ask and demand, that doesn’t always necessarily mean that businesses need to deliver. It’s why Walmart and Target both exist, in reality, they sell similar products, but they also have two different target demographics.
So with that information in mind, I am constantly filtering what customers are looking for and balancing that with what I’m interested in and willing to sell.
For example, we get asked from time to time if we sell Kratom, which we do not at my store. My brand focuses on selling high-quality cannabinoids vs a more broad smoke shop store type approach. We can’t be everything to everybody, and I think that’s an important piece of discernment for today’s story.
On the other hand, we get asked for products like HHC and THC-P, which are naturally occurring cannabinoids but are more mysterious with less known information about the long-term effects.
It’s interesting because in our industry there are a dozen or so cannabinoids on the market, but the cannabis plant has over 100 different phytocannabinoid compounds and just because we don’t know enough about something doesn’t mean we should demonize it, does it?
This takes me back to when Delta 8 THC hit the market back in 2019, we didn’t know enough about it and everyone was reluctant to introduce products to the market. But a few years later, not that we aren’t still facing some of the same battles, there is more adoption and acceptance of the minor cannabinoid.
So as a brand, how do you determine what is the best product to put on the shelf? And even more critically to consider is what is the quality of the product you are looking to put on the shelf because 80% of something is different than 90% of something, etc.
We now see the emergence of chemically derived cannabinoids. This does get confusing because even though the cannabinoid is naturally occurring like CBN, for example, there is a whole market emerging for chemically creating and synthesizing these cannabinoids.
And thanks to the chemistry you can create a lot of cannabinoids with a lot more stability than when produced naturally, which is an integral part of repeatability for a consumer.
Is it right, is it wrong?
I understand the concern from within the industry, from the purists, the full plant people, and the cultivators, struggling with this recent shift in the market.
I remember having a conversation with a friend who is cultivating hemp here in Texas and he was asking if as a retailer I sell more hemp flower vs Delta 8 flower, and the reality is consumers want the Delta 8 experience.
My advice to the cultivator was to get creative and pay attention to where the market is going if he wants to move his products because consumers are driving the demands.
I also look at the fragility of our industry, without proper avenues for operation we’re left to interpreting the law and getting creative with what some would call loopholes.
I don’t fully think cannabinoids like Delta 8 THC or HHC are outright loopholes, but I do believe that we have yet to bust the door wide open and are just getting a crack at what is to come.
Ultimately we have a choice, as operators, as consumers, as an industry and until we can look at the whole picture instead of just one frame at a time, we’re neglecting the realities and all I’m trying to do is to get us to be on the same page.
A regroup if you will. Texas is heading into our next legislative session in 2023 and the smokable hemp ban just got reinstated for manufacturing and processing.
Will we go another year introducing more minor cannabinoids? We flinch at the idea of chemically synthesized Delta 8 but what about nonpsychoactive cannabinoids like CBN? Where does the line get drawn? And what is this going to do to cultivation of you can produce everything stably in a lab?
I don’t have a definitive answer on what is going to happen or can even speculate on what could happen. Especially with so much up in the air still with the Delta 8 lawsuit still open and an upcoming legislative session.
But as always, I encourage the continuation of this discussion and invite you to tune into my recent episode with Tyler Roach of Colorado Chromatography, one of the leading manufacturers of HHC and CBN amongst other cannabinoids. We dive into the future of chemically creating cannabinoids and what impact that will have on our industry, you can listen at tobeblunt.buzzsprout.com.
