Tag: Texas Hemp News

Texas Gives Nod to Hempseed Feed for Horses and Chickens

Written by texashempreporter on February 22, 2023. Posted in Texas Agricultural Report.

News Provided By SLV Hemp | February 22, 2023

Landmark memorandums from The Office of the Texas State Chemist, issued in January 2023, set the stage for Hempseed Oil & Meal to go to market.

DEL NORTE, CO, UNITED STATES, February 16, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ — Texas became the third state to approve Hempseed Oil and Hempseed Meal as feed, launching what is expected to become a highly lucrative market segment for hemp growers, processors, distributors, and retail channels.

“The hemp seeds when made into feeds, support animal health with a naturally available plant-based protein that includes all 20 amino acids, plus Omega 3, 6, 9 & GLA fatty acids,” says Monte Robertson, owner of SLV Hemp in Colorado. “We’re honored to supply hempseed feed over the years to support the research trials for rabbits, horses, chickens, and rough stock bucking bulls at Tarleton State University (TSU) and the swine trials at Texas A & M University (A&M) that prove it. This historic decision in Texas will help unlock many large markets – paving the way for wider use of hempseed feeds in the US and throughout the world.”

In the Feed and Fertilizer Control Services (FFCS) Memorandum NO. 5-35 and FFCS Memorandum NO. 5-36, Hempseed Oil and Hempseed Meal, Mechanically Extracted, are the new ingredients approved in Texas as source nutrients in the diets of foals, mares, breeding and maintenance horses as well as for broilers, layers and breeder chickens.

The important FFCS memorandums are expected to accelerate the adoption of both these ingredients. Tests to define labeling, stability and shelf-life of these products are moving forward.

Graduate students from TSU and Texas A&M University started looking at Hemp Feed products from SLV Hemp to support their trials in the summer of 2020. It took a wide range of people and companies contributing over the years to make this approval happen.

The Colorado certified seed for the trials was donated by International Hemp, and was processed by SLV Hemp in Del Norte, Colorado. SLV Hemp has processed approximately 10 tons of finished products for the Texas universities’ trials to date. It is important to note the feed is made from well-cleaned Hemp seeds, not the greenery part of the plant that contains the higher levels of cannabinoids.

LMike Smith, a former rodeo professional and current Texas Realtor, generously contributed by making introductions between key researchers and hemp industry resources. To assist in reducing transportation costs and avoid delays, Smith also transported the processed Hemp Feed from Colorado to Texas for the A&M and some of the TSU trials.

“Our goal is to help educate the ag industry and expand availability of hemp feed processing plants for local markets across the country,” says Robertson. “We are genuinely excited about the ground-breaking progress by the universities in Texas.”

For more information contact: Monte Robertson, SLV Hemp, [email protected] , (719) 299-5000

#HempFeed #HempSeedProcessing #HempOil

About the Office of the Texas State Chemist
The Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Services (FFCS) of the Office of the Texas State Chemist regulates the manufacture, distribution and sale of feed ingredients and feed. Texas Commercial Feed Control Act §141.008 authorizes to FFCS approve new ingredient definitions for hemp in commercial feed: Hempseed Meal and Hempseed Oil, Mechanically Extracted, are new ingredients for use as a source of nutrients in the diets of foal, mare, breeding and maintenance horses and for broiler, layer and breeder chickens.

About SLV Hemp
The San Luis Valley Hemp Company^® (SLV Hemp ) specializes in processing Hemp feed and oil products at their facility in Del Norte, Colorado. They advocate education in all aspects of the Hemp industry, and provide consulting based on lessons learned since 2014.

About International Hemp

International Hemp provides certified seed and cultivation advise to farmers across the country interested in growing Hemp for both the grain and fiber markets.

Press Contact: Monte Robertson, SLV Hemp, [email protected] , (719) 299-5000

Monte Robertson
SLV Hemp
+1 719-299-5000

CBD Delivery ATX Serves Customers in Austin and Beyond

Written by Rachel Nelson on February 7, 2023. Posted in CBD News & Business.

Get a Variety of Products in 2 Hours or Less

By Rachel Nelson

In March 2020, before anyone knew the pandemic would drastically change the world, three Austinites launched CBD Delivery ATX. According to co-owner Liz Pruett, timing was on their side.

“Delivery became a more important part of everyday life,” she said. “A lot of our customers have been with us since the beginning because for whatever reason, they can’t leave the house, don’t want to leave the house or feel intimidated about going into a head shop. So I think it does kind of fill a niche market of people who want to stay closer to home.”

Pruett and the other co-owners — brothers Rob and TJ Leonard — received their first delivery order a week prior to the COVID shutdown and say the phone has not stopped ringing since. Initially, the trio said they went with a delivery business model to save money on leasing a storefront, but they hoped to eventually grow into a brick-and-mortar location. However, they soon realized that “delivery was kind of the way to go,” Pruett said.

“In the early days of our business we kind of thought it was going to die off when the pandemic was over, but it kind of went the other way,” Rob Leonard said. “It just became more, so I guess this is what so many businesses are doing because people love the convenience of it.”

The owners of CBD Delivery Service tout their assortment of locally sourced products as well as their diverse customer mix — from war veterans to soccer moms and massage therapists.

“We have some people that order bath bombs and others that want every type of THC that we carry that’s legal,” Rob Leonard said.

Compliance is a priority at CBD Delivery Service, and every customer must show their ID upon arrival.

“We always ensure that it doesn’t get into the wrong person’s hands,” Rob Leonard said.

While the owners of CBD Delivery Service steer clear of making medical claims about their products, their customers have boasted many healing effects — such as relief from pain and anxiety.

TJ Leonard said his business motivation stems from wanting to help people consume hemp legally. He grew up in Maine and later moved to California — both legal states. Now that he lives in Texas, he said he hopes the business helps keep people out of legal trouble. Additionally, CBD Delivery Service aims to be fast and discreet.

“When you go into a head shop, it kind of feels like you’re doing something illegal, even though everything’s legal,” TJ Leonard said. “With us, it’s as discreet as you can make it. We don’t wear uniforms, our cars aren’t decorated.”

The owners all say they are pleasnatly surprised at how busy they have been since the pandemic cooled off, and their delivery area extends beyond the Austin city limits. A map of the service area can be found at cbddeliveryatx.com, and everyone who orders can expect to receive their products in two hours or less.

Standard delivery is $10 but jumps to $20 for the extended delivery region. However, all customers who spend $100 or more receive free delivery. Additionally, every new customer receives 25% off of their order total.

The Now and Future of Yellow Acres Farm

Written by Misty Contreras on January 26, 2023. Posted in Cultivation.

Aran Arriaga is the Founder of Yellow Acres Farm

Texas Hemp Reporter: So how does it feel to be out in the Texas country

and farming hemp?

Adan: We’re in East Texas about 30 miles out of Louisiana. It’s pine country, hot, Jasper County. It’s great I grew up here, this is our family farm so…

Texas Hemp Reporter: What strains are you presently growing?

Adan: There are two: we have Cherry Wine and Otto II x BaOx. Both are high CBD content plants, above 6%, legal THC percentage of course.

Texas Hemp Reporter: What is your experience of the Texas Hemp Industry?

Adan: I find Texas to work as a team. The farmers, manufacturers, samplers, they band together networking. Texas can become the lead in the country in hemp production; Matt Buchanan did some sampling for us, then follow up then there’s Greg of Sweet Sensi, he works with us on rosin press extraction. I think our farm hopes to become a disrupter especially of outside raw hemp coming from out of state. Yellow Acres Farm (YAF) is a relatively small farm 85 acres but we plan to enlarge, improve our business model through growth.

Texas Hemp Reporter: What are your opinions on the Texas laws on growing hemp?

Adan: This year our team invested in lobbying, down at the Capitol, approached the House and Senate you know there’s a split in the community as well as the laws, marijuana versus hemp. The laws are are jumbled and the legislators don’t seem to study up on the difference between those industries. The scientific nomenclature versus the legal is all off, there was a bill introduced that would bundle hemp with cannabis and marijuana, and this is bad for growers. We need to insure that our businesses, our livelihoods are safe and we need to band together to amplify our interests. We did have a positive development hemp farmers now have a window of testing extended from 15 to 30 days, but this is only the beginning.

Texas Hemp Reporter: Is the Texas soil great for growing hemp?

Adan: We do a lot of enhancement work with our soil here, it’s a bit sandy. We are all natural so we add compost, minerals, microbiology, we practice replenishment. Yet the Texas climate is super for high CBD-yielding strains, the humidity these plants thrive on. So I believe we will become the lead producer of hemp as growers in the future.

Texas Hemp Reporter: Who does your team consist of?

Adan: There’s four of us, my brother Saulo who handles kind of the Operations manager position. And there’s the “bad boys of hemp” from San Antonio. Issac is our Brand Management person, handling marketing, networking and then Joshua who is our main farmer: he’s a real cultivator, checking details like the ph of water used, soil testing micro-remediation, composting, etc.

Texas Hemp Reporter: What about your R&D aspects?

Adan: I used to work in the beverage industry. I saw a lot of issues there especially concerning cannabis-infused drinks. Canada is a country that does a ton of research into cannabis. They have accumulated many patents. We had approached a Canadian Pharmaceutical company, in order to see if we could license one of their products. They couldn’t but I learned all about the issues of delivery of cannabinoids. Nano-emulsions, CBD, CBG, Delta-8 etc. For instance canning: the inner-lining is often lipid-resistant creating a short shelf-life. And many consumers also want a translucent beverage for themselves. Well CBD oil has color, some of the organolipids do as well. So we have been developing the quality of how these cannabinoids can be delivered as well as naturally preserved.

And these processes are not limited to drinks, tinctures and topical’s also. It’s a learning process.

Yellow Acres has a patent-pending for “A Method of Extraction for Immediate and Extended Release of Cannabinoids.” We’re concentrating on a process of single-dose extended duration release for both products and extractions.

We also think that licensing our IP can be very beneficial to other growers and researchers as well as developers. We hope to see the YAF label on a CBD beverage soon. And we’d like to develop gummies and candies and show them on the website. Being a farm we grow lots of vegetables so we’re using a burp-less cucumber to create a Yellow Acres Farm brand of pickles too!

A History of Celebrating 420 + 6 Ways to Spend The Holiday

Written by Rachel Nelson on January 18, 2023. Posted in Cannabis News.

We’ve all heard the term, “It’s five o’clock somewhere,” but what about 4:20? We turned to Wikipedia to get to the root of where the “420” stoner reference originated.

Legend has it that the number 420 first became associated with cannabis in the 1970s when five California high school students who called themselves “The Waldos” would meet at 4:20 p.m. to search for an abandoned cannabis crop. They used a treasure map provided by the supposed grower, and while their hunts were never fruitful, the term “420” stuck.

Four-twenty became a world-renowned pot-smoking phrase after one of The Waldos, Dave Reddix, became a roadie for the Grateful Dead. They declared 4:20 p.m. as the acceptable time to smoke weed, and Grateful Dead followers helped to popularize the term.

A rolled marijuana joint half burnt, isolated on white.

In 1991, High Times Magazine referenced the term “420” for the first time, and Journalist Steven Hager wrote a feature piece about The Waldos in 1998.

April 20, a.k.a. 4/20, is now a popular counterculture holiday. It’s an occasion when stoners gather together to pass the peace pipe as well as advocate for the legalization of marijuana.

Today, the spirit of 4/20 is alive and well. Here are five ways to celebrate.

1. Visit a legal state

As 4/20/22 approached, Max Juhasz, founder of Frisco-based Cannabiz Marketing Solutions, planned to celebrate by traveling to a state where cannabis is legal, like Colorado or New Mexico.

“We can have a good old time without worrying about the nonsense,” he said. “It’s going to be a blast.”

2. Find a cannabis sale

Juhasz also shared that one of his clients in Oregon, Plain Jane, planned to have a special 4/20 sale on its hemp and CBD products.

“We usually have a huge party and celebrate,” he said. “If we can, we like to get all the farmers, growers and other people in the industry and celebrate all that we have done to help bring cannabis awareness and legalization to almost two-thirds of the country.”

3. Set out on a long road trip

This year, travel writer and marijuana enthusiast Hail Groo chose 4/20 as the day to embark on a weeks-long road trip across the western and southern United States, as well as western Canada, to explore the cannabis laws in each area.

“As someone who relies on CBD and medical marijuana and is a social media cannabis influencer, it’s essential to know the laws every place I go,” Groo said. “I’ll be walking my followers through the differences in each location, how I’m able to legally manage my disabilities and still have a great time as a solo traveler.”

Groo invites everyone to follow her journey via Instagram, where she goes by @the.cannabis.nerd.

4. Lounge around with friends

While 4/20 is just another day for many stoners, some people see it as a special occasion to parkake. Hannah Pierce, a media executive at Luciding, said the holiday has become an annual tradition.

“My partner and I aren’t really weed people, that is except for the 20th of April: the one day a year we let our hair down, go to a friend’s house and get high,” Pierce said.

Pierce admitted she was nervous the first time she tried weed, but since the plant is now legal in her state, she decided to give it a go when she was invited to a 4/20 party by friends.

“It felt like the perfect place to experiment and try it out whilst being surrounded by safe people in a safe environment. Since then, we’ve gone to that house every year, and every year it’s a great time. Everyone brings a ton of food, we vote on a ridiculous or crappy movie, and we lounge around in pajamas smoking and laughing all night. It’s amazing!”

5. Try Delta-8

Spencer Beaudreault, founder of Hero Brands, said he was going to “chill out with our 20mg Delta-8 gummies” on 4/20.

Delta 8 is a cannabinoid like CBD. However, unlike CBD, Delta 8 causes euphoric effects like traditional cannabis. While Beaudreault launched his business to promote plants over pills, his website cautions users to “start low and go slow,” as the gummies can take one to two hours to take effect.

6. Use caution

Chicago attorney Clyde Guilamo has a warning for those that live in states like Texas where recreational marijuana use is not legal.

“Be careful on the drive home, as some states allow police to search your car based on the odor of cannabis,” he said. Guilamo shares more on his YouTube channel, Law Talk for Non-Lawyers.

Benefits of Microdosing Edibles

Written by Pepper Hernandez on January 13, 2023. Posted in CBD.

Let us first start by explaining what micro-dosing is. It’s a technique that involves taking minimal amounts of cannabis on a disciplined regular schedule. The point of this activity is to find your body’s THC perfection point. One can do this by only taking enough THC to barely perceive the effects on your mind and body without getting too altered. Why would someone want to do this? If you are a newbie and want to get familiar with cannabinoids and or terpenes, this could be a preferred method for you. Microdosing helps people get the light, therapeutic effects of cannabis without achieving a heavy, uncomfortable high and feel more comfortable with the plant itself. The art of microdosing requires discipline, patience and mindfulness.

Finding your Minimum Effective Dose MED

In this sphere of medicine, the MED [minimum effective dose] is something patients and health care providers need more understanding of. Cannabis is biphasic, so you have this excellent anti-inflammatory, relaxing properties with little to no side effects in small amounts. In large amounts, there is the possibility of unwanted effects of being too altered.

Many people who try edibles for the first time become overwhelmed by the experience. That is because everyone has a different tolerance level. For example, a 10 mg piece of chocolate will affect each person differently. Also, edibles are much different than smoking cannabis. Why do cannabis edibles feel so different? The human body processes cannabis through the liver and GI tract. The effects of the potent metabolic byproduct are called 11-hydroxy-THC. This compound resulted in a faster onset and a more intense psychoactive experience than simply THC.

Microdosing with 2.5-milligram products allows the consumer to ingest the initial THC and then gradually eat more the following day until they find their preferred comfort level. Most people who are interested in microdosing cannabis typically start with about 2.5mg or less. One can start with various teas, mints or chocolates with THC concentrations starting at 2.5 milligrams suitable for microdosing. It can take over an hour to feel some edibles’ effects, so I suggest waiting a day and trying an increased amount the following day. The reason is that some edibles if taken properly, like a tincture, can be held under the tongue goes directly into the bloodstream. Simultaneously, others are digested in the stomach and can take hours to feel the effects depending on a person’s digestive system. So it is important when microdosing to chart the amount and wait for results.

Cannabis is a medicine that should be tailored to each patient’s individual makeup. Not all people are the same, and not all products are created equal. Cultivate an understanding of your endocannabinoid system by keeping a journal to track the cannabis farmer or grower, cultivar type, consumption method, dosage and side effects. Take your time and be patient when figuring out what dosage and consumption method works best for you. Be mindful of other elements that may impact the outcome of your experience when microdosing. Such as your nutrition, hydration, environment or even state of mind. As these can all affect your experience.

Beneficial in Resetting Your Tolerance

Like in all other forms of medicine, you want to treat yourself with the lowest effective dose. For those cannabis connoisseurs, micordosing can help you identify the perfection point you may need to reset your THC tolerance. Maybe you needed higher doses of THC for treating a past condition. Maybe you have to consume larger amounts of cannabis edibles to achieve any helpful high than you once did. You have built a tolerance to the effect and may need to take a small break. If this is the case, you can try to reset your tolerance to the effects of cannabis products by microdosing.

The length of a tolerance break depends on your consumption patterns. In general, it works to stop or slow down consumption for 48 hours. After that time frame, you can start again with small doses of 1 to 2 mg of THC slowly building yourself back up. I encourage my patients to do this at least once a month to reset their tolerance levels.

Micrdosing Studies on the Rise

In Israel on July 1, 2020, PRNewswire.com — Israeli med-tech company Syqe Medical has conducted the first clinical trial to demonstrate that extremely low and precise doses of inhaled THC – the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis – can effectively relieve pain while avoiding the common side effects associated with cannabis use.

The study, published in the European Journal of Pain, is the first scientific confirmation that microdosing – the process of using extremely low doses of active drug compounds to treat various conditions – actually works with cannabis.

According to GetFluent.com, medical card users with these conditions have seen success with microdosing:

• Cancer

• Epilepsy

• Glaucoma

• HIV/Aids

• Seizures

• Crohn’s Disease

• PTSD

• ALS

• Chronic Muscle Spasms

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Multiple Sclerosis

• Chronic Pain

• Sleep Disorders

• Tourette Syndrome

• Autism

• Anxiety Disorders

Microdosing can help people get the therapeutic effects of cannabis without achieving a heavy, uncomfortable altered state and generally feel more comfortable with cannabis products. Micrdosing can also help one achieve the perfect amount for their specific healing process. If you or someone you know requires help or would like more information, contact your Cannabis Therapy Consultant for more guidance.

All information in this article is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources. Please check with your Cannabis Educated Primary Health Care Physician or Cannabis Therapy Consultant before beginning any new diet or lifestyle change.

Written by Dr. Pepper Hernandez ND, Ph.D., CTC, CNHP in ECS & Naturopathic Medicine, Cannabis Therapy Consultant, The Founder and Education Director of the Cannabis Holistic Institute. To find out more about her Telemedicine Consultations, Educational Programs, YouTube videos, and other creative content, you can find her on the massive inter-webs on all platforms or at DrPepperHernandez.com.

The Possible Fate of Delta-8 in Texas

Written by Jesse Williams on January 2, 2023. Posted in CBD News & Business.

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.

Podcast # 107

Written by texashempreporter on December 16, 2022. Posted in Podcast.

Listen to the Show Here.

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.

Texas Hemp Summit

Written by shayda Torabi on November 2, 2022. Posted in Events.

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

Rocket Seeds

Written by Rachel Nelson on November 2, 2022. Posted in Cultivation.

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.

PODCAST # 100

Written by texashempreporter on October 24, 2022. Posted in Podcast.

https://texashempshow.transistor.fm/100
100TH PODCAST!!

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!

WhooHooo!! Over 2 years and still counting . . . .
Did we mention you can vote for us at https://www.texashempawards.com/vote-now

MEDIA/CATAGORY

Podcast # 99

Written by texashempreporter on October 24, 2022. Posted in Podcast.

Podcast # 99 Of the Texas Hemp Show:

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 ?

Don’t forget to Vote for us on the Texas Hemp Awards!

Media/Influencer

CBD & THC for Traumatic Brain Injury: Plant cannabinoids reduce tissue damage and trauma following a closed head injury.

Written by texashempreporter on September 16, 2022. Posted in Health.

By The Editors of Readers Digest and Project CBD

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.

Mr. Nice Guys: Not Your Average Smoke Shop

Written by Rachel Nelson on August 3, 2022. Posted in CBD News & Business.

If you’re looking for an eclectic mix of local glass, CBD products, delta strains and more, check out Mr. Nice Guys in north Austin.

Located at 13201 Pond Springs Road, Suite 105-A, Mr. Nice Guys is far from your run-of-the-mill smoke shop, according to owner Kelly Gartzke.

”We have an amazing selection of local glass as well as work from artists around the country,” he said. “We try to be the shop that carries something for everybody, and we always have a friendly, knowledgeable person working.”

The shop takes its name from the 1998 movie Half Baked — the popular marijuana culture comedy. Through the years, it has grown a loyal customer base.

“When new customers come in, we hear them say, ‘I found my new smoke shop’ all the time,” Gartzke said.

Gartzke first opened the shop in south Austin with his business partner, Jeff Turner, in 2006, but it wasn’t their first business venture. They also own Chief’s BBQ on South 1st Street. Four years ago, Mr. Nice Guys moved into its north Austin location — close to The Local Outpost Saloon and Shenanigans Nightclub. In addition to its broad selection of products, the shop strives to provide top-notch customer service.

“We want every customer to leave with a smile,” Gartzke said. “We take really good care of our customers. One of the things we do that most shops don’t is that if you come in and ask for an item we’re out of or we don’t carry, we put you on a list and call you as soon as the item comes in.”

Gartske calls the store a “one-stop-shop” for CBD, vapes, glass and more. In addition to hand-blown smoking accessories, Mr. Nice Guys carries glass jewelry, marbles and millefiori (decorative glass pieces with distinct, intricate patterns). It also carries CBD treats for dogs and humans, as well as a unique collection of apparel and backpacks. They are also planning for an 1,800-square-foot expansion. Be sure to follow them on Instagram (@mr_nice_guys_austin) for emerging details

Gartzke said business is good and that the shop’s sales have doubled since the pandemic struck in 2020. “We’re headed for another record year this year,” he added.

‘Hemp to be Free’: Nil-Cannabinoid Dual-Use (Grain:Fiber) Hemp in Development

Written by Russell Jessup on June 28, 2022. Posted in Innovation & Hemp Technologies.

‘Type V’, cannabinoid free hemp’–compared to Type I (high THC), Type II (moderate THC & CBD), Type III (high CBD), and Type IV (high CBG) cannabis–would ensure THC compliance regardless of crop maturity. Development of Type V hemp with combined fiber fractions on lower stalks and seed production on upper branches is underway to provide a dual-use alternative crop for Texas producers across millions of acres currently cultivated in cotton, sorghum, and other crops.

The nutritional value of hemp seeds is remarkable, having an ideal balanced omega-6: omega-3 fatty acid ratio (2.5 : 1) that is similar to salmon and far superior to soy (6.9 :1 ), corn (60 : 1), olive (> 100 : 1), or sunflower (> 100 : 1). Hemp seeds have been consumed throughout history, and Texas A&M University researchers are working to further improve their nutritional value. One PhD student in the Industrial Hemp Breeding Program (Christopher Garcia) is currently working to induce plants to double their chromosomes. This results in exceedingly large seeds, increasing their value as a grain crop and luxury food.

Another PhD Student in the program (Joshua Van Dyke) is working to develop hemp completely free of cannabinoids in order to reduce the THC-compliance risk for farmers seeking to grow hemp for its grain and/ or fiber commodities.

Interest and funding in grain: fiber hemp in TX has to date been very limited, but if successful his project would essentially guarantee farmers 100% compliant hemp crops. Providing this level of security could alleviate the hesitancy that significantly hinders mass cultivation of hemp.

Texas A&M University’s industrial hemp breeder (Dr. Russ Jessup) has prioritized both Christopher and Joshua’s projects in order to develop dual-use (grain: fiber) hemp cultivars that are economically attractive to farmers, industrially suitable for fiber markets, and nutritionally superior for consumers.

Texas Supreme Court Bans Manufacture of Smokeable Hemp

Written by Cameron Field on June 24, 2022. Posted in Legislative.

Today, in a unanimous decision, the Texas Supreme Court held that the Texas Constitution does not protect an individual’s right to process and manufacture smokeable hemp products, and therefore upheld two 2019 laws that prohibits the processing and manufacture of smokeable hemp in Texas. Texas Dep’t of State Health Services and John Hellerstedt v. Crown Distribution LLC e. al, No. 21-1045; 25 Tex. Admin. Code § 300.104; Tex. Health & Safety Code § 443.204(4).

Importantly, the Decision does not ban the “distribution” or “retail sale” of smokeable hemp products, actions which had previously been banned by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). A trial court enjoined the provisions of the law related to distribution and retail sale, and the state declined to continue its defense of those provisions in its appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. Therefore today’s Texas Supreme Court decision leaves the trial courts injunction intact.

Overall, the decision is a significant blow to the hemp industry in Texas, and a glaring reality check as a new legislative session looms, and another Texas Supreme Court case on the legality of Delta-8 THC is expected any day.

The lawsuit decided today by the Texas Supreme Court stemmed from Texas’s first hemp legalization bill in 2019. When Texas established a hemp production program through HB 1325, the law specifically prohibited “the processing or manufacturing of a consumable hemp product for smoking.” Tex. Admin. Code Title 25, § 443.204(4) (emphasis added). “Smoking” was broadly defined to essentially prohibit the processing or manufacture of any sort of hemp vape devices or prerolls in Texas. Tex. Health & Safety Code § 443.001(11). The law also directed the Texas Department of State Health Services (“DSHS”) to promulgate rules to govern the consumable hemp industry. DSHS initially went two steps further than the Legislature’s smoking ban and further prohibited both the distribution and retail sale of smokeable hemp products in Texas—those provisions remain enjoined and unenforceable. § 300.104.

Hemp retailers, distributors, and manufacturers challenged the smokeable hemp prohibition in 2020 in Crown Distributing LLC et al. v. Texas Dep’t of State Health Services and John Hellerstedt. The hemp company plaintiffs submitted a petition on August 5, 2020 for a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction, and permanent injunction—the impact of which would effectively prohibit the State from enforcing the smokeable ban. A Travis County trial court issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the State from enforcing the smokeable hemp ban on September 18, 2020. The State appealed the injunction. The Court of Appeals affirmed the injunction in part, reversed in part, and remanded the case back to the trial court in Travis County.

Following a trial on the merits in Travis County, on November 16, 2021 the trial court declared the statutory smokeable ban unconstitutional and therefore the entire DSHS rule to be invalid. The court enjoined DSHS from enforcing the statute or rule that created the smokeable hemp prohibition. However, on December 3, 2021, the state again appealed the case, this time directly to the Texas Supreme Court, which can be done when a trial court issues a ruling on the constitutionality of a law, as was the case in Crown Distributing.

At the Supreme Court, the state stopped defending the portions of the law that dealt with “distribution” and “retail sale,” but continued to defend the prohibition on manufacturing and processing. The hemp companies asserted the law violated a section of the Texas Constitution which reads that “[n]o citizen of this State shall be deprived of life, liberty, property, privileges or immunities, or in any manner disenfranchised, except by the due course of the law of the land.” Tex. Const. art. I, § 19. The companies argued the smokeable hemp prohibition was a violation of the guarantees of art. I, § 19 of the Texas Constitution, but the court did not agree. The court ultimately found that the legislature’s decision to adopt a new framework of regulations for cannabis in the 2019 hemp bill does not transform the hemp companies’ desire to produce smokeable hemp products into a constitutionally protected interest.

While this decision will unlikely slow the growth of sales of smokeable hemp products in the state, it will guarantee that businesses who make such products in Texas will need to shut down their manufacturing operations, and out of state businesses looking to establish manufacturing operations in Texas will now look elsewhere. The decision and law also generally paint Texas as not-friendly to the hemp industry, which will likely stop an unknown number of companies from expanding or growing their operations in Texas, and therefore deprive Texas of the potential jobs and tax revenue those companies will provide.

The industry will likely have a knee jerk reaction against the Texas Supreme Court for this decision, but the decision is a legal analysis of a law passed by the legislature and DSHS. Delta-8 will likely be dealt a similar blow by the courts in the coming weeks. The industry’s frustration and efforts need to be directed toward the legislature and DSHS authorities that continue to pass rules that hamper rather than support the hemp industry.

Cameron Field is Senior Counsel and Co-Leader of the Cannabis Industry Group at the Law Firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Austin, TX.

America, Russia, Hemp and the Ukraine

Written by Ken Gibson on June 10, 2022. Posted in Agriculture.

Russia, the Ukraine, the United States and hemp have long had an interesting relationship. John Quincy Adams, as the American Minister in St. Petersburg, wrote an article on the culture and preparation of hemp in Russia. This he penned in 1810, 14 years before winning one of the most contentious elections in history to take up residence in the White House.

In his day, navies ruled the seas, and Russia was the number one provider of hemp to the maritime powers. Countries like Britain needed vast supplies of rope and sail to stay afloat. A 1797 record of its hemp purchases states that “no less than 40,000 tonnes” were imported from Russia.

Napoleon saw fit to thwart Britannia’s rule by making an agreement with the Czar that he would sell no hemp to the ‘rosbifs’. The French and Russian rulers had often been at odds, but after meeting on a raft in the middle of the Neman River, they found common ground when Napoleon I told Alexander I that he hated the British as much as he; the Russian replied “with those words we will ever be friends.” That was in 1807. By 1812, the beautiful friendship had come to an end over the issue of hemp, which the Russians were selling secretly to France’s enemy. Ships with flags other than the Union Jack would purchase this staple and then transport it to London and Liverpool. Napoleon was not fooled by the ruse, but rather, enraged; he ordered his troops to invade Moscow in the fall. They came to the city, followed by an early winter. The unusually cold weather, along with the Russian swordsmen, deprived France of 500,000 men. Invasions often don’t work out.

At that time, the Ukraine was included in Russia, and took part in the cultivation of hemp. During the Russian Revolution era, it made a bid for independence, going so far as to issue its own stamps. None of them were ever put to use, as the Ukraine’s autonomy was cut short and it remained a part of Mother Russia. After the Bolshevik Revolution, Glokhiv, a city in the Ukraine, became home to the Institute of Bast Crops. Founded in 1931, when the Ukraine was part of the CCCP, it was renamed in 1992; presently it is known as the Institute of Bast Crops of the Ukrainian Institute of Bast Crops. With the guidance of that institution, hemp production reached a peak of 974,000 hectares under cultivation in 1960. But as world demand decreased, that figure dwindled to 60,000 hectares in 1993. By which date, the Ukraine was an independent nation. Again, it issued its own stamps, which have been in use ever since.

As for hemp, the Ukraine has been providing the world with hemp products including oil, which, until this past month, was available in New York.

There is concern that all Ukrainian and Russian hemp products will not be available here. And that concern is not limited to hemp products. The Ukraine is the bread basket of Europe and sells much to Asia and Africa. Soybeans, wheat, maize, honey, buckwheat, rye, barley and other staples – along with fertilizer – are expected to be in short supply.

The world turns its eyes on these northern nations for basic supplies, as it did for centuries in the case of what was once the world’s most traded commodity – hemp.

Which can be grown quite well outside of the frigid regions of the north. The American south, Texas included, grew hemp. Kentucky led the nation in this effort, and cotton growers even sowed hemp before planting cotton to rid the fields of pests.

But despite the widespread US cultivation of hemp, Yankees paid top dollar for Russian. Which led to a lively debate in the House, where it was explained that Russian hemp was processed to a higher grade, allowing it to be of use to the US Navy. Practicality prevailed over patriotism. The attempt of some congressmen to impose sanctions on Russian imports failed.

Britain also paid a top price to the Czar, of which then Duke of Wales (later King George IV) expressed concern in 1810. At that time over 5 million pounds sterling were spent on Russia’s hemp. More attention to this issue was paid by Lord Somerville, but since transport costs by ship from Riga and St. Petersburg were much less than domestic overland transport costs, Moscow continued to hold the West to ransom over hemp, until the day of steam and metal ships made hempen sails redundant. A further reduction in hemp demand for the navies occurred when Manila hemp, or abaca, was found to work well in rope production.

Russia, and the Ukraine, have since found other products that occasion debate in Western parliaments. In place of ships laden with hemp, Russia has pipelines pumping energy to most UE nations, while the Ukraine, which produces a major percentage of the world’s neon, used in semi-conductors, causes major concern in manufacturing circles. Its fate affects us all.

Farmers everywhere prepare for a bad situation. Hopefully, the Ukraine will be able to sow its fields this spring so that wheat, maize, sunflowers, rye and barley will be available to the world, and along with these staples, коноплі, as hemp is called in that land, will also be included in the harvest for 2022.