The Texas Hemp Reporter attended the first ever Texas Hemp Day at the Capitol and Rachel was there for a report with activity with lawmakers. Written & Produced by Rachel Nelson.
Texas Hemp Day at the Capitol was a huge success, marking the first time that Texas’ hemp industry came together at the capitol. The event provided an opportunity for members to interact with one another, as well as state representatives and senators. The work accomplished at the capitol is expected to benefit the industry in the current legislative session.
The Texas Hemp Coalition expressed their appreciation to all those who came to Austin to show their support for the coalition and the Texas hemp industry, and looks forward to seeing them again soon.
As the 88th Texas Legislature convened on January 10, 2023, the Texas Hemp Coalition’s tenant of “advocacy” is carried out during this session as they continue to fight for the industry’s prosperity. The final day of the legislative session is May 29, 2023, and the coalition encourages industry supporters to reach out to their State Representatives and Senators to voice their concerns and support for the hemp industry in Texas.
The coalition’s federal and state legislative priorities include protecting all cannabinoids for consumable hemp products, ensuring retailers and manufacturers are protected for future cannabinoid products for the market, advancing regulatory efforts towards legalizing hemp feed as a protein for animals for human consumption, urging the FDA to regulate CBD as a dietary supplement, protecting and fighting for farmers to have a more efficient program, updating legislation to reflect changes from USDA rules, passing a 2023 Farm Bill to reflect a more industry-supported hemp program, and giving agencies the ability to update statute per the 2023 Farm Bill.
In terms of Texas legislative priorities, the coalition is supporting SB 264 by Senator Charles Perry, which relates to the production, sale, distribution, delivery, and regulation of consumable hemp products, and SB 321 by Senator Charles Perry, which relates to the production and regulation of hemp, providing administrative penalties, and creating a criminal offense.
On the federal level, the coalition is supporting H.R. 6645: The Hemp Advancement Act of 2022 by Rep. Chellie Pingree, which aims to make it easier and more profitable for U.S. farmers to grow hemp while ensuring consumers of hemp are protected against unsafe products, the Safe Banking Act by Rep. Ed Perlmutter, which would protect institutions administering financial services to all legal cannabis businesses by preventing any penalization from federal regulators, and the Hemp and Hemp Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021 by Rep. Kurt Schrader, which would ensure that hemp-derived CBD and other non-intoxicating hemp ingredients could be lawfully marketed as dietary supplements.
Overall, the Texas Hemp Coalition’s legislative efforts are focused on supporting the growth and prosperity of the hemp industry in Texas, and they are actively engaging with lawmakers and stakeholders to achieve these goals.
Clay talks with us about his research in this Hemp Sciences at TAMU. He also contributes to the magazine with a few articles a month.
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 Thursday 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.
Are you a plant lover looking to expand your collection yet concerned about your lack of green space? Look no further than the confines of your home. It can be equally frustrating to expand upon your love of plants especially if you don’t have a yard. You don’t need a green thumb as long as you have the right materials, setup, and proper care, you can turn your greenhouse dreams into an indoor paradise reality.
You should first decidewhere you want to put your plants and how large the setup should be.
The location of your plants should be easily accessible, and of course, the size of your setup should be based on how much space you have and how many plants you want to grow. Most houseplants need bright, indirect light, although most will be happy with a window facing East, West, or South. If you don’t have much natural lighting in your home, you will need to buy LED Grow Bulbs for your DYI greenhouse.
Secondly, it’s important to consider the type of material you will need.
Some examples can be wood, metal, or plastic framing depending on your goal. Select the right materials for your greenhouse to ensure proper ventilation, temperature, and humidity. Glass or plastic is a great choice of material since it allows light to pass through quite easily. Although if you don’t want to spend time building a greenhouse, you can store them in a vitrine or even a curio cabinet that may be ideal granted, they get light and are properly hydrated. A frame is essential to the foundation of your greenhouse. You can add ventilated plastic sheeting around the frame to trap moisture.
Next, plan your layout, including placement and any other additional features, such as shelving and/or lighting. Consider your path and ventilation system to ensure your greenhouse is easy to navigate to (if it’s large) and maintains a healthy growing environment. Adding shelving to your greenhouse may be best if you decide to grow your collection further.
Lastly, hydration is key, depending on the types of plants you have. You should install a small humidifier and fan to help hydrate your critters in case you are not available to water your plants daily. Greenhouses can be very hot during the day, so it’s important to have a cooling system in place to regulate the temperature. You can choose to have ventilated plastic sleeves around your shelving so you can easily lift them up to let air in.
List of supplies you may need to get started:
Cabinet or shelving (price varies)
LED Grow lights… $35-45
Humidifier (price varies)
Small Fan $10-15
Power strip $5
Humidity meter $1
Plastic Sheets (in case you decide to use a shelf with openings)
Heavy Duty Stapler to staple the plastic sheets to the wood frame
Ultimately plants can be great pals for removing toxic agents in the air through a built-in air purification system they have. The addition of plants can also improve your health and has been known to sharpen your focus if you have an office or classroom. The level of difficulty to design your greenhouse is medium to low. An indoor greenhouse can help create a warm inviting space where your plants can thrive year-round. An indoor greenhouse is a great idea if you are out of town often or if you live in an area where it freezes during the winter months. You can easily control the environment of your DYI project and start enjoying your greenhouse vibes regardless of the weather outside. But remember that if you love your plants year-round, they will love you back with their endless potential! Happy Gardening!
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.
Remember the days when smoking marijuana was a secret hobby that people went to great lengths to conceal? Thankfully, those days are far behind us. With marijuana-shaming being a thing of the distant past, celebrities are being more candid about their love for cannabis than ever before. Besides just using it, they are advocating for its legality and concocting their own plant strains and canna-businesses.
Here’s our list of the top 15 celebrity stoners in America today, according to their own words.
1. Willie Nelson (@willienelsonofficial)
“I don’t know anybody that’s ever died from smoking pot. Had a friend of mine that said a bale fell on him and hurt him pretty bad, though.” — Willie Nelson to The Rolling Stone in 2019
Let’s go ahead and get Willie Nelson out of the way, as the man is a leafy-green legend. He has been extremely vocal about his cannabis use for decades, and he is even rumored to have smoked marijuana in the Texas Governor’s mansion. To celebrate his love for hemp, Willie launched his own CBD brand called Willie’s Remedy that sells infused coffee, tinctures, teas and more.
2. Snoop Dogg (@snoopdogg)
“This weed is mine, get your own bag.” — Snoop Dogg’s Weed Iz Mine lyrics
Snoop is a famous rapper (not to be confused with blunt wrapper). But if the shoe fits, he will definitely wear it, because Snoop has never been shy about his cannabis consumption. He never misses an opportunity to blow huge clouds of pot smoke in his music videos or during public appearances.
3. Cheech Marin & Tommy Chong (@cheechmarin & @heytommychong)
“I take a toke, and all my fears go up in smoke.” — Cheech & Chong, 1978
We’ll go ahead and lump Cheech and Chong together, as it’s difficult to imagine one without the other. Everyone’s favorite Mexican-American pot-smoking duo has been entertaining people for decades. With nearly half a century of public weed consumption under their belts, they’re basically America’s stoned great uncles. Tommy Chong takes his stonership very seriously, which is why he launched his own cannabis brand, Chong’s Choice, in 2015.
4. Shelby Chong(@funnyshelby)
“Such a great charity event and so much fun when u take a gummy bear.” — Shelby on Instagram in May 2019
Everyone knows that couples who toke together stay together, and Shelby and Tommy Chong have been married since 1975. Their relationship is filled with warm hugs and fluffy nugs, and Shelby’s Instagram is laced with many weed innuendos.
5. Matthew McConaughey(@officiallymcconaughey)
“Say man, you got a joint? … It’d be a lot cooler if you did.” — Matthew McConaughey as David Wooderson in Dazed & Confused, 1993
As the man who was featured in one of the most well-known stoner flicks of all time, who didn’t see this coming? McConaughey’s pot use isn’t confined to the movies, though. In 1999, he was arrested for possession of marijuana, and his 2020 autobiography “Greenlights” contains several ganja references.
6. Joe Rogan(@joerogan)
“Marijuana has made me a more sensitive person. It’s enhanced my feelings on the positive aspects of community, and made me more affectionate and compassionate.” — Joe Rogan, 2019, via Instagram
Joe Rogan shares about his marijuana usage on all of his social media accounts as well as his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience. Through the years, he has been a very vocal advocate for the legalization of marijuana.
7. Seth Rogen(@sethrogen)
“I’ve never gone to a movie and thought, ‘man, I wish I was less stoned right now.” — Seth Rogen, 2008 on The Daily Show
As the mastermind behind Pineapple Express, it’s no secret that Seth Rogan loves to toke up. In 2019, he co-founded Houseplants, a cannabusiness that sells three of Rogen’s favorite strains: Diablo Wind, Pink Moon and Pancake Ice. The brand also sells home goods, like ashtrays and ceramics.
8. Wiz Khalifa (@wizkhalifa)
“I’m rolling up another joint as soon as the weed’s gone.” — Wiz Khalifa’s Weed Farm Lyrics
Wiz Khalifa is one of the most unabashed stoners around. His cannabis line, Khalifa Kush, sells flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles and concentrates. He also launched his own line of stoner munchies called HotBox by Wiz.
9. Martha Stewart (@marthastewart)
“Of course I know how to roll a joint.” — Martha Stewart to Andy Cohen in 2013
Let’s face it — hanging out with Snoop Dogg makes anyone a stoner by association. Through a partnership with Canopy Growth, Martha launched her own CBD line in 2020 that offers gummies, supplements and, most recently, beauty products. Even if Martha isn’t sparking up from sunup to sundown like her partner in crime Snoop, one thing’s for certain … if you ever get the chance to try her brownies, you better take it.
10. B-Real(@breal)
“We always considered ourselves the champions of cannabis culture in terms of hip-hop and mainstream music. We reference it in the music whenever we get a chance. — B-Real, 2021, cypresshill.com
The Cypress Hill frontman (whose real name is Louis Mario Freese) is very enthusiastic about his cannabis use. He chain smokes joints on the Dr. Greenthumb podcast, which is hosted on his YouTube channel, BRealTV. He is also a leading cannabis entrepreneur, owning six Dr. Greenthumb dispensaries.
11. Soleil Moon-Frye (@moonfrye)
“What is better than to get completely blazed and stare at the Starburst Galaxy?” — Soleil Moon-Frye, 2021 on the Dr. Greenthumb Podcast
You may know her as Punky Brewster. In 2021, she released a Hulu documentary about her life called Kid 90, where she spoke openly about blazing bowls with other 90s teen stars back in the day. While she didn’t partake in marijuana during her appearance on the Dr. Greenthumb podcast last year, she did admit to having a strong contact high and reminisced back to the days when she was known by the nickname “Punky Blunts.”
12. Kirsten Dunst (@kierstendunst)
“I drink moderately, I’ve tried drugs. I do like weed.” — Kirsten Dunst, 2009 to Britain’s Live Magazine
Kiersten Dunst is ready to Bring it On. (The bong rips, that is). Although she admits she isn’t one to spend all day stoned, she has publicly advocated for the legalization of marijuana calling America’s laws against it “ridiculous.”
13. Elon Musk
“Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured.” — Elon Musk, 2018, via Twitter
In 2018, Elon Musk caught a lot of flack after he smoked pot on Joe Rogan’s podcast. He later called that decision “not wise,” but really — who cares what people think when you’re worth hundreds of billions of dollars?
14. Rihanna (@badgalriri)
“Kush rolled, glass full…I prefer the better things!” — Rihanna, 2012, via Twitter
Rihanna isn’t shy when it comes to publicly indulging in cannabis. The Barbadian singer and lingerie designer once rolled a blunt on the bald head of her bodyguard at the Coachella music festival.
15. Lady Gaga (@ladygaga)
So I was weed for Halloween. BEST COSTUME EVER, IT’S SO FUN. Princess High the Cannabis Queen.” — Lady Gaga, 2012 via Twitter
Long before starring in the 2021 flick “House of Gucci,” Lady Gaga was using marijuana to get her creative juices flowing. During a 2011 60 Minutes interview, she revealed to Anderson Cooper that she smokes a lot of pot while writing music.
There are far more fine flower children that could be included on this list. In fact, Woody Harrelson, Brad Pitt and Chelsea Handler each get an honorable mention. Be sure to follow them all on Instagram to make your feed a little greener.
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.
A rolled marijuana joint half burnt, isolated on white.
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.
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.
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!
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
I was recently handed a box of about 24 unlabeled products in bags and asked to review the quality and effectiveness of said products, which varied from topical’s and oils to edibles.
This wasn’t the first time I had been asked to judge something in the cannabis industry, in fact, I’ve participated as a judge in a handful of national competitions which, I’ll admit, have all respectively had their faults.
Look, I’m not here to pick on this one example, it’s just the most recent one in a series of examples, but rather use it as a jumping-off point for what I would have loved to see happen instead, and encourage how we as an industry should be leaders instead of followers.
For the record, I’m pretty sure there isn’t a standard manual on how to run an effective cannabis event. If you could see me now, I’m half smirking as I write this because I know (from interviewing hundreds of cannabis entrepreneurs all over the world for my podcast, To Be Blunt) just how inconsistent the laws and regulations are in our industry in general, let alone the nuanced world of events.
But as nuanced as it is, it is a massive opportunity for everyone involved. And it comes down to implementing best practices that put safety and education at the forefront.
Prior to founding RESTART CBD in 2018, I used to work in corporate technology, but specifically, I was an event and brand manager for about 6 years. So I will also go out on a limb and say I know pretty well firsthand the benefit of events from both a brand perspective and also as a consumer who has attended hundreds of events in my lifetime.
I’m not here to say don’t go to events or don’t waste your time participating in them, events are great for exposure and connecting directly with your target audiences. Instead, I want to reflect on how we as an industry can put our best foot forward and lead by example.
If you check out the podcast, I encourage you to listen to episode 96 with Tim and Taylor Blake who are the founders and producers of The Emerald Cup, the largest cannabis competition in the world. THE WORLD. Yes, they’ve been producing this event since 2003, and a lot has changed since then which we get into more detail in the episode, but one of the questions I had for them was around the competition aspect of their event.
On one end, the winners of The Emerald Cup go on to experience a huge uptick in their business. Winning this particular competition has bragging rights that go on into infinity, so from a brand marketing perspective, it absolutely benefits brands to compete because winning can do wonders for your business.
On the other hand, you have the operations of the event to navigate. As an event producer, how are you capturing these entries, what do you ask for to gauge quality assurance, and what all goes into your judging process to guarantee you’re evaluating these brands properly?
This was the big aha for me personally at least, while it’s all fun and games to do events and participate in competitions, at the end of the day, all these products, every single one of them are being sold to a consumer. How they’re packaged, how they’re labeled, what COAs are attached, and how they make someone feel are all pieces of determining the “quality and effectiveness”. They are consumer packaged goods after all, and that point is where I continually get hung up on from my own personal experiences with cannabis events and competitions.
You see, I was taken aback at the unmarked products in blank bags. I understood the intention was for blind judging, but as someone who promotes frequently to my own customers to read labels, ingredients, and packaging, to be presented with absolutely none of that information didn’t settle well (and yes I did share this feedback directly, and ultimately decided not to participate until better parameters were set in place.)
Aside from handling it directly, It was equally important to talk about it publicly since this isn’t about one person in particular, but about all of us as a community setting standards and standing by them.
In an industry where 5mg vs 10mg of a particular cannabinoid can produce a different effect, it is extremely important for me to emphasize to the brands as well as consumers reading this that integrity and efficacy are absolutely essential in establishing credibility for our industry.
In previous events I’ve judged, I remember being shocked to see products labeled with QR codes that 404’d, which as a legally licensed brand operating in Texas Hemp is a requirement to have functioning on your packaging. To me, what you put on your label is step one of building quality assurance with the consumer market, and yet here were brands, going after an award with basic information lacking. I genuinely felt and feel bad for consumers who are left in the dark by these brands and their products.
Yes, there are certainly bad actors out to make a quick buck, and I always encourage the buyer to be aware. But I also sincerely believe that there are great Texas cannabis operators who believe in this plant and are looking for best practices, so I hope you hear the heart of my message.
When we avoid or don’t address these discrepancies they continue to pile up, I want to address them so we can improve together. I want to see brands and events thrive, but I also want to remember who we’re in business for at the end of the day, and that is for the consumer.
So how we show up, whether it is on a label, or at an event, really can improve the industry by providing necessary information for consumers to make educated decisions on what they are putting in their bodies.
Listening to my episode with The Emerald Cup on To Be Blunt has a lot of great insight that we can all learn from as we work together to professionalize cannabis for consumer consumption.
For nearly a year, Hunter Robinson had felony drug charges looming over him after he says he grew hemp legally in Navarro County.
“It’s been quite rough on my family, myself, everything. You name it — it’s impacted me. It’s been terrible,” he said.
Robinson, a 27-year-old disabled U.S. Navy veteran who said he greatly benefitted from using CBD products, received a hemp producer license from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in 2021. He and his business partner, 28-year-old Skyler Purcell, said compliance was at the top of their priority list when they launched Sky & Hobbs Organics, LLC with the intention of producing CBD flower and oil.
“We spent hours upon hours going through every single genetic variety that was on the TDA’s approved variety list,” Robinson said.
Rather than selecting the coolest-looking varieties or strands with the catchiest names, the pair said they picked the lowest testing varieties they could get their hands on. Each time the TDA tested samples of Sky & Hobbs’ products, they passed all criteria.
“All of our product had already been tested previously and deemed by the state of Texas and Texas Department of Agriculture as approved, compliant hemp.” Purcell said. Purcell, who was a 50% co-owner of the business, was never charged with a crime.
“They were trying to produce the best legal quality product they could find, and they took extraordinary steps to do that,” defense attorney David Sergi said.
Robinson and Purcell said they were stunned when their indoor growing facility was raided on June 10, 2021, by the Navarro County Sherriff’s Department, which had a search warrant signed by Navarro County District Judge James E. Lagomarsino. When nobody answered the door, officers used forced entry and seized three product varieties.
Robinson and Purcell said they provided the officers on scene with documentation that proved they were operating a legal business, but that didn’t stop them. For more than two months, the property remained an active crime scene that Robinson and Purcell were not allowed to access.
Law enforcement officers returned to Sky & Hobbs Organics on Aug. 25 with an arrest warrant for Robinson — also signed by Judge Lagomarsino — that alleged he knowingly and intentionally possessed “a usable quantity of marijuana against the peace and dignity of the state.” According to the sheriff’s office, two of the company’s samples contained 0.378% and 0.468% of delta-9 THC by dry weight, which is over the legal limit of .3%.
Robinson was arrested and charged with felony posession of marijuana. He spent 30 hours in jail before bonding out.
The Texas Hemp Program was launched after the U.S. Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of cannabis in 2018. According to the law, if the THC level falls above 0.3% but below 1%, the crop must be destroyed. If a product tests for higher than 1% THC levels, the grower can be cited with negligence by the TDA. If the TDA determines that a grower deliberately produced a crop with 1% of THC or higher, they can face criminal charges. This provision allows for natural variations in THC levels, Sergi said.
“From our point of view, the product was within legal limits and all the testing showed that it was under .03% Delta-9 THC, and at worst there is a reason why there is a negligence factor built into the code, and this is exactly where this falls in,” Sergi said.
The legal battle ahead
In May, the state dismissed the case against Robinson, stating there was not enough evidence to prove he was in possession of marijuana.
“I’m on cloud 9. I’m celebrating every day,” Robinson said. “I’m at work, and I’m celebrating. I’m outside last night, it’s getting reaedy to pour down, the wind is coming through … a storm is coming through, and I’m outside with a cigar and a glass of whiskey just celebrating. I mean, it’s been a year. We’ve been dealing with this for so long.”
Currently, Purcell and Robinson are asking for the public’s help to raise funds for their ongoing legal costs. Those who want to contribute can visit texashempfederation.com and click on the “Donate” button on the home page.
According to Jay Maguire, executive director of the Texas Hemp Federation, everything the organization raises will support this cause until their goal is met.
“We just want everyone involved in this industry to understand what’s taking place is possible, and if they see this as a problem, hopefully they would feel how we’re feeling and contribute,” Robinson said.
People can also help by sharing the story to raise awareness about the fact that — while hemp farming is legal in Texas with the proper licensure — there is an apparent disconnect when it comes to educating jurisdictions about hemp farming laws.
“The Sky and Hobbs case also points to a deficiency in Texas regulations about how to even out, or remediate a crop, which can vary in THC levels from plant to plant,” Maguire said. “It’s a bit like blending different varietals of wine.”
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, remediation can be achieved by separating and destroying non-compliant flowers while retaining stalks, leaves, and seeds, or by shredding the entire hemp plant to create a homogenous biomass that can be retested for THC compliance. So, even if one batch is a bit over the limit, by mixing it in with lower-THC, compliant biomass, the resulting batch would fall at or below the legal limit.
“My understanding is police here simply took samples from plants that weren’t even in the stream of commerce yet, and which could have been remediated or destroyed according to the current regulations,” Maguire said.
Also questionable, Purcell said, is the fact that the Navarro County Sherriff’s Office never filed an administrative report about the incident with the TDA as protocol states.
“Before there’s any accountability you have to go through the steps,” Sergi said.
Shattered dreams
As childhood friends, Robinson and Purcell dreamed of one day starting a business venture together.
“We wanted to do the right business at the right time and take advantage of a situation,” Robinson said. “We realized that cannabis was coming sooner rather than later and that hemp was the starting point.”
Robinson and Purcell invested $75,000-$100,000 into Sky & Hobbs Organics and continued working full-time jobs while pouring a majority of their spare time into the business.
“We wanted to be able to say we were producing the cleanest, the best legal product that Texas had to offer. Every dollar we got went back into our business. In our five-year plan, me and Sky weren’t going to be taking any money for a long time,” Robinson said.
Now, rather than building a lucrative revenue stream, Robinson and Purcell are scrambling to get back on track financially.
“We had to close our business, our business account, our website,” Robinson said. “We’ve relaunched our website and we’re actually going to start doing stickers and see if people are willing to do a $5 donation for a sticker.”
Throughout the process, Robinson said he feared what a felony conviction would interfere with his job as a mechanical engineer. He also relocated to be closer to his wife’s family so she and their children will have support in case anything happened to him. In addition, both men say they are devastated about what’s been lost.
“We put everything into this — life savings. I’ll never get that time back. We were doing it with something in mind. We wanted to build something for our families, and it’s a shame that there are no protections for us. I have contacted the TDA. There’s no one to help us.”
Robinson and Purcell both say they were robbed of a chance a pursuing the American dream.
“And not only that, I got taken to jail for following the American dream,” Robinson said. “I loved doing what we were doing, but the only way I would ever participate in this industry again is if I knew that the state or the feds would protect the people participating in this legally.”
