Josh Hendrix

Kentucky Hemp Farmer

After being banned from US soil for the past 60 years, industrial hemp has been making a major comeback! Once perceived in the same vein as its cousin, marijuana, major inroads have been made in changing the stigma of this 8,000 year-old crop that may hold tremendous promise for the economic, agricultural, and commercial future of the United States.

“The hemp plant is not a drug, it’s an agricultural commodity. It has no psychoactive properties whatsoever, so including it on a list of dangerous substances was clearly an error; a case of mistaken identity,” says hemp industry expert, Josh Hendrix of CV Sciences, a leading manufacturer of hemp-derived CBD products.

Show Highlights:

-Industrial hemp has 0.3% THC – isn’t psychoactive.  Recreational marijuana has 15% THC.

-USA is the only industrial nation that doesn’t grow hemp.

-Using European and Australia varieties, because US heritage seeds disappeared during 70 years of prohibition.

-Hemp derived products are completely legal.

-No chemicals approved for growing hemp because it’s grown experimentally under research licenses.

-Hemp isn’t a superweed.  Need to prep soil, control weeds and insects.  The deer like to eat it.

-Dual use crop.  Grown for CBD oil and for fiber used in industrial materials.

-Continuing stigma that all cannabis is bad.  But Senator Mitch McConnell and Congressmen Rand Paul and Thomas Matthews are big supporters of industrial hemp.

-Growing hemp is a healthier alternative to growing tobacco, soybeans.  80% less water needed, but is an absorbant and can tolerate more.  Leaves soil in better condition.  Good rotational crop and soil rejuvenator.

-The obstacles in hemp farming are regulations and licenses.

– Jay in SC, a permaculturist, asks if there’s any way he can get industrial hemp seed.

-Linda shares that hemp grew prolifically when her family grew it in the 40s.  Was known as ditch weed.  Hemp makes awesome fabric.  The original Levis, covered wagons, ship sails, circus tents, and uniforms in the Civil War were all made from hemp.

-Planting in late May, early June gives best yield for Josh’s location.  Josh doesn’t irrigate, but it may be needed in dry locales.

-CBD supplements should come from a facility using GMP, certified labs, doing third party testing.  See pluscbdoil.com.

-To see health benefits, go to Pubmed.gov and type in CBD.  CBD oil is a full body complex.

-Patrick likes Stephen Heuer’s hemp paste.

Josh Hendrix on large scale Hemp Farming with many uses including CBD properties, July 20, 2017