Grocery Stores Remain Relevant As Physical Retail Space Suffers During Pandemic
Photo: Pixabay
This article originally appeared in the December edition of Presence Marketing’s Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
“We are clearly overretailed in America,” Byron Carlock, director of U.S. retail estate practice for London-based Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC), told Fast Company in November. “Suburban sprawl created a situation where we just believed that every time there was a new intersection with four corners we needed to put up four strip centers. We’re learning differently now,” he told Fast Company.
According to PwC, average retail space for countries including France, Germany, the U.K. and Japan is less than 5 square feet per person, vs. in the U.S., where physical retail spaces averages more than 23 square feet per person. In other larger countries like the U.S., retail space is higher: in Canada, average retail space is 16 square feet per person; in Australia it’s approximately 11 square feet per person, according to PwC.
As e-commerce sales continue to grow, analysts were already seeing brick and mortar retail space shrink and transform before then pandemic. Now, however, “some prognosticators think we’re not only overretailed, we’re underdemolished,” Carlock said. “There will be retail that will be demolished and repurposed, and then there will be retail that continues to support our lifestyles and is relevant and is useful and is important,” he told Fast Company.
As the pandemic changes the face of retailing, PwC says that “necessity-based” retail, including grocery stores, pharmacies and other “neighborhood-oriented” retailers will remain relevant. Carlock estimated that physical retail space in the U.S. may ultimately looks more like Canada’s average 16 square feet, representing a 30% decrease in physical retail space in the U.S.
As retail rents drop – Fast Company reported that in New York alone, retail rents in major commercial areas have declined approximately 13% in the third quarter 2020 – the repurposing and reuse of former retail space in desirable areas may be on the rise. In addition, Carlock told Fast Company that the demolition of existing underused retail can make use for other residential or mixed use development.
Court Rules FDA Violated Environmental Laws in Approving GMO Salmon
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This article originally appeared in the December edition of Presence Marketing’s Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
A federal judge in San Francisco on November 5 ordered the US. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to re-evaluate its approval of genetically modified salmon based on ecological concerns if the GMO salmon were to escape into the wild.
FDA in 2015 approved the commercialization of Maynard, MA-based AquaBounty Technologies’ genetically engineered “AquAdvantage” salmon, finding it had no significant impact. Five years later, however, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California agreed with environmental groups who shared concern that the GMO salmon could escape to damage wild salmon populations, reported Food Safety News.
According to a statement by Earthjustice, “The court ruled that FDA ignored the serious environmental consequences of approving genetically engineered salmon and the full extent of plans to grow and commercialize the salmon in the U.S. and around the world, violating the National Environmental Policy Act. The court also ruled that FDA’s unilateral decision that genetically engineered salmon could have no possible effect on endangered, wild Atlantic salmon was wrong, in violation of the Endangered Species Act,” Earthjustice said. “FDA must now thoroughly analyze the environmental consequences of an escape of genetically engineered salmon into the wild,” it added.
In a 16-page decision, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria rejected FDA’s position that it has no duty to consider environmental impacts when reviewing applications to breed genetically modified animals. “Even if the FDA is correct that environmental considerations writ large were not relevant to its decision, the agency is always required to consider the subset of environmental impacts that directly involve the health of animals or humans,” Judge Chhabria wrote.
“This decision underscores what scientists have been telling FDA for years—that creating genetically engineered salmon poses an unacceptable risk if the fish escape and interact with our wild salmon and that FDA must understand that risk to prevent harm,” said Earthjustice managing attorney Steve Mashuda. “Our efforts should be focused on saving the wild salmon populations we already have—not manufacturing new species that pose yet another threat to their survival.”
According to Alaska Public Media, AquaBounty Technologies President and CEO Sylvia Wulf released a statement saying the company is “disappointed” by the ruling. But she said it won’t impact operations at its egg growing facility on Prince Edward Island, Canada, or its fish farm in Albany, Indiana.
“It’s a terrible idea to design genetically engineered ‘Frankenfish’ which, when they escape into the wild (as they inevitably will), could destroy our irreplaceable salmon runs,” said Mike Conroy, Executive Director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations (PCFFA), in the Earthjustice statement. “Once engineered genes are introduced into the wild salmon gene pool, it cannot be undone. This decision is a major victory for wild salmon, salmon fishing families and dependent communities, and salmon conservation efforts everywhere,” he said.
Researchers Find 20% of Grocery Workers Tested Positive in May for Covid-19; Most Were Asymptomatic
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This article originally appeared in the December edition of Presence Marketing’s Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
In a study published on October 29 in the peer-reviewed journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 20% of 104 grocery workers tested at a store in Boston in May tested positive for Covid-19. In addition, three out of four workers (76%) who tested positive showed no symptoms.
This was a significantly higher rate of infection than what was seen in the surrounding communities at the time (0.9 – 1.3%), said the Harvard University researchers who conducted the study entitled “Association Between SARS-CoV-2 Infection, Exposure Risk and Mental Health among a Cohort of Essential Retail Workers in the USA.”
The study authors added that grocery workers who had a customer-facing role were five times as likely to test positive for Covid-19 as co-workers in other positions. Those in supervisory roles were six times more likely to test positive for Covid-19 than co-workers in other types of roles, after accounting for potentially influential factors such as the prevalence of Covid-19 infections where they lived, the researchers said.
While the study sample was focused on just one store, “This is the first study to demonstrate the significant asymptomatic infection rate, exposure risks, and associated psychological distress of grocery retail essential workers during the pandemic,” the authors stated.
“In this single store sample, we found a considerable asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection rate among grocery workers. Employees with direct customer exposure were five times more likely to test positive for SARS-CoV-2.” In addition, “those able to practice social distancing consistently at work had significantly lower risk of anxiety or depression,” the researchers concluded.
According to the study, workers who were less likely to practice social distancing consistently at work and more likely to commute to work on public transport or shared rides were more likely to report depressive symptoms. Those able to walk or bike to work or drive their own car were less likely to report depressive symptoms.
Since the study was conducted, many retailers have implemented mask requirements, plexiglass barriers and other social distancing practices. “I do think for stores and states with mask mandate, we most likely would not see this kind of numbers,” Dr. Justin Yang, one of the study’s co-authors, told Fox News on October 30. “But for stores and states without a mask mandate, this scenario could very well happen in other stores as well.”
The study’s authors believe their findings support "the policy recommendations that employers and government officials should take actions on implementing preventive strategies and administrative arrangements, such as methods to reduce interpersonal contact, repeat and routine SARS-CoV-2 employee testing, to ensure the health and safety of essential workers." In addition, the authors stated, "Our significant mental health finding calls for action in providing comprehensive employee assistance services to help essential workers cope with the psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic."
2020 Election: Cannabis and Hemp/CBD Enjoy Bipartisan Support
This article originally appeared in the December edition of Presence Marketing’s Industry Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
In a country divided, there was one thing in the 2020 elections that enjoyed bipartisan support, and that was cannabis.
In New Jersey, 67% of voters approved the legalization of recreational marijuana for people age 21 and over. The new recreational market is expected to generate $1.9 billion in sales in the state, resulting in $126 million in sales tax revenue, according the estimates from New Jersey’s Office of Legislative Services, reported Bloomberg News,.
In all, five more states in the U.S. approved ballot measures legalizing cannabis use for adults, including Arizona, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota. Prior to the 2020 election, 11 states and Washington, D.C., had legalized marijuana.
According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, “It would be premature to proclaim the Biden/Harris Administration as pro-cannabis. But while both Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris once took adverse positions, their campaign called for the de-criminalization of marijuana and expungement of convictions. This should translate to a Department of Justice that will place a much lower priority on policing levels of THC in hemp and hemp extracts.”
Jonathan Miller, General Counsel for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told Let’s Talk Hemp, “We are increasingly optimistic about hemp’s political prospects. Nearly all of our biggest supporters, from both parties, won reelection, and the likely changes among the political leadership at FDA, USDA and DEA could help resolve some of the more difficult issues that farmers and the industry have been facing.”
According to the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, hemp industry champions in Congress scored some victories on Election Day 2020:
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who led the fight for hemp’s legalization in the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills, won reelection by a more than 20 point margin in Kentucky. It is still not clear whether McConnell will remain Majority Leader, but even if Democrats take control of the U.S. Senate, hemp will be secure under the leadership of Chuck Schumer (D-NY) (and McConnell would remain a powerful force as Minority Leader.)
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), who has led efforts to pressure the USDA and FDA into support for the hemp and CBD industries, won reelection by a nearly 20 point margin as well.
Cannabis champion Senator Corey Gardner (R-CO) lost by a wide margin, but his victorious opponent, John Hickenlooper, oversaw one of the first successful state hemp programs in Colorado and should be an industry ally.
Reps. Kurt Schrader (D-OR) and Morgan Griffith (R-VA), lead sponsors of HR 8179-- critical legislation that would open up a legal pathway for the sale of hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement – cruised in their reelection bids.
Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), authors of a strong letter to DEA, urging that agency to withdraw its troublesome interim final rule on hemp, won overwhelming re-election victories.
U.S. Hemp Roundtable also reported “One sour note: longtime hemp champion, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) lost a hard-fought battle for re-election in an overwhelmingly Republican district. The hemp industry owes Rep. Peterson a huge debt of gratitude for his important work on the 2018 Farm Bill, introducing legislation to protect hemp-derived CBD, and most recently, helping secure an extension for states to operate under the 2014 Farm Bill. We look forward to working with his replacement as Chair of the House Agriculture Committee,” the hemp advocacy organization said in a statement.
In related news, voters in Oregon approved the decriminalization of possession of small amounts of drugs, and a separate ballot initiative made the state the first to legalize therapeutic use of psychedelic mushrooms. In Washington, D.C., voters passed a measure to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms and other psychedelic plants and fungi, reported NBC News. (The City of Denver, CO, was the first to decriminalize hallucinogenic mushrooms in 2019). Speaking in Oregon, Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, told the Associated Press, “Today’s victory is a landmark declaration that the time has come to stop criminalizing people for drug use.”
Functional Remedies’ Tim Gordon: Hemp Trailblazer
By Steven Hoffman
From seed to shelf, Tim Gordon has been at the forefront of the hemp and cannabis industry since well before it was legal. From a few narrow escapes with the law in the 1990s to serving today as Chief Science Officer for Functional Remedies and its full spectrum hemp oil brand Synchronicity™, it’s been a long and winding road for the Colorado-based industrial hemp trailblazer.
“I began growing cannabis in the 1990s and quickly became a passionate student and advocate of the plant. I watched friends suffering from serious illnesses and they needed relief with the cannabis I was giving them. I would risk everything to help these people feel better. This is what still drives me today. Only 25 years ago, I was deemed a criminal for growing cannabis; now I’m invited to speak around the world about its benefits,” Gordon said.
Tim’s responsibilities as Chief Science Officer for Functional Remedies include scientific, technological and research operations, agronomic and genetic research, trial and clinical work, advising on scientific matters, serving as a company spokesperson, and more. Tim’s involvement in the fully integrated company ranges from overseeing planning, planting and harvesting at the company’s organic hemp farm in southern Colorado to helping formulate the Synchronicity line of products.
The company stands behind its proprietary “LipidTrans™ Infusion Process” as opposed to more widely used extraction methods. According to Gordon, hand-pressed whole hemp plants are infused with organic coconut oil, allowing for maximum absorption of the full spectrum hemp oil in Synchronicity products. “We are the fresh-squeezed orange juice of hemp oil while all the others are from concentrate,” Gordon teases.
Products include tinctures, capsules and topicals targeted to aid sleep, anxiety, chronic pain and muscle recovery. Synchronicity products are third-party tested ensuring FDA compliance, GMP certified, NSF certified and Kosher, said Gordon. Plus, working with certifier NSF and its QAI organic certification division, he anticipates Synchronicity products will receive USDA organic certification in 2021, “from farm to process to products,” he said.
“How I think about cannabis in general is that if you are creating an optimal environment to work in synchronicity with the plant, working with the soil rhizosphere – because of the plant’s relationship with us – it’s all connected from the soil to the plant to the oil to us,” mused Gordon.
“As such, we created a brand centric to our bodies and its relationship to the plant, and we transitioned our brand name from Functional Remedies to Synchronicity to reflect that.” Gordon noted that the company’s parent name remains Functional Remedies.
“Response from the packaging to the products has been absolutely amazing, given that we’re in the midst of a global pandemic,” Gordon noted. “We’ve been able to keep our employees through this – we’re knocking on doors and folks are letting us in. ”
Gordon, who in 2006 helped launch Front Range NORML to legalize marijuana, originally served in 2014 as CEO of CBD Rx (the predecessor to Functional Remedies) when it became the first hemp farm in the U.S. to receive USDA organic certification. He currently serves on the boards of the Hemp Industries Association, U.S. Hemp Growers Association, the American Herbal Products Association’s Cannabis Committee, and the Executive Committee of CHAMP (the Colorado Hemp Advancement Management Plan).
In addition to his work with Functional Remedies, Gordon is excited about his involvement in Impello Biosciences, a Fort Collins, CO-based startup that has formulated patent-pending bio-stimulant fertilizers and soil amendments “unique to the cannabis industry,” he said.
“Cannabis produces multiple different bacteria in the plant’s microbiome,” Gordon explained. Working with plant biologist Michael Key, “we were able to sequence this microbiome in the plant’s root system to identify three specific bacteria that play major roles in the plant’s metabolic uptake,” Gordon said. “Impello products work great outdoors in soil, and indoors in any medium. Essentially, we are trying to create a complete ecosystem in the cannabis plant’s rhizosphere,” he added.
According to Tim Gordon, Impello’s integrated solutions and next-generation technology, ranging from microorganisms to other bioactive compounds, help farmers increase the quality and yield of their harvest in a more sustainable way. “With biostimulant technology, we’re reinvigorating soils, plants, farmers, and consumers with a powerful tool: the force of nature,” he said.
PanXchange Powers Through Pandemic with Award-Winning CEO Julie Lerner
This article originally appeared in the November 18, 2020 edition of the Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter
By Heather Collins
Before Denver’s population boom several years ago, Julie Lerner, CEO and Founder of PanXchange, the leading benchmark price provider in the US Hemp Industry and other physical commodities, already had her eyes set on living near the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains.
“While living in New York, I loved the idea of being closer to the mountains. It became clear Denver was the perfect spot to take my commodity knowledge and break out on my own.,” says Lerner, who was familiar with international trading from her experience at Cargill in Switzerland, the US, and Latin America. “My vision was to build my business platform for markets while enjoying my time outside in nature.”
In the past nine years, the company’s trading platform has disrupted commodity markets. PanXchange has set industry standards for efficient trade, accurate benchmark pricing, providing market intel, and specializes data for commodities such as East African corn, beans, peas, specialty sand (proppants) market for US oil and gas extraction and most recently, hemp. Its benchmarks are known as a pricing discovery tool with trade-backed data. Its monthly reports also include robust fundamental market analysis for manufacturers, buyers, farmers, end-users, and investors.
“Hemp wasn’t really on my radar when we first started because I created PanXchange before the passing of the Farm Bill,” says Lerner. Hemp was also far from Lerner’s expertise, “I’m a commodities specialist, not a hemp specialist.”
According to its website, the PanXchange hemp platform is “a user-friendly, centralized marketplace to source and trade hemp biomass, crude oil, isolate, distillate, and flower.” In October, the company began issuing the first and only US benchmark prices for Hemp Grain and True Hemp.
Hemp Takes Off
Lerner admits that when marijuana became legal, she knew it had limited growth potential as a commodity (vs. a specialty product), unlike hemp, which is viable and sustainable. “When PanXchange first started back in 2012, everyone talked about cannabis because recreational marijuana had just become legalized in Colorado. We didn’t bite.”
Four weeks after the passing of the Farm Bill, PanXchange’s hemp platform was up and running, and according to Lerner, “We were first-to-market on providing benchmarks for hemp. Everything we were doing from our patented methodologies and reports with other commodities, actually prepared us for hemp.”
Due to the popularity of hemp, PanXchange carefully vets those who request access to the patented platform. Lerner indicates, “We want to build a relationship in understanding what the buyer needs to succeed, and we want to know what it takes to move hemp from Point A to Point B.”
Leading the Industry
Unlike other agencies in the space, Lerner is quick to point out that, “PanXchange is far more than a reporting agency. We are a trusted source that relies on trade-backed data, thanks to the relationships we have built. We pride ourselves on keeping the industry informed with interactive pricing charts, fundamental analysis, and data.”
A frequent media contributor to the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, Lerner is also the recipient of the Denver Business Journal’s “Colorado’s 12 Most Admired CEOs” in 2018 and the Outstanding Women in Business Award in 2020. Markets Choice recently named Lerner one of six finalists for the 6th Annual Markets Choice Awards: Women in Finance category.
The Future
When the country went into shut down mode in mid-March due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Lerner was in the middle of preparing for a CNN International interview. “It was devastating, but you do what you need to do, and our entire team pivoted quickly. We immediately reached out to our network to make sure everything was in place for a smooth transition.”
As time marched on through Spring, Lerner and her team provided content and data analysis to their network. They participated in more than two dozen webinars and panels, including the NoCo Hemp Expo Earth Week Virtual Conference where Lerner advised hemp producers and farmers to be ready for the future, especially during the pandemic.
Echoing that sentiment, she says that message is still valid today, “The industry needs to be ready for the future because hope is not a strategy! I recommend that farmers, manufacturers, CBD producers, everyone – find your competitive edge, which will help you succeed in this rapidly evolving industry.”
If you are interested in PanXchange’s hemp platform and want to request a demo, visit panxchange.com. For more information, reach out to the hemp team at hemp@panxchange.com.
UN Vote on Cannabis Could Impact THC and CBD Products Worldwide
This article originally appeared in the November 18, 2020 edition of the Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter
By Steven Hoffman
The United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) is scheduled to vote on December 2 on the fate of cannabis recommendations made by the World Health Organization (WHO). The vote, reports Green Entrepreneur, will affect a series of recommendations for THC and CBD products, including pharmaceutical cannabis products such as Marinol, Syndros and Sativex.
“Among its recommendations, the WHO calls for all forms of THC to be removed from the drug convention of 1961, placing it with cannabis in Schedule I, the least restrictive classification by UN standards. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical cannabis medications would be placed in Schedule III,” Green Entrepreneur reported.
“In addition to the WHO’s recommendation on rescheduling cannabis and cannabis resins, another significant recommendation relates to ‘cannabidiol preparations,’ or CBD, Nushin Rashidian reported in Cannabis Wire. “The WHO already took a position in 2018 that pure CBD doesn’t warrant regulation. This latest recommendation is to put that position into effect by adding a note under the cannabis and cannabis resin entry under Schedule I that ‘preparations containing predominantly cannabidiol and not more than 0.2% of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol are not under international control,’” Rashidian wrote.
It should be noted that while Schedule I in the U.S. means the most stringent of regulated categories under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), under the UN 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, Schedule IV is the most restrictive and includes substances considered dangerous with limited or no medical value. “In removing cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV, the WHO is effectively acknowledging its medical utility, Cannabis Wire reported.
Writing in Forbes, leading cannabis attorney Bob Hoban said, “The Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 is an international treaty prohibiting production and supply of specific drugs and of drugs with similar effects — except under governmental license for specific purposes, such as medical treatment and research. Under the Single Convention, Cannabis (not ‘marihuana’ or ‘marijuana’) is categorized alongside cocaine and heroin as a dangerous substance with no medicinal benefit and a high potential for abuse,” he wrote.
“The UN Convention doesn’t distinguish between marijuana or hemp or make other legal distinctions that exist in the United States, but defines the substance as ‘cannabis’ and generally comments on the legality of its various uses. This excludes most ‘industrial’ uses of cannabis, or what we think of as non-psychoactive hemp in the United States, from UN control. These industrial uses can include applications for textiles, bioplastics, pulp for paper, and biofuels, just to name a few” Hoban reported.
No Changes Anticipated in the Near Future
Hoban noted that even if the UN votes to approve WHO’s cannabis recommendations, the legality of cannabis won’t change in the near future.
“Here’s an example: if the UN were to adopt these changes, or even if the Single Convention were abolished in its entirety (highly unlikely), its tenets continue to be ingrained in the United States’ CSA and the domestic laws of its numerous signatories. Until those laws are also repealed, amended, altered or otherwise modified, nothing will change overnight because of the political will and conflict in signatory countries” he wrote in Forbes.
Representatives of the U.S. said the country will not support recommendations regarding CBD as a medical preparation, Hemp Today reported. “The U.S. representative said the WHO proposal to remove CBD medicine from international drug controls could ‘introduce legal ambiguities and contradictions that would undermine effective drug control.’ Instead, she reaffirmed that medical CBD is not scheduled in the Conventions, and therefore not subject to drug controls, reminding as well that CBD which may be present in industrial hemp products are similarly exempt,” Hemp Today reported.
In addition to the U.S., not all member states, including Russia, are on board with WHO’s cannabis recommendations or any changes to international drug rules. However, a group of international NGOs (non-governmental organizations) signed on the support approving WHO’s recommendations, according to activist and organizer Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli, based in Barcelona, Spain.
NGOs Encouraged to Sign On to Support WHO’s Cannabis Recommendations
“As you may know, the United Nations will make a historic decision on medical cannabis in early December 2020,” Riboulet-Zemouli said in an email communication. “Together with ECOSOC-accredited organizations [referring to the UN Economic and Social Council], we have created a statement to be submitted to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs member states for consideration. We are calling on global drug policy reformers, patients, advocacy, and health organizations to sign-on,” he said.
“This statement will be submitted to the proper authority at the Commission of Narcotic Drugs for inclusion during the proceedings and in the official records, showing that NGOs care about the issue at stake. We would like for your organization to be included,” Roboulet-Zemouli added.
Read More
The World Health Organization Says Reschedule Cannabis: Will the UN Agree?
What You Need to Know about the Possible Historic U.N. Vote on Cannabis
WHO Scheduling Recommendations on Cannabis and Cannabis-related substances
NGO Statement to the UN Regarding Patient Access to Cannabis Medicine
Veterans Helping Other Vets to Improve Quality of Life with the Power of Hemp
This article originally appeared in the November 11, 2020 edition of the Let’s Talk Hemp Newsletter
By Heather Collins
As the nation recognizes Veterans Day today, Steve Danyluk, Warfighter Hemp Founder and Lieutenant Colonel (ret.), United States Marine Corps Reserve (USMCR), wants to remind Americans that veterans need support every day.
“When you’re in the battlefield, fighting for your country, you have many eye-opening moments,” reflects Steve Danyluk, known to many as Luker. “When you return home from combat, what happens then is when the real struggle takes place. All you want is to feel normal again, away from the line of duty.”
That’s why Steve created Warfighter Hemp, a global organization and company dedicated to improving the quality of life for all veterans with non-addictive, non-intoxicating CBD products such as topicals, tinctures, and capsules. Warfighter Hemp consists of veterans and non-veterans alike, who are committed to assisting other vets hoping that they will become less reliant on prescription drugs, find greater purpose and live a life without the threat of suicide.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), data indicates that an average of 20 Veterans die by suicide each day, and that number is on the rise, with 5,787 suicide deaths in 2005 to 6,139 in 2017. Government officials also warn that suicide rates could be on the rise due to the pandemic, but it’s too close to tell. These statistics certainly alarms Steve and his team, which is why they are on a mission to help improve the quality of life and mental health for all vets.
A Pile of Pills vs. the Power of Hemp
“The number of meds that our vets receive is concerning, as the side effects indicate suicide! I witnessed a Marine who dumped out all of his prescriptions on a table during a retreat. He called out the laundry list of designations: some to reduce PTSD, while others were to help with anxiety and depression and relieve pain – you name it. They were causing him more harm than good,” says Steve. “That’s when he told me that cannabis and CBD were helping him and that he hadn’t taken any of the prescription opioids in the past six months and no longer felt like a zombie.”
Steve acknowledges that each person responds differently to prescription drugs and hemp products, but he kept the Marine’s comment in the back of his mind and on his radar. Through countless amounts of research on CBD and working with severely wounded veterans and their families, Steve was convinced of CBD’s ability to manage pain and help with mental health.
One Warfighter Hemp customer indicates the products have helped improve his quality of life. “I hurt my right shoulder during my time of service. I have been using Warfighter Hemp’s peppermint flavor, and it helps with my PTSD, anxiety, lower spinal injury, hips, and knee pain. This regimen works for me, and I appreciate Warfighter Hemp.”
For Steve, it’s not about the money nor competing with other brands. “It’s about making the highest quality product that is organic and high in potency to help our veterans thrive in today’s society,” adds Steve, “That’s why all registered Veterans can register for a permanent 50% discount on Warfighter Hemp’s products.”
Giving Back to What’s Next
This Veterans Day, Warfighter Hemp is offering a 55% discount on their entire line of products for both veterans and non-veteran customers. Giving back and helping others comes naturally for Steve, and since the company’s start in 2016, Warfighter Hemp has given more than $130,000 in donations.
The company also gives 10% of its profits back to other charities that support veterans’ independence, including more than 18 non-profits across the country and worldwide.
As the industrial hemp world continues to evolve, Steve says that Warfighter Hemp is staying on-trend and hopes to remain top of mind for veterans. “The hemp industry is taking a step in the craft and artisan direction, which is amazing to be a part of right now. Currently we’re looking at announcing a federally legal, hemp smokable product that I think will be a game-changer for veterans,” said Steve.
For more information on the organizations Warfighter Hemp donates to, visit warfighterhemp.com or if you are a veteran, visit the company’s website to register for you 50% membership discount.
“America’s Best Apple Orchard” – 110-Year-Old Beak & Skiff – Expands into Hemp and CBD
This article originally appeared on LetsTalkHemp.com
By Steven Hoffman
In its 110 years of history, the company Beak & Skiff has been nothing if not adaptable. That’s how you survive 110 years in the food and agriculture business.
Today, the fifth generation, vertically integrated apple orchard business located in the heart of New York State is expanding. Named by USA Today as America’s Best Apple Orchard in 2015 and 2020 to establishing itself as a market leader in hard cider beverages, the company branched out this past year to launch a new brand, Beak & Skiff Research, in the hemp and CBD category.
Sensing the opportunity in hemp, Eddie Brennan, President of Beak & Skiff, along with other fifth generation family members, applied for and received a hemp growers license and set aside 20 of the company’s 1,000 acres to grow hemp. The business also invested in a hemp extraction processing facility that just this year became certified organic.
And because of its role as a hard cider and apple-based spirits manufacturer, the company is able to manufacture its own certified organic ethanol from distilled cider sourced from the farm for use in its hemp extraction facility, Brennan said. (In related news, like many regional distilleries across the country, the company pivoted quickly early in 2020 to manufacture hand sanitizer for first responders during the coronavirus crisis.)
As a family business growing two dozen varieties of apples for the fresh and processed markets, and also distilling hard ciders and spirits under its 1911 Established brand, industrial hemp provides another crop that allows the company to diversify its business model and ensure the sustainability of its land for the next five generations and more, Brennan shared.
With the Beak & Skiff Research hemp products division, in addition to the tinctures and chewable dietary supplements it currently offers, the company plans to launch topicals and hemp-derived CBD-infused food and beverage products.
“We specialize in beverage production and have a large canning facility. We plan to do CBD-infused seltzers, coffees and other beverage products, and we also have topicals including salves and balms in development,” Brennan said. The company plans to have its tinctures certified organic in 2021, he added.
Historic Roots
Beak & Skiff was founded in 1911 when George Skiff, an onion farmer near Syracuse, NY, met dairy farmer Andrew Beak and they both decided it would be “fruitful” to join forces and enter the emerging apple business. At the time, New York State was growing as a leading producer in the apple industry; today, the Empire State is the second largest apple producing state in the U.S., behind Washington State.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Beak & Skiff grew by selling apples to local and regional grocery stores. The company survived severe drought during the Great Depression, early freezes and late frosts, economic downtowns and many other challenges over a century to become one of the largest and highest profile apple operations in New York. Today, more than 25 family descendants help run the orchard and associated enterprises.
“Our company is about change, innovation, diversification and trying to find other revenue streams for our farming operation. Then we try to vertically integrate that into finished products,” Brennan explained.
A Bright But Challenging Future in Hemp
“We feel that the long-term future of hemp is bright. It’s challenging right now, but we see a pathway to profitability and we want to continue to add value to our farming operations,” he said.
“I think people in the industry will have to continue to learn how to differentiate themselves and make unique products beyond just doing oils and isolates. Tinctures are foreign to a lot of people but coffee, cider and other beverages are more familiar. We need to be patient and hope and advocate that the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) makes a ruling to allow hemp-derived CBD in food and beverage products,” Brennan added.
In addition to processing its own hemp, Beak & Skiff Research also provides processing services for other hemp farmers in the region. “We will process their hemp biomass and charge by the pound, known as toll processing,” Brennan said. “Given that the wholesale price for hemp has gone down dramatically and there’s an oversupply of biomass on the market, it’s making it less profitable for the farmer. The cost of genetics is still fairly expensive,” he added, “so the cost per acre to grow hemp is pretty high.”
With the economic challenges facing the hemp industry this past year, Brennan noted that Beak & Skiff’s primary businesses have allowed it to “weather the storm,” and continue to invest in expanding its hemp-derived consumer product offerings. “It can be expensive to build capacity; we’re fortunate in being able to leverage a 110-year-old legacy to help get a foothold in the hemp business,” Brennan said.
Currently, Beak & Skiff Research hemp-derived CBD products, including tinctures and chewable supplements, are available on the company’s website.
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Hawaii Shifts the Cannabis Discussion into High Gear with FREE Virtual Event
This article originally appeared on LetsTalkHemp.com
What: CannShift
When: Saturday, November 7, 2020
Where: Hawaii, Online/Virtual via ZOOM
Registration: https://HawaiiCannabis.org/CannShift
By Heather Collins
Traveling to a tropical beach destination such as Hawaii sounds a bit more of a dream than reality right now due to pandemic travel restrictions. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be the case, especially in the eyes of the Hawaii Cannabis Organization.
This Saturday, November 7, 2020, the Hawaii Cannabis Organization is producing CannShift Live – a virtual educational event dedicated to cannabis set amongst the backdrop of beautiful Hawaii. Cannabis experts from North America and Hawaii will present online, a wide range of topics designed to inform, inspire, and shift the Cannabis discussion into a positive global dialogue.
“CannShift is a perfect opportunity for cannabis enthusiasts to learn more about the benefits of this amazing plant, right in the comforts of their own home,” says Elizzy Knight, Co-Founder of We Are For Better Alternatives (WAFBA), the Producers of NoCo Hemp Expo and Publisher of Let’s Talk Hemp. “Although we’d all prefer to be convening together in person in Hawaii, I am looking forward to hearing the insights from the speakers who will address relevant topics impacting Hawaii today. On behalf of Let’s Talk Hemp Media, we’re proud to sponsor CannShift, as it’s a vital conference for the community and industry.”
Starting at 9:00 am HST (2:00 pm EST), presenters will share their expertise on various topics from soil conservation to tourism to the role cannabis plays in the medical field. Event organizers encourage attendees to sign up for this FREE, live, and virtual event via Zoom.
“There’s no need to hide in your car between presentations because participants are encouraged to medicate, discuss cannabis and learn more about cannabis without fear,” says Brent Norris, CannShift Organizer. “Join in and hear how we can shift the cannabis conversation to a positive one, not only for Hawaii but the industry overall.”
The CannShift conference has been designed to be as interactive as possible, making it easy for attendees to ask presenters questions and chat with them before or after each presentation. CannShift speakers include:
Me Fuimaono-Poe, a Family Nurse Practitioner in Honolulu, Hawaii, will speak on “Women and Cannabis Healthcare.
Alice O’Leary Randall, senior spokesperson for the medical cannabis movement and was the first person in the U.S. to legally receive medical cannabis.
Hollie Hall, Ph.D., is a soil and water scientist with expertise in the Adaptive Management of Watersheds.
Brian Applegarth, expert advisor in the advancement of cannabis tourism.
Farmer Tom Lauerman, hemp and organic fruits/veggies farmer, hemp industry educator.
Carl Olsen, an activist who is requesting the federal government to exempt Iowa from controlled substance restrictions.
Dr. Otto, MD, medical doctor who performs certification evaluations for patients who want to engage in cannabis self-treatment under Hawaii’s Medical Use of Cannabis Program.
For more information about the event, and for a complete speaker line up, visit https://HawaiiCannabis.org/CannShift.
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