Hemp, Inc.’s Industry Update and News for October 2016

LAS VEGAS, NV — (Marketwired) — 10/28/16 — Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP), a leader in the industrial hemp industry, today reports on a material company update and why hemp is heating up in polls. While the economic benefits continue to hold strong, industrial hemp has run the proverbial gauntlet in America as a result of many political factors, special interests, and just plain ignorance and lack of education. In the last month or two alone, there have been more state-enacted laws, formal debates, and political support for the non-psychoactive relative of marijuana that contains less than 1% THC.

An unprecedented nine states have marijuana initiatives on the ballot, five of those nine states (California, Nevada, Arizona, Maine, and Massachusetts) are voting on whether to legalize recreational use of marijuana. And a yes vote on California’s ballot initiative, referred to as the ‘Adult Use of Marijuana Act,’ favors legalizing not just marijuana but Hemp too.

The National Hemp Association has developed close relationships with local and state government agencies to establish regulations that benefit the hemp industry across the nation. The National Hemp Association’s (NHA) mission is to support the growth and development of all aspects of the industrial hemp industry. This is accomplished by educating and informing the public about the health, environmental, and economic benefits of reviving an industry that has been prohibited for over seventy years; building a community of individuals, businesses and organizations to facilitate the growth of the industry; and, working collaboratively with industry, government officials, and the scientific community to create and implement industrial hemp standards, certifications and regulations. To join the National Hemp Association, click here. To donate to the National Hemp Association, click here.

Hemp Industries Association (HIA), a non-profit trade association consisting of hundreds of hemp businesses and farmers, hosted its 23rd annual conference during this month, in Westminster, Colorado. The success of the conference demonstrated both the growing interest in industrial hemp worldwide, as well as the leadership of the Hemp Industries Association. The conference was attended by HIA business and farmer members, non-members, as well as national media and leading entrepreneurs and celebrity figures and was the most highly attended conference in the history of the HIA. The primary focus of the 23rd annual conference was on CBD, or cannabidiol products, the biological effect of CBD in the body, regulation and standards for CBD products, and new research involving CBD in the fields of health and medicine. HIA will continue facilitating the exchange of information between agriculturists, manufacturers, distributors and retailers; maintaining and defending the integrity of hemp products; advocating for socially and environmentally responsibly business practices; and educating the public about the benefits of industrial hemp. Visit the Hemp Industries Association here.

As more people become educated, they realize how valuable industrial hemp is. State legislatures have been taking action to promote industrial hemp as an agricultural commodity. A wide range of products, including fibers, textiles, paper, construction and insulation materials, cosmetic products, animal feed, food, and beverages all may use hemp. There are over 25,000 uses of hemp spanning at least nine markets (agriculture, textiles, recycling, automotive, furniture, food/nutrition/beverages, paper, construction materials and personal care).

According to VoteHemp.com, thirty-two states have defined industrial hemp as distinct and removed barriers to its production. These states will be able to take immediate advantage of the industrial hemp research and pilot program provision, Section 7606 of the Farm Bill: Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Virginia. Seven states (Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oregon and Tennessee) in 2015 had hemp research crops in accordance with section 7606 of the Farm Bill and state law. Five states (Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee and Vermont) in 2015 licensed or registered farmers to grow hemp under state law.

While hemp and marijuana originate from the same cannabis species, they are genetically distinct. Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) CEO Bruce Perlowin said, “Chemical makeup and cultivation methods differentiate hemp from marijuana and industrial hemp still remains less likely to be cultivated in the United States for a myriad of moronic reasons. Now with the Presidential election approaching, hemp has definitely been heating up in the news.”

In other news, this past Monday, Native American-owned CannaNative LLC was in final talks with the Navajo Nation, the largest federally recognized tribe, to grow industrial hemp on reservation land in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. According to an article published on Reuters.com, “Hemp may be the next gold mine for Native American tribes.” The Department of Justice opened the door for hemp cultivation by Native American tribes in 2014 when it agreed that tribes can set cannabis-related laws just as states can. “Growing industrial hemp is an opportunity for the aging Native American population to go back to its roots with plant-based medicine and reduce dependence on the American taxpayer,” said CannaNative CEO Anthony.

In other recent industrial hemp news, in this month alone, Kentucky’s industrial hemp research pilot program has set new measures to enable sustained growth of the program and is now inviting interested Kentuckians to participate in the pilot program in 2017. Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles was quoted saying, “The pilot research program will continue to build on the successes of the previous administration by developing research data on industrial hemp production, processing, manufacturing, and marketing for Kentucky growers. If the federal government chooses to remove industrial hemp from the list of controlled substances, Kentucky’s growers and farmers will be positioned to thrive, prosper and ultimately prevail as national leaders in industrial hemp production.”

Hemp, Inc. executives are also looking into the possibilities of partnering with large hemp farms in eastern Kentucky. “Eastern Kentucky is only about a 4-hour drive from our multi-purpose industrial hemp processing facility in Spring Hope, NC. We are looking forward to growing hemp in North Carolina and we are definitely interested in expanding our reach to Kentucky (over 1,000 acres). We’ve developed good relationships with a lot of farmers,” said Perlowin.

In other news, JD Farms (about 230 miles north of New York City) in New York is legally growing industrial hemp for the first time in 80 years. On a visit to the farm, New York assemblywoman Donna Lupardo said she believes industrial hemp “has a really high potential to put farmland back to use in New York State and to also be a very lucrative, potentially lucrative manufacturing crop for our state.” She also commented her community has a million potential acres to be farmed for new crops such as industrial hemp, referring to it as “a field of dreams” and a “fabulous opportunity.”

In West Virginia, nine hemp farmers are growing experimental industrial hemp on 13 acres statewide. According to Robert Kerr, Communications Director for the West Virginia Hemp Farmers Cooperative (HFC), the law currently allows the HFC to permit hemp growers to produce the plant for study by the state’s universities. The HFC helps growers go through the permitting process. Click here for more information.

In Hawaii, farmers from throughout the state gained insight into Hawaii’s newest crop as the annual Hawaii Farmers Union United Convention kicked off Friday at OK Farms in Hilo. Over 60 participants attended the event. “The hemp industry itself is a relatively new one that slowly has been taking root across the United States and Canada as federal regulations loosen and states create their own growing programs. Gov. David Ige in July signed a bill allowing farmers to grow industrial hemp for agricultural research purposes, following the success of an Oahu-based pilot program indicating that the crop would thrive in Hawaii.”

In Texas, hemp advocates continue to spread the word through education. The Texas Hemp Industries Association hosted an all-day workshop on Monday in the Matador Room of the Student Union Building, discussing the various uses and benefits of industrial hemp and educating people on the differences between hemp and marijuana. Read more here.

Some celebrities are also using their platform to advocate for industrial hemp. Micah Nelson, son of singing legend Willie Nelson, is following his dad’s footsteps as an advocate for cannabis and industrial hemp. Micah has just been named as one of the Board of Directors for National Hemp Association. Last weekend, the acclaimed musician, Micah, entertained fans at the Farm Aid 2016 by playing a hemp guitar. “The passion for social and environmental justice was instilled in Micah,” Bowman said. “It is part of who he is. We could not be more excited to welcome him to our board. Like his father before him, Micah has a powerful passion for advocacy.”

Micah is a strong addition to the National Hemp Association’s Board of Directors. In a change.org petition, Micah gathered over 50,000 signatures petitioning congress to pass the Industrial Hemp Farming Act. The petition is called “Allow American Farmers to Grow Industrial Hemp.“

In Arizona, education of hemp continues. A pair of retired agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration stopped by Arizona State University this week to campaign on behalf of Proposition 205, the state’s initiative to legalize and regulate marijuana. The goal was to encourage some of the university’s 80,000 students to vote “yes” on Prop. 205.

In California, Californians will vote on a proposal on the legalization of marijuana and industrial hemp when they decide on Proposition 64. Prop 64 would legalize recreational marijuana and hemp under state law and establish certain sales and cultivation taxes. The proposition would allow persons 21 and over to have and use up to an ounce of marijuana for recreational purposes. They would also be able to grow up to six plants.

According to Perlowin, Hemp, Inc. has been involved in an ongoing litigation in the matter of Hemp, Inc. (plaintiff) V Larkin (defendant). Hemp, Inc. was informed by its counsel this week that the judge granted a summary judgement against Hemp, Inc. “This was quite a surprise to us and very unexpected. At this juncture, the company is evaluating its options with respect to the judgement granted, including but not limited to a possible appeal with the Nevada Supreme Court.” Hemp, Inc. executives remain confident that it will prevail in the end.

In more news, as of October 1, 2016, the Connecticut House Bill 5450 that was signed into law by Governor Dannel P. Malloy in May of this year, is now in full effect. Individuals under 18 years of age can legally use medical marijuana for “certain qualifying conditions” if they “receive a recommendation from a physician.” According to the bill, nurses, in addition to physicians, are now also authorized to recommend medical marijuana to both adults and minors. “We introduced this bill to support those who need it — this is a deeply emotional issue for many families,” says Chris Collibee, a spokesperson for Governor Malloy. “Delivering access to ease illness is something many states have passed. It’s the right thing to do.” For more detailed information on this bill, click here.

Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Hemp, Inc., says, “The benefits of hemp are undeniable so it’s no wonder hemp has reemerged and is sweeping the nation even though the U.S. federal government still categorizes all cannabis varieties (which includes hemp) as a dangerous drug with ‘no medicinal value.'” According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), a Schedule 1 drug has “no currently accepted medical use.”

Many see the illogic in this because in 2003, the Federal government, represented by the Department of Health and Human Services, received approval on patent number 6,630,501. This patent clearly states that “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.”

One has to ask himself, “Why hasn’t hemp been removed from the list of Schedule 1 drugs? If cannabinoids (CBDs), which come from the hemp plant, have been found to have antioxidant properties, useful in the treatment of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases and so forth, why suppress the cultivation of it? Why deny the Americans? Who’s playing devil’s advocate? How long before we take a stand, united as one, and end the prohibition of hemp?”

With the country’s largest industrial hemp processing facility and milling operation underway, Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) is strategically positioned as the leader of the re-emerging industrial hemp industry to process industrial hemp and manufacture products made from hemp, as well as Lost Circulation Material (LCM) and other absorbent materials. “We believe this election could be life changing for the industrial hemp industry. America has an industrial hemp processing facility in its own backyard.”

ABOUT INDUSTRIAL HEMP

Hemp is a durable natural fiber that is grown as a renewable source for raw materials that can be incorporated into thousands of products. It’s one of the oldest domesticated crops known to man. Hemp is used as a nutritional food product for humans and pets, building materials, paper, textiles, cordage, organic body care and other nutraceuticals, just to name a few. It has thousands of other known uses. A hemp crop requires half the water alfalfa uses and can be grown without the heavy use of pesticides. Farmers worldwide grow hemp commercially for fiber, seed, and oil for use in a variety of industrial and consumer products. The United States is the only developed nation that fails to cultivate industrial hemp as an economic crop on a large scale, according to the Congressional Resource Service. However, with rapidly changing laws and more states gravitating towards industrial hemp and passing an industrial hemp bill, that could change. Currently, the majority of hemp sold in the United States is imported from China and Canada, the world’s largest exporters of the industrial hemp crop.

To see the video showcasing the dramatic footage of our hemp and Kenaf grows, click here.

HOW HEMP CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

Industrial, medicinal and commercial properties of hemp have been known to mankind for decades. Cultivating hemp does not require any particular climate or soil, and is thus found in all parts of the world and has been found to be a better alternative than other raw materials. Hemp products can be recycled, reused and are 100% biodegradable. The growth speed of the plant is fast enough to meet the increasing industrial and commercial demand for these products. Switching to hemp products will help save the environment, leaving a cleaner and greener planet for the next generation.

“The hemp crop grows dense and vigorously. Sunlight cannot penetrate the plants to reach the ground, and this means the crop is normally free of weeds. Its deep roots use ground water and reduce its salinity. Also, erosion of topsoil is limited, thereby reducing water pollution. The roots give nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil. After the harvest, this soil makes excellent compost amendments for other plants, and hemp cultivation can follow the rotation of agriculture with wheat or soybean. In fact, the same soil can be used to grow hemp for many years, without losing its high quality. The hemp plant absorbs toxic metals emitted by nuclear plants into the soil, such as copper, cadmium, lead and mercury.” (Source: www.HempBenefits.org)

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“Hemp, Inc. Presents” is capturing the historic, monumental re-creation of the hemp decorticator today as America begins to evolve into a cleaner, green, eco-friendly sustainable environment. What many see as the next American Industrial Revolution is actually the Industrial Hemp Revolution. Watch as Hemp, Inc., the #1 leader in the industrial hemp industry, engages its shareholders and the public through each step in bringing back the hemp decorticator as described in the “Freedom Leaf Magazine” article “The Return of the Hemp Decorticator” by Steve Bloom.

Freedom Leaf Magazine, one of the preeminent news resources for the cannabis, medical marijuana, and industrial hemp industry in America, is published by Freedom Leaf, Inc., a fully reporting, audited, publicly traded company on OTC Markets. Stay in the loop with Freedom Leaf Magazine as it continues to deliver the good news in marijuana reform with some of the most compelling art, entertainment, and lifestyle-driven industry news in the cannabis/hemp sector. On the go? Download the Freedom Leaf mobile app to stay connected as they transform the delivery of cannabis news and information across the digital landscape. Get the mobile app on Apple iOS or Google Play.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL HEMP ASSOCIATION

NHA represents hemp farmers, processors, manufacturers, start-up businesses, entrepreneurial endeavors, and retailers and strives to build a viable industrial hemp economy by providing education about the benefits of hemp and providing expert consultation to producers and processors entering the hemp industry. NHA has developed close relationships with local and state government agencies to establish regulations that benefit the hemp industry across the nation. We provide a wealth of expertise in fields ranging from mining and agriculture to hemp materials processing and the latest developments pertaining to laws and regulations. For more information on the National Hemp Association, visit www.NationalHempAssociation.org.

HEMP, INC.’S TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE

Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP) seeks to benefit many constituencies from a “Cultural Creative” perspective, thereby not exploiting or endangering any group. CEO of Hemp, Inc., Bruce Perlowin, is positioning the company as a leader in the industrial hemp industry, with a social and environmental mission at its core. Thus, the publicly traded company believes in “up streaming” a portion of its profits back to its originator, in which some cases will one day be the American small farmer — cultivating natural, sustainable products as an interwoven piece of nature. By Hemp, Inc. focusing on comprehensive investment results — that is, with respect to performance along the interrelated dimensions of people, planet, and profits — the triple bottom line approach can be an important tool to support its sustainability goal.

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To see the video showcasing the dramatic footage of our hemp and Kenaf grows, click here.

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