Texas Hemp Coalition Podcast
Welcome to the Texas Hemp Coalition Podcast! This is a place where we will hear from industry experts dealing with advocacy, education and networking in the Texas hemp industry. Join the Texas Hemp Coalition at www.texashempcoalition.org.
Tue, July 11, 2023
Texas Legislative Session Re-Cap
Join the Texas Hemp Coalition Board Members, Jake Garry of Fresh Grown Texas & Drops of Life and Taylor Kirk of 4KPharm as they discuss a recap of the 88th Texas Legislative Session. We discuss all bills, issues and ongoing policy efforts at the state and federal levels. Moderated by Executive Director, Ilissa Nolan.
Wed, February 08, 2023
Kimberley Tijerina, CBD Texas Farms
For five generations, Kimberley's family has been a steward of the land. South Texas heritage soil is part of our past and is our future. Our venture into hemp farming compliments our established ranching and deer operations and we continue the family tradition of hard work, hands on management, and organic stewardship. From the time a hemp seed goes in the ground, until it is used in a consumable product, it is a healer. CBD Texas Farms hemp is grown outdoors and indoors depending on the season. Unlike marijuana and medical marijuana, which have high levels of THC, our hemp is grown for CBD which contains under .3% THC. Our CBD oil is grown to be used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and nutritional supplements. The seeds are certified hemp seeds approved by the State of Texas. We have implemented a rigorous testing schedule and have been 100% compliant. Our girls, as we call them, are tested continuously throughout the flower season, are officially tested by a Texas certified sample contractor, and are tested again before leaving our facility. All that to say, we grow it, so we know it! Once extracted, our oil undergoes several panels of testing for pesticides, mycotoxins, residual solvents, density, Cbd and THC content. The final product, whether it be our 20% Full Spectrum blend for our manufacturing clients, or any of our custom formulated products, we test again once it reaches our warehouse. Terpex Technology allows our unique and proprietary 20% Grape-seed blend to be solvent free and the most organic oil on the market. Using the plants own terpenes as a solvent, the biomass is not processed using alcohol or ethanol. You can see, taste, and smell the difference. Our oil is being used in national CBD cosmetic and supplement brands, something we are extremely proud of. After a successful first year producing hemp to be manufactured into our proprietary CBD oil blend for cosmetic and pharmaceutical manufacturers, we have expanded our operations to include two product lines. The LTM boutique Live the Moment CBD product line is available for wholesale, retail, and private label as well as retail stores and online at ltmcbd.com. Our farm brand is also available for wholesale, retail, private label and online at cbdtexasfarms.com .
Wed, January 25, 2023
Policy: Texas vs. Other States
This episode goes into the policy issues that are in Texas versus other states such as Delta 8, hemp feed, etc. Our Executive Board member Spencer Owens of CBD Kratom and new HIA Board Member shares his expertise as he works in other states across the nation to protect the interests of the hemp industry.
Wed, November 23, 2022
Jody McGinness, Hemp Industries Association
Jody McGinness comes to the Hemp Industries Association with more than 20 years of experience in leading associations and membership organizations in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, he served as the head of fundraising for the Marijuana Policy Project . He served while that organization campaigned successfully to pass adult-use legalization legislation in Illinois and Vermont. During his tenure, the organization also engineered the passage of medical cannabis legalization in Utah. Jody’s passion for hemp is informed by personal experience. That’s because he witnessed family members directly harmed by prohibition. In addition, he takes inspiration from the potential of the U.S. hemp industries to provide opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation to the benefit of all Americans. He makes his home just outside the nation’s capital, where he resides with his wife and three young children. In what free time he’s able to find, Jody enjoys hiking in the beauty of nature. He also enjoys reading great books, and writing short fiction.
Wed, October 26, 2022
DC Advocacy Trip with Shayda Torabi & Jeromy Sherman
This is an episode that you definitely do not want to miss! Join us as we hear from our two Executive Board Members, Shayda Torabi and Jeromy Sherman, as they give us a recap of our recent trip to Washington D.C. They discuss the importance of reaching out to your respective representatives both at the Federal and State level on what changes that you want to see for the industry, important issues we advocated on behalf of and how the 2023 Farm Bill will affect our industry. Also, don't forget to register for your ticket for the Texas Hemp Summit at Texas A&M University on November 11-12.
Wed, October 12, 2022
Johnathan Miller, US Hemp Roundtable
Jonathan Miller, a nationally-celebrated government relations professional, leads Frost Brown Todd’s federal advocacy practice and has emerged as one of the country’s leading advocates and attorneys for the global hemp industry. Jonathan serves as Member-in-Charge of Frost Brown Todd’s Washington, D.C. office, whose combination of public policy and regulatory experience, backed by the support of a full-service law firm with offices in key markets, carves out a unique value proposition: He can draw readily on the firm’s strong constituent-based relationships to provide clients with exclusive and actionable insights regarding the legal trends and developments that stand to greatly impact their industries. In so doing, Jonathan leads a team that presents clients a one-stop shop for regulatory and legislative services, promoting efficiency, communication, and collaboration. There are few individuals who have been more influential in the development of the U.S. hemp industry. Upon helping found the U.S. Hemp Roundtable (and its sister organization, the U.S. Hemp Authority), Jonathan has served as the industry’s leading advocate for Hemp and CBD legislation on the ground in Congress and in dozens of state legislatures. A recovering politician (the Democrat was elected twice as Kentucky’s State Treasurer), Jonathan has worked across the aisle with leading hemp champions such as U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on critical legislation, including the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills. Now he spends his time working with Congress, the White House, the USDA, FDA and DEA to promote policies that advance the industry. In acknowledgment of his accomplishments, the National Law Journal named Jonathan to its inaugural class of “Trailblazers” among government relations professionals and Politico labeled him a “Power Player” on hemp issues on Capitol Hill. Prior to joining FBT, Miller spent nearly two decades in public service, where he held numerous senior positions in state and federal government, including two terms as Kentucky’s State Treasurer, in addition to serving as Kentucky’s Secretary of Finance and Administration, Deputy Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Energy, and Legislative Director for Congressman Jim Cooper. Visit US Hemp Roundtable .
Wed, September 07, 2022
Leah Lakstins & Daulton O'Neill of Green Light Event Co. & Hemp Business Builder
Leah Lakstins is a native Kentuckian with a passion for facilitating amazing consumer experiences that educate and entertain. Before her cannabis career, she assisted commercial roofing contractors grow their businesses. She is a Trainual Certified Consultant and has a certificate in Retail Fundamentals from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Additionally, she is a Trichome Institute Professional Interpener, UNLV certified cannabis professional, and secretary of the ASTM D37.06 subcommittee for cannabis curriculum. She is also the interim Chief Operating Officer at Greenlight Events and the Founder of Hemp Business Builder. Since 2018, Hemp Business Builder has assisted emerging hemp entrepreneurs streamline and scale their operations as well as train their employees. Leah has been a speaker at various hemp events including the Southern Hemp Expo, USA CBD Expo and NoCo. When not consulting with hemp clients, you may find her DJ-ing in Austin, Texas, or building client experiences for brands like Higher Ed Hemp Tours and Float On Tours. Daulton O’Neill is a freethinking thought provoker looking to make maximum impact in the hemp industry. He leverages industry insights and relationships to push the ball forward to create unique memorable events for clients and sponsors. Daulton has helped facilitate multiple event contracts, most notably for Earthx (The largest environmental experience in the world) which he still works as a consultant. An activist at heart, he spends time during the legislative sessions talking about issues that matter to him and networking with different industry leaders to create change. He builds with others around him that believe in the same core principles. He holds a bachelors of public administration from Texas State University and utilizes his ties to the hill country when needed. If you are passionate about creating lasting relationships in the hemp industry, contact Daulton today. Visit Green Light Event Co. and Hemp Business Builder .
Wed, August 17, 2022
Dr. Russell Jessup, Texas A&M University
Dr. Russell W. Jessup is the Associate Professor of Perennial Grass & Industrial Hemp Breeding of the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on conventional, cytogenetic, and genomic strategies towards development of improved perennial grasses as biorefinery platforms for biofuels, turfgrasses, forage, ornamentals, phytoremediators and renewable bio-based products. This includes developing molecular tools to assist marker-assisted breeding programs for value-added traits such as: net primary productivity, carbon sequestration, perenniality, photoperiodism, hybrid sterility, and apomixis. Feedstocks are further selected for resource use efficiency, stress tolerance, and novel seeded-yet-sterile hybrid systems. He has developed the Industrial Hemp Breeding Program at Texas A&M where they are doing extensive research on genetics that can be grown in the Texas soil & climate.
Wed, August 03, 2022
Webinar Legal Update: Smokable Hemp and Delta 8
Tune in to learn from two of Texas’ leading legal professionals, Lisa Pittman of Pittman Legal and Cameron Field of Michael Best, what the recent Texas Supreme Court update regarding the smokable hemp ban means for Texas hemp businesses as well as what is the latest status of Delta 8 THC in Texas. Lisa Pittman has been a pioneering figure in the Texas cannabis industry since 2015. Ms. Pittman is appointed to the Texas Department of Agriculture Industrial Hemp Advisory Council by the Texas Agriculture Commissioner. She is also a Non-resident fellow at Rice University Baker Institute of Public Policy, Drug Policy Program. She is on the Board of Directors for the Texas Hemp Coalition. She has worked extensively in Texas and surrounding states to bring hemp and marijuana laws to fruition. As a result, Ms. Pittman earned the 2020 Texas Lawyer Trailblazer and 2020 National Law Journal Trailblazer awards for Cannabis Law. Finally, Ms. Pittman Chairs the American Bar Association’s Cannabis Law & Policy Committee for 2021-2022, which she spurred the creation of by presenting the ABA’s first marijuana law CLE in 2016. From her involvement in the nascent cannabis industry, Ms. Pittman has represented a broad range of clients from investors to ancillary service and product providers to “plant touching” companies — farmers, processors, manufacturers, laboratories, distributors, and retailers. Some of these clients have now expanded into other countries. In pursuit of becoming an authority in this area, she spent two years in Colorado, and she understands the many challenges facing marijuana and hemp businesses, such as tax, banking, insurance, and regulatory compliance issues, and she has grown a vast network of experts to assist in these areas. Ms. Pittman participates in the constantly evolving laws, news, and deals occurring in the cannabis industry internationally on a daily basis. Throughout Ms. Pittman’s 21-year career, she has litigated and tried disputes relating to labor & employment, breach of contract, commercial banking, fraud, fiduciary duty, construction defect and injury, deceptive trade practices, premises liability, professional liability, and products liability. She also possesses extensive expertise in complex commercial insurance coverage matters, having both defended insurance companies and advocated for policy holders in commercial property, residential property, and life insurance matters. She is licensed in Texas and Colorado, and is also a certified mediator and arbitrator. Cameron Field is an attorney with significant experience in the cannabis industry as is the co-leader of the cannabis industry group at the law firm of Michael Best LLP. As a recognized expert in hemp regulations and hemp-based products, Cameron has twice been a featured speaker at Texas Hemp Convention and has organized hemp-focused panels for the South By Southwest conference in Austin, where he calls
Wed, July 20, 2022
Liz Grow and Patrick Pope, Grow House Media
Grow House Media is an Austin-based production company that is clearing the smoke around the most misunderstood plant on the planet. We live at the intersection of education and entertainment, advocacy and amusement, telling the truth about cannabis and getting a little wild along the way. They are the producers of Big Texas Hemp which is a docuseries about Texas Hemp Farmers! Founded by husband-and-wife team Liz Grow and Patrick Pope, Grow House Media is Texas’ only cannabis-focused production company. About Liz Grow If you’re looking for the stereotypical “lazy stoner,” then look elsewhere. (Also, that stereotype is completely unfounded — but we digress.) In her college days, Liz was a 5-time All American athlete and Notre Dame track star. She’s still a fitness junkie, working out with the help of a little CBD to ease sore muscles. Liz’s first introduction to cannabis was medicinal, prescribed by a San Francisco doctor. Since then, she’s been fascinated by plant medicine and wants to share its hope and healing with anyone and everyone. About Patrick Pope Patrick has been working in media and production for two decades, creating content for companies like Maker Studios, Chive Media Group, and Rooster Teeth. He’s won several awards for his work, including the first Shorty Award for a LinkedIn campaign. Once the LA life lost its luster, Patrick returned to Texas where he and Liz reconnected. Sparks flew, magic happened, and within a year, they were married! Visit Grow House Media .
Wed, July 06, 2022
Aaron Owens, Tejas Hemp
Aaron is a native of West Texas, a part of the world where a person's word is gold. His first passion and love has always been ranching, with Cannabis coming in as a close second. Serving as VP of Sales for Dutch Pro liquid fertilizers gave him the opportunity to developed his extensive network within the hemp industry. A hemp pioneer in Texas, he started working with extractions and custom formulations in 2015, and then formally organized his company, Tejas Hemp, in early 2017. As word of his product quality spread, demand sky rocketed, and the business expanded rapidly. In 2020, he successfully produced the worlds first Hemp Sativa strain on two acres at his farm in Dripping Springs, TX. Today, Aaron is in charge of corporate strategy and business development; and focuses heavily on the implementation of the Industrial Hemp industry in Texas. His goals are to help Texas farmers make Texas Hemp business a leader in the global Hemp economy. Visit Tejas Hemp.
Wed, June 22, 2022
Amos Lozano, Emjayze Hemp and Famous Juice
Amos Lozano is Native San Antonio entrepreneur and founder of @EmjayzeHemp, @FamousJuiceCompany and Texas preroll processing. Amos' businesses focus on fostering the growth of the cannabis community while promoting the industrial aspects of cannabis with hemp made packaging, apparel, and even hemp buildings for his juice bars. He is the host of a podcast featuring local entrepreneurs and cannabis education called, Eat Plants Move Often podcast and he is the Cannabis Leader for social justice platform @IntersectionalEnvironmentalist Amos is an advocate for the entire cannabis plant, but with a focus on BIPOC and women led organizations, truly sustainable business models and professionalizing the cannabis industry while maintaining the core cannabis culture. Check out Emjayze .
Wed, May 25, 2022
Keil Gauger, Caprock Family Farms
Keil Gauger is the founder of Caprock Family Farms in Lubbock, Texas. His longtime farming operation spans over 5,000 acres of cotton, peanuts, peppers and wheat grown in Gaines and Dickens counties. The addition of Caprock Family Farms has allowed him to add hemp to his already extensive list of crops. Having farmed on the South Plains for 27 years, Keil is a seasoned agripreneur and understands the importance of making diverse crop choices like hemp . Caprock Family Farms is a true family affair which finds Keil working alongside his wife Ann, his two sons Zach and Brett, and his nephew Logan. He and his hardworking family operate a commercial indoor hemp grow and manufacturing facility in Lubbock. Growing indoors in climate controlled rooms allows them to keep quality control as their top priority. Caprock Family Farms is passionate about educating the public about hemp and working to develop a strong hemp industry in Texas. Check out Caprock Family Farms .
Wed, May 11, 2022
Dan Hunter, Texas Department of Agriculture
Dan Hunter serves as Assistant Commissioner for Water and Rural Affairs. He is the top advisor on the critical issues of water and the important role it plays in agriculture and the Texas economy. He also oversees programs involving rural affairs, including rural health care and marketing. Hunter has an extensive background in agriculture, research, water, and policy development. Most recently he served as Executive Director of the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) at Tarleton State University. When TIAER was established by the Texas Legislature in 1991 one of its charges was to “provide national leadership on emerging environmental policy”. Hunter’s background in working with national constituencies, including state and federal agencies, Congress, and producer and consumer organizations is vital in providing the national leadership the Legislature envisioned. TIAER is a leader in the field of environmental research around the world. When Hunter joined TIAER in 2006, he was already a part of the Tarleton State University family, serving as an adjunct professor for the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences for several years. Prior to joining the Institute he was the Executive Officer/Manager of the Southwestern Peanut Growers’ Association, where he managed a multi-million dollar producer cooperative. As the chief executive, Hunter provided the primary guidance on all legislative, research, marketing, regulatory and media related issues. Earlier in his professional career he served as the Government Relations Representative for the National Cotton Council, a multifaceted trade association in Washington, DC. He also worked as a primary legislative staff member for former Congressmen Larry Combest and Fred Grandy. Hunter received degrees from Texas Tech University and Tarleton State University. He has written numerous articles for several publications, and provided testimony for legislative and regulatory committees. Additionally, he has given presentations around the world including the United Nations Foreign Agriculture Organization in Rome.
Wed, April 27, 2022
Taylor Kirk, 4KPharm
Taylor Kirk is a horticulture service specialist for Fluence Bioengineering, global leader LED horticultural lighting, where he consults cannabis growing partners and collaborates with researchers and other cannabis industry leaders. He has more than twenty years of experience in agriculture, with a diverse background in agronomics and a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from Texas A&M University. Following the limited legalization of medical cannabis in Texas, Taylor shifted his professional focus to cannabis production, breeding, R&D, cultivation facility design and project management in his roles as vice president of operations and director of cultivation at Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation (TOCC). In these roles, he developed a strong cannabis cultivation program for the company, planted the first legal seeds under Texas’ medical cannabis program and developed a breeding program that produced chemovars for TOCC’s specific product needs. Taylor is also co-founder of 4K Pharm LLC, a licensed Texas hemp producer, manufacturer and distributor. 4K Pharm is currently growing several cannabinoid-rich CBD and CBG hemp cultivars and producing premium organic hemp flower and other branded products which are sold to wholesale and retail markets. 4K Pharm has a purpose-built facility in Giddings that includes a light deprivation flowering greenhouse with supplemental lighting and an indoor facility for vegetative phase cultivation and post-harvest processing.
Wed, April 13, 2022
Colt Power, Power BioPharms
Colt Power a Dallas, TX native graduated from the Episcopal School of Dallas before earning his BA in Business from the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame, Colt was a goalie on the D1 Men's Lacrosse team all four years, earning Big East Conference Academic All-Star in both 2010 and 2011. Projected to graduate December, 2022, Colt is currently an MBA candidate at the SMU Cox School of Business. Sports and fitness have always been a very important part of his life, but prior to discovering cannabidiol (CBD) he was dealing with multiple lingering multiple orthopedic sports injuries that would swell during and after exercise, sometimes preventing him from finishing and sometimes shutting him down for days. In search of relief, he tried everything from Tylenol to Advil, ice packs to heating pads, ibuprofen to acetaminophen - yet the swelling and pain persisted. Finally, in 2019, he began taking CBD products daily and quickly I was able to return to high intensity exercise without 90% of the pain or swelling. It surprisingly kept working day after day, month after month. As he did research and investigated the market for the best CBD products, it was difficult to identify brands and products reliably delivering on quality, availability, lab testing, etc. This made it even more uncomfortable to confidently recommend CBD products to friends or family. In October, 2020, following countless hours of research, planning, and discussion – he and his wife (Reagan) set out build a 100% Texan, 100% indoor-grown hemp company that produced clean, high quality, trusted CBD products. They immediately got their Hemp Producer license and Power Biopharms was born. Colt brings nearly 10 years experience in commercial real estate advisory and consultation to the hemp/cannabis industry. Colt aims to leverage his prior experience with commercial site selection, tenant advisory, design-build / build-to-suit development, investment sales and sale-leasebacks within the blossoming hemp/cannabis industry . Most types users in the hemp/cannabis industry, from cultivators and extractors to product manufacturers, labs and retail stores, nearly all have extremely unique requirements and specifications for their properties and operations. I look forward to working on real estate projects for the industry, helping companies secure their ideal properties and investors maximize value via a deep understanding of the niche market. Prior to founding Power Biopharms, Colt joined NAI Robert Lynn's Fort Worth office in 2012 as a commercial real estate broker specializing in tenant representation, consulting and advisory. After nearly 10 years of experience representing both tenants and landlords, dealing with office, medical and flex/warehouse properties, and managing lease, sale and investment transactions, Colt has completed more than 250 real estate transactions totaling $240+ million in value and accounting for more than 1,500,000 square feet.
Wed, March 30, 2022
Cameron Field, Michael Best LLP
Cameron Field is an attorney with significant experience in the cannabis industry as is the co-leader of the cannabis industry group at the law firm of Michael Best LLP. As a recognized expert in hemp regulations and hemp-based products, Cameron has twice been a featured speaker at Texas Hemp Convention and has organized hemp focused panels for the South By Southwest conference in Austin, where he calls home. Cameron’s cannabis clients range from some of the nation’s largest industrial hemp processors to family owned retail stores, and he enjoys helping those clients navigate ever-changing regulations, negotiate commercial contracts, and secure venture capital funding. Visit Micheal Best .
Wed, March 16, 2022
William Doubleday MD, FAAD
Dr. Bill Doubleday is a semi-retired board certified dermatologist who has practiced in Houston over 33 years. He is the 5th generation in his Australian ancestry to own and manage farming and grazing properties. He owns and manages a cattle, horse, and farming property near Schulenburg, Texas and was one of the very first in Texas to get a permit and grow a test plot of fiber hemp varieties. He also serves on the Texas Industrial Hemp Council. Dr. Doubleday received his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree and dermatology training at The University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston. Dr. Doubleday is currently included in Texas Monthly’s “Super Doctors Hall of Fame.” Dr. Doubleday is an advocate for medicinal uses of cannabis products
Wed, March 02, 2022
Lisa Pittman, Pittman Legal
Lisa Pittman focuses on litigation and regulatory compliance. Throughout Ms. Pittman’s 20-year career, she has litigated and tried disputes relating to labor & employment, breach of contract, commercial banking, fraud, fiduciary duty, construction defect and injury, deceptive trade practices, premises liability, professional liability, and products liability. She also possesses extensive expertise in complex commercial insurance coverage matters, having both defended insurance companies and advocated for policy holders in commercial property, residential property, and life insurance matters. Ms. Pittman is a pioneering figure in the emerging legalized hemp/cannabis industry in Texas. Ms. Pittman is an appointee to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Industrial Hemp Advisory Council. She is also a non-resident fellow of the Drug Policy Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. Ms. Pittman presented the American Bar Association’s first marijuana law CLE at its annual meeting in New York City in 2017, resulting in the creation of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Cannabis Law and Policy, for which she is the Chair of in 2021-2022. From her participation in the nascent cannabis industry, Ms. Pittman has represented a broad range of clients from investors to ancillary service and product providers to “plant touching” companies — farmers, processors, manufacturers, laboratories, distributors, and retailers. Some of these clients have now expanded into other countries. In pursuit of becoming an authority in this area, she spent two years in Colorado, and she understands the many challenges facing marijuana and hemp businesses, such as tax, banking, insurance, and regulatory compliance issues, and she has grown a vast network of experts to assist in these areas. Ms. Pittman keeps abreast of the constantly evolving laws, news, and deals occurring in the cannabis industry internationally on a daily basis. From her extensive experience in breach of contract in litigation, Ms. Pittman is adept at negotiation and contract drafting, and her broad base of knowledge in many legal areas gained from her litigation experience allows her to give comprehensive business and legal advice to clients in the cannabis industries, including investment and growth strategies, and risk management and mitigation to avoid civil litigation, criminal prosecution, or regulatory violations. She has assisted marijuana and hemp license applicants in multiple states across the country, including guiding Louisiana State University through its rollout of Louisiana’s medical marijuana program. Ms. Pittman is also a certified mediator and arbitrator.
Wed, February 16, 2022
Spencer Owens, CBD Kratom
Spencer Owens is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University in Political Science and born and raised in Lawson, Missouri, Spencer has worked in governmental affairs in both the public and private sector for several years. From three years working in local government policy, to advising Missouri State Legislators for two years, to now supporting the advocacy and policy plans of CBD Kratom, Spencer has had his finger on the pulse of politics for quite some time. Spencer is very interested in protecting the entirety of the hemp plant for every member of the industry and every consumer. He looks forward to working the Texas Hemp Coalition to specifically protect the rights of hemp consumers all across the great state of Texas! Beyond his professional life, Spencer is an avid golfer and trivia buff and one of Missouri's biggest craft beer fans! Visit CBD Kratom .
Wed, February 02, 2022
Eddie Velez, Oak Cliff Cultivators
Eddie Velez was born and raised in Dallas, TX - more specifically, Oak Cliff. He’s a University of North Texas Alumni with a degree in Emergency Management. Eddie spent over 15 years in the emergency management industry, with 11 years in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). During his time with FEMA, he managed and coordinated large scale disaster response operations at multiple levels of government, and deployed to numerous federal declared disasters nationwide. When Texas began moving past the prohibition of hemp, he decided to take the entrepreneur jump. Cannabis has always been part of his life in some way shape or form, he wanted to break the cannabis stigma and reintroduce hemp as an alternative health solution to everyday life. In 2019, Eddie founded a Texas Hemp company - Oak Cliff Cultivators. Oak Cliff Cultivators was the 2020 winner of the “Best Hemp Flower” in the state at the Taste of Texas Hemp Cup. Additionally, his team won 6 out 9 awards at the cup. Now, with the first harvest under the belt of the Texas farmers, he’s focused on collaborating and networking with partners across the state to help Texas improve processes and procedures to ensure Texas becomes a leader in the hemp industry. Visit Oak Cliff Cultivators .
Wed, January 19, 2022
Dr. Karla Johanning, KJ Scientific Independent Testing Labs
Dr. Karla Johanning, a native of Costa Rica, is the CEO and Founder of KJ Scientific & KJ Scientific Independent Testing Labs, an ISO /IEC 17025 accredited testing laboratory and Contract Research Organization (CRO) located in Georgetown, TX. Karla has dedicated her professional life to study different aspects of environmental biology and ecotoxicology in relation to human and environmental health. Dr. Johanning founded KJ Scientific in 2014 using an innovative technology that she developed with other Scientists in the US and Europe using fish liver cells to test in vitro metabolism of chemicals. The main application of this technology for risk assessment and compliance is to determine the bioaccumulation (accumulation in tissues) potential of some chemicals, ingredients in our every day’s life products. This technology provides an alternative animal method to the use of whole animals for chemical testing for human and environmental safety. Karla has written many scientific articles on the subject and set up one of two labs in the world that can commercially provide services to test chemicals using KJ Scientific’s own product- isolated fish liver cells from trout and other fish species of regulatory relevance. This new product testing lab – in collaboration with SC Johnson & Son – participated in the OECD (Organization for Economic and Co-operative Development) global Ring Trial with seven other laboratories (Dow Chemical, Du Pont, US EPA, Fraunhofer Institute, Givaudan, Procter & Gamble, SC Johnson & Son/KJ Scientific) to validate the fish in vitro metabolism technology. The Ring Trial resulted in the validation of standardized protocols - OECD Test Guidelines 319A and 319B – that can be used worldwide in testing chemicals for risk assessment. KJ Scientific Independent Testing Labs, a subsidiary of KJ Scientific, was established to focus on testing of hemp and CBD infused products. Initial accreditation for ISO /IEC 17025 was accomplished in mid 2020. Accreditation of full panel testing has been completed and KJ Scientific is one of few testing labs in Texas capable to test plant material, concentrates and infused products using in house, robust developed and validated methods. KJ Scientific Independent Testing Labs is not just a testing mill. It is a dedicated research facility continuing to uphold the overarching mission of delivering the highest quality service to ensure human and environmental health safety. Dr. Johanning was one of the speakers in the Cannabis testing panel at the Texas Marijuana Policy Conference in Nov 2020. KJ Scientific Independent Testing Lab was the selected lab to test the hemp samples in the first Taste of Texas Hemp Cup in December 2020. Dr. Johanning’s lab has collaborated with researchers at Baylor University (TX), University of Bern (Switzerland) and, Nicholls State University (LA). Dr. Johanning earned a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Costa Rica (Costa Rica), Master an
Wed, January 05, 2022
Jake Garry, Drops of Life & Fresh Grown Texas
Jake Garry is Co-Founder and CEO of Drops of Life CBD and Fresh Grown Texas. Jake was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas where he studied business management at the Anderson Business Academy at Texas Tech University. Jake spent a few yeas going to school in New Mexico where he met his business partners who became some of the first pioneers in the medical marijuana industry 13 years ago. Jake has over a decade of experience and mentorship with medical marijuana in our sister state of New Mexico from his life long best friend Orlando Watts who is the other Co-Founder Drops of Life and Fresh Grown Texas. Jake's team has a national recognized cannabis brand that is constantly finding ways to evolve the industry with new technology, delivery systems and consumer driven products. It is extremely important to the Drops of Life team that they provide the Texas market with the knowledge and experience that has made them successful in other states. Having an operation that is completely seed to sale, Drops of Life, is looking forward to working and collaborating with fellow Texans. Drops of Life and Fresh Grown Texas are always striving to provide Texas with some of the best CBD and hemp flower possible for years to come. Visit Drops of Life .
Wed, December 08, 2021
Mike Biegalski, Flex Payment Solutions
Mike Biegalski is the Vice President of Sales & Operations for Flex Payment Solutions, a payment processing firm in St. Louis, MO., and runs that position from Chicago where he moved after helping setup home-office operations in St. Louis from 2016-2020. Upon graduating from Butler University in 2015 after four years of Mathematics studies and being a member of the NCAA FCS football team, Mike was accepted into a rigorous Corporate Finance Master’s program at Washington University in St. Louis for the following year. Through that experience Mike developed a passion for helping solve banking and money-movement problems for industries that are traditionally misunderstood, including the CBD/hemp arena. This passion was able to manifest itself into an opportunity in early 2016 when Mike, still finishing the Wash U program, joined recently formed Flex Payment Solutions to assist founder Rob Zeitler in setting up the overall business plan. Mike also worked directly with the programming team early on to help architect products and fit them specifically to the desired sales model. Flex’s first processing service, a remotely created check solution, went live at the beginning of 2017 with the goal of serving “traditionally tough to place” merchants and has processed $350M+ in total check volume over its lifetime. Flash-forward to 2021, Mike leads both the sales and operations teams with Flex which have grown to double digit team-members and completed work on six new processing services over the last four years. The firm currently processes $400M+ total dollars a year and is positioning itself to be a top payment resource to the CBD/hemp market, after entering in 2019, with a fundamentally sound compliance program and a passion for the industry! Visit Flex Payment Solutions .
Wed, December 01, 2021
Cintia Morales, Higher Ed. Hemp Tours
Cintia Morales is the Co-Founder and Director of Education for Higher Ed. Hemp Tours, an Austin based hemp advising company dedicated to bridging the gap in cannabis knowledge between consumer and retailer through unique experiences. Also, she is the ESL Program Director for ACES Language School, located in Austin, TX. She has taught English, as well as a variety of subjects, to both young and adult students from all over the world. She has been a world traveler instructor with a passion for education and developing curriculum and programs for more than 15 years. She is dedicated to assist English language learners adapting to life in the United States. Visit Higher Ed. Hemp Tours .
Wed, November 24, 2021
Jason Almand, Natures Purpose CBD
Jason Almand was born and raised in the Dallas area. He is a 7th generation Texan whose family has been farming in North Texas since 1876. Jason spent over 15 years in the environmental industry and managed a company that responded to chemical spills and environmental remediation services. Jason has been involved with cannabis for over 20 years, working to educate to remove the stigma of the cannabis plant. He believes that the key to wellness is through plant medicine. Jason is focused on collaborating with Texas hemp farmers and manufacturers to bring high quality products to our customers all across America. After being inspired by his own healing from a traumatic brain injury using plant medicine, Jason and his wife, Kelly, founded Nature’s Purpose CBD in 2018. Nature’s Purpose is a boutique hemp brand based in North Texas. Nature’s Purpose curates a variety of premium hemp products including Texas grown hemp flower, CBD oils, hemp distillates, hemp isolates and CBD topicals. www.naturespurposeCBD.com
Tue, November 16, 2021
Shayda Torabi, RESTART CBD
Shayda Torabi, Co-Founder of RESTART CBD Shayda Torabi has been voted best Texas Hemp Educator, Advocate, and Influencer, and she’s one of the women leading the cannabis reformation conversation building one of Texas’ premier CBD brands. She's currently the CEO and Co-Founder of RESTART CBD , a female and family run education first CBD wellness brand. Shayda is the host of a podcast for cannabis marketers called To Be Blunt , where she interviews top cannabis brands on their most successful marketing initiatives. When Shayda's not building her cannabiz in Texas, you can find her on the road exploring the best hikes and spots for vegan ice cream. Follow Shayda at @theshaydatorabi . RESTART CBD is an education first CBD wellness brand. Founded in Austin, Texas by three sisters, we take the stigma out of using CBD, and created a comprehensive line of products with minimal ingredients for consumers to implement into a healthy routine to provide relief from everyday ailments. We operate a brick and mortar in North Austin, and are available 24/7 to shop at restartcbd.com where we ship nationwide.
Wed, October 13, 2021
Henry Valles, Hemp Building Ventures
Henry Valles is a licensed NAR GREEN Certified REALTOR®, Top Producer, and Diamond Club Member with Realty Austin. He is also a Founding Board Member of the US Hemp Building Association and former President, VP and Co-Founder of the Texas Hemp Industries Association. In 2017, he spearheaded Austin’s first hempcrete home in Community First Village, a community for the chronically homeless. Henry has delivered presentations on developing community through hemp building at multiple conferences, such as the International Hemp Building Symposium, SingularityU, EarthX and to the University of Texas School of Architecture's Materials Lab. Henry will be launching his hemp building development and consultancy company Hemp Building Ventures in 2021 with the goal of bringing hemp-based building materials to mainstream real estate markets and connecting individuals and companies to the resources they need to make hemp building projects successful. In his work with Realty Austin as a real estate expert, Henry has defined a focus on green realty and is connecting his real estate practice with the values of hemp building. Inspired to bring more sustainable and non-toxic solutions to the real estate and building industries especially in Texas, Henry continues to educate his community and champion the use of hemp-based building materials through his real estate and hemp building consulting practices. #BuildWithTexasHemp Visit Hemp Building Ventures .
Wed, October 06, 2021
Dan Burton, SunHouse Ventures
Dan Burton has agriculture roots that go back 6 generations. He serves as the Director of Operations for Sun House Ventures LLC. Dan has 12 years of cannabis cultivation experience, including large scale greenhouse cultivation, large scale indoor and acres of farmland. Dan has spent the last 4 1/2 years in large scale hemp farming with over 2,000 acres in cultivation. In that time Dan has worked on pioneering hemp harvest processes and technologies. He also designed and built a hemp harvest processing system for Sun House Ventures LLC. Dan has a proven track record in team building and in leadership roles. Dan also represents Sun Ventures LLC as a founding member of the Texas Hemp Coalition.
Wed, September 08, 2021
Kyle Truesdell, Agrarian Supply
Kyle currently sits on multiple board of directors for agricultural focused companies and presently is the Co-CEO of Agrarian Supply and the CEO of F1 Genetics. At the start of his career he spent 6 years in organic farming and fresh food processing as a Sales Manager at Earthbound Farm. Kyle also spent 7 years at Wilbur-Ellis Company, LLC holding the positions of National Specialty Crop Portfolio Manager, Retail Branch Manager & Pest Control Advisor. He has over 15 years of Agricultural Sales, Strategy and Management experience. The last 5 of those years he dedicated most of his time in developing go to market strategies for the entrance of traditional agriculture into the hemp and cannabis industries. Kyle specializes in brand management, business development, agricultural production, and emerging markets. He has also been a licensed PCA, CCA and QAL in the state of California since 2011. Visit Agrarian Supply .
Thu, September 02, 2021
Haley Hunt, Haus of Jayne
Family, community, education, and healing are the cornerstone of the Haus of Jayne story and company. Haley Hunt, the founder and CEO is a nurse with a keen interest in helping her neighbors enjoy maximum health and wellness, but found certain aspects of mainstream medicine were not addressing the power of the plant. Haley now makes it her life’s work to educate the public about cannabis. Casting out misconceptions and fear, she shares groundbreaking research on the medical promise of this misunderstood plant and continues to look for ways to advocate for its legalization. Her CBD boutique, Haus of Jayne, co-managed with business partner Christy Spanton, features high-quality CBD products including a line they designed and developed through a partnership with Tejas Hemp. Knowing the constant evolution of this industry, Haley continues to seek out nursing courses specializing in the use of cannabis and hopes to one day transform their CBD boutique into a full dispensary. Visit Haus of Jayne .
Wed, August 18, 2021
Jesse Kerns, New Bloom Labs
Jesse Kerns was born in Greene County Tennessee. Growing up in East Tennessee, Jesse was always drawn to the mountains, streams and the great outdoors. The Cherokee National Forest, Nolichucky River, Great Smoky Mountains, and his family farm all served as early settings for Jesse's growing appreciation for our region's greatest asset - its natural geography. Jesse began his career in the stock car racing industry, fielding cars and winning championships with top-tier luminaries like Richard Childress, Ty and Austin Dillon, Dale McDowell, and Scott Bloomquist. His time in the racing industry cultivated his values of teamwork, efficiency, and determination, as well as providing him ample opportunities in the realms of land conservation, big game hunting, live bait fishing, and wilderness protection with his Childress Racing teammates. In 2018 Jesse relocated to Chattanooga to bring his years of experience and passion for the outdoors to pursue a career as a land broker. His personal experience with conservation and gentleman farming was invaluable to his clients as they seek their own opportunities in land ownership, development, and management. As 2019 approached Jesse and his brother John came together and forged New Bloom Labs. At first Jesse continued his real estate duties as he learned the hemp business by attending trade shows, marketing functions, and contributing during heavy volume at the lab. 2020 brings Jesse full-time at New Bloom and he heads the company’s expansion into Texas. He brings all of his years of experience in multiple fields to assemble a remote laboratory location with utmost efficiency. He is most eager to get on the road and meet hemp producers all over the United States. Visit New Bloom Labs .
Wed, August 11, 2021
Jeromy Sherman, Bayou City Hemp Company
Welcome to the Texas Hemp Coalition Podcast! Guest: Jeromy Sherman, Co-Founder of Bayou City Hemp Company Texas’ premier hemp processor. Along with Bayou City Hemp, Inc, he also Co-Founded Leaf Life Wellness, a CBD Cosmetic & Wellness Company. Before starting Bayou City Hemp Company, Inc. and Leaf Life Wellness, Mr. Sherman spent most of his career in the energy sector. He founded several successful startup Oil & Gas Companies. Mr. Sherman also serves as manager of his family farm in Sugar Grove, IL. Mr. Sherman holds an MBA from the University of Mississippi, and a BA from Mississippi State University. Outside of his professional career, Jeromy enjoys coaching his kids’ basketball and baseball teams. He lives in Houston, Texas with his wife, Sarah, and their four children. Visit Bayou City Hemp Company .
Trailer · Thu, March 18, 2021
Welcome to the Texas Hemp Coaltion Podcast
Welcome to the Texas Hemp Coalition Podcast! This is a place for advovacy, education and networking in the hemp industry in the great state of Texas. Interested in being a guest or sponsor? Reach out to us by visiting www.texashempcoalition.org
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