iHemp Hour: A Conversation with Hemp Pioneer Joe Hickey
Some people join an industry; others, through sheer will and conviction, build one from the ground up. Joe Hickey is one of the builders. In a special, must-watch episode of the iHemp Hour, host Dave Crabill sits down with a man often called a “godfather” of the movement to hear his incredible 28-year story of fighting for hemp’s rightful place in American agriculture.
From a dusty newspaper article that sparked a revolution to a historic act of civil disobedience with his close friend Woody Harrelson, Joe’s journey is a masterclass in passion, perseverance, and vision.
The Spark: A Headline from the Past
Joe Hickey’s journey began not in a field, but in the archives. In 1992, he stumbled upon a 1940s newspaper headline about the “Kentucky Hemp Growers Co-op.” Intrigued, he went to the Kentucky Secretary of State’s office to see if the records were real.
“The look on his face when I said that,” Joe recalls, “because back then hemp and marijuana were synonymous… he looked at me like, ‘okay…’”
After an initial search turned up nothing, a clerk, prompted by Joe to look in the pre-computer archives, called him back. “He says, ‘I found it!’” Joe remembers. The discovery of the co-op’s original corporation papers, filled with the “who’s who of agriculture back in the 40s and 50s,” proved that hemp was a vital part of Kentucky’s history. This was the moment his mission began.
From a Lone Voice to a Statewide Movement
Armed with historical documents, photos, and even old hemp equipment, Joe was at a crossroads. A chance radio announcement led him to an “open doors” event with then-Governor Brereton Jones. In a now-legendary meeting, Joe laid out his research. For his final point, he took out a piece of paper he had painstakingly made from 1930s-era hemp fiber.
He lit a piece of standard office paper, which left a large black ash. Then, he lit the hemp paper. “It was poof, you know, it was gone,” he says. The Governor was stunned. When asked what he would do with the information, Joe suggested forming a task force to give the issue public credibility. The governor agreed on the spot, and the Kentucky Hemp Task Force was born, officially putting hemp back on the state’s agenda.
A few months later, he got a call from actor Woody Harrelson. The two formed an immediate and deep bond.
“When Woody came in, it was like my brother coming back,” Joe says, recalling his younger brother who had passed away shortly before. “It was just this amazing connection we had.”
That connection led to a pivotal moment in hemp history. On June 1, 1996, in a direct challenge to an unjust state law, Woody Harrelson, with Joe’s guidance, planted four hemp seeds in Kentucky soil. This act of protest led to a four-year legal battle that ended with a “not guilty” verdict, bringing massive public awareness to the cause.
A Vision for the Future: Beyond the “Hijacking”
Joe’s work didn’t stop with activism. He’s a sharp-minded innovator who has been instrumental in the commercial space. He is critical of the market’s initial narrow focus, stating bluntly:
“The CBD industry hijacked the hemp industry. It really did… CBD and even marijuana, that’s a horticultural crop. It’s not an agricultural crop… To be something that’s going to help all farmers, it’s going to have to be fiber and seed.”
His new venture, Benchmark, reflects this forward-thinking. It uses a revolutionary solvent-free “lipid bonding” process—a gentle infusion that bonds cannabinoids directly to the oil at a molecular level, creating a cleaner, more natural, and more potent product.
To solve the industry’s “chicken and egg” dilemma (farmers won’t grow without buyers, processors won’t build without supply), he’s championing a 10-Year Plan. The goal is to bring end-users (like Ford and Toyota), manufacturers, and farmers to the same table to manage expectations and scale the fiber and grain industry intelligently, turning hemp into a mainstream commodity crop.
Michigan Hemp & Cannabis News Roundup
- Lake Superior State University is offering $1,200 scholarships for its Cannabis Chemistry program.
- US Hemp Roundtable Webinar: A free webinar on “Navigating Regulations in the Hemp Industry” is scheduled for June 22nd.
- Certify Your Acres: The deadline for hemp growers to certify acres with the USDA is July 15th.
- Upcoming iHemp Michigan Events: A Hemp Working Event is set for June 25th in Holland, followed by a family-friendly Hempcrete Workshop on June 26th in Zeeland.
This is a must-watch episode for anyone who wants to understand the deep roots of the modern hemp movement from one of the people who planted the seeds—both literally and figuratively.