From Auto Parts to Hemp Hearts: A Crisis of Consciousness & The Future of Manufacturing
“My primary function as a manufacturing professional was to essentially pollute the world faster with products I didn’t believe in.”
That is a heavy realization. It’s what Seth Godin would call a “friction point”—the moment you realize the work you are doing doesn’t align with the change you want to make.
In this week’s episode of the iHemp Hour, we sat down with Chris Judge, CEO of Michigan Herbal Remedies, USM Wholesale, and Made by Hemp. With 25 years of experience in automotive, plastics, and food industries, Chris is a heavyweight in logistics and manufacturing.
But he left it all. Why? Because he had a “crisis of consciousness.” He wanted to stop building landfills and start building wellness.
This episode isn’t just about CBD oil; it’s about the maturation of an industry. It is about taking the rigorous discipline of “Big Manufacturing”—planning, execution, and performance—and applying it to the often chaotic world of hemp.
The Adult in the Room
Early in 2018 and 2019, the hemp industry was a flood of entrepreneurs. It was the Wild West. But as Chris notes in the interview, that flood has tailed off. The market is stabilizing. The “white label” frenzy is calming down, and the businesses left standing are the ones focused on quality, established branding, and consistency.
Chris calls us “Product Senseis.” Whether you are a farmer, a processor, or a retailer, you are the Obi-Wan Kenobi for your customers. You have a responsibility to guide them away from the gas station synthetic stuff and toward safe, tested, effective medicine.
The Greenest Packaging is No Packaging
One of the most refreshing moments of the show was Chris’s take on sustainability. As a trained packaging engineer, he knows the dirty secrets of the trade.
Many companies will sell you “green-washed” packaging that looks eco-friendly but isn’t. Chris’s philosophy? Reduction. They eliminated cartoning entirely. If it doesn’t need a box, don’t put it in a box. It’s a simple, radical approach to lowering the carbon footprint that puts profits second to the planet.
The War on Hemp: Legislative Updates
While innovators like Chris are doing the work on the ground, the battle continues in Washington.
Dave Crabill and Blaine Bechtold highlighted a critical issue: The FDA has rejected NDI (New Dietary Ingredient) notifications for full-spectrum hemp products, trying to keep CBD classified strictly as a drug (Epidiolex).
This cannot stand. The genie is out of the bottle. Consumers want wellness, not gatekeeping. We need you to contact your representatives to support H.R. 841. We have to force the FDA’s hand to create a legal pathway for dietary supplements.
Banking on the Future
We know the struggle. You walk into a bank, mention “hemp,” and they show you the door. It’s a cash business trying to survive in a digital world.
In this episode, we highlighted three Michigan institutions stepping up for the industry:
- Bank Michigan
- Dart Bank
- Union Bank
They aren’t sponsors—we just want you to be able to do business. However, be prepared for higher fees and rigorous vetting. Legitimacy costs money, but it buys you security.
Don’t Be a Fool (Join the Tribe)
We mentioned it on the show, and we’ll say it here: The iHemp Michigan Business Directory is actively searched by thousands of visitors every month. These are people interacting with the plant, looking for processors, farmers, and retailers.
It is $100 a year to be listed.
As Dave said, “You’d be a fool not to join.” If you are serious about this industry, you need to be where the people are looking.
This Week’s Recipe: No-Bake Hemp Energy Bites
We ended the show with a little sweetness. Looking for a way to get hemp hearts into your diet without cooking?
- Ingredients: Rolled oats, hemp hearts, pitted dates, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- Method: Blend, roll, refrigerate. Simple, vegan, and packed with Omega-3s.
Watch the full replay below to see the new hemp plastic frisbees, hear about the upcoming Midwest iHemp Expo (and the Hempies Awards!), and get the inside scoop on the future of fiber and textiles.