The Hype is Dead. The Real Industry is Being Built.
“The industry is a little bit different of a hemp world than it was three years ago… The ‘get rich quick’ guys are gone. The oil guys will always be here, but the thinking has changed.” — Dan Timmer, Mechanical Transplanter
If you are looking for the “Green Rush,” you are about two years too late. But if you are looking for a real industry—one based on supply chains, durable goods, and legacy-building—you are right on time.
This week, the iHemp Hour broadcast live from the Southern Hemp Expo in Raleigh, North Carolina. The energy on the floor wasn’t about speculation; it was about execution.
From the “1.2 Gigawatt” energy of Tony Solano to the regulatory insights of Jonathan Miller, this episode proved one thing: The people in this room are the ones building the future.
The “Tony Stark” of Hemp?
If you want to see where the market is going, look at what Tony Solano and the iHemp Manufacturing team are doing. It’s no longer just about CBD oil.
- Hemp Wood Putters: Tony debuted a prototype mallet-style putter made from stabilized hemp wood. It’s not just a novelty; it’s a high-performance piece of sporting equipment that rivals anything on the PGA tour.
- Hemp Plastics: Jeff Cole of US Hemp Brokerage called Tony the “best salesperson in the industry” for a reason. They are tackling the plastic crisis head-on. As Jeff noted, the average human consumes a credit card’s worth of microplastics every month. The solution isn’t recycling; it’s replacing petroleum with hemp.
- Hemp Beef Jerky: Yes, you read that right. Infused with Blaine’s hemp seed oil. Innovation is happening in every aisle.
Protecting the Harvest (and the Farmer)
Innovation is useless if the farmer can’t survive. We brought Nate Banner from Neogen onto the show to discuss the Raptor testing system.
Here is the reality: You have 20 days between testing and harvest in Michigan. If you wait for a lab result, your crop could go “hot” (over 0.3% THC) while you sit by the mailbox. The Raptor allows for on-site, 15-minute testing at a quarter of the price of competitors. It is not just technology; it is crop insurance.
Speaking of logistics, Kurt from Helluva Container stopped by with a show special on bulk bags. If you are moving biomass, you need to move it efficiently. (Check the replay for the $7.50 show special pricing).
The Adult in the Room: Regulatory & Market Updates
While we celebrate the products, we cannot ignore the politics. Jonathan Miller from the US Hemp Roundtable gave us a critical update:
- California: We are on the “2-yard line” to explicitly legalize CBD as a dietary supplement (and remove the ban on smokable hemp).
- The FDA: They are still stalling. We need you to go to HempSupporter.com and pressure Congress to pass H.R. 841. The FDA won’t act unless we force their hand.
On the market side, Mike Brennan dropped a bombshell: TerrAscend is acquiring Gage Cannabis for $545 million. Michigan is now the #3 cannabis market in the country. Consolidation is here. The big players are making moves. Are you positioned to survive the shift?
The Supply Chain Gap
Seth Boon form PanXchange highlighted a massive opportunity. The demand for hemp herd (for animal bedding and plastics) is skyrocketing. In fact, if we dedicated all current production to animal bedding, we still couldn’t meet US demand.
The buyers are there. The processors are ready. We just need the farmers to connect the dots.
Don’t Go It Alone
This industry is moving fast. Mergers, acquisitions, plastics, carbon credits—it is too much to track by yourself. That is why iHemp Michigan exists. We are your tribe. We are your eyes and ears on the ground, whether that’s in Lansing, DC, or Raleigh.
Join the iHemp Michigan Business Directory. For just $100 a year, you get visibility in front of thousands of visitors who are actively searching for what you sell.
Join the Tribe at iHempMichigan.com
This Week’s “Recipe”: The Colorado Afternoon
We couldn’t cook on the trade show floor, but we did share a signature cocktail recipe invented in Jeff Cole’s office.
- The Colorado Afternoon: Highway Vodka (hemp-based), cranberry juice, orange juice, garnished with a fresh hemp leaf.
- Instructions: Best served starting at 11:00 AM.
Watch the full broadcast from the Southern Hemp Expo here: