The Hemp Industries Association

The HIA brings 30 years of advocacy, community, and industry leadership to a rapidly evolving hemp landscape.

The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) stands as the longest-running trade organization dedicated to the hemp industry, and Executive Director Jody McGinnis joins iHemp Hour to discuss what this historic organization offers members, where the industry is headed, and why unity matters now more than ever.

Founded in 1994, the Hemp Industries Association is what the IRS describes as a “mutual benefit corporation with members”—making it one of the most democratic types of nonprofits in existence. For the better part of 25 years before hemp was federally legalized, the HIA existed as a gathering place for passionate advocates, entrepreneurs, and activists who believed in hemp’s potential.

“It was people who showed up every year, brought their business, were doing something with hemp and wanted to find ways to get better purchasing power in the market and come up with standards to define what was real hemp products and what wasn’t,” McGinnis explains. “They had all these shared goals, but it was really just people who cared enough to show up and come together and make something out of nothing.”

What makes the HIA unique is that from its founding, the organization built environmental responsibility and ethical business practices into its core mission—values that remain central today.

Ready to join the movement? Visit theHIA.org or JoinHemp.org to become a member and connect with the hemp community.

The HIA recently completed its 2021 board elections, welcoming three new members and one re-elected member:

• Andrea Hermann – Owner and Principal, Ridge International Cannabis Consulting
• Vanessa Snyder – VP of Business Development, Eurofins Food Chemistry Testing
• Lauren Graham – General Counsel, Beneficial Blends
• Christopher Ware – CEO, KCA Laboratories

Annie Rouse, a valuable resource to the organization, accepted a one-year vacancy appointment, extending her service to the board.

The HIA also honored the memory of Steve Levine, the longest-serving leader in HIA history with 17 years of board service including two terms as president. Levine helped launch Hemp History Week and the Test Pledge, and organized the Santa Barbara Hemp Festival. He passed away on New Year’s Day. Those interested in learning more about his contributions can visit VoteHemp.org for a memorial tribute.

The Hemp Industries Association operates three specialized industry councils, each with dedicated board representation:

Fiber & Hurd Council

McGinnis expresses particular excitement about the fiber sector: “I think it’s going to be the long-awaited year of things really getting exciting in the fiber sector.” The council works to connect farmers with processing facilities and create resources for those considering adding hemp to their crop rotation.

Several HIA members are working with tribal nations on projects spanning hundreds of thousands of potential acres across multiple states for industrial-capacity fiber farming.

Grain & Seed Council

Led by Jeff Kostuik of Hemp Production Services, the Grain & Seed Council addresses the unique challenges and opportunities in hemp food production.

Cannabinoids Council

Active on regulatory and legislative fronts, including the ongoing support for HR 841—the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act.

When asked about the likelihood of increasing the THC limit from 0.3% to 1%, McGinnis offers a measured perspective:

“Less than three percent of bills that are introduced ever become law, and a vanishingly small percent even get a vote,” he notes. While at least one bill proposing a 1% total THC limit is expected to be introduced, McGinnis believes the most likely path forward is through the next Farm Bill, technically expected in 2023.

He also points out an important truth: “There’s not a scientific basis for why three-tenths of a percent was the cutoff. There’s no real scientific basis for why one percent even is the cutoff except everybody can get with that as a number.”

Research from Michigan State University supports the case for change—Dr. James DeDecker and Phil Petty’s variety trials found that 97% of tested varieties would not have gone hot if the limit were raised to just 1%.

McGinnis sees promising movement at the state level, with states like Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio opening pathways to safely bring hemp products to market rather than reimplementing prohibition.

“I think you’ll start to see smart states coming up with a way to regulate all of the hemp cannabinoids out there,” he says.

Michigan is among the proactive states, with legislation (Bills 5058, 5059, 5060, and 5617) addressing hemp in food products. As McGinnis notes, “States are stepping up, but it shouldn’t be up to them to answer all these questions.”

The Hemp Industries Association continues its fourth legal battle with the DEA, challenging the agency’s 2020 rule that classified intermediate hemp extract—a byproduct created during extraction that may temporarily exceed THC limits but never reaches consumers—as a controlled substance.

“We said no, that’s not what the Farm Bill intended,” McGinnis explains. The organization has been fighting this in federal court for nearly two years. Previous victories include stopping DEA attempts to schedule hemp oil in the early 2000s and efforts to schedule CBD in 2016.

The HIA is bringing back live events with “Hemp in the Holler,” an agrotourism hemp educational event planned for June in Mount Vernon, Kentucky. The outdoor, family-friendly event features:

• Hemp workstations (learn to weave fibers!)
• Educational programming
• Live music
• Local food
• Petting zoo for kids

Proceeds benefit the HIA’s nonprofit foundation and Accelerating Appalachia. If successful, the organization plans to replicate the model in different regions throughout the year, revitalizing the Hemp History Week brand that once reached hundreds of stores nationwide.

Perhaps surprisingly, consumer surveys show people understand CBD better than hemp itself. McGinnis sees tremendous opportunity—and responsibility—in education.

“There’s a tremendous learning gap between people’s understanding and the reality,” he says. “And frankly, a lot of the marketing of some hemp products out there these days doesn’t help by conflating strain names popular in cannabis to celebrate cannabinoid products.”

The HIA is developing a “Standards and Practices Learning Series”—not just webinars, but resources that produce industry tip sheets on topics like regenerative agriculture and food safety.

Membership starts at just $150/year for farmers, with business membership tiers available. But McGinnis emphasizes that HIA membership goes beyond typical trade association benefits:

“The HIA has always been about farmers and business people and entrepreneurs and activists and educators who wanted to do more than just make a profit with hemp—they wanted to make a difference.”

Members can:

• Join industry councils (Fiber, Grain & Seed, Cannabinoids)
• Participate in standards development
• Access the business directory and customized newsletters
• Connect with one of the largest social networks in the hemp industry
• Contribute skills in communications, organizing, or subject matter expertise

Visit theHIA.org or JoinHemp.org to learn more and become a member.

Looking Ahead: Unity is the Priority

McGinnis’s biggest hope for 2022? Unity.

“I would really love to see the different groups that are working in different lanes or different silos on behalf of this plant find ways to unify their messaging and their priorities and speak with one voice on behalf of the industry.”

The Hemp Industries Association continues to serve as that unifying force—a tool for anyone who believes hemp can help improve the world.

Support HR 841: Visit the US Hemp Roundtable to automatically contact your representatives and senators in support of the Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act.

About iHemp Michigan: We advocate for wellness, complete people, and the planet through hemp—and it all begins with the farmer. Join us at iHempMichigan.com