What Does Hemp Mean To You?

In honor of Hemp History Week’s 10th anniversary, we reached out to some of the most inspiring and innovative industry leaders in the hemp space to find out: “What Does Hemp Mean To You?” 

We want to thank everyone for being a part of this historic week and for supporting the “plant” in so many different ways.  We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for all of you. Welcome to our “MODERN HEMP REVOLUTION!”

“96% of all privately-owned farmland in the United States belongs to white farmers.  Hemp is not exempt from the historical oppression that exists.  However, with hemp we have an opportunity to level the planting field and to right the inequities that continue to plague our country today.

-Clee Stanley-Anderson, Hemp Farmer/CEO, Green Heffa Farms, N.C.

“Hemp to me symbolizes both regenerative agriculture like growing our crops for food, personal care and clothing in a way that harmonizes with nature and doesn’t rely on a whole bunch of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and then also it is a symbol of drug policy reform and integration of our cannabis and psychedelic allies like a nexus of both causes.  It’s been a way of getting in body blows on the drug war machine and it’s opening up cultural space for cannabis. But I very much appreciate that it’s such a remarkable prop for fiber and seed.  I’m going to be a Hempster till the day I die.”

-David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Office (CEO), Dr. Bronner’s

“We have the opportunity to look at how we grow our crops with fresh eyes as we grow the new hemp industry from the ground up.  Shall we honor and respect the earth in how we cultivate?  At RE Botanicals we say let’s regenerate with hemp. Organic and regenerative hemp farming helps reverses climate change and build healthy soil via cover crops and crop rotation.”

-John W. Roulac, Founder & Chief Hemp Officer, Re: Botanicals

“Hemp represents liberty, utility and consciousness. On a personal level, hemp is the God wink that led me on a challenging but rewarding journey, and I have deep gratitude for it.”   

-Colleen Keahey Lanier, Executive Director, Hemp Industries Association (HIA)

“Hemp is a growing and thriving industry that stands for change in how we approach our health. It isn't by accident that this plant has attracted so much attention. Hemp is a gateway for the average person to start thinking about their routines and begin to take control of their well-being. Hemp has been here the whole time, just waiting for us to discover its potential.”

-Amanda Matsui, Co-founder, Yuyo Botanics

“Hemp to me is a second chance.  

There are so many things we have gotten wrong as a society- use of plastics that pollute, pharmaceuticals that cause addiction, crops that strip the earth.

Hemp can be used in the place of plastic, to regenerate the soil and as a therapeutic plant medicine in place of addictive pharmaceuticals.  

With the legalization of hemp, we’ve got a chance to make all this right. It truly is our second chance.”

-Jessica Mulligan, Co-Founder, Winged CBD

"Hemp is a fantastic fiber. It’s relatively easy to grow requiring little or no irrigation, less fertilizers than other crops all the while improving soil health. As a fabric, hemp needs no break in time, is soft and cooling to the touch, highly abrasion resistant and takes color beautifully. All told it’s a miracle fiber that I personally love designing long-lasting clothing with"

-John Rapp, Senior Clothing Designer, Patagonia 

“Opportunity.  It means opportunity.”

-Mike Lewis, Kentucky Hemp Farmer, Third Wave Farms, and part of the Patagonia short film Harvesting Liberty

“Hemp can provide you with a high protein food product, it can put non-toxic, sustainably grown clothes on your back, you can live within its carbon-negative walls, it can help you feel better than you have in years, and it could help replace plastics that are ruining our planet. Hemp may not be the answer to everything, but it is an answer we are now able to explore (due to it finally being federally legal).  So now we need do more research, be as innovative as we can and support the small farmers and businesses and let everyone have access to a piece of the green pie.”

Megan Villa, Co-Founder, Svn Space

“Beyond the fact that hemp is the raw material that I use, it has elevated the things I love to do most and my everyday job to the point where it helps fight climate change. 

I build houses with it; I have the chance to move massive amounts of it and be part of our collective evolution.

Hemp means solutions, new concepts and tools to clean out pollution while improving our lives. It is a perfect model of sustainability because these technologies respect nature.

There are physical needs and needs of the soul, hemp is feeding both for me. “

-Anthony Neron, Founder, Du Chanvre

“Hemp, to me, represents the solution. As a surfer, I travel the world witnessing the devastating results of plastic pollution flooding our waterways and our beaches. I witness small island communities being affected by climate change when they themselves are not the ones responsible for the excess in greenhouse gas emissions. I witness families affected by GMO fields and toxic pesticides being sprayed in their own communities, and the social implications of environmental injustice. It’s hard to stay positive in such a heavy time of human existence. But the incredible hemp plant is an example of a tangible resolve, a positive source of hope. The uses for this plant are limitless, from housing, to clothing, to healing of the soil and our bodies, which, should we choose to utilize its potential, could save us from environmental catastrophe. Hemp, to me, is the not-so-secret weapon in the fight against climate change and restores my faith in the possibility of a healthy future for planet Earth and succeeding generations to come.”

-Lex Weinstein, Surfer/Environmentalist

“Hemp means embracing the past to forge ahead in the future and the future of Hemp is looking female. We are redefining, unearthing, discovering and sharing the truths about Hemp as we are the lifeblood to our parents, spouses, partners, children, girlfriends, peers and even pets. We talk, listen, learn and are thought leaders in an emerging space. We have the purchasing power as head of household to decide what goes into our families mouths to seeking better alternatives. This is about a modern Hemp revolution that is going to shift things forward in a sustainable lifestyle, alternatives in plant wellness, decriminalization, stimulate employment, create new opportunities and provide more leadership positions for women. Let's keep healthy conversations going, respecting one another, our peers, our audience, our planet and this plant...“

-Grace Saari, Co-Founder, Svn Space

“Other than the many environmental & personal health benefits, hemp to us also represents social consciousness (or lack thereof) given the fact that it’s been accepted as a harmful and illegal plant by our governmental body AND us as a society for so many decades under the pretense that it could be harmful when it poses no more harm than water when consumed in excess. 

We care not to bring our consciousness here to bask on the negatives but rather to remind us all that morality, the wrong and right, doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with legality.  A lot of laws are fallible, which has been the historical pattern since the institution of governments thousands of years ago; we all know this.  So instead of judging, maiming, and crucifying others who often challenge the law, let’s stop and truly consider the possibility that these “outlaws” (who had been right about hemp all along) could be here to protect us from becoming too comfortable with laws unbeknownst to us that may be more harmful than good.

To sum it up, other than health, hemp also represents an open mind & heart; a reservation of our knowledge as to what we had defined as good & bad so that we may promote more energy of acceptance & love as opposed to judgement & hate.”

- Brittanny Tran, Co-Founder, I Love Bad

"For the literal minded, hemp means cannabis sativa, its Latin name. To me, Cannabis Sativa is an incredible, robust, healthy plant that can create powerful medicine to improve people’s lives, and sustainable fiber and materials to help heal the planet."

- Adam Grossman, Co-Founder and CEO, Papa & Barkley

“For me, HEMP signifies a reconnection to our environment. Hemp has always been here, patiently waiting for humanity to wake up, accept and recognize its ability to improve and maintain the natural condition of our Earth.”

-Monica Campana, Co-Founder, Svn Space

“Hemp is empathetic and generous. Hemp cares about the environment, the people and supply chain who produce and bring hemp to life. Hemp is past, present and future. Hemp is generating advanced technologies now while simultaneously seeding the growth of innovation for generations to come.”

- Mark Sunderland, Chief Innovation Officer, Hemp Black

“This time, the farmers are in charge.  That’s the niche that I am trying to promote in the hemp industry.  Hemp is a big tent and no judgement and at the same time, this time I’d like to see the industry be comprised of lots of independent farming families re-building rural communities and thriving entrepreneurially but regeneratively.  This time “the farmers are in charge.”

-Doug Fine, author of Hemp Bound and organic hemp farmer

“I’m from Kentucky and hemp, ultimately to me is an incredible opportunity for our farmers who have been really been struggling with the decline of tobacco.  Tobacco is certainly a product that kills people and it is heartwarming to see so many farmers are gaining a new livelihood from a product that helps people and potentially can help save people’s lives perhaps.  To me, that movement from tobacco to hemp is really exciting and having CBD as a popular product out there really expands the market for hemp farmers and makes that possible.

-Jonathan Miller, General Counsel, Hemp Roundtable

"You know when you're sitting in traffic and drift off to that happy place. Mine is usually Costa Rica. That's hemp to me."

-Rob Jungmann, Founder, Jungmaven