From Seed to Fiber: U.S. Hemp Industry's Trade Mission to Japan Welcome back to the Let's Talk Hemp Volume Up Podcast! I'm your host, Morris Beagle, and today we have a special episode featuring "The Japan Tapes," a series of on-the-ground interviews recorded at the inaugural Tokyo International Hemp Conference. This event marked a significant milestone for the U.S. hemp industry, with 26 delegates from various companies and organizations participating in a groundbreaking trade mission to Japan.
From Seed to Fiber: U.S. Hemp Industry's Trade Mission to Japan
Episode Description:
Welcome back to the Let's Talk Hemp Volume Up Podcast! I'm your host, Morris Beagle, and today we have a special episode for you: The Japan Tapes. This episode features a series of short, on-the-ground interviews recorded at the inaugural Tokyo International Hemp Conference. This event marked a significant milestone for the U.S. hemp industry, with 26 delegates from various companies and organizations coming together for a groundbreaking trade mission to Japan.
Episode Highlights:
Introduction:
The Tokyo International Hemp Conference was a major event for the U.S. hemp industry, featuring 26 delegates from various companies and organizations.
The trade mission included attending the conference, a high-profile meeting at the Royal Thai Embassy, and participation in the Asia Hemp Entrepreneur Program.
A highlight of the trip was visiting an eighth-generation farm known for producing golden hemp, a fiber traditionally used in Shinto temples and sumo wrestling rituals.
The mission was spearheaded by the National Industrial Hemp Council of America (NIHC) with support from a $750,000 USDA grant.
Interviews:
Clyde Carpenter (New York Fashion Innovation Center):
Discusses his role as a lab manager focused on natural fibers like wool, hemp, and flax.
Shares insights on the importance of international collaboration and his takeaways from the event.
Gary Sykes (North Carolina):
Talks about his involvement in the textile industry and the importance of protecting farmers.
Emphasizes the significance of regenerative agriculture and his learnings from the trip.
Guy Carpenter (Bear Fiber):
Highlights the importance of raising awareness about hemp fiber and the potential for U.S. hemp in the Japanese market.
Shares his excitement about the demand for American de-gummed refined fiber in Japan.
Jacob Waddell (Hemp Building Institute):
Focuses on the development of hemp building materials and the importance of accurate carbon calculations.
Discusses his meeting with a Japanese official working on building codes for hempcrete.
Jean Lotus (U.S. Hemp Building Association):
Talks about her work as a journalist and publisher focused on hemp building materials.
Shares insights on the potential for hempcrete in Japan, especially for rehabbing vacant properties.
Joe Hickey (Kentucky Farmers Co-op):
Reflects on his long history in the hemp industry and the importance of international collaboration.
Expresses gratitude for the opportunity to learn and share ideas at the conference.
Mike Klump (AgMarvels):
Describes his seed-to-sale business in Michigan and the importance of face-to-face interactions.
Shares his interest in expanding into grain and fiber applications.
Patrick Atagi (NIHC):
Discusses the success of the event and the importance of working together to promote U.S. hemp internationally.
Highlights upcoming events and initiatives by the NIHC.
Paul Benham (Hemp Plastic Company):
Talks about his work in hemp bioplastics and the potential for collaboration with Japanese companies.
Reflects on the growth of the hemp industry in Japan and the importance of international partnerships.
Ray Kaderli (U.S. Hemp Building Association):
Emphasizes the significance of building and construction using industrial hemp.
Shares his takeaways from the trip and the importance of human connections in the industry.
Robin Destiche (Konopi U.S.):
Discusses his work in seed distribution and agronomy and the potential for U.S. hemp in Japan.
Shares his excitement about the opportunities for collaboration and trade.
Additional Guest interviews include:
Upcoming Events:
Andean Hemp and Cannabis Trade Forum in Peru: October 17th-19th.
Asia International Hemp Expo in Bangkok, Thailand: November 27th-30th.
11th Annual NOCO Hemp Expo in Estes Park, Colorado: April 10th-12th.
22nd EIHA Conference and Experience Hemp Berlin: June 11th-13th.
Stay tuned for the second half of our exclusive interviews from the Tokyo International Hemp Conference. Thank you for listening, and I hope to see you at one of these incredible hemp events soon!
Show Sponsor - Her Many Voices - hermanyvoices.org
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00:00 - Introduction to Let's Talk Hemp Podcast
00:00:35 - Overview of the Tokyo International Hemp Conference
00:01:07 - Highlights of the U.S. Delegation's Trade Mission to Japan
00:01:30 - Role of the National Industrial Hemp Council and USDA Grant
00:01:51 - Panel Discussions and Key Figures at the Conference
00:02:22 - Introduction to Her Many Voices Organization
00:02:43 - Interview with Clyde Carpenter from New York Fashion Innovation Center
00:03:46 - Clyde Carpenter's Takeaways from the Event
00:04:46 - Interview with Gary Sykes from North Carolina
00:05:55 - Gary Sykes' Takeaways from the Event
00:07:20 - Gary Sykes on Regenerative Agriculture
00:09:41 - Interview with Guy Carpenter from Bare Fiber
00:11:07 - Guy Carpenter's Takeaways from the Event
00:12:05 - Guy Carpenter on Japanese Hospitality and Future Plans
00:12:47 - Interview with Jacob Waddell from the Hemp Building Institute
00:13:46 - Jacob Waddell's Takeaways from the Event
00:15:10 - Jacob Waddell on Future Collaborations
00:15:21 - Interview with Jean Lotus from the U.S. Hemp Building Association
00:17:27 - Jean Lotus on Japan's Housing Situation and Hempcrete
00:19:50 - Jean Lotus' Takeaways from the Event
00:22:55 - Interview with Joe Hickey from Kentucky Farmers Co-op
00:24:07 - Joe Hickey's History in the Hemp Industry
00:26:30 - Joe Hickey on the Importance of International Collaboration
00:27:25 - Joe Hickey's Takeaways from the Event
00:29:54 - Interview with Mike Klump from AgMarvels
00:30:46 - Mike Klump's Takeaways from the Event
00:31:40 - Mike Klump on Expanding into Grain and Fiber
00:32:42 - Interview with Patrick Itagi from the National Industrial Hemp Council
00:33:43 - Patrick Itagi on the Goals of the Trade Mission
00:34:54 - Patrick Itagi's Takeaways from the Event
00:36:14 - Future Plans for the National Industrial Hemp Council
00:38:04 - Interview with Paul Benham from the Hemp Plastic Company
00:39:08 - Paul Benham's Takeaways from the Event
00:41:48 - Paul Benham on Future Plans and Collaborations
00:43:57 - Interview with Ray Catterley from the U.S. Hemp Building Association
00:44:46 - Ray Catterley's Takeaways from the Event
00:47:59 - Conclusion of the First Half of Interviews
00:48:09 - Upcoming Hemp Events and Conferences
00:49:51 - Resuming Interviews from Tokyo International Hemp Conference
00:50:07 - Interview with Robin from Konopi U.S.
00:51:09 - Robin's Takeaways from the Event
00:52:30 - Opportunities for U.S. Operators in Japan
00:54:19 - Robin's Final Thoughts on Tokyo and the Event
QUOTES:
"Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends." - 00:00:08
"The Japan Tapes, a series of short on-the-ground interviews recorded at the inaugural Tokyo International Hemp Conference." - 00:00:45
"One of the highlights was a visit to the revered eighth-generation farm known for producing golden hemp, a fiber traditionally used in Shinto temples and sumo wrestling rituals." - 00:01:18
"The goal? To foster collaborations between the growing Japanese hemp market and U.S. companies." - 00:01:41
"It's interesting learning about the industry internationally, seeing where other countries are, what they've learned, and what we can trade and work on together." - 00:03:46
"I love to learn. And I'm always trying to learn something." - 00:07:20
"Hemp makes it better." - 00:11:05
"The Thai group is amazing. Many beautiful things." - 00:14:46
"Hempcrete is a great choice for that." - 00:21:28
"Working together works." - 00:34:54
Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends. I'm glad you could attend. Again, you are listening to the Let's Talk Hemp podcast. I am your host, Morris Beagle. Welcome to the show. Welcome to the Let's Talk Hemp Volume Up Podcast. I'm your host, Morse Beagle, and today we have something special for you. The Japan Tapes, a series of short on-the-ground interviews recorded at the inaugural Tokyo International Hemp Conference. This event marked a major milestone for the U.S. hemp industry as 26 delegates from various companies and organizations came together for a groundbreaking trade mission to Japan. During this mission, the U.S. delegation attended the Tokyo International Hemp Conference, held a high-profile meeting at the Royal Thai Embassy, and participated in the Asia Hemp Entrepreneur Program. One of the highlights was a visit to the revered eighth-generation farm known for producing golden hemp, a fiber traditionally used in Shinto temples and sumo wrestling rituals. This trade mission was spearheaded by the National Industrial Hemp Council of America, NIHC, with the support from a $750,000 grant from the USDA's Regional Agriculture Promotion Program. The goal? To foster collaborations between the growing Japanese hemp market and U.S. companies. The Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association also played a key role in coordinating this international effort. At the conference, I had the privilege of joining NIHC President and CEO, Patrick Itagi, in a panel discussion about hemp and cannabis regulations in the U.S. We also heard from key figures like Joe Hickey of the Kentucky Farmers Co-op, Jacob Waddell and Todd Hughes from the Hemp Building Institute, Paul Benham from the Hemp Plastic Company, and Bing Bai from Hempwood. Stay tuned as we dive into interviews with the U.S. participants who made this trip a success and hear their thoughts on what this mission means for the future of hemp on a global scale. This podcast is presented by our friends at Her Many Voices, where grassroots activism is driven by indigenous wisdom, to protect all of Earth's children. For more information on this amazing organization, visit HerManyVoices.org. Now, let's get started. Back here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with Clyde Carpenter. What's going on, Clyde? Not much. How you doing? I'm doing good. So why don't you tell folks what you do in the industry?
undefined: Yes, so I'm a lab manager for the New York Fashion Innovation Center. We are a lab focused on natural fibers, including wool, hemp, and flax. And we're figuring out how to incorporate these domestic supplies of materials into the domestic supply chain so that we can make fashion products out of them. Right on.
undefined: I assume you got your interest into the natural fibers based on your dad's work. Is that correct?
undefined: That would be correct. You know, I always liked fashion, but he kind of brought me to the science side and the textile and yarn side. And it was a lot cooler actually, so I stuck with it. There you go.
undefined: So what made you want to come to this event in Japan?
undefined: Well, you know, it's interesting learning about the industry internationally, seeing where other countries are, what they've learned, and what we can trade and work on together.
undefined: Okay, and any takeaways that you want to share with us about the event?
undefined: You know, it's been super interesting and I've made a lot of great connections here in Asia, in Europe, and the Middle East. And I'm excited to explore these collaborations together and see if we can work together to make products all together for fashion.
undefined: And you were in China before you came here, is that correct? No. So you didn't go out there with Guy, you flew here directly, is that correct? Next time I want to go to China. Well, right on. Any final thoughts?
undefined: Yeah. I'd just like to thank Patrick Itagi, the NIHC, and the USDA for funding this trip. And it's been a great trip. We've learned a lot and excited to be working internationally more so now than ever.
undefined: Right on. Well, it was good to get to know you during this trip and look forward to hanging out with you some more. Thank you, Morris. All righty. Back again here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm hanging out here with Gary Sykes from North Carolina.
undefined: How are you doing today, Gary? Great, Morris. Good to be here with you. It's great to have you here.
undefined: Great to have you in Japan. So why don't you tell the folks what you do in the hemp industry.
undefined: So we've been in the process, my partners and I, for two and a half years. We've kind of honed in on what we want to do, how do we want to be involved in the hemp industry. And we're actually going at it a little bit differently. We're getting into the textile industry. And from there, we'll back into hemp de-gumming. So right now, we anticipate by the end of the year to be de-gumming by the end of, by the first of 2025.
undefined: Right on. And you've been growing hemp for quite a while.
undefined: Oh, yeah. You know, there's a lot to learn about the production side. And I want to make sure that our farmers are protected, that we can make sure we take care of them because It's a different crop, and they don't have experience with it. And so, you know, I want to make sure that as we partner with farmers to produce hemp for us, which is at least two years off for us, we want to make sure they're successful. And so we've got to be able to know how to do it so we can show them how to do it.
undefined: And is there going to be an emphasis on regenerative ag? I know that that's a big part of your history.
undefined: Yeah, yeah, so I'm excited about that and work with Hope to be working with Elaine Ingham the soil food web she pioneered that whole concept of how the microorganisms work with the plants and they interact and and how growth is supposed to occur naturally and without artificial fertilizers, without chemicals.
undefined: I'm all about that.
undefined: And so here we are in Japan. What made you want to jump onto this trip?
undefined: I thought it was an awesome opportunity to, I love to learn. And I'm always trying to learn something. And it's a great chance to come over, learn about the hip industry here. And what can I learn to help us back home? What can we do to help them? Because now that I'm here, I see that they're probably a little bit behind us. And if there's what we can offer to help with that, I think that's great. And that's how I want to operate.
undefined: Right. And takeaways from the event and the trip?
undefined: Yeah, it's been a very, very good trip. I think there are a lot of things that we're going to pause on that in just a minute. Take away. All right. So I think the trip out to Golden Hemp was maybe the biggest thing for me to see how they do things here. Very interesting to observe that. Very interesting to observe the culture. I love the culture here. Hardworking people. They're very clean, respectful, and I just really like that. Maybe we can take some of that back home with us. I've been able to For the concentration here, it seems to me, has been on more CBD than it has fiber. So I look forward to seeing how we can maybe help the industry here, how we can collaborate with the Japanese and do some exciting things in the future.
undefined: Any final thoughts? Thanks to NIHC, you know.
undefined: Yeah, yeah. So many thanks for NIHC for asking me to tag along here and be a part of this. It's been an eye-opening experience for me, and I look forward to taking this back to the hemp industry in North America and how we can help be a part of that.
undefined: Awesome, man. Well, it's good to see you again. It's been a while, but always good to see you, Gary. All right. Thank you, Morris. Same here.
undefined: Back again here at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference with Guy Carpenter from Bare Fiber. How are you doing today, Guy? I'm doing great.
undefined: Thanks, Mark. I hope everything's going well with you. I notice that, like yourself, we've all been having a really good time learning more about the Japanese hemp industry and the traditions that have kept it going so strongly here. And it's been a real pleasure to participate in and meet people and network with people, not only from Japan, but from other countries as well. At Bare Fiber. We're primarily focused on raising the education level of people about the benefits of hemp fiber. And our goal is to increase the knowledge that America wants to be number one in hemp fiber yarn and textile production. And so far, we seem to be doing well. And that America seems to be more well-developed than many other countries to final textile production leading to fully finished products to be available on the apparel industry.
undefined: Right, and so you've been doing bare fiber for how long now?
undefined: Barefiber is six years old now. And all hemp? Barefiber is all about hemp, but it's also about cotton, which is hemp's BFF. But we also blend with other fibers that are of great interest in the fashion and apparel industry.
undefined: But as you like to say, hemp makes it better.
undefined: It makes it better, that's right. And so why did you want to come to the Japan event?
undefined: Well, I was very interested in the opportunity to learn more about Golden Hemp and its traditions here in Japan. And I was very interested also to see some customers that I have over here and to potentially develop new customers over here. So business, commerce, that's my number one priority all the time. Sure.
undefined: And main takeaways from the event thus far?
undefined: It appears that There is a demand for American de-gummed refined fiber within the spinning industry that still exists here in Japan, and that's exciting. The opportunities to work with players here and help them grow stronger and bigger and make better products is what we're all about.
undefined: Right on. Anything else? Any final thoughts?
undefined: I've been so impressed with the hospitality of the Japanese people. I'm so appreciative of the work of the National Industrial Hemp Council, and also thankful many times over for USDA for making this possible and funding our mission of trade here.
undefined: Right. Those guys have all done great. The Japanese Hemp Association.
undefined: And I want to say thanks to the Thai Industrial Hemp people also, because they've really done a lot of work and made it easier for us to be here.
undefined: DD and Tip and Pui, all of them have been great. Absolutely. All right. Thanks. It's been good hanging out with you guys. Same, Bross. All right. Sitting here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference with Jacob Waddell from the Hemp Building Institute. How are you doing today, Jake? Doing well. So why don't you go ahead and tell the folks what you do here in the hemp industry?
undefined: So I'm really focused on the hemp building side of the industry. developing that and getting some science done in that area. Currently, we've just been selected for an EPA grant to work on carbon calculations for natural building materials and trying to make sure that we get the math right. It's really important because we believe that the way the EPA is moving that the embodied carbon will have incentives in the future, and so we're trying to make sure that we get a fair count.
undefined: And this grant goes for how many years? For five years. Okay. And so what brings you to Japan? Why'd you jump on this trip with NIHC and the USDA?
undefined: Because it was a trip to Japan. That's one of the reasons. One really interesting opportunity that I have here is actually later today I'm meeting with the gentleman who's trying to make the building codes for Japan, for Hemkrete, and get them into the Japan industrial standards. So it's something that I had communicated with through Takashi-san. and just to help them with some math because they're trying to use the basis of the International Residential Code which I helped put forward and get it accepted in the U.S. as kind of their inspiration and where they're going with it. So it's a great opportunity to actually meet face-to-face with him and try to see if there's anything else I can do to help.
undefined: Yeah, well face-to-face beats Zoom and phone calls.
undefined: Absolutely. And email. Yes, every time, especially for the Japanese. Sure, no question about it.
undefined: And takeaways from the trip?
undefined: The Thai group is amazing. Many beautiful things. They've really led us around. Amazing food. Great to meet and interact with all of our allies and all the people from the U.S. as well that I really just don't have an opportunity to spend that much time with because we all live around the country.
undefined: Well, cool. Anything else you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
undefined: Not really. Just, you know, keep the faith, I guess, and keep everything moving forward. Thank you so much, Morris, for all that you do, and I appreciate you interviewing me.
undefined: Oh, absolutely. And a shout out to National Industrial Hemp Association, or actually Shout out to National Industrial Hemp Council and Patrick Itagi, Veronica, and that group for getting this put together and bringing this group to Japan.
undefined: And the USDA Foreign Ag Services.
undefined: Cool, man. Great to hang. Back here again in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with Jean Lotus, the Hemp Creek Queen. Also works with the U.S. Hemp Building Association. How are you doing, Jean?
undefined: I'm doing great. This is a great trip. Tokyo is beautiful.
undefined: It is. It's been a lot of fun thus far. Why don't you tell folks what you do in the hemp industry?
undefined: I am a journalist and a and a publisher, and what I am doing in the hemp industry, I have a very narrow, you know, hemp has 50,000 uses, but I'm only concerned about building materials. And I publish a free online trade journal called the hempbuildmag.com. It's got about 150 articles on there about the building industry and the growth of the hemp building industry. I also publish, I'm on my fourth directory of the hemp building industry. The third directory for 2023, yeah, no, for 2024 had 700 companies, so I'm expecting to have a lot more for 2025 and it's really interesting how This industry is growing in the United States Yeah, you've done a fantastic job with the publication. I know you wrote a quite a few things for Yes, and that was that was a real treat but I just you know, I There have been a lot of Magazines and such that are about hemp in general, but I just decided to Niche down plus I think that housing is so important to all of us with a housing shortage and anything that can give us a healthier better Way to build housing is and to renovate housing is really important You know to the to the international zeitgeist and to humans in general just to get a healthy shelter.
undefined: Right, I agree. Well, you've done a fantastic job. It's nice to see people in this industry who actually have a focus. Many people want to be a jack-of-all-trades.
undefined: There's also a real need for accuracy in the building space, in the hemp building space, because people start saying things like hempcrete is stronger than concrete when hempcrete is It's a bad name, but it is just a form of insulation, and hemp is stronger than steel and some other things. In the building industry, you don't get very far when you talk like that. We have a fantastic roadmap from the Europeans who have been building with hemp crete for 30 years and are building gigantic carbon zero buildings right now in France and Switzerland and Italy, using hemp as an ingredient in building, not starting with, what can I do with this hemp? They are using it right now in really big projects. For me, since it's been approved there and people know how to work with it for three decades, I think it's going to come to the United States a lot faster and in a lot, in a, in a, uh, organized way that actually makes sense.
undefined: Agreed. So why did you decide to come to Japan?
undefined: Oh my gosh. Well, Japan, um, One thing about Japan is their housing situation is very interesting because we're here in Tokyo. It has 14 million people, a lot of families and folks in very, very small apartments. We're surrounded here. We're up on the fifth floor, but we're surrounded by high-rises. But meanwhile, the countryside has 9 million vacant properties. They're called akiya properties, and some of them There are various reasons that they are abandoned. One is, you know, they're falling apart. Two, maybe they lost the title, possibly because of the war time. Three, families that just, you know, everybody in the family died and they had no one to leave it to. So hemp in Europe has been used a lot to rehab buildings. And I think that Hempcrete could be a tool here, obviously not the only tool, but a tool here to rehab some of these buildings. And if, like in the United States, some small towns people who were knowledge workers were able to move out of the city if they had children or they wanted to have a smaller place and not live in an apartment. So I think that rehabbing these IKEA properties, which are, if you read the New York Times, you can buy one for $25,000. I think that using green building materials that are natural and safe is something that is going to be very interesting. To the Japanese. I also think if you notice the Japanese talk a lot about the UN sustainability goals And you see it at every hotel that we've been to you know sustainability goals here here here so it really is top of mind here and Hemp Creed is a great choice for that Cool I agree so some takeaways real quick from the event takeaways Absolutely beautiful. I'm sure other people on the podcast have talked about the fantastic visit to Golden Hemp. Eight generations of folks growing that plant along with other, you know, obviously other crops and the sort of spiritual feeling that The Shinto religion has toward hemp was very interesting to me. It's meant when they put a rope in front of the shrine, it's meant to sort of block bad, bad omens from coming into the shrine. It's a protective material. I found that very interesting. I found we probably were in one of the few hempcrete buildings in Japan at the Golden Hemp Farm. So that was really great to get to visit another hempcrete building. Pretty soon they'll be everywhere and hemp will be boring.
undefined: Well, it's been awesome to have you out here and part of the group. We've had a wonderful trip thus far.
undefined: Yes, me too. I'm just loving it. And I'm just loving the reaction that the Americans are getting to, you know, our hemp wood and Guy Carpenter bare fiber, you know, the textiles that he's got. I'm really enjoying watching the Japanese who are here for the conference, you know, realize that this actually has other uses and that technology has moved on ahead and that they can possibly jump right in.
undefined: Yeah. All right. Well, thanks for your time. It's always good to see you, Jean.
undefined: Thank you. Thanks, Morris.
undefined: Sudden here in Tokyo, Japan with Joe Hickey. How are you doing today, Joe?
undefined: Oh, I'm loving it here. The weather here today is just wonderful, so I'm thankful for that. I'm really enjoying meeting all the people that we've come in contact with, and it's really been a great experience so far.
undefined: I would agree with that. So why don't you tell the folks what you do in the hemp industry and how you got into it?
undefined: Well, I've been in the hemp industry since 92 when I discovered the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative Association that was actually started back in 1942 for the war effort. And before that, you know, they had out-leveled it, but because they needed the fiber and everything for the war effort, the Kentucky Hemp Growers Cooperative was put together to grow hemp for the war effort, and the president of the co-op actually was asked by Roosevelt to come to Washington, D.C. and run the Hemp for Victory program, which, you know, I'd heard about that, but I didn't know the relationship with Kentucky and the actual movie that you see that was produced by the U.S. government back then to promote and have farmers grow hemp for the war effort. That was how I first got started. And then once I got into it and looked into it more and more, I was saying, you know, this is, we were an anomaly in the United States because it was growing, you know, pretty much all over the world. And the more I looked into it, the more I found out and, you know, it just turned into a 32-year adventure. So it's been, you know, it's been a great time. I'm, you know, probably going to write a book about all these adventures because it's, you know, hemp has really given me a different perspective on agriculture and, you know, what it means to be producing food and fiber for, you know, for a with a crop that hasn't been, you know, able to be part of the agricultural scene since, you know, really the turn of the century. Right. So it's, you know, it's been a great experience here. I'm looking forward to, uh, you know, carrying on the relationships we built here. Right.
undefined: So, uh, what brought you to Japan in the first place? Why did, uh, why you want to jump on the trip?
undefined: Well, I think the advantage of coming over here is meeting these people in the different contexts in person and learning about what they're doing and sharing what we're doing, which really is going to propel the hemp industry worldwide. And this exchange of ideas and to me is the thing that is the linchpin of creating this industry or speeding up the development of the hemp industry around the world. So being here, I think is just the beginning of, you know, what we can accomplish in the years to come with everybody involved.
undefined: Totally agree on that. So what are your final takeaways about the event and the trip?
undefined: Well, I want to give a shout out to Patrick Itaki and the National Industrial Hemp Council because they put this thing on with the help from the USDA, the funding from the RAP program, which has allowed us to come here and learn about what's happening and the exchange of ideas. So, you know, Patrick's really been a great force in the United States for him, so it's to me the takeaway is the gratitude. There you go.
undefined: Gratitude can't get much better for takeaways than gratitude. I'd also like to give a shout out to Veronica from NIHC and The Thai people. The Thai people, Dee Dee and Tip and they've been great. They've done a lot of coordination and organization, hanging out on the bus, traveling around the mountains of Japan and throughout Tokyo.
undefined: They have really made the trip enjoyable because, you know, you go on some trips and they're not organized and everything. This was so organized. We knew where we were going to be. We knew what we were going to do. They took great care of us. So, you know, shout out to the Thai Hemp Industries Association.
undefined: Big props to the crab fest and the sausage.
undefined: Right. That was great. But yeah, I'm looking forward to carrying on with the Tye folks, you know, here in the coming weeks and months. We've made some great connections there and here. So I think it's going to be a great, you know, it's going to be a great time.
undefined: Oh, yeah. All right. Well, great talking to you as always, Joe, and we'll catch up with each other back in the US.
undefined: Great. Thanks, Morris. I appreciate it. All right. Take care. Take care.
undefined: Back here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with Mike Klump from AgMarvels. How are you doing?
undefined: Hey, doing good.
undefined: So, Mike, why don't you tell everybody what you do in the hemp industry?
undefined: Yeah, we're from Michigan, Central Michigan, Mount Pleasant. We're kind of a seed-to-sale business there in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. We have a farming operation where we grow hemp and then we have an extraction facility. We extract all sorts of different cannabinoids and then build finished products along with ship-in-bulk cannabinoids really all over the world.
undefined: Cool, and what made you want to jump on this Japan exposition or Japan excursion?
undefined: Sure. Yeah, we're we're always looking to open new doors and we done some business with Japan a couple years ago They had a change of the rules and stuff over here and we've been looking to get back in the Japanese market So we took advantage of this trip and come over to hopefully establish new relationships.
undefined: So and what are some of your takeaways from the event? I
undefined: I think it's been really good. We have some good connections we've made here in Japan. We've also actually made some nice relationships, I think, with people from India and Thailand as well while we've been here.
undefined: Cool. Anything else that you'd like to add?
undefined: I think these kind of events are great for us to get out there. It's always good to come shake hands and meet people in person versus trying to do stuff over Zoom or on a phone call. I think it means a lot to the people you're doing business with, too, to be able to actually travel to the foreign countries where you want to do some business and put some legitimacy behind the brand.
undefined: And you mentioned before we we jumped on this that you are starting to dabble on other Aspects of the hemp space with some grain and fiber type applications.
undefined: Yeah Yeah, we just started here a few months ago with some seed Seed and oil we just put a put a press in we've been cold pressing some hemp making some hemp oil some hemp proteins and those kind of things with the new changing some laws there in the states with Like chicken feed being one of them to allow some hemp proteins and stuff and that so we're we're looking to keep moving forward with the The hemp industry maybe in you know in a different capacity.
undefined: So how many acres do you have on your farm? I?
undefined: We farm around 3,000 acres total, but this year we currently have 200 acres of hemp that we're growing. And then we contract acreage with other farmers to grow for us as well.
undefined: And are you growing any other crops on your land?
undefined: Yeah, we grow corn and soybeans and just typical row crops there in Michigan. Well, cool. Are you a Lions fan? Oh, yeah. Go Lions. Go Lions. They should have went to the Super Bowl last year. They should have. Maybe this year. All right, man. It's been great to get to know you. All right. Sounds good, buddy. Thanks.
undefined: All right, sitting here with Patrick Itagi from the National Industrial Hemp Council of America. We are in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. And how's it going, Patrick? What do you think of the event so far?
undefined: It's been fantastic. A great collaboration amongst the Japanese Industrial Hemp Association, the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association, and the National Industrial Hemp Council. It's phenomenal. It's not just learning about golden hemp, deals are being made and people are meeting with businesses and companies are meeting with businesses. So exactly what the USDA Regional Agriculture Promotion Program is to do is to export US hemp to the world.
undefined: And so that was really kind of the whole emphasis of this was We've tapped into these WRAP dollars, and that's to take a U.S. delegation out of the country and try to do business, export trade scenarios with various countries, and particularly right now here in Japan.
undefined: Yeah, and absolutely. You know, on the surface, it's very much so, and even deeper. But it's very multifaceted. Also adding value to hemp. That was part of the golden hemp portion of the tour. Uh, where we learned how it was made because that's a very high, high value hemp product and that is used in the champion, the sumo champions. belt is made partially from hemp. In Shinto shrines, it's a religious part of the buildings and the decorations, so it's very revered in Japan. But I'd say it's akin to samurai swords, right? I mean, you can make them out of steel from anywhere, anybody can do them, but if you say, oh, it's a Japanese katana sword, You know, it's coming from Japan. It's like, oh, very high value. So that was the hope with hemp and Golden Hemp is that it becomes a high value product that elevates the stature of hemp, but also elevates the value.
undefined: Right. So what are your main takeaways from this excursion?
undefined: Absolutely that you know working together works, you know, you hear me sit and you know, you have your saying and but we know working together absolutely works, you know, we have folks from you know, you know, ind hemp You know on our trip to you know, bear fiber Fiber X, you know the commodity side You know Tim McCarthy, you know from the CBD side the chemical side You know, it's just been fantastic. We've got the Hemp Building Association, Jake Waddell's back, and the Hemp Building Group, and CEO level. I mean, this is C-suite, CEO level, as you all know, interacting with everybody. So it's been fantastic.
undefined: Well, I can tell you, everybody is very grateful to be here. They've thanked you and NIHC and your team. Veronica's been amazing. The Thai folks have been amazing. Didi and Tip and Pui. It's been… Pretty well organized seeing that this is the first one and we've all had to deal with a lot of juggling and changes and stuff But overall, I think it's been a fantastic event. You've done a great job Thank you. Thank you from the hemp industry and and what's next for National Industrial Hemp Council?
undefined: Yeah, like you said, you know, that's maybe the first Japanese International Association meeting but it's not the last this is all just a beginning, you know, you know, thanks to the industry and thanks to the support from across industry. Those who were early contributors to the organization and built it up, now we're starting to see the fruits of our labor. You and I will be at the Andy Hemp event in Peru in a few weeks. We're hosting, as a reminder, the Texas Hemp Building Education Certification School that's being held by Gene Lotus and Ray Kildarel. You know, then we have, you know, we'll be out at INDHemp. You know, where we'll be talking about, where I'll be talking about what we've done here. And that's just in the next three months. The bigger event in January 20th is Kenya that we're looking at in terms of hemp seed oil and there's a fuel again on the commodity side, you know, and then in November will be in Portugal on a textile fiber show event. But, you know, welcome, you know, the input. You know, people are asking, how do I get involved? You know, what's next? And it's like, the world is our oyster. You know, we are, when we come back, we'll get the folks who came here and those who want to get involved talking at a committee level and just do a roadmap, you know, instead of trying to be behind the wave and catching up. You know, we're in front of the wave, so let's get on that surfboard and ride.
undefined: Yeah. All right. Well, thanks for everything, Patrick. It's been great hanging out with you. And thanks again for your time and for putting this together.
undefined: No, thank you more for being a cornerstone. And, you know, this, you know, we're here because of you. So thank you very much. All right.
undefined: Thanks, man. Yep. Bye. All righty. Sudden hair into the line in the heart of Tokyo and Shibula. With Mr. Paul Benham from Australia, we're wrapping up the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. Whether the first or not, we're here in Japan with a group of 25, 26 of us from the United States, a whole group from Thailand, and lots of international folks, and it's been quite the excursion. How you doing, Paul?
undefined: Wow, it's been, it has been a big week indeed. I'm doing really well, a little bit tired after the 10 days that we've spent here all day and night networking and getting together with a bunch of hamsters and also energized at the same time from knowing that the industry is moving forward, some of the best from the U.S. being part of this tour, really representing what HEMP has to offer and seeing how we can work together with the Japanese right here in Tokyo.
undefined: That's right, because we know working together works. Oh, we heard that a few times this trip, but why don't you just give a quick overview of what you do in the industry for those that may not know.
undefined: What do I do in the industry? I've worked with hemp for 28 years. I do quite a bit working and supporting different companies around the world and have a couple of businesses myself right now. My main focus being the hemp plastic company where we make hemp filled bioplastics to make a difference in the fossil fuel industry and hopefully sequester some carbon to make the world a slightly more sustainable place than we find it in today. That's my predominant focus and the main reason I'm here in Tokyo. But I also have a personal passion in quite a different part of the plant, different subject, which is offering psychedelic therapy using cannabis and offering that as a one-to-one experience.
undefined: Well, so what are What are your takeaways from this event? Obviously, you're here on behalf of Hemp Plastics. Hemp Plastics is a U.S.-based company out of Colorado, right where I'm at. We're glad that you're on this excursion. You're a great representative for the U.S. delegation. Takeaways from the conference and the trip and the tour and everything?
undefined: I think the takeaway is that since the last time I was here in Tokyo, which was nearly five years ago now, that the industry has grown quite significantly. There is over $170 million of revenue here, in fact, and thousands of stores stocking hemp and CBD products. And we are starting to see some corporations taking a serious interest. I had met with two public companies while I was here in Japan and have started two new public companies that I haven't spoken with before, who we've started conversations with to see if there's opportunities to collaborate in the hemp industry to use our experience and technology and bring that here so that can be used in the local Japanese market.
undefined: Well it's been a great time, can't wait to come back here and do this again at some point but why don't you give just final thoughts on everything.
undefined: Well I guess my final thoughts are, my experience here in Tokyo has been on the wonderful professionalism of the National Industrial Hemp Council, the NIHC, headed up by Patrick Atagi and his colleagues, as a great support for the US industry in general. I think the USDA should be very proud of the work that he's doing in bringing companies together, obviously supported by the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association, who are also doing the same. I guess I deepened my connections with Thailand where I've been working for many years now in this space and I'll be heading over there next to Bangkok for the Asian Hemp Expo at the end of November where I'm hoping that the hemp plastic company will solidify some of its intentions to start its inroads into Asia, bringing all the work that we've set from our company based, as you said, in Colorado, working up in near Grand Rapids, Michigan and in South Carolina, bringing all the work from our team over there and starting to take that out into the world. Thank you again to you, Morris, for being a wonderful part of this group, and there are so much thanks to so many people for taking part and being collaborative, working together, because that does work.
undefined: It does work.
undefined: Always great to connect with you and look forward to Bangkok here in a couple of months. We'll see you then. Signing off from the heart of Tokyo, Shibula. Take care, everyone.
undefined: Arigatou gozaimasu.
undefined: Sitting here in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo International Hemp Conference with Ray Catterley from the U.S. Hemp Building Association. You're the president. How are you doing today, Ray?
undefined: Doing great. This has been an exciting trip.
undefined: So why don't you tell the folks here exactly what you do in the hemp industry.
undefined: Well, I found myself in a leadership role specifically in the niche of building and construction, utilizing the industrial hemp plant. And that's something that is opening up a lot of opportunities for a lot of different people. There's niches within niches on building and construction. There's a couple of different building materials that are making their way through the innovation process where the markets are finding out about them. But it's something that everybody's eagerly watching, especially when there's combined interests, such as fiber being used on one side, which leaves building materials left over on the other side. And that's just one example, and there are hundreds. And so there's blue oceans of opportunity, and it's nice to see them come to fruition.
undefined: And what made you want to jump on this Japan trip with NIHC and the USDA?
undefined: Well, they invited us to come to talk about the building side of things, and I didn't really know exactly what to expect. But what I found was just a rich culture and a human connection that goes back generations. You know, an eight generation farm. We don't have many eight generation farms in the United States or any that I know of. But it's one of those things to where that was a part of their, not just what you did for a living culture, but that was a significant connection to Each other and the divine and it's something that is they lost a lot of it along the way and then it's some of it's been preserved but what I really like about the role that building and construction has Utilizing industrial hemp is that that is where humans connect. It's not just the building. It's where the humans connect and then we were invited in and to connect and that was very satisfying and it was a great exchange of ideas and it's people doing it right and progress being made and then that leads to things like industry and so that industry can develop because people have connected and that's very warm in a space that can be cold.
undefined: Sure, no question about it. What would you say your biggest takeaways are from this trip?
undefined: The biggest takeaways are just to really focus on the significance of a built space being where humans connect. And then they can connect about something that is as significant as a plant that will feed you, clothe you, house you, give you medicine, all of those things. But it's really about the human connection with one another and then that's where things can come together. And I have really enjoyed meeting the people and sharing ideas and not just from Japan but from all of the other nations that are represented here. I was blown away at the level of conversations that were taking place and then how those conversations that I didn't necessarily know if I would be a part of because of the different aspects of the plant. There's so many different opportunities from textiles to medicine and so forth. But they really made the connections there to where now we see everything as an entire industry as a whole moving forward. That's something that we really haven't had that cohesiveness moving forward that I was glad to see. I would agree.
undefined: Any last thoughts or things you want to say?
undefined: No, just exciting things are happening. We've got codes that are coming on in the U.S. They shared with me that Japan is looking to do the same thing that was just accomplished with the IRC 2024 appendix for hemp lime. They're looking to do the same thing in Japan, and so these things are prototyping through. And so success begat success. We've achieved some. We learned from others like the French and others around the world that have used this, and it's all coming together and that works out.
undefined: All right, man. Thanks for all you do. It's great to hang with you. Thanks. Likewise.
undefined: Welcome back. You've just listened to the first half of our exclusive on the ground interviews from the Tokyo International Hip Expo held from September 24th through the 26th in Tokyo, Japan. In just a few minutes we'll bring you the second half, but first I'd like to share some exciting upcoming events. First up is the Andean Hemp and Cannabis Trade Forum in Peru from October 17th through the 19th, organized by my colleagues Jill Redish and Chris Day from the Global Cannabis Networking Collective. I'll be speaking on the Global Hemp Supply Chain Panel alongside Maximiliano Baranoff from Industrial Hemp Solutions and Vitold Czesnik Head of the Polish Hemp Program at the Institute of Natural Fibers and Medicinal Plants. Next, I'll be heading to Bangkok, Thailand for the third annual Asia International Hemp Expo, taking place November 27th through the 30th. I'll be participating in several panels and hosting a daily live Let's Talk Hemp series on the Hemp Talks Expo floor stage. This will be my third time in Bangkok, and I'm excited to be part of this fantastic event again. I also wanted to remind everyone about the 11th annual NOCO Hemp Expo, which will be held April 10th through the 12th in Estes Park, Colorado. We had an amazing experience last year, and we'll be expecting another fantastic conference and expo this year. Early bird registration for exhibitors and sponsors is now open. For more details, head to nocohempexpo.com. Finally, don't forget about the 22nd AHA Conference, that is the European Industrial Hemp Association, and Experience Hemp Berlin, set for June 11th through the 13th in Berlin. Mark your calendars. I hope to see you at one of these incredible hemp events soon. And now, let's dive back into the second half of our interviews from Tokyo. Back again here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. hanging out here with Robin. What's going on, man? Hey, Morris. Thanks for having me on today. Absolutely. So why don't you tell the folks what you do in the hemp industry?
undefined: Sure, sure. So I'm a founding member of Konopi U.S. We're a planting seed distribution and agronomy company in America working with farmers and processors all over the states. I think we've got seed in 25 states this year.
undefined: That's awesome. And why did you want to come to Japan?
undefined: You know, I was really interested in learning more about, you know, their approach on industrial hemp. And, you know, I've come to understand a bit about their cannabinoid market prior to coming out here, which is growing faster than the industrial side for certain. We saw some data that indicated it's a rather small amount of acres currently being grown. But there's a very long history in this country of using industrial hemp. Jack Harer's book, The Emperor Wears No Clothes, talking about the emperor wears hemp clothes. It's kind of my foray into the industry after reading that book. So I wanted to come see it for myself and talk to some of the people who work in the industry.
undefined: And what are your takeaways from the event thus far?
undefined: Well, as I mentioned, it's a smallish industry, but there's a lot of interest. I think it's going to require some new genetics in the market to meet their needs so that the government would be satisfied with lower amounts of THC. We did have the opportunity to visit a fiber processor where they make very nice golden fiber. They do a lot of work by hand. It's not machinery work as we're seeing in the States. But I think there's a lot of opportunity to grow. When it's culturally there, you know, there's an openness to working more with hemp products, but you need to work within the parameters that are laid down. And right now, those parameters are rather stiff and challenging in Japan.
undefined: Sure. So what do you think are opportunities for U.S. operators, such as yourself, to help facilitate growth here in Japan? How can we collaborate? How can we do business that helps kind of satisfy the reason that our delegation is out here on behalf of a USDA grant for trying to facilitate trade and export? It seems like there's some opportunities for U.S. operators to assist in growing this market here.
undefined: Yeah, absolutely. I tell you what, about three minutes before I came to talk to you, I'm pretty sure I just sold a container of herd to a gentleman out here who wants to do some building work. It's much easier for them to import herds and fiber than it is planting seed or consumption seed. with their very low parts per million. Although we're in a similar situation in the U.S. with our two parts per million on the laying hens. So, you know, we would have to hit two or one part per million here in Japan on anything grain related. But there's a definite interest in installation and building materials, and I believe that can be supplied from US operators.
undefined: Right. I think that that's the easiest point of entry. Hopefully, over the coming year or two, we'll see maybe a little different perspective come out from the government as to the THC percentages, like you said, one part per million or two parts per million. pretty low, and I know that their thought process about the demonization of THC marijuana comes from the United States. We helped write their constitution after World War II. Our drug policies have really influenced countries around the world, and now that our drug policies are changing, others around the world are still in place, and they're going to hopefully follow suit sooner than later.
undefined: Yeah, you know, it'll unfold over the course of years, you know, these things take time I think the low-hanging fruit in this is the herd and the fiber right now and there is an interest for it So we've had an opportunity to talk to a few people who might be interested in that And I think we're gonna have some some goods to send over here coming in out of this meeting great any final thoughts Man, Tokyo's awesome. This is such a beautiful city. The people here are so wonderful and welcoming. It's really been a treat to be able to be here and come get some more insights into the market and experience the culture. So I'm very grateful to the NIHC for putting this together and bringing this out here. And we're looking forward to doing some business follow-ups after this. Right on, man. It's always good to see you and hang out. You too, Morris. Thanks so much, man. Stay cool.
undefined: All right, sitting here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference with my friend Saddam Hussein from Pakistan, who met at several conferences over the last few years, Bangkok, the AHA show in Prague. How are you doing today?
undefined: Thank you very much, Morris. I'm Dr. Saddam Hussein. I'm working as associate professor at the Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. I have, I'm also affiliated with several other universities worldwide in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore. So, for the last four years I have been working on industrial hemp, on industrial hemp value chains and product development. We started working in 2020, and after that, we have completed, established the complete value chain of hemp, including its production, processing, and then utilization. We have gathered a large collection of land races, as this plant is native to Pakistan. and there is diversity of land races in northern and Potohar region. So we collected land races from those areas, we screened for low THC content, then we optimized, we screened for high fiber yield and quality. Later we optimized the hemp agronomy at different locations. We conducted multi-location trials. Now, we have involved different industries in Pakistan that are working on hemp-based products, knitwears as well as apparel. So, I see a bright future of industrial hemp in Pakistan. I can see that Pakistan will lead the hemp-related products in near future.
undefined: That's great. And so what brought you out to Japan to be part of this event?
undefined: So I have been invited here as a speaker. I delivered a lecture on the industrial hemp value chain in Pakistan, what's current progress, and what are the major challenges and prospects.
undefined: Okay. And have you enjoyed the event?
undefined: Yeah, I think it was a great platform to share the hemp-related experience. It's the hemp family and very interesting talks here. And it was a good platform to learn about hemp, to have connections with other hemp-related researchers, businessmen, industries. So it was a nice platform. I really enjoyed it.
undefined: Okay. Any other takeaways or last comments?
undefined: Thank you. As hemp is, to me, hemp Hemp is a resource-efficient plant, climate-resilient, sustainable. It is the only plant that can fulfill the requirements of food, feed, fiber, as well as fuels. So it has a very bright future. So we should focus on developing new high-value products on industrial hemp in order to sustain, in order to progress the economical prospectus.
undefined: Well, awesome. Thanks for all your work towards the plant. That's great to see you again. Nice seeing you. All right, back here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with Tim McCarthy. How are you doing? Doing great. How are you doing? I'm doing great.
: It's been a fun trip. It has. It's been, when they say it's a cultural experience, it really has been. They've done a great job helping us understand not only the people, but the hemp business in general and how it's been going here for thousands of years. non-stop, with a few interruptions, of course, like the rest of us in the world have had, but to see the history of it brings a lot more full circle to it. It's been great.
undefined: Right. Well, this is like our third time connecting across the pond. We went to Bangkok and went to Prague together. Right. Now we're in Japan. I know, isn't that crazy? It is. So why don't you tell folks what you do in the hemp industry?
: So I'm mainly in the CBD business, the real CBD business, and I try to work on wellness products and formulations. I usually, almost all the time, will combine cannabinoids with other botanicals to increase the level of efficacy for a particular use. I try to make sure it's more centered around a particular condition somebody's trying to address. So CBD can do a lot of that, but I think it works better when you make a good rope. Instead of one strand, you're going to, say, put nine things together, and that makes a stronger piece, and you can more target a particular condition. condition whether it be hands that are having problems or knees or if skin is bothering you and you can put together things together along with CBD and other cannabinoids or terpenes and You can take the best of the plant and combine it with the best of other plants and you make a really good product, right?
undefined: Well, it makes sense So why do you want to come to Japan?
: so I saw this in Thailand that there's a lot of newbies in the business and they're all starting out with 5 and 10 milligram strength. products trying to convince people that that's going to work. And so I wanted to see what they were doing in Japan. There's a little less of that here on their first foray into it. They've had CBD for a few years, but they haven't had CBD that is, but anything but from stalks and from seeds, what little they can extract. So they have had some experience with it. But I was trying to make sure that I got across to people that I could meet and greet and talk with that they need to do exactly how I think it should be done, is combining it with other things. And I've seen that in some of the products. A little concern for them on a few of the research where they're talking about doing things with just 10 milligrams. and trying to get actual studies, real studies, which is very encouraging to see, medical level studies. But try to let them know 10 milligrams is probably not going to do enough. And I was hoping to import some of the things that we've done in the states so that they can get a jump start ahead of where they would be otherwise, because our experience should be shared. And that's why I'm here, is to try to help on behalf of what we've learned and help the plant everywhere on the planet grow. Because it's just been a crime that it's been taken out when it shouldn't have been. And how are you going to get things done in general for everybody if you just take care of your own little island? you know, if you only do your own little thing, but if you can help everybody, well then the stigma can drop across the ponds, as we call it, and everybody can start getting over this thing being this horrible substance and realize, no, it's been good for a few thousand years for a reason. You know, it goes back, you know, three and four thousand years in China, medicinally. And we gave up on it, trying to stay away from some stigma that created in the early, mid-1900s. And it's time that we get this back to where it should be, which is helping people, because it addresses part of the body that very few other substances can. It needs to be there for people and help their endocannabinoid system and, you know, help that balance out and people can start feeling better about themselves because they're actually getting the right nutrition they need.
undefined: Right. So what are some of your takeaways from the trip?
: They're really interested in the whole plant. So they want it for fiber. They want it for building materials. They're trying to figure out how to get there. A lot of the emphasis has been on CBD because that seems to attract, I believe, the most attention at first. They're really approaching it from a let's study this, let's do it right from the beginning. And so rather than just throw it out there and see what sticks to the wall or trying to see if they can utilize it for recreation versus anything else, they want it for the true medicinal part. And I'm really encouraged by that because that's what I do. And I try to make sure that things are put together for the best of the patient. Because a lot of people looking for, say, something like CBD to help them, or any of the cannabinoids, they might have a medical condition that's already bothering them. And we don't need to make that any worse for them, because we either give them something that doesn't have enough strength to work, or it has mycotoxins or heavy metals. They, they test everything. They want to make sure everything's pure and clean. So you're actually doing it for the right reasons, uh, to help people. Cause that's what everybody believes this is and, uh, is for, for health. And so they are trying to really do their best. And I think they started maybe a little too basic. And that's what I wanted to try to help them with is understanding how to get past the basics. We've already done the basics. Let's get you a little further down the line, and I think a lot have been open to that. I've helped a lot of the professors that I've spoken to here understand that, well, you can try to put together a study with the smaller doses and adjust by itself, or you can start with bigger doses in a trial study, so they're actually checking with people and seeing how they're doing, and they'll be able to know that a higher dose is more effective, just like if it was aspirin. If you have a migraine, baby aspirin is not going to help you. Right. So help them understand how they can find the right doses for people and actually end up being efficacious for people. And they'll actually know that this for the market will know that this is actually something that will work and they can trust it. And then more people can start asking for it. We can all get, uh, have a better industry because of it.
undefined: Right. Well, great. Uh, any final thoughts?
: Uh, I would love to come back next year and see how well they've grown and what they've done. I really think this is growing. I've been to Thailand twice, Prague last year. All of them are making great strides. moving forward. It's awesome to be part of the industry. I'm with the National Industrial Hemp Council. For that reason, I'm trying to make sure standards are put in, proper testing, proper regulations are there so that it truly stays a medically healthy option for people and without damaging them or hurting them and giving the proper expectations for what it needs to be.
undefined: Well, cool. It's great to see you. It's always fun to hang out with you and look forward to the next time. Thanks, Morse. All right. Appreciate it. Back again in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo international hemp conference. I'm here with Todd Hughes. How are you doing today, bud? Doing good. How are you?
undefined: I'm doing good. Awesome. Awesome, man.
undefined: Good to see you too. So why do you, why don't you tell everybody what you do here in the hemp industry?
undefined: In the hemp industry. And whatever else you want to share. More of an advocate. I've been an advocate. I wasn't focused on business primarily and then found opportunities to help others monetize their talents in the space, if that makes sense. And so with the cannabis industry, had a few licenses doing that work in Maryland. And then in the hemp space, we've been able to win a few grants from the USDA and the EPA. primarily focused on climate change, pollution, and looking at reducing embodied carbon in the built environment.
undefined: Right, so you're working with Jacob and the Hill Building Institute. Yep. Cool. And what brought you to Japan?
undefined: Man, just to expand, I wanted to see what was outside the United States when it comes to the hemp space, not necessarily on the cannabinoid side, but really focused on industrial hemp, right? But I see that the United States, Europe, and other places have a little bit more innovation and advancement. And in Japan, it's more traditional and focused on, you know, the culture rather than making money, which is good. But I think there's some things that we can learn because they seem to have mastered the fundamentals here. And that trip to Golden Hemp was amazing to see, you know, folks working with their hands with the plants that are machines and using it for the shrines and culture. I try to understand the business aspect. There's a thousand shrines in Japan, and the folks that are able to grow here only can supply 10% of the shrines, so they import, which is interesting as well. Right.
undefined: It's cool to see that like hemp is
undefined: An element that helps connect to the higher power exactly exactly I think we're gonna do something later today and or tomorrow tomorrow working and be a part of that ceremony So I'm interested to learn about the culture, right? key takeaways from the event and the trip There's a lot of good people in the industry and they're doing it out of love and passion and rather than the financial side. I think the one thing I can see is collaboration is key to build that value chain across the board, especially in the U.S., and then being able to export, import, and do different things. It's going to take a collective effort. No one company is going to be able to monopolize and do it by themselves. um, the infrastructure and the innovation is here. It's just that, uh, we need to figure out that, that, um, collaborative spirit and put it on paper and put a plan together and get it done. So that's what I'm interested in. And I want to figure out how to be a part of the capitalization of that coming together. That's my real focus is, taking institutional capital and investment dollars and then finding ways to infuse it into businesses that are well positioned to do well in the industry, if that makes sense. Sure.
undefined: Any final thoughts about the whole thing here?
undefined: Man, I appreciate NIHC and USDA and everyone for putting this together. Thank you for allowing us to get this, you know, to put the word out there to the world, right? So Let's Talk Hemp is awesome. All the work you're doing is awesome. Keep it up. NOCO is amazing. I met so many amazing people there and it really opened my mind to a lot of different opportunities and I'm looking forward to continue supporting you, man. Make this thing keep going.
undefined: Totally appreciate that. NOCO Hemp Expo, April 10th through the 12th, 2025, same place in Estes Park. Hope to have you back and a lot of these folks here from overseas.
undefined: It'll be great. Absolutely. Let's get it done. Take care. Thank you.
undefined: Back once again here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with Veronica Franz from NIHC. Good to be sitting here talking with you, Veronica.
undefined: I agree, Morris. I've had a lot of good times with you here.
undefined: Yeah, it's been quite the trip. So thank you very much for helping put all this together and get the group organized and working with the Thai folks to make it all come together.
undefined: Yeah, I can't really take credit for that. It's mostly the Thai folks I've just gone along with what they put together and kind of keeping everybody in line.
undefined: So why don't you tell folks kind of what you do in the industry, how you came to be with NIHC and start there.
undefined: Well, I am the chief of staff with NIHC, and I started that probably about five years ago when Patrick started NIHC. He kind of, he had this amazingly wild, crazy idea to start an industrial hemp association, and I was working with him before that, and I decided to go along with the ride, and it's been quite the ride.
undefined: Well, you guys have been doing really good work. And I know we've got a whole bunch of organizations in the hemp industry and everything, but, uh, you've persevered and you're bringing people together and now you're providing opportunities for stakeholders to go around the world and conduct business and try to facilitate trade and export. And, you know, thanks to the USDA for making it happen. Thanks to you for getting these grants on behalf of the hemp industry.
undefined: Well, I appreciate that. We have a lot of people working on the grants and we are obviously immensely grateful to the USDA for that. We couldn't facilitate everything without them and we just hope that we can continue receiving the grants and continue growing all of these really great events all over the world and that we can bring everybody to, and it's just been amazing the last few years with the grants that we've received. It's made a huge difference.
undefined: Well, I've been fortunate enough to participate in some of this by going to Europe and going to Thailand and now coming to Japan. And with this event in particular, what are some of your takeaways where we're at right now?
undefined: I think the industry as a whole is kind of at that precipice where it's about to go really wild and really high. But as we saw with Japan, their policies are not quite there, but they're moving in the right direction. And I know Thailand has moved really far in the right direction. The U.S., we're still working on it.
undefined: Yeah, we've got some things to work on in the U.S. Most of these markets still have things to work on. I think you're correct. We are moving in the right direction and it's just a matter of time. How much time we, none of us really know, but we're going in the right direction.
undefined: We are. Hopefully it'll be, you know, the next five years and not the next 20, but we'll see.
undefined: I agree. Any last thoughts or do you want to share?
undefined: No, I think it's been really great getting to meet everybody. I think COVID put a damper on us meeting a lot. So we all know each other from email or zoom. And so it was really great, I think, to have everybody face-to-face, kind of all the movers and shakers in this industry, at least in my opinion. Like you and FiberX and KenobiUS and Guy and Joe, especially Joe. And Tim McCarthy, I don't want to forget anybody.
undefined: Especially Joe. We all love Joe Hickey.
undefined: We do love Joe Hickey.
undefined: Well, thanks again for all that you've done to make this happen. It's been great to get to know you.
undefined: Thanks. Appreciate it. Thanks, Morris.
undefined: Back here in Tokyo, Japan at the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with William Sale from FiberX. How are you doing today?
undefined: I'm great, Morris. How are you? I'm doing good. It's been quite a trip. It's been a fun trip. Yeah. It's been a lot of fun.
undefined: Yeah. So why don't you tell the folks what you do in the hemp industry?
undefined: Yeah, so I work with FiberX, and we are focusing on textiles, specifically pulping and cellulosic fibers. And so hemp is a great source of cellulose. So that's where our focus is, is turning hemp cellulose into textile fiber similar to lyocell for the fashion and apparel industry.
undefined: And why did you want to come to Japan and participate in this event?
undefined: Well it was a great opportunity to see Japan, see the hemp cultivation that is occurring here. But it was also a great opportunity to meet new folks both from the US from Thailand and Japan And then additionally we have some current partners that are located in Japan So anytime we have the ability to meet with them face to face that always helps and so we definitely packed our schedule here with meetings to try and squeeze as much juice out of this lemon as we could. Well, that's good. Yeah.
undefined: Fair amount of juice to be squeezed up here.
undefined: There is, there is. Yeah. Both, I mean, here, Thailand, U.S., like there's a ton of opportunity and now it's really just putting the pieces of the puzzle together and kind of building that entire supply chain. So this, this was a good first step in doing that.
undefined: What were some of your takeaways from the event thus far?
undefined: I think, first off, I had no idea about the history of hemp in Japan, how long it goes back. Japan has a more extensive history with hemp than the U.S. does, and hemp is included in a lot of sacred and ceremonial aspects of their culture. We even met with eighth generation hemp farmer that is still growing and processing the hemp all by hand. So be able to see that, you know, that's a direct reflection of the human spirit. And so I think all of us from the U.S., from Thailand, from In Japan, we all have that similar spirit about us and it's all centered around hemp. So I think this has been like a very unifying opportunity for a lot of people all across the world.
undefined: I would agree with that. Any last comments?
undefined: This has been great. I just want to thank specifically Patrick, Patrick Atagi and the NIHC and the USDA for their support, their organization. And I do want to give a special shout out to the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association for all of the organizing and support that they have done. They did an amazing job and really made this an unforgettable trip for us.
undefined: All right. Well, it's been great getting to know you and hanging out with you. Thanks, Morris. I appreciate it. All right.
undefined: Take care. Back here in Tokyo, Japan for the first Tokyo International Hemp Conference. I'm sitting here with Wu from OSU. How are you doing this morning? Pretty good. How are you? Oh, I'm doing good. It's been quite the trip. Yes. So why don't you tell the folks here what exactly you do in the hemp industry?
undefined: Yeah, I'm a faculty in supply chain management at OSU. So I'm a fielded faculty of the Global Hemp Innovation Center. So we work on the grant and supply chain aspect, market intelligence, logistics, and lifecycle analysis type of work.
undefined: And so what brought you to Japan? Why'd you join the trip?
undefined: Yeah, I was invited by NIHA and Patrick. And the reason we are invited is because I think that it's really related to the SAS II program we're working on, the USDA grant. market research, market analysis of different countries.
undefined: So what were your takeaways? Did you like the event?
undefined: I really enjoyed it and it gave me a brief understanding, general understanding of what's happening in Japan and Southeast Asia, and we're not doing business here. Actually, for me, what is really interesting is to reconnect with American colleagues, like Morris Yu, we met in Prague, and this meeting here, just a deepening relationship to understand what you do better. And that should be a friendship between you and me, and between the center and your organization.
undefined: Right on. So some final thoughts. What's next for OSU? You guys have been getting a lot of grant money for the hemp industry, which is great. We obviously need the research. Any final thoughts on that?
undefined: Yes, we need to deliver on the project. So two large grants. Thanks to USDA. And with this conference and this delegation, we can have a better understanding of what's the need for the industry in the US and also in Asia. So I think there's an industrial hemp opportunity. on the hempcrete and other commercial applications. So we need to think about the new applications and new market opportunities as we develop our project.
undefined: Well, great. It's been awesome to connect with you again. It was fun in Prague. It's been fun here. And so safe travels back.
undefined: Thank you. You too.
undefined: All right.
undefined: Thanks.
undefined: And that wraps up this special episode, the Japan tapes of the Let's Talk Hemp Volume Up podcast. where we took you behind the scenes of the historic U.S. trade mission to Japan. From the Tokyo International Hemp Conference to the Royal Thai Embassy and the Asia Hemp Entrepreneur Program, it's clear that the global hemp industry is on the rise. We heard from key voices in the U.S. delegation who are leading the way in expanding this versatile crop into new markets. The mission not only forged meaningful connections between the U.S. and Japan, but also laid the groundwork for future collaborations across Asia. With the creation of the Asia International Hemp Federation, we're seeing the start of a more unified global hemp industry. I want to give a big thanks to all the participants and organizations that made this mission possible. It's inspiring to see how far the hemp industry has come, and I'm excited about what lies ahead. Also, a heartfelt thanks to our Let's Talk Hemp show sponsor, Her Many Voices, where grassroots activism is driven by indigenous wisdom to protect all of Earth's children. and to NIHC, the National Industrial Hemp Council of America for organizing the trip, the Thai Industrial Hemp Trade Association, and the USDA Foreign Agriculture Services, and the USDA Regional Promotion Program grant that made this trip possible. As always, if you want to learn more or stay connected, head over to LetsTalkHemp.com or follow us on social media. We've got plenty of exciting episodes lined up, so make sure you subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening and until next time, let's keep the conversation going and rock on!
undefined: Hi, it's Justin Benton, host of the Miracle Plant Podcast, where we discuss this miracle plant that goes by so many names and how it's helping people in so many extraordinary ways. So if you love this plant and you want to hear a story that tugs on those heartstrings and learn more about this plant, then head on over to the Miracle Plant Podcast. You'll be glad you did.