This month, many states will be going back into legislative session, and all others are preparing for their sessions sometime in the next few months. Our industry MUST remain vigilant and prepare for negative press surrounding hemp products. There will be many legislators discussing the issue in the media, and many preparing language that aims to ban Delta8 and other hemp derivatives. If you have been reading my monthly column you’ll know what happened last year, and what we anticipate this session. Well, the time is now!
We are in a fight for our livelihoods, careers, passion, and people who rely on our products. We can not roll over and play dead, our voices MUST be heard. With our collective voices I know we can change the course of history and prevent the monopolies from destroying our industry. I’ve seen it time and time again with large disruptive industries like Rideshare (Uber) vs. Big Taxi, craft beer vs. Big Alcohol, and vape vs. Big Tobacco. Each time the large established businesses try to stamp out the voices of the small businesses and each time those small businesses fight back and eventually become big business themselves. The more organized we are, the more effort we put in, the louder our voices are, the greater the result.
We MUST be proactive and organize our voices for maximum effect. It has often been said that “if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.” This quote could not be more true in this space. Also, another good one liner is “Proactive* measures are significantly cheaper than Reactive* measures.” This industry needs to be thinking about the future, and working towards a healthy and positive political environment or we will be the victims of negative reactionary media.
This session will have many twists and turns, and we can anticipate a lot of misinformation/disinformation from opponents of hemp products. You can help in this fight by joining one of our many state associations, or even our national association where we are constantly working to save this industry. We need all the help we can get including donations, and voices of people willing to fight! The more of both the better! If you run a business in the hemp space or one that sells hemp products it is imperative that we all fight together!
If you have any questions we have a ton of resources in the industry including the best testing facilities, top industry attorneys, and top CEO’s who are all willing to lend a helping hand to folks in our industry. Our members enjoy discounts from many of these organizations that support the fight, and some other great benefits including access to our podcasts, live streams, and zoom meetings where we encourage companies to ask questions and give their input.
