The ninth annual NoCo Hemp Expo heads to the legendary Broadmoor Resort as the industry prepares to unite behind a single voice for the 2023 Farm Bill

The industrial hemp industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. With the 2023 Farm Bill on the horizon and major policy decisions looming, the movement needs unity more than ever. On this week's iHemp Hour, Morris Beegle—co-founder and president of WAFBA (We Are For Better Alternatives LLC) and one of the hemp industry's most prominent voices—joined hosts Dave Crabill, Blaine Bechtold, and Mike Brennan to discuss the upcoming NoCo Hemp Expo, Farm Bill priorities, and the innovations reshaping hemp's future.

Morris has been a driving force in hemp advocacy for nearly a decade, and his message this year is clear: the industry must speak with one voice to move forward.

NoCo Hemp Expo 2023: A New Venue for a New Era

The NoCo Hemp Expo is heading south for its ninth year, relocating from Northern Colorado to the legendary Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs—or as Morris puts it, "NoCo moves to SoCo."

The Broadmoor isn't just any venue. This 5,000-acre resort has maintained Forbes' five-star rating since 1960, making it the longest-running five-star resort in the country. Its brand-new convention center, originally slated to open in 2020, was built specifically to host the Space Symposium—the world's largest gathering of aerospace professionals, running since 1984.

"The Broadmoor provides us a venue where we can really take this conversation of health and wellness and the environment and sell it to Fortune 500 companies and Corporate America. Not that we want to be sellouts, but what we want to see is big corporations looking to adopt hemp into their supply chain from a material standpoint, an ingredient standpoint, in the food supply."

The conference will feature three major tracks:

• Advocacy and Policy
• Business and Investment
• Agriculture and Academia

With speakers and attendees coming from around the world, the expo aims to focus and unite the industry around common goals heading into crucial Farm Bill negotiations.

🎟️ Registration & Lodging Alert

The discounted room block at the Broadmoor is nearly sold out and ends March 6th. Alternative hotels in downtown Colorado Springs are 5-10 minutes away, but Morris recommends booking immediately if you want to stay at the resort.

📅 When: Late March 2023 📍 Where: The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO 🔗 Register: NoCo Hemp Expo

The Farm Bill: One Industry, One Voice

Perhaps the most significant takeaway from the conversation was Morris's update on Farm Bill strategy. Multiple hemp associations and organizations are currently collaborating to develop a unified policy platform.

"The goal is by the end of this month that we come up with a consensus and we all agree on these five or ten points to introduce into the Farm Bill. We can go to Congress and the legislators and say, 'Hey, the hemp industry has one voice. This is the consensus. This is what we agree on.'"

Key Policy Priorities

The industry consensus is forming around several critical issues:

1. Farmer-Level Regulation Reform

Morris used a powerful analogy to illustrate the absurdity of current THC testing requirements:

"Farmers growing sugar beets spray them with arsenic. If you really eat a sugar beet as it comes out of the field, it's basically going to kill you. The farmer's not responsible for that—it goes into processing and manufacturing. By the time it gets to the shelves, it's good for human consumption. That's where everything really should be regulated—in the processing and manufacturing, not the farmer."

The bottom line? Farmers shouldn't be liable for THC levels in raw agricultural commodities—especially when the end product is destined for construction materials, bioplastics, or other non-consumable applications.

"Nobody's going to smoke a brick or a wall. We have to get past this absolute stupidity of how we've tried to regulate this plant."

2. Grain and Fiber Exemptions

A growing coalition is pushing for grain and fiber hemp to be exempt from THC testing requirements—particularly when farmers use certified seed varieties with established compliance histories. This would dramatically reduce costs and administrative burdens for farmers not growing for cannabinoid extraction.

3. State Program Costs

Currently, Michigan charges growers $1,250 for a license—a fee designed to make the program self-funding. But as Morris pointed out, this model is unsustainable:

"States aren't going to be able to afford to have their own hemp programs. Colorado, we've lost a bunch of operators that aren't paying these fees now. These state programs don't want to pay for it, farmers don't want to pay for it—it should just be run by the USDA just like any other crop."

Wisconsin has already flipped back to the USDA program, and Michigan is reportedly exploring the same option.

The Intoxicating Cannabinoid Question

One of the industry's most contentious issues is the emergence of Delta-8 THC, HHC, and other intoxicating cannabinoids derived from hemp. Morris didn't mince words about the challenge this creates:

"We've always said hemp doesn't get you high, and then all of a sudden now hemp gets you high. That was never the intention of the 2018 Farm Bill. Mitch McConnell, nobody ever thought that all of a sudden we were going to be making intoxicating products that are just like adult use."

From personal experience, Morris confirmed these products can be just as potent as traditional cannabis:

"The products that are coming out on the intoxicating cannabinoid side can get you just as high as the adult use side."

His proposed framework suggests three distinct lanes:

1. Industrial hemp (fiber, grain, non-intoxicating products)
2. Adult-use cannabis (regulated THC products)
3. Intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoids (requiring its own regulatory framework)

"I don't want to prohibit anything. I think prohibition doesn't work. I don't think anybody should be criminalized. This all happened through a loophole... We just have to figure it out."

Innovation on the Horizon

Despite regulatory challenges, Morris sees tremendous opportunity in hemp innovation across multiple sectors.

Construction & Building Materials

"If there's an industry that needs to be decarbonized, it's certainly construction."

Recent developments include:

• Global Fiber Processing's new load-bearing hemp cinder blocks
• Hempitecture's newly opened facility in Idaho producing hemp wall insulation
• Continued innovation in hempcrete applications

Dave Crabill, incoming president of the US Hemp Building Association (USHBA), noted that Cody Lay of Hemp for Humanity will be speaking at upcoming educational sessions about hemp concrete, hemp bricks, and tiny home construction.

Food & Protein

Victory Hemp Foods recently secured patents on their V70 protein powder and V1 hemp seed oil—a refined oil that's essentially tasteless, opening doors for formulators to incorporate hemp protein into virtually any product.

"The vegan protein market is only going to get bigger and bigger, and I'd certainly rather it be with real ingredients rather than kind of this lab-based Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger stuff that's not good for the environment and not good for human health."

Textiles & Plastics

The fashion industry's environmental impact—with synthetic, petroleum-based fibers ending up in oceans and landfills—presents a massive opportunity for hemp textiles. Similarly, automotive composites using hemp, flax, and kenaf are already being adopted by European manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes.

Sustainable Packaging

Morris highlighted Ecovative, a mushroom-based packaging company offering Styrofoam alternatives that can be composted rather than polluting waterways for centuries.

Fiber Processing Expansion

One of the most encouraging developments: approximately 20 new fiber processors are expected to come online in the United States by the end of 2023.

"We really got to get here in the states—we really got to get a processor to be able to process that fiber," Blaine noted, expressing hope that Michigan could add to that number.

The expansion of domestic fiber processing capacity is essential for the industry to fulfill purchase orders from major industries in construction, plastics, and textiles.

Hemp Grain & Animal Feed Progress

The US Hemp Feed Coalition continues making headway on getting hemp approved for animal feed:

• Texas recently approved hemp for chickens and horses
• Montana has moved forward with approvals
• State-by-state progress continues while awaiting FDA action

Meanwhile, some innovative applications are already happening. Pete Carroll of White House Whitetails has been feeding extruded hemp biomass to deer with excellent results—and is actively seeking new suppliers after his previous source ceased operations.

"If anybody's listening out there and you do extracting and you've got biomass available, get a hold of iHemp Michigan so we can get it to Pete," Blaine noted.

Additionally, a Minnesota company is seeking farmers to grow hemp grain under contract, with a 40-acre minimum (one semi-load). Interested growers should contact iHemp Michigan for details.

The Pharmaceutical Elephant in the Room

The conversation took a sobering turn when discussing Pfizer's $6.7 billion acquisition of Arena Pharmaceuticals, a cannabis-focused company. Morris didn't hold back:

"The pharmaceutical companies—the Pfizers of the world who invested six, seven billion dollars—they're the puppet master back there taking the FDA and saying, 'Hey, let's just keep this like it is, and these people are eventually going to burn out and run out of money.' And that's what they've been doing."

The implication? Big Pharma's influence on FDA inaction regarding CBD regulation may be strategic rather than bureaucratic.

Michigan Cannabis Market Update

Mike Brennan provided a quick snapshot of Michigan's cannabis industry:

💰 Tax Revenue Distribution

• $60 million distributed to counties and local governments
• Each dispensary location brings $51,800 to its host municipality
• Ann Arbor (with 40 dispensaries) received $2 million

📉 Market Conditions

The Michigan cannabis market mirrors the oversupply challenges seen in Colorado, Washington, and California:

"Prices have just tanked. A lot of companies that were heavily leveraged and figuring on $4,000-a-pound flower in their business plans are now looking at $1,200-a-pound flour. So those business plans are crashing right now."

Some operators report prices even lower, creating potential acquisition opportunities for well-capitalized investors.

Upcoming Events & Resources

📅 iHemp Michigan Hemp Building Educational Sessions

First Session: 📍 Grand River Sailing Club, Grand Haven, MI 📅 Saturday, March 18th 🕗 Registration: 8:00 AM | Event: 9:00 AM

This is the first of at least four educational sessions planned for spring/summer 2023, including hands-on "field days" at active hemp building projects. Featured speaker Cody Lay (Hemp for Humanity) will discuss hemp concrete, bricks, and tiny home construction.

📅 Illinois Hemp Growers Association

Hemp Summit After Party 📅 March 15th 🔗 Contact iHemp Michigan for details

Legislative Conference 📅 March 29th

📅 Hash Bash

📅 April 1st 📍 Ann Arbor, MI

Recipe of the Week: Hemp Seed Oil Stuffed Mushrooms

From the Hemp Nut Cookbook

Serves: 6-8 Ingredients:

• 24 medium to large button mushrooms
• 2-3 tablespoons hemp seed oil
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2-3 shallots, minced
• Lemon zest
• Fresh parsley
• Bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 357°F
2. Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel
3. Remove stems and reserve
4. Combine hemp seed oil, garlic, shallots, lemon zest, and parsley
5. Fill mushroom caps with mixture
6. Top with bread crumbs
7. Bake until golden and tender

📖 Find this and nearly 100 other hemp recipes at iHempMichigan.com/recipes

Sponsor Spotlight: Heirloom Grove

This episode was sponsored by AG Marvels and their Heirloom Grove product line. Their CB Muscle Freeze won a Hempies Award—and the hosts can personally attest to its effectiveness.

"I use this routinely. I put it on and about 10 minutes later it just kind of numbs it up and goes away for a while." —Blaine Bechtold

🔗 HeirloomGrove.com

Connect & Get Involved

iHemp Michigan continues to serve as a hub for education, advocacy, and connection in Michigan's industrial hemp industry.

• 🌐 Website: iHempMichigan.com
• 📧 Email list: Sign up via the contact page for event updates
• 📺 iHemp Hour: Thursdays at noon (110+ episodes and counting!)

Whether you're a farmer looking for grain contracts, a builder interested in hempcrete, or an advocate ready to engage on Farm Bill policy, there's never been a better time to get involved.

Growing the future from seeds of the past.