iHemp Hour

Northern Michigan University researchers are pioneering the use of industrial hemp to clean up PFAS “forever chemicals” contaminating soil and water across Michigan. With the first outdoor plantings now underway, this groundbreaking phytoremediation research could offer a cost-effective solution for communities grappling with contamination from military bases, landfills, and industrial sites—while potentially turning toxic waste into useful building materials.

...

A Michigan woman with severe chemical sensitivities is getting a lifeline: Hemp for Humanity has launched the Canary Homes project to build her a 1,010 sq ft hempcrete home—the first in a planned series of healthy housing solutions for the estimated 7 million Americans now suffering from conditions like Long COVID, ME, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. With zero VOCs, natural mold resistance, and a $250,000 fundraising goal, this collaboration between hemp advocates and building biologists could revolutionize accessible housing.

...

Hunter Buffington reveals a major breakthrough: hemp seed meal and oil are now approved for chickens and horses in Kentucky and Texas—but warns that Colorado’s recent 39-amendment legislative disaster could pull full-spectrum products off shelves nationwide. With the Farm Bill on the horizon, the hemp industry faces a critical choice: show up, speak up, and vote with your dollars—or watch others write the rules.

...

For the first time ever, 31 hemp organizations have united behind a comprehensive 2023 Farm Bill strategy—and U.S. Hemp Roundtable General Counsel Jonathan Miller says constituent engagement this summer is critical to success. Learn how a $10/month membership gives you insider access and tools to advocate for CBD regulation, farmer relief, and banking access.

...

University of Michigan architecture professor Glenn Wilcox is pushing the boundaries of sustainable design by growing furniture from mycelium and hemp. In this episode, he reveals how a 14-month sailing journey inspired his shift to bio-based materials—and why the next generation of designers is clamoring to learn these revolutionary techniques. Plus: Texas approves hemp livestock feed, and a federal bribery investigation rocks Lansing.

...

Chase Hubbard of The Jacobsen (now Fast Markets) returns to iHemp Hour with a surprising perspective: despite frustrations, hemp is developing faster than almost any commodity crop in history. This episode covers biofuels, automotive applications, the Delta-8 regulatory mess, animal feed barriers, and why Michigan growers should consider whether the USDA program offers a better path forward—plus the launch of iHemp Michigan’s new building workshops and a tribute to the late Rob Roebar.

...

Morris Beegle previews the NoCo Hemp Expo’s move to the legendary Broadmoor Resort and reveals that hemp associations are uniting behind a single Farm Bill platform by month’s end. With 20 new fiber processors coming online, load-bearing hemp blocks hitting the market, and Victory Hemp securing game-changing protein patents, 2023 could be the year industrial hemp finally breaks through—if the industry can speak with one voice.

...

Susan Barnhart spent six years building America’s only wool-hemp textile company—and she’s doing it without any U.S.-processed hemp fiber. Shemp Yarn’s surprisingly soft socks and beanies prove the product works, but until someone invests $2-3 million in domestic processing equipment, American hemp growers will keep shipping fiber overseas while entrepreneurs like Barnhart source from France. This is the infrastructure gap holding back U.S. hemp textiles.

...

The ICC has officially approved hemp as a building material—and Michigan is gearing up to build. Ray Cattery, incoming president of the US Hemp Building Association, breaks down what the new codes mean for builders and architects, while iHemp Michigan announces a packed schedule of workshops and field days to get hands-on with hempcrete. The revolution is being unboxed.

...