Kris Taylor was accepted into medical school. But instead of becoming a doctor, the Texan moved to California to pursue something he was really passionate about. Hemp.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 remember what I told them I was going to do, but I definitely remember I didn鈥檛 tell them I was going to grow cannabis,鈥� he said.
Taylor, who grew up in Plano, is a cofounder of , a company that makes farm-to-bottle hemp elixirs using cold-pressed hemp mixed with herbs like ginger and turmeric.
Along with Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, Taylor is among those rooting for state Senate Bill 116, which would allow Texans to grow hemp 鈥� an offshoot of marijuana without the high.
(6/11) Hemp has variety of different applications including clothing, paper, construction materials, dietary supplements, CBD oil and the list goes on and on.
— Bekah Morr (@bekah_morr)
鈥淚 went and learned about the industry and fell in the love with the plant and its capacity," Taylor said. "I have family members that have used for medical treatment for pain and PTSD and all sorts of things."
禄 No high with hemp
Hemp is different from marijuana. Though they鈥檙e both a form of cannabis, hemp doesn鈥檛 contain the psychoactive principle THC found in marijuana, so it can鈥檛 get you high. But it鈥檚 a versatile crop with seemingly endless possibilities.
鈥淚t鈥檚 got a really high quality fiber that鈥檚 on the stalk. It can be used for everything from auto parts to even some pretty high-tech applications, like a replacement for graphene in superconductors," said Eric Steenstra. He's the president of , a non-profit organization that promotes hemp farming in the U.S.
"I have family members that have used cannabinoids for medical treatment for pain and PTSD and all sorts of things."
"And then when it comes to the flowers and the cannabinoids, they have really incredible potential from a health standpoint," he said. "And the seed 鈥� super nutritious as well."
In 2014, a farm bill passed allowing states to research hemp with the assistance of universities and under close oversight. Now, after the passing of the , any state can legally grow hemp as long as the state doesn鈥檛 have existing legislation prohibiting it.
Vote Hemp helped draft , and now it鈥檚 working with Texas and other states to legalize the crop. A with bipartisan support has been filed to do just that.
But Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said he doesn鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 ready to pass just yet.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a little bit incomplete, not quite comprehensive enough. I know there鈥檚 others working on a more comprehensive bill,鈥� he said.
禄 Why is hemp illegal?
Today, the only way to farm cannabis in Texas is through the . The program allows patients with intractable epilepsy to be prescribed low-THC cannabis and allows farmers with the correct license to dispense it.
Otherwise, cannabis and its by-products are illegal in Texas, but Commissioner Miller is advocating for that to change.
鈥淚t gives us another alternative. Most of the commodities right now are not turning a profit, so this would be something that they could possibly make a profit on,鈥� he said.
(3/11) In 1970, Richard Nixon signed into law the Controlled Substance Act, making all forms of cannabis illegal in the U.S. and classifying hemp as a Schedule 1 drug - the same distinction given to marijuana, LSD and heroine.
— Bekah Morr (@bekah_morr)
Daulton O鈥橬eill said hemp could be a huge boom for the Texas economy. He鈥檚 the President of Green Light Events in Dallas, a company that hosts events targeted at the cannabis community and lobbies for hemp legalization in Austin.
He plans to grow hemp as soon as legislation is passed and thinks it could be a new cash crop for Texas.
鈥淣ot only is it going to be a job creator and economic engine, but it鈥檚 going to save farmers and save Texas traditions,鈥� he said.
禄 The challenges of growing hemp in Texas
But hemp will present some challenges to Texas farmers. For one, hemp is delicate. Farmers who used pesticides or heavy metals in the past on crops like cotton, will need to invest in soil remediation.
"Not only is it going to be a job creator and economic engine, but it's going to save farmers and save Texas traditions."
O鈥橬eill said there鈥檚 also manufacturing to think about, since there aren鈥檛 many hemp processing plants in the U.S.
鈥淗emp is only worth what you can manufacture and process it into," he said. "If all you have is the plant, you鈥檙e going to have to pay a lot of other people off in order to get your product in a highly valuable form."
Commissioner Miller said it鈥檚 not likely hemp legislation will pass in time for spring planting, so O鈥橬eill hopes to plant his first hemp crop this time next year.
Yasir Hashim is another cofounder of Lumen, the California hemp elixir company. He, too, has his eyes on Texas.
鈥淭exas is home for us 鈥� it鈥檚 where we have family, it鈥檚 where we鈥檝e left family,鈥� Hashim said.
And this Texan said he can鈥檛 wait for the day he can bring his business back home.
