Joy Beckerman and Ah Warner are old friends and for over 25 years have worked together to reform hemp legislation. Ah Warner started Hemp Basics nearly a quarter century ago. She shares battle ground stories including her crushing defeats and her landmark legislation. Through civil disorder, strategic legislative maneuvers, charm and persistence she played a large part in ending hemp prohibition and allowing us to legally enjoy all the benefits of hemp. Produced by PodCONX https://podconx.com/guests/ah-warner
Joy Beckerman and Ah Warner are old friends and for over 25 years have worked together to reform hemp legislation. Ah Warner started Hemp Basics nearly a quarter century ago. She shares battle ground stories including her crushing defeats and her landmark legislation. Through civil disorder, strategic legislative maneuvers, charm and persistence she played a large part in ending hemp prohibition and allowing us to legally enjoy all the benefits of hemp.
https://podconx.com/guests/ah-warner
Dan Humiston: [00:00:00] Welcome back to another episode of Hemp Barons. On today's show, we're fortunate to have a woman who over the past 25 years has had as much to do with rewriting Hemp legislation as anyone in America. And thanks in large part to her hard work and dogged persistence, we can now enjoy the benefits of this amazing plant legally. Let's join Joy's conversation with our winner from Hemp Basics.
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:35] Well, hello. Thank you so much for being with us today.
Ah Warner: [00:00:38] Oh, I'm so excited. Thank you for having me.
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:41] It's an honor and a pleasure to have you here on Hemp Barons, because unlike many of the awesome companies that are moving into this new emerging Hemp economy that we're developing here in the United States, you, like me, have been involved for nearly 30 years in the Hemp movement and in fact, in the Hemp Industries starting off with Cannabis creation.
Joy Beckerman: [00:01:06] Can you tell us a little bit about how you got involved with Hemp and when you started?
Ah Warner: [00:01:08] Sure. It was. Actually, it was. I'm winding up on my 25th year in business. And so in 1994, I was pregnant with my daughter. As the story goes, I walked in to the Fremont Hemp Company, which was, you know, we were just starting to see Hemp stores. And my mind was blown. I came across Jack Harris book and, you know, life, which you simply never be the same. I was the first time I saw all the possibilities that Hemp could bring. And it was also the first time I really looked at, you know, possibly that our government wasn't exactly telling us the truth. So it was a truly an eye opening experience. From there, I started making all kinds of different products.
Joy Beckerman: [00:01:48] We had eight different lines in the very beginning and I want to talk about those lines, but I also can't help it say for our listeners who don't know, of course, you and I and of course, we're very good friends and have done some work on the front lines together. Oh, my God. Talk about my sister in the battle with the Washington state legislature and on a federal level as well. When we talk about Jack here, we're talking about the book, The Emperor Has No Clothes, which for me, too, and for most of the movement was the catalyst. It was the disclosure after searching, scouring records, libraries, the National Archives. Jack Hare, along with Chris Conrad, who is still doing amazing work. And Jack. May he rest in peace and their team to really unleash the reality of what the United States history is and our relationship to this this plant. And we also discover. Wow. So wait a second. There is a solution here. And the United States government has criminalized this solution. So. So that turns you on your side there in Seattle. When we see the Fremont Hemp company, we're talking about the neighborhood of Fremont in the city of Seattle. What were some of the ads that you started making back then? Sister, what did Cannabis version?
Joy Beckerman: [00:03:01] Oh, my. When I love the picture. I love your boots that you set up at every play you could.
Ah Warner: [00:03:06] Yeah, every. You know, I had you know, I was hand going my own fabric. I was buying that firm. I think American Hemp market deal at the time. I was handling my own fabric. I was handling my own yard. Big yarn because that was when Hemp bracelets where you know, all the rage with hand dipping beeswax candles with Hemp Wicks. I was having a friend of mine paint beautiful artwork on the Hemp canvas and then I would take those and attach them to Hemp pillows that I would make. And then I did a little bit of clothing. And then of course I do the body, Caroline. And that is actually how I moved forward with, you know, into today's world. That's the connection to the line today.
Joy Beckerman: [00:03:52] Such a Segway, although two things. You also made his stationary and enamored by it.
Ah Warner: [00:03:58] Have so much deeper set for your journey that I study that you have our guys and you and I have many times the pages of those of those books. And I can see those pages in my mind, even as we're talking now and know you had a line of scenario greeting cards, you had clothing system, you had body care products, and which is a wonderful Segway up to the present. And I want to do that. But I can't miss the start of the Pioneer Award and we talk to the listeners about that.
Ah Warner: [00:04:24] Thank you. I would love to mention that. You know, so it was 1997. It was, you know, is the sister magazine, the high times, Hemp Times. And it was no award that was given for merit. This was before the days of pay to play where you gave someone a thousand dollars and entered into a contest. It was given to me in 1997, the actual year that the last year that they were in business. And so it was my last chance to get the Pioneer Award. And it's given to, you know, your peers, your peers in the industry. It was voted on. And I didn't even know most of these people. So it really, really meant a lot to me. And it was given on, you know, outstanding achievement in body care. It was like the Pioneer Award was for me.
Joy Beckerman: [00:05:07] It still to me means, you know, a lot, even as you describe it. And obviously, we're weird Hemp nerds. But I see all the hairs on my on my arms are standing on and knowing what that means, knowing what that must have meant to you at the Times this year when there were so few. I mean, we were had to validate each other. The community was so small, the industry association was formed in nineteen ninety four, of which I'm proud and. Privileged to be the president of today. We had only one hundred members. Between 1990, 14000 and fourteen thousand four hundred members. Yeah, you saw were. And so to get that award from our small community and be recognized and validated. Wow. I mean, it's not like your neighbors or your state, even the state of Washington. No state in the 90s was validating this call that we were all hearing this purpose, this purpose driven inspiration that we were getting. And so for you to get that acknowledgement and just. Wow. And then one more historical piece. Although we could go on for the whole half hour just talking about the historical pieces. You but we can't do that because you're too beautiful of a story to tell and we only have so much time. But can you also talk about the Vogue and the publication in one of the magazines or where the magazine was a beautiful suite. Tell us about that.
Ah Warner: [00:06:30] The other great thing about Vogue is that it circles back. So back in August, I guess it was Baby 98. Vogue came to Seattle to do a piece on they called it the underground glamour. And it was actually I was featured in Vogue magazine in the hard copy along with Starbucks as an up and coming new company. And Jean, where I was in one of our local, you know. So this is like this really data because, you know, this is when Starbucks was just beginning to be talked about. And so they literally they just went. It was really just a picture. And they. And they featured and they did mention it. But it really, you know, it was a big deal. And then circling back to today about I guess it was now two years ago, a writer from Vogue did a piece and updated piece on my company and go now on my website. There was there's this was then and now it's now. And so we've been involved actually twice now showing the affirmation of the company.
Joy Beckerman: [00:07:34] Yeah, it is pretty cool. Oh, just well. And again, that validation to get in the middle of all of this. Just incredible. Then moving forward, you also there began to be in 1998, the state of Washington actually legalized medical cannabis in 1998. That was the year that I moved to Seattle from New York where I had a store. Right. Oh, actually, I moved from Vermont because by then I was secretary, the right Hemp council. They'd pass to himself in Vermont 96. But in 98, medical cannabis passes in Seattle. And it took several years for that industry, which had very an unclear regulatory framework. There was no regulator regulating it. And of course, as you know, that's not the governor at the time had broken certain provisions which made the law not make a lot of sense. So anyway, it took a long time for medical cannabis to take root. But eventually there started to be dispensaries popping up on a regular street of Seattle and they weren't hard to get by. And you created Cannabis basis. And so can you just tell us what year you started Cannabis basis?
Ah Warner: [00:08:45] So it would actually when I when I reopened, I was shut down for like three or four years and then a friend of mine asked me to help him open a medical dispensary. This is about 2011. And so that's when I really started looking to this science of now marijuana. You know, I knew what Hemp seed oil was and I loved it. It was found still today. It's the foundation of everything that I do. Cannabis basics and Hemp basics. Premises oil. I'm sure that no oil corrected. Yeah. Yeah. True. Hemp oil. Hemp seed oil. Yeah. Moving to. He asked me to help him open a dispensary, so I started looking into the science of now cannabinoids and turpentine and all that other stuff. And I realized that if I put, you know, everything that was beautiful in from the marijuana plant into my already award winning Hemp products that I might have something spectacular. And that's in fact what I did. And then what? So when I did that, I was still calling it Cannabis Creations. We didn't have the rebranding for Cannabis basics until a couple of years later. I mean, I'm grateful that we did that, but it really has been just a crazy learning curve for me. And the products just get. I think that you just get better and better. And after 24 years of formulating, you know, hopefully you learn as you go along. But. The medic being a part of the medical industry, the medical marijuana dispensary industry, was amazing. But what happened for me was then five or two passed and I was about to lose. I did lose in one fell swoop. About one hundred and twenty five stories. I was in about one hundred twenty five medical and medical dispensaries with my Cannabis basics now fully loaded line hemp seed oil and and marijuana line in the dispensaries. And so when it legalized to a regular, you know, two adult youth market or what some call recreational market. There was no pathway forward for me because of the way the final two was written. So and then that leads us into a whole nother chapter of Dena..
Joy Beckerman: [00:10:44] We're going to talk about that. You bet. Yes. And you better believe we're gonna be talking about this massive victory. So people really understand because of all the work that you go through when you engage in the process, which is the system under which we live. No matter what we see, what we hear, what we're dealing with right now with the presidential administration that we have, we have the greatest system in the world and we engage in that process. And when you engage in that process diligently and appropriately and with credibility and tools and information, the leaders, you tell them and the people lead and the leaders follow. And they have certainly done that with you.
Dan Humiston: [00:11:23] I want to take a minute to thank all of our Hemp Barons listeners and to let you know that you can support the show by subscribing to MJBull's premium. It's only four dollars and ninety nine cents a month and you gain access to all previous episodes of Hemp Barons as well as all MJ bills, other podcasts and exclusive content. Go to MJBulls.com and enter promo code BARONS to get your first month free.
Joy Beckerman: [00:11:50] Talk to the listeners about something very unique occurred in the United States Patent and Trademark Office around your trademark for Cannabis basics, and that's a very important part of the story. And then Hemp basics, which we're clearly going to get into. But could you give us a summary of the first historical achievement around the trademarking of Cannabis Basic?
Ah Warner: [00:12:12] Sure. I think it was awarded. Well, we had you since 2000. They're keen under that brand. And then we trademarked it. You know, you file the application, but we were awarded the first ever federal trademark for a logo that have the leaf, Cannabis leaf and the word Cannabis as part of its makeup. That actually protected a product with Cannabis in it. So there had been trademarks before. That was for ethical educational services or associations, but not one for an actual product. And so we were able to successfully get that through. Now, if they awarded it to us based on our Cannabis space, it's Hemp line because they were not going to award it for the stuff that had the THC in it. And I was already doing two lines at this point that we were able to get that through. And it is accurately historical and it absolutely opened the door for other Cannabis companies to to protect their intellectual property.
Joy Beckerman: [00:13:16] Super exciting with the leaf with the leaf cells which really, really work. Cannabis. And the word Cannabis in the body care category, essentially. And so for folks who don't understand and say, oh no, that can't be right because it's marijuana. No, we're telling you, I'll just make the distinction here that it was based on the line of Cannabis basics that just had hemp seed oil and it has no CBD, no THC, nothing like that. It's a Hemp care line under the name Cannabis Basic.
Joy Beckerman: [00:13:45] And so in that body care category, for the first time in the history of the United States, it was trademark both the word Cannabis basic and the and the logos which include the actual cannabis leaf. And you did that during you've done on a lot of amazing things. And we have to do a whole nother show on some of the trademarks that you have and that you've had to vigorously defend is another show.
Joy Beckerman: [00:14:06] But that to me, leaving a home. Exactly. But you also and then we're going to get into Java and I promise we'll explain to the listeners. I Jalbert means in a second. But given you then explain. Did you also trademark the Hemp basic?
Ah Warner: [00:14:21] Oh, absolutely. They have basic filing that has actually been filed. You're correct. So and I'll just tell the quick story of why it happened. It was unlike many of the CBD companies that are out there. I was using Hemp derived CBD CBD for six years now, but I didn't really start to push it nationally. I was only using it here in Washington state. I didn't start pushing nationally until the farm bill passed just this past December January. And so then I needed a distinction. So now my Hemp line has hemp seed oil and hemp derived CBD and it is called Hemp Basics. And now my fully loaded line with the THC also in it and all the other cannabinoids on the marijuana plant. Interpretation of that is cannabis basics and that it goes on in the state of Washington. But hemp basics is yes, a sister brand to cannabis basics and then if that is sold nationally.
Joy Beckerman: [00:15:15] So yes, we had it back internationally and in fact internationally to the extent that that is a lawful pathway considering the Hemp CBD. I it's a global brand.
Ah Warner: [00:15:26] Absolutely. Hemp can be sold out of
Joy Beckerman: [00:15:29] So now we're going to dial back to 2012 and say I go to for the listeners. That was the adult UCI bill that legal. I don't use Cannabis in the state of Washington. And unlike other states, the state of Washington has an initiative process where the people actually get to put forth led legislative acts on the ballot if they go through the appropriate process. And in this case, the the ACLU, the American Civil Liberties Union, headed by this particular initiative by the very brilliant and Cannabis heroine and champion, Alison Holcomb, the brilliant attorney, wrote I 5 0 2. And so you see the writing on the wall. You're a smart businesswoman. You've managed to get your Cannabis basics into one hundred and twenty five medical dispensaries. That's a serious number of accounts for a gal creating her popsicles. And you realize, wait a second. You guys, now you're going to make me go through all this regulatory crazy rigamarole to just do my basic Hemp body care when I'm really no no more dangerous or intoxicating than Burt's Bees round. I'm not going to go through all night and I'm not going to go through all this regulation and I'm not going to be a sitting duck and make you make me transform my entire business model. I've been doing this for 25 years, people. I'm not new CFO. So then now let's explain what you did, what you wrote and we call it the tribal law. And Shaba is now legal thanks to these efforts. And I'm gonna let you tell the story so that both understand that rather is the acronym for Cannabis Health and Beauty Aid. It is a defined legal term and defined set of legal products in the state of Washington because of Warner's boss determination, grit and dedication to this plant and dedication to civil liberty. Explain to us what happened.
Ah Warner: [00:17:25] Well, one thing I did not do by myself, you know, Carrie Boyer, Senator Jeannie Lowry. I definitely had help with Doug Heye. It definitely had help with it. But, you know, let's start from why it had to happen. The reason why it had to happen was when Allison wrote that initiative. She wrote that no products less than point three percent THC could be in the regulated market. And so when you're talking about Hemp, that means less than point three percent THC on a dry weight basis. But when you're talking about a finished product, that's a different number and sell my products were naturally organically less than point three percent THC. That's less than 85 milligrams in a 1 ounce container. And so I knew that even if I wanted to, I was going to be forced to have to load them more than they needed to get into this regulated market. And then I'd be heavily regulated. And so I just thought, there's got to be a better way. You should be in grocery stores. These should be in health food stores. This is ridiculous. So I was able to get a meeting with my legislative district senator Jeannie Colwell, Senator Jeannie Colwell, who also happened to be the medical marijuana champion here in the state of Washington. I was just lucky enough to have her in my district. And I took my products to her. I sold them to her. I explained the problem. I explained how there was no pathway forward for me for 5 0 2. And she was just like, I think we can fix this, you know, legislatively. And so I went to work with Carrie Boyer with the advice of Doug Hiatt writing some legislation that find these products. And ultimately what I did with it. Do you find them topical? Only less than point three percent THC and non intoxicating, though nothing to draw them into your bloodstream and no products that would get you high. And what we did was we define them and we remove them. We effectively removed them out of the Washington State Controlled Substances Act.
Joy Beckerman: [00:19:21] And I'm so sorry to interrupt. A very important part of that was not intended for human ingestion. Wasn't that a piece of that?
Ah Warner: [00:19:28] That was only I said I made that clear. So only so not intended for human consumption. Well, not consumption by your mouth. But, you know, our skin is our largest organ, so only topical. And so we were able to get that. And, you know, we introduced this language. We were able to get bipartisan support. We got it. Sister bills in both the House and Senate. It was introduced in January. And by July 1st, it had and it was moving through. We did this huge lobbying effort. I took my son out of high school. We did it. We delivered my top two sellers to every office in Olympia. We were even stopped by the state patrol. We were able we were cleared by the state patrol. We were able to get it in everyone's office. And within six months it was moving forward through committees. But someone smarter than me realized that if they just took our little piece of language and put it into an omnibus tax fix or bill for five or two for the legal marijuana system that it was got that was going to get passed. So literally from six months, from introduction to an action, that bill was passed and it was legal. So that enabled me to now sell my products to the mainstream marketplace. My shadow line is everywhere, but the five or two regulated pot shops here in Washington state. That's the short story.
Joy Beckerman: [00:20:52] I really need to drive this home that need it. It's not just for her company, but for every other topical company that was using marijuana oil to make a Cannabis topical preparation as long as it's below point three in its finished product, not just about the whole industry.
Joy Beckerman: [00:21:14] She opened up the whole industry for the state of Washington. She did it for everybody. And they are not allowed to sell their products in the very limited. Medical and adult use market, you're only allowed to sell to the humongous mainstream market. I mean, it was legislated and an Internet revolution and candidates revolution seat of I think of epic proportions. You created this debate. He allegory. Oh, sister. A product called Job.
Ah Warner: [00:21:42] I get it when I had one more to link to that. Please, please delete it. I want to add one more thing to that piece is that legislatively it was the first removal of anything Cannabis out of any individual States Controlled Substances Act. It was removed before any states could before Hemp was removed out of any State Controlled Substances Act. The following session we were able to get Hemp removed here, but rather here in Washington was removed before anything else.
Ah Warner: [00:22:13] Cannabis in any other state that I know of has been removed from anybody. See, I say it's a profound piece of legislation that almost no one knows about. But more now. Yes. We're sharing it.
Joy Beckerman: [00:22:24] Yes. Well, and you will you get interviewed by national magazines all the time? I mean, this this work is tremendous. And, you know, we pulled the listeners so much here, but there is another another piece. And we could go on about all of your efforts because it's the consummate volunteer that you are the continent as busy as you are. If you need, you know, as it's a normal woman of Washington or some other group, that Hemp Barons Association is doing some type of an event, you're the one hosting it. You're the ones on your computer making the invitations for it. As busy as you are, you are a continent dedicated advocate and revolutionary and one of the MVP of this entire movement that I have to share with the listeners. Oh, honey, you know, it's so true and I hope to share with the listeners. One of the amazing feats that you and I did together, which is so get to the state of Washington legalizes. I don't use Cannabis to an initiative of the people, not a legislative act, but through an initiative of the people which overwhelmingly voted for it to be accessible to the people. That happens in 2012 and it takes us until 2000, March of 2016 to legalize Hemp in the state of Washington. It's so counterintuitive. People wouldn't say legalize medical marijuana or an adult use. I should say, if we had medical for so many years, people thought, oh, there must be fields of Hemp growing and I had to sit there for 3 4 years until people know there's not a single legal Hemp be growing. There might have been some Hemp growing in Warner's backyard, but there were not any legal hemp seeds. If you had your own research field and you actually would have raised that. I mean, it was an act of civil disobedience that you've been researching.
Ah Warner: [00:24:03] How does my ever fear of civil disobedience?
Joy Beckerman: [00:24:06] Exactly. So that there was no legal hemp seeds growing. So we had to make that happen because we didn't use the initiative process. We used the state legislature to do it. So they are the ones that needed to be convinced. And to this day. Oh, my gosh. You and I personally found that there was no fun.
Joy Beckerman: [00:24:24] You and I have funded our entire our advocacy to the tune of probably one hundred and fifty thousand dollars minimum in the last 30 years. But this particular one was a pretty expensive endeavor because we created you.
Joy Beckerman: [00:24:35] Rnai industrial Hemp educate for a hundred and forty eight all.
Joy Beckerman: [00:24:42] One hundred and forty eight members of the Washington state legislature, which was one hundred and forty seven senators and House of Representatives members, along with the governor, and those industrial Hemp educates, included the nine ninety five DVD Bringing It Home Hemp Seed Oil Sambo. Old Hemp seed samples. Every kind of fiber. Lots of information of some. You know, Dr. Bronner, his seed oil. So thank God, Dr. Butters in New Chiba, they donated this, the seeds and this and the soap. And then we made these beautiful bags with the stickers, Industrial Hemp Educate, Hemp Industries Association, and we had to buy 11 giant plastic tubs from Costco. You remember that just there to fill out. And it took a living giant comes from Costco. And we had to buy a cart and we would take three giant tubs in at a time, parking way away from the legislature and marching them in. And we've got all these pictures of us in this mountain of 11 tubs filled with these beautiful uniform, gorgeous industrial Hemp educate. And I think that when I and I could care less. I'm just saying that, you know, this is the level of dedication. I think we each spent the whole thing. I had to I possibly, I think was somewhere around thirty six hundred dollars and all of that time stuffing those bags. Oh, my God. And and then marching them one office at a time, educating one legislator at a time, methodically crossing them off our list one by one, until every single state legislator in the state of Washington and the governor was educated and had actual physical samples to feel and touch and taste and see. And a movie. That movie, bringing it home and and sister, we're thinking legalized industrial hemp in the state of Washington. And I just can never thank you enough for being the only one that I could count on to go to that man. You were there. We did it together. Thank you. Thank you.
Ah Warner: [00:26:45] I thank you. Because, you know, that was an experience that, you know, first of all, it was just I think the more that you're involved in the process, the more you realize that you have power. So you leading me to that action really helps me to embrace my power. And it was the model that we used on getting that first Hemp legislation passed. It was that model of lobbying that I when I worked to legalize Java. So thank you for spearheading all together now.
Joy Beckerman: [00:27:17] Amazing. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Got us into every into the army. Mentors that taught me all of these years, you know, thank you to them. That's an incredible tribe of really dedicated people with strong convictions that really understand that this versatile, valuable plant.
Ah Warner: [00:27:34] I think with Hemp, I think the key to our success with those lobbying efforts, if I'm just kind of spinning, is that I think it was really important for us. The whole idea was why we spend so much time putting notes together, why it was so important for me when the state police stopped my efforts to get my products in the hands of these decision makers. It is so important that Hemp to be tangible that people be able to feel it, see it, taste it. And so that's I think, you know, that's why those efforts were so successful.
Ah Warner: [00:28:06] We were able to get Hemp in the hands of the decision makers and to think that after this all this information, to think that we have only told the listeners half of your story. Wow. And so we're going to say that for the next time, miss. OK. Thank you for everything that you do, everything that you are, your constant dedication. You are a shining example of what it means to be a United States citizen. Number one, and what it means to be a valuable member of this of this revolution. Our human race's relationship with the Cannabis plant is undeniable. We have an indoor cannabinoid system that's now been discovered. It is undeniable. And you are a shining example of how to engage in the planetary healing process and in the healing of the human race is there. Thank you so much for being with us today.
Ah Warner: [00:28:59] Thank you so much for having me. I'm just so happy to be useful. So thank you for acknowledging my work.
Joy Beckerman: [00:29:07] I appreciate it. Thank you. Back. And until next to your listeners, I indeed indeed you are drinking it all in and doing their thing. Goodbye.
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