Ruth Shamai's mail-order environmental business sparked her passion for hemp in the early nineties. . By channeling her passion to hemp activism she was instrumental in Canada's hemp legalization. This lead to her hemp-based natural food business. Ruth speaks with Joy Beckerman about her hemp career and her latest venture, Aqua CBD. Produced by PodCONX https://podconx.com/guests/ruth-shamai
Ruth Shamai's mail-order environmental business sparked her passion for hemp in the early nineties. . By channeling her passion to hemp activism she was instrumental in Canada's hemp legalization. This lead to her hemp-based natural food business. Ruth speaks with Joy Beckerman about her hemp career and her latest venture, Aqua CBD.
https://podconx.com/guests/ruth-shamai
Dan Humiston: [00:00:08] Welcome to another episode of Hemp Barons. I'm Dan Humiston. And on today's show, we head north to speak with one of the original Canadian Hemp Barons, reflecting on a Hemp career that began as an environmental male company and then morphed into one of the first Hemp food companies to her latest venture, a science based water soluble CBD company. Let's join Joy's conversation with Ruth Schmoe from Aqua CBD.
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:43] Well, what a treat to have you today, Ruth Shamai, I thank you so much for being with us on Hemp Barons today.
Ruth Shamai: [00:00:50] Joy, it is my great pleasure to be on Hemp Barons and to speak with you. The whole thing. Wonderful.
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:58] We have had such a tight friendship going back, a sisterhood, in fact, now for probably about five years, although I have been admiring you, my Canadian Hemp time here since the 90s is only so many of us on the planet that really got it, as it were, by the Hemp bud back then in the early 90s. And obviously it just took our lives by storm and and altered the trajectory, in fact, of our lives. And for you. That is certainly the case. You hail from Canada and in the 90s you became interested in Hemp. And I want to first hear why. And then we're going to talk about how you were so integral in actually the legalization of hemp as an agricultural commodity full on with federal crop insurance in Canada in 1998. But what brought you to Hemp sister?
Ruth Shamai: [00:01:50] Well, actually, I had in the in the very late 80s, early 90s, I had an environmental mail order company. I could see the environmental disaster on the horizon. And I sort of started an environmental mail order company. This was really before the Internet was widespread and it was about their brilliant idea that didn't actually go that well because it was really expensive to print and send out catalogs all over and then to send the products throughout Canada, etc. in an attempt to make it go better. At first I had no clothing because I thought clothes are you know, they're not in reuse, recycle, whether in reuse. But I'm not selling new clothes, you know, they're not part of the environmental thing. And then in an attempt to make it go better, I thought, what would clothes bring to this and what would the environmental clothes be? And someone said, why don't you look into Hemp clothing? And I thought, wait, Hemp, like we used to smoke. And I thought, what an idea. And lo and behold, I did other things that were environmental, too, like organic cotton and non-toxic dyes, et cetera.
Ruth Shamai: [00:02:56] But I suddenly started to focus on Hemp and wow, what is that now? What does that mean in this day and age? You know, I was acquainted with that as a teenager. Very well. Anyway, I just started looking into it and realized right about that time there was a Hemp movement birthing in Canada. There was actually a little bit being grown not too far from from where I live in southern Ontario by Jeff Crime and Jo Strobel, the actual pioneers and grandfathers of Hemp in Canada. They had a dispensation from Health Canada to grow, even though it was not yet legal just to see if it could grow and they were going for fibre uses anyways. That's what drew me to it, and it snowballed from there. I became involved in the lobby to legalize hemp in Canada. I was at the table and in the room. I went to stakeholder meetings in Ottawa and then I was in the room when Mr. Allan Rock announced that Hemp would be legal in Canada. We did that in 1998 and I just went from there.
Joy Beckerman: [00:04:02] Wow. And of course, I want to make sure that the listeners it is funny joke for those of us who are well aware of the genetic differences between the low THC and industrial variety, oil, seed and fiber varieties of of Cannabis as opposed to medical or adult use or sacramental variety. But the the Cannabis that you were familiar with as a teenager was certainly not Hemp. And we don't necessarily smoke Hemp, although that is coming along for folks who want a non propagating alternative to cigarettes and and to marijuana.
Ruth Shamai: [00:04:40] I don't remember that what we were smoking as teenagers was so low potency. We were smoking, you know, leave it might as.
Joy Beckerman: [00:04:49] Yeah, anything. Clearly anything was anything we could get our hands on.
Joy Beckerman: [00:04:54] It's always so fascinating for me to hear how folks come to the plant and come to the movement. And I didn't actually know that story. So that's just fascinating to me, because I think of you, of course, as a proponent for healthy eating and a vibrant quality of life. And I think of you as Ruth Hemp Foods.
Ruth Shamai: [00:05:15] You know, as a teenager, I have been also very interested in nutrition. I became vegetarian and was interested macrobiotic and all that stuff. So in 98, when we legalized, I looked around and thought, wow, now I can do what I want. What can I do? You know, which part of this is actually relevant to me and would mean something to me personally as opposed to the country that we did in legalization. And everyone can have have a bit. But what do I want to do? And I. Nutrition. I know a bunch about nutrition, and it's close to my heart and I would love to see Hemp products just on the shelves. So that's what I thought is I'm going to take that super nutritional Hemp seed and blasted out in as many ways as I can.
Joy Beckerman: [00:06:00] You sure did. You sure did, Miss Ruth. Oh, my gosh. Ten times over. And the first product set that you had out there. What did you what was your flagship? Ruth Hemp food product in 1998.
Ruth Shamai: [00:06:13] Hemp tortilla chips. You know, right from my inception, I said we're not going to be genetically modified in any way. I believe I was the very first company that made that an explicit part of what I wanted to do and of the values of the company. Our slogan was your values, your foods. And then we laid out all of the different values that were in these foods. They all had Hemp in them. But that's not exactly a value. Non GMO, no trans fats, no sugar, you know, things like that. Those were the values. And of course, they all contain. So that meant that I made organic corn for t chips with Hemp in them. I mean, there was there were primarily corn, but there were certainly Hemp in them and in a variety of different flavors. And they came out in January 2000. I took that long enough for me to figure this out and get in touch with co packers and find out what I could do and make the packaging. And then I remember the very first time I actually saw them with my own eyes. I mean, we've gone through many tasting things and I have toured facilities, et cetera. But to actually see the finished package of Hemp food Hemp tortilla chips that happened in January 2000. Yeah, it was a big moment in my world.
Joy Beckerman: [00:07:29] I literally I love you so much and you know how I feel about a hands as a movement and how we all got here that I just had goose bumps all over me thinking about that moment when there was your baby had Denver's the creation flavored organic corn Hemp tortilla chips. Right. They are such a trendsetter. And so by 2000, you've got your your baby has been born here. And then in 2001, here in the United States, the Drug Enforcement Administration, we've started to gain some traction, of course, with the Hemp movement and in the Hemp Industries here.
Joy Beckerman: [00:08:10] John and we started to see how well the Hemp seeds and hemp seed oil for human consumption on the shelves of health food stores. Back at the time, in 1997, the Bronner family began to introduce Hemp seed oil into their line. They're then popular line, already popular line, I should say, of scopes. And we had, you know, legalization happening in Canada. Well, in October of 2001 is all that traction is being gained. Of course, the Drug Enforcement Administration puts out an interim rule stating that seeds, whether they're sterilized or not, sterilized Hemp seeds meant for human consumption would be Schedule 1 controlled drugs as well as Hemp seed oil meant for human consumption and the HIV. The Hemp Industries Association took the DEA to task in what are precedent cases and very well-known cases. Hemp one in Hemp too. We filed that emergency motion in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, but we couldn't have done it without plaintiffs who would be suffering damages. So we were sort of the number one plaintiff is Hemp Industry Association. Come up with a number of plaintiffs. And Ruth, you were one.
Ruth Shamai: [00:09:29] I was supplying Hemp oil or, you know, being a conduit, let's say, for Hemp oil to other companies. So I worked with Anita Roddick from the Body Shop and many others. And I do recall the day I was standing in my kitchen and the phone rang and a little voice. Hi, this is David Bronner. And I thought, you know what? And indeed, it was David Bronner from Dr. Bronner. And I mean, every self respecting hippie already had a gallon of Dr. Bronner is under their sink. Right? I was well aware of the soap and I just couldn't believe that he was calling me and I started working with them to get them some Hemp oil. And I had also attended I think it was the third AGM of the HIV when I heard about the Hemp Industry Association. And Joy, thank you for your service as president now. But when I heard about the HIV, of course, I was in a hurry to get down there and meet them and do that. And I did. I became a member. I was at one time also a board member there. So through the newsletter, et cetera, I heard about the DEA action. Everybody knew about that. And when I heard that HIPAA spearheaded by David Bronner at. That time, the action, because he didn't want it to be in his name, he wanted it to be in the HIV AIDS thing, which is the kind of self with some wonderful thing David would do. But he said, who's standing with me? And I said, I will. And yes, I believe there were nine plaintiffs altogether. And I was one of them, even though I was Canadian. And I did catch a little bit of flak from my my fellow Canadians about why are you trying to make Hemp legal in the U.S.? And I said, because, you know, Hemp is for everyone. So I was a petitioner in that case and put in what I could, which was not too much compared to David. But I did what I could and I was proud to do it.
Ruth Shamai: [00:11:22] And we're so proud of you, Ruth Ann. And I just did a little bit of while you were talking, because I always speak and it is impossible to speak about the history of the Hemp movement in the United States without talking about native us. And then the Bronner family putting hemp seed oil into their soap in 1997. And the fact that I didn't realize you were a part of that oil getting into that soap is mindblowing to me. And I just love it when I learn more and more about the pieces of our our history. And I'll be sure from here on out to make sure that I include that. That's absolutely fascinating.
Ruth Shamai: [00:12:01] David wanted to do it. It didn't happen because of me. They were already on that path. And I just helped make it a reality at some point. You know, at an early point in time.
Joy Beckerman: [00:12:10] Yes. No, no. Everybody involved in the chain that created this industry and created this education and knowledge and consciousness. It's also important to me. Keeping in mind that in from 1994 to 2013, the Hemp Industries Association had at one hundred members. By 2013, we have eighteen hundred members now. You really had to be seeking the information. I guess that's what I have to say. You had to really make this a very important issue to you.
Joy Beckerman: [00:12:41] Figure it out, do your research, plug in and then act on every little opportunity that was happening in that town. Mister made.
Dan Humiston: [00:12:48] And I want to take a quick break. Thank you for listening to today's show as the leading Cannabis podcast network. We're constantly adding new Cannabis podcasts to support our industry's growth. And that's why we're so excited to announce our newest podcast, The Cannabis Breakout, which premieres October 18th. The show's about the thousands of Americans who remain in prison for violating Cannabis laws that have long since been overturned. The Cannabis breakout gives Cannabis political prisoners a voice. If you're a former Cannabis prisoner or have a loved one who is a Cannabis prisoner, we want to share your story. Please go to MJBulls.com and sign up to be a guest.
Joy Beckerman: [00:13:30] Speaking of 2013, that's when you sold roofs Hemp foods, is it not?
Ruth Shamai: [00:13:39] Yes, it is. Yep. That was it was just time to move on. And I sold it really because of the China crisis, which was when I had put out a product, a cereal made with Chia Hemp and Buckwheat. I put it out in 2006 and it rapidly became my best seller. The editor of Time magazine phoned me and asked how I did it. And wow. The most widely read Canadian newspaper wrote a quarter page article saying it was the most innovative cereal in years and it was rapidly my best seller and I was really excited about it. And then I called my supplier at the end of 2011, you know, for my regular load of chia. And he said, Oh, yeah. There is no more cheese because Dr. Oz and Oprah had started talking about Chia suddenly and then the world had caught on. But the farmers weren't ready for it, you know, because they didn't know that was coming. And suddenly the world was like out of China. I borrowed money from my home to send to places for more chia. That didn't happen. I didn't get it. Can get the money either. And the stress was crazy. That started at the end of 2011.
Ruth Shamai: [00:14:50] I persisted all through 2012, trying to get it, trying to keep everyone alive. And then the stores were mad, right? They were like, wait a minute, where's Chia? Goodness, you know, because I have many other products. Bruce Hemp Foods made tortilla chips, salad dressings, many different types of bars, protein powders, of course, oil Hemp burgers, frozen vegan Hemp burgers, many, many, many products. But she had goodness was what everyone was after. And when the reps went into the stores, the retailers would say, we're Stitcher goodness. And when I borrowed money and thought it was coming, they say it's coming. And then, oh, no, it's not coming. That happened twice. And then I couldn't stand the stress. And plus, I had staff to keep me employed and paid and everything. And I got an offer to sell the company and I did because I didn't want the stress. It was a very bad move. One writes a book about worst sales in history. They might put me in there, but it alleviated the immediate stress and you know, that was a good thing. You just have to calculate what's going to be best for you personally. Right. And that was it. The stress was unbearable.
Joy Beckerman: [00:15:59] Quality of life with quality of life. And and that brings me to yet another point. And that is the folks in the movement who have lost fortunes several times over. Or real estate assets or retirement income security loans, credit card debt. But we all had to do this.
Joy Beckerman: [00:16:21] It was like a calling, like like the Hemp plant saying put me into commerce, put me into the public's mind. Make people conscious of me. And nobody until very, very, very recently has been taking much money in the Hemp. All of these years. And so just thank you for knowing when it was time to let it go. To save your soul, girl. To save your soul.
Ruth Shamai: [00:16:45] I had to do it. But you're so right. Try about, you know, what Hemp was like in the early times. I mean, my Hemp tortilla chips. I was very proud of them, but the reception in stores was large. The way you can eat that, can you smoke it? Is this like putting rope in your product like no one had any idea for the longest time? And so now I see Hemp everywhere, and I'm so glad that what's the objective to cover the world with Hemp? And it's just commonplace now. But God knows this is 2019, right? How long does it take to get that way?
Joy Beckerman: [00:17:20] You and I, of course, we say it's commonplace because we're so involved in Hemp that we notice it where it is and we see it everywhere. So much of a Cannabis for us to paint on and make it truly commonplace. And that brings me up to sort of the very current day where about six years ago Hemp extract or Hemp derived CBD all of the sudden hits the planet. And for me it was like a side blind or kind of like I describe it as hitting me like a ton of bricks. Wait a second. Hold on. We're gonna breed the resin we've been for decades now. Breathing that resin down, down, down because we constantly have to tame the THC. We're making higher resin plants now. Wow. Of course, continuing to tame the THC so it remains legal Hemp to attract this incredibly beneficial compound cannabidiol or CBD. And the bottom line is thank God for CBD because now people are really paying attention because while we might have been able to inspire or 10, while we can inspire people by saying, hey, this is a better paper, didn't reach into the top into the water table, it's going to be recycled 100 more times.
Joy Beckerman: [00:18:31] And it was better for the environment when it grew and it helps clean the soil. People are inspired by that. And some folks are even willing to pay a few dollars more for that kind of paper, which eventually will be cheaper than tree paper when we get the infrastructure up here. But if you are solving a problem that a person has an ache of pain, nervousness, sleeplessness, any of those things and those problems are being immediately resolved for them and they feel better now. They're really interested. And now they really want to know about Hemp. And it's just such an incredible opportunity. This unexpected almost Trojan horse that came in six years ago and said here, let's give the world Hemp derived CBD and really put this whole movement on steroids. And that is what you're doing now with your incredible innovative and convenient product, awkward CBD, which people can learn about at my Aqua CBD dot com. Can you tell us about this? Always innovating. You're so impressive, right?
Ruth Shamai: [00:19:34] Tell us about Aqua CBD, a truly soluble BBB powder backed by science. And it's a brand new ingredient. You won't find it in retail. You won't find it on, you know, in stores and. And. You'll find it in other products because it's an ingredient that other people can use when they want to say, here's something truly soluble, backed by science.
Ruth Shamai: [00:19:56] So I only sell it in bulk to manufacturers. I mean, I first heard of CBD many years ago at a North American Industrial Hemp Council meeting in Chicago. John McPartland. He wrote the groundbreaking paper about the entourage packed together with Mishkin Russo. They and I met John McPartland at the end. I see meeting and we just hit it off. Personally, we enjoyed hanging out with each other and he was all talking CBD and I'm like, Yeah, that's fine. That idea was Hemp seemed like I was so. And then. And then when the world. Right. Because I mean, I was totally consumed with what I was doing, which was all Hemp see them. I thought it was probably 2016, I believe. But I got a call from someone who said, hey, I heard here you've been involved in the Hemp world, and I said the. And he said, would you help me make some CBD products? And I go CBT again, huh? And then and bam, I plunged into that world. So I helped him for a while. And then I quit and decided to do things for myself, which was pretty exciting. So I decided I looked around and I thought, what does it need? I had already been in retail ad infinitum with all of my product. Didn't want to go there again. So I thought a branded ingredient is a great thing when it means something, because the industry, you know, very, very nascent and burgeoning CBD industry when I looked around.
Ruth Shamai: [00:21:29] I thought it needed two things. It needed some science and it needed some solubility because as you know, CBD is oil based. It doesn't easily dissolve. So it's more difficult to get into foods and also into our bodies, which are primarily water based. And I thought it needed some science because I was starting to see lots of claims. And now we see many, many more claims. None of them are backed up. I see so many things everyday where they say, well, we're so bio available and, you know, we're so easily dissolved, then we help like this and but nobody backs it up with anything. So I thought, OK, I'm going to make a product. I know how to do this. And I set about that. And now we are about to see finally the Saudi blue powder backed by science. Three of them, in fact, one based on I select, one based on broad spectrum, disparate meaning it has other cannabinoids in it, but not THC and one based on full spectrum. So because of the methodology and the very small particle size, we can make a Hemp derived product. So it is fully legal under the farm bill that contains THC under the legal limit. And yet because of the methodology and the small particle price, it actually has the psychoactive effect for those people that want it. We have that and I call Aqua THC.
Joy Beckerman: [00:22:54] Absolutely fascinating. And I didn't realize because when last we spoke about your awkward CBD, I didn't realize that you were also working on broad spectrum and full spectrum water soluble formulas in addition to isolate. So that is just it is an awesome advancement. And in this wants to deliver, backed by science, delivery systems and innovative technologies for the public so that they really can get the benefits for a price point that will work for them that's actually affordable. And in order for that to actually work, you need CBD that is going to be absorbed by the body strong.
Ruth Shamai: [00:23:35] When I last saw you in the spring, we were already planning the broad spectrum and full spectrum was certainly the broad spectrum we were planning. Then about a month later that we had our first results from the full spectrum which we had used because we had it. And it was really fascinating because we send it to a lab, it came back with no THC. And I said, Oh, well, that's weird because it had THC in it. And what happened then? The scientists I was working with said, no, that's it's below the detection limits. That's how little there is. And by the way, do you want to try some? Well, yeah, obviously. So we put that in water, but just my 20 milligrams serving 20 mg of active in one glass of water. And I drank that. And five minutes later, I knew it. I was shocked. But there was still a CNN and there goes my working day. And I said, how how did this happen? And he said, particle size. You know, it just went like straight into the brain, even though there were so little in it.
Joy Beckerman: [00:24:37] So proud of you. So awesome. And I just love to see the folks who have dedicated themselves to this movement, into the plant, putting out these just amazing products for people, general wellness and and to alleviate their temporary symptoms from a variety of issues that we deal with as humans. And and you're just amazing. Ruth, I'm so, so grateful that I was able to interview you today and just thank you for everything you've done for the movement. Everything that you continue to do every day. You grandmother of the Hemp movement in Canada and North America.
Ruth Shamai: [00:25:13] Ruth Well, Joy, honestly, you're just you're making me blush and feel really great. You're totally making my day and look at all of the work you do, everything you do in all aspects you're involved with, with the industries, with this podcast, with Hemp Creek, with food, with, you know, so many aspects of the activism and actually pushing the knowledge out there and the whole movement forward. It's an honor to know you.
Joy Beckerman: [00:25:38] You know, we don't know how to do it any other way. And boy, is it the most momentous for. Work ever done, as I often say, if you're looking for. If you're looking for a place to belong, if you're looking for purpose in your life, let the Hemp movement be your place. Let it be your purpose. A purpose driven life. Everything. And boy, do I have a purpose for you. So thank you for knowing your purpose in doing it so well and leading the way, sister. Until next time.
Joy Beckerman: [00:26:06] Thank you so much for being on Hemp Barons. Today is my pleasure.
*IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER*
THIS IS AN AUTOMATED TRANSCRIPT AND THERE MAY BE INACCURATE AND OR INCORRECT COMPUTER TRANSLATIONS. DO NOT RELY ON THIS OR ANY TRANSCRIPT ON THE MJBULLS MEDIA WEBSITE.