For over three decades Joy Beckerman has devoted her life to advancing the promise of hemp. Through her relentless efforts she has gained the respect and admiration of hemp barons around the world. Today Dion Markgraaff, Ah Warner, Bob Hoban, Cait Curley, Ruth Shamai, Jonathan Miller, Anndrea Hermann and Morris Beegle join us to celebrate her one-year anniversary of hosting the Hemp Barons podcast. Produced by PodCONX https://podconx.com/guests/dion-markgraaff https://podconx.com/guests/ah-warner https://podconx.com/guests/bob-hoban https://podconx.com/guests/cait-curley https://podconx.com/guests/ruth-shamai https://podconx.com/guests/jonathan-miller https://podconx.com/guests/anndrea-hermann https://podconx.com/guests/morris-beegle
For over three decades Joy Beckerman has devoted her life to advancing the promise of hemp. Through her relentless efforts she has gained the respect and admiration of hemp barons around the world. Today Dion Markgraaff, Ah Warner, Bob Hoban, Cait Curley, Ruth Shamai, Jonathan Miller, Anndrea Hermann and Morris Beegle join us to celebrate her one-year anniversary of hosting the Hemp Barons podcast.
https://podconx.com/guests/dion-markgraaff
https://podconx.com/guests/ah-warner
https://podconx.com/guests/bob-hoban
https://podconx.com/guests/cait-curley
https://podconx.com/guests/ruth-shamai
https://podconx.com/guests/jonathan-miller
https://podconx.com/guests/anndrea-hermann
https://podconx.com/guests/morris-beegle
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:10] Welcome today's Hemp Barons podcast, everyone. I'm host Joy Beckerman. And today we're actually celebrating my one year anniversary of hosting this podcast. I don't normally celebrate myself. My I live in a state of celebrating Hemp and celebrating people and celebrating justice.
Joy Beckerman: [00:00:29] And I often all around the world, although that was in a pre posted world and I usually forget to even mention my company name, etc., I really just love to sing the song of Hemp, and I particularly love to uplift the incredible people in my Hemp community, the amazing pioneers, advocates, the tireless, dedicated activists who have seen the vision of Hemp through and those getting into the movement and the industry now and leading it. These are my compatriots, my brothers and sisters and colleagues who inspire me and cheer me on. And I love uplifting them. But the producer of my podcast is a very, very wonderful man and he has made it quite clear that this is a show about celebrating my anniversary and telling the listeners a little bit about who I am. Not easy, again, talking about myself. And I'm hoping to tell that story a little bit through the tremendous heroes and heroines who I have on the show today and those range from attorneys Bob Hoban and Jonathan Miller to have just the most incredible movers and shakers in the Hemp movement. And Bob Hope and of course, in the Hemp and Cannabis movements. My own mentor, Andrei Herrman, an American girl who's lived in Manitoba, Canada, since 2001. I just. Oh, so much to Andrea. She is the gift that keeps on giving in my life and understands me maybe better than almost anybody else. Warner, another incredible sister of mine, a pioneer since the 90s in the Hemp and Cannabis movements.
Joy Beckerman: [00:02:07] Deon Margraf, a global hero who has given up his own personal freedom in the pursuit of liberating this incredible plant and all of its forms and is a real champion for Hemp fiber. And then, of course, Maurice Deagle of Noko. And we are for better alternatives. And three free Hemp and Silver Mountain Guitars, really just a prolific educator and builder of the infrastructure for Hemp and bringing people together. And Kate Curlee, who is so beautiful from the inside out. And that beauty shines through as she educates, as she advocates, as she teaches and creates content. And then Ruths Shamai, a matriarch of the Hemp movement in North America and really globally, but a real first researcher, first cultivator legally way back in the 90s in Canada. And these eight planetary healers, as it were, are a portion of the incredible folks that have been on the show this last year. I'm so grateful to all of my guests for sharing their time and talent and passions with me, with the listeners. And thank you so much, listeners, for tuning in and for being curious about Hemp and wanting to learn and to be receptive to the promise of this versatile, valuable plant that really is here to meet all of our needs, the people, the animals and the planet. So a little bit about my history for those who don't know is I've been in Hemp for 30 years.
Joy Beckerman: [00:03:39] I joined the Hemp movement in the spring of 1990. I actually learned about Hemp at a Grateful Dead show in Foxborough, Massachusetts. And it was an excerpt from the what I call the Bible. The Emperor Wears No Clothes by Jack Herra and edited by Chris Conrad. It was The Emperor Wears No Clothes that really spawned the entire movement. And that flier that I received on that Grateful Dead parking lot changed the course of my life. It really altered the trajectory of my life and got me very interested in Hemp. As a matter of fact, I don't even recall it being conscious thing. It affected me on a cellular level and inspired me. Heart centered way that it took over. In many ways, it projected me, propelled me. It almost makes you feel like a vessel or a vehicle because the next thing you know, you're wanting to learn more about Hemp. You're wanting to share the good word. You're you're wanting to lead marches. And I did lead my first march in New York in ninety four are for legalization and opened the first Hemp store, in fact, in the state of New York, in Woodstock in 1994, it was called Heaven on Earth. And then when the inaugural Hemp bill passed in Vermont in 1996, I was appointed to serve as secretary of the Vermont Hemp Council and relocated. My two boys and I, who were then very little, they're 28 and 26 now. They were little boys then and I moved them to Burlington, Vermont, to serve in that capacity and and to help manage three retail locations of what was then the Vermont Emporium.
Joy Beckerman: [00:05:23] I'd gone to school to be a paralegal and then went on to the University of Vermont as an English major, minoring in women's studies and became a paralegal. And the quality of life was just much better here. The pay was much better here, was great for single mothers. And so we relocated to Seattle, where I began a successful career in a dual career in compliance and complex civil litigation, while also continuing to pursue my Hemp business endeavors online and through e-commerce. And then in 2014. I retired my paralegal career to form Hemp based International, which is my own expert witness, legal support and consulting firm based in Seattle, but serving the global community. I've written law in multiple states and regulation in multiple states also at the federal level. Those to me are the greatest honors and privileges. I do that proactively. I do it by request as a grassroots activist. I have written bills that have been prime sponsored and co-sponsored in the state legislatures of both Washington State and New York State. I've humbly received several awards. The Seattle Hemp Fest, which has been going for 28 years, strong and is a huge, huge annual event. Sometimes we've had two hundred thousand people at those the Seattle Hemp Fest events over the course of three days.
Joy Beckerman: [00:06:54] Tremendous role in changing hearts and minds and advocating and pushing criminal justice and Cannabis reform not only in the state of Washington, but the whole West Coast and the United States. And they I was I received the Seattle Hemp Fest, 2016 regional Cannabis activist of the year. I received the 2014 Hemp Industries Association, national Hemp activist of the Year award, and received the most recent lifetime achievement award from the Hemp Industries Association. I don't do any of this for awards or any form of recognition. The plant propels me. My purpose propels me. And my biggest endeavor, including in the honor of hosting this show, is that folks who are missing purpose in their lives and want that purpose because it's a purpose driven life. That is a happy one. That Hemp can be their purpose and that I'll somehow inspire folks to understand the full potential of Hemp the opportunity that it is. The fact that whatever your passion is, Hemp fits into it. And ultimately to hear the call, to rise to the challenge, to join an authentic, purpose driven group of people of every size, color, race and creed, of every nationality and religion to really deliver on this promise and to heal the planet. That's why I do this. Thank you so much for listening today, for sharing this time in this space with me, for giving me the space to talk about myself, which is far outside of my comfort zone, guys.
Joy Beckerman: [00:08:35] And I hope you enjoy today's show. Well, until next week, everybody stay healthy, stay safe and live your purpose.
Joy Beckerman: [00:08:49] Well, this is so exciting for me, I get to have Bob Hoban in on my anniversary show today, just a global Hemp hero of heroes. In fact, a hero in all of the Cannabis movement. So let me get Bob on the phone.
Joy Beckerman: [00:09:03] Well, hello, Bob. I so appreciate you being on the show with me today, brother.
Bob Hoban: [00:09:07] So it's my pleasure, Joy. Happy anniversary. It's good to be here.
Joy Beckerman: [00:09:10] Thank you. Thank you so much. What did we talk about?
Bob Hoban: [00:09:13] Well, you know, I was thinking about this as we look at the reforms that are forthcoming and that are required at the federal level here in the United States as it relates to our Hemp program, certainly we can agree, particularly in light of the social climate right now and the social unrest, that the felony ban for drug crimes is something that should be addressed by our federal government as it relates to Hemp operators. And we certainly agree that the THC percentage needs to be reevaluated. But what are some other things that you see that immediately need to be addressed for our U.S. space Hemp industry to move forward by way of reform?
Joy Beckerman: [00:09:53] Boy, you certainly hit two of the major important ones right on the head. I mean, particularly obviously, we need to increase THC and reevaluate that, as you say, and removing that drug felony ban. I mean, come on, the people who are most desperately impacted by the drug war, by federal law are not allowed to take the advantage of the incredible opportunities that Hemp brings. I mean, that obviously has to change. I think the other one that is just incredibly important would be acceptable uses for non-compliant crops. We move the needle forward the teeniest, tiniest bit by getting the USDA to acknowledge that the law did not say destroy non-compliant crops, but rather said dispose of non-compliant crops. And we really need to be allowed to use these non-compliant crops, meaning their testing above point three percent THC for industrial purposes. No doubt there needs to be safeguards. But if those crops must not be destroyed or disposed of by fire or composting, you know, everything from pyrolysis to all of the many industries that fiber serves, from paper, textiles, building materials, bio composites, nanotechnology, aerospace, energy and fuel, we're going to have to do better. And that's something I'm really excited to work on. Bob, I can't thank you enough for everything that you do for Hemp and what is just an honor and a pleasure. It is to be able to work on these important initiatives to heal humanity and to heal the planet with you. Thank you for everything that you and Hoban law. group do, Bob, and thank you for being on the show today.
Bob Hoban: [00:11:23] It's my pleasure. Keep on spreading the good word of Hemp Joy. And thank you again for having.
Joy Beckerman: [00:11:35] And now we're going to hear from all water of Cannabis Day six and Hemp BASIX, who in the 90s with Cannabis creation's another true pioneer. Let me get on the line.
Joy Beckerman: [00:11:49] Well, hello. Thank you so much for being with me today.
Ah Warner: [00:11:52] Hi, Joy. I'm excited to be here.
Joy Beckerman: [00:11:54] Well, I'm so excited to have you know, when I invited you to be on the anniversary podcast, you told me very frankly you wanted to take this time to share a story with the listeners so far, be it for me to deny such a request from a goddess like you. What story is it that you are wanting to share on my anniversary Hemp Barons podcast?
Ah Warner: [00:12:14] Well, first of all, congratulations on one year. That's a big deal. I think that's amazing. But the story that I wanted to tell is that I think many people aren't aware that Washington State, where you and I live, didn't legalize hemp cultivation until 2016 for some for for some four years after legalizing adult cannabis. You were such a tireless champion in that effort. And when the first legal seeds were ceremoniously planted with you and the Department of AG and Chairman Warnecke of the Washington State Senate AG Committee, Senator Warnecke announced she's got our attention and made us aware of what it's all about. And it was such a profound moment. But before that moment happened, we didn't hear about the groundwork that was laid before then. And what I really want to talk about is the Hemp educate your brainchild, the Hemp educate that I gladly helped you with. You know, you and I had both been involved in Hemp movement and industry since the 90s. And I was your partner and so many Washington lobbying efforts. But the Hemp education program was something that I took into the future with the ground working not only for Hemp being industrial in not only for Hemp being legalized, but for also the work that I continued to do in my world of shava to educate, actually.
Ah Warner: [00:13:40] And it could actually be used as a model for states to educate their representatives. Even today, this was a kit that was packed with fiber and seed and oil. We had the video bringing it home. There was information in there. There were live Hemp seeds that you could eat. It was just packed with all of the materials that these legislators had never seen before. And because we took that kit to every single office in Olympia. One hundred and forty seven offices, I believe, and the office of the lieutenant governor and the governor's office. And because of that effort, because of our effort, because of your brainchild. Each one of those decisions made decision makers was able to have camp in their hands as they moved forward to make decisions about the future of Hemp in Washington State. This action was profound. And I just feel like I want the world to know about it, because at this point, there are very few of us that know what that effort actually accumulated for us in Washington State. I'm so proud of you and so proud of the work that I've done with you.
Joy Beckerman: [00:14:53] You are making my heart sing, sister, and not many people, Andrea Harman and maybe a couple others that would stay up all night and stuffed those bags with me. I can not thank you enough for the hundreds of hours that we've worked together. And I'm so looking forward to hundreds of hours more. Thank you for being on the show today, sister.
Ah Warner: [00:15:12] Absolutely. Thank you so much for having me. And I look forward to seeing what you do in the next 10 years.
Joy Beckerman: [00:15:24] Well, our next guest is attorney Jonathan Miller of Froch, found tied to US Hemp roundtable and the U.S. Hemp Authority. Now that we have a seat at the table, we need a real big hero in Hemp. And for me. Jonathan Miller is such that hero. Without further ado, let me get Jonathan on the phone. Well, Jonathan, hello. Joy, thank you so much for being with me on Hemp Barons today.
Jonathan Miller: [00:15:48] Thank you for having me, Joy. Happy anniversary.
Joy Beckerman: [00:15:50] I so appreciate that, sir. And I'm so excited to hear about what you may want to talk about for this podcast, this anniversary podcast edition that I'm having said. What's on your mind?
Jonathan Miller: [00:16:01] Well, Joy, you know, hi. I'd like to tell you, until other people in the Hemp industry that you are one of the smartest, most capable lawyers I know when it comes to developing legislation or regulation at the table of the US Hemp roundtable or developing standards and guidelines for the U.S. Hemp Authority Europe, you're always there dying every I and crossing every T and making sure that things are legally compliant. Well, it turned out after knowing you for the first few months that you're not actually a licensed lawyer, but bring your legal experience from from other sources. And so I wanted to kind of ask you to to share, you know, how this this legal background got developed and how you've become the smartest lawyer I know without a law degree.
Joy Beckerman: [00:16:52] And I am usually constantly disclaiming that I'm a senior paralegal. I am not a lawyer. You know, I was raised, Jonathan, by a lawyer. My father is an attorney in the state of Maine, has quite a record for Supreme Court of the state of Maine when he was a municipal attorney. But he raised me by himself so I didn't have a mother in the house growing up or any brothers or sisters. I just had me and this hardcore solo practitioner lawyer. So I was really raised in that environment with that kind of thinking in mind. And I went to school originally for Fisher College in paralegal studies and then went on to the University of Vermont. And to be an English major. And that, of course, is where you often see those fairly fastidious proofreading skills in the many documents that we draft together. But between my studying and the way I was raised and I think the fact that that's seems to be some of the greatest things that we need in Hemp are advocates with really sophisticated minds to be able to understand these complexities, distill them down and advance the mission.
Joy Beckerman: [00:18:04] And I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be able to be a part of you, U.S. Hemp roundtable and the U.S. Hemp authority and advance those missions so effectively under your leadership, Jonathan.
Joy Beckerman: [00:18:16] And I'm so grateful to have you here on Hemp Barons today. Thank you for joining us. And I hope that the listeners will go and listen to our previous interview with Jonathan, which is very interesting.
Joy Beckerman: [00:18:27] And we're going to have you on again very soon. Jonathan, thank you so much for everything you do.
Jonathan Miller: [00:18:32] Thank you for having me.
Joy Beckerman: [00:18:51] Well, our next guest is a globally renowned eye color. The global first lady of Hemp, Andrea Herman, my sister, my mentor and just internationally renowned expert in a number of directions and taught our nation's first course on Hemp through the Oregon State University for several years. Without further ado, let's get Andrea on the phone.
Anndrea Hermann: [00:19:10] Good morning, Joy. Well, hello, Miss Andrea. Thank you so much for being on the show with me today.
Anndrea Hermann: [00:19:15] Oh, congratulations on your one year of having this opportunity to put great noise in people's ears about Hemp on your show.
Joy Beckerman: [00:19:24] Our favorite thing to do. Absolutely.
Anndrea Hermann: [00:19:26] Yeah, I thought that I got you on a I got you this opportunity to speak. I have. I have a question that has been going through my mind. And I've spoke with other people and know that it is something that is very important to the industry. So I'd like your opinion on how do you see the development of quality assurance and what's going to be needed as we move further in to food production and feed production in the United States and and really across all agricultural landscapes, no matter what country they're growing in. So how do you see us moving forward with the concept of quality assurance from been all the way to final food or feed product with anything?
Joy Beckerman: [00:20:10] Of course, and Hemp education is the key and it never ceases to amaze me. Even sophisticated investors and sophisticated entrepreneurs and business folks that have never been involved in the grain industry have a really unsophisticated idea because it's a Hemp seed. The reality is, whether it's a Hemp seed, a sunflower seed or a key seed, the Food and Drug Administration and here in the United States and in developed countries where we have quality assurance and safety, we have codes of federal regulations for current good manufacturing practices for anything that is going to be ingested by a human or an animal. So it's interesting if folks even point them to, well, this is what a sunflower seed has to go through. So the aim for a Hemp seed, except we also now have to make sure that we would quantify THC and getting folks to understand as well the investment around size and scale and analytics to be able to comply with those safety standards. In fact, to provide some of your thoughts. Miss Andrea, expert of the Hemp grain industry globally on what some of those analytics and compliance issues are.
Anndrea Hermann: [00:21:21] Yeah. So some of those would be the method that is used by one lab versus another lab. And who recognizes those methods to make sure that you've got all of those details on file? What are those methods? Make sure you have all the lab certifications. Next would be just the array of tests that have to be done from your bacterial test or E.coli, salmonella or listeria. Some of those basics, of course, because those can make somebody very shake your yeast and mold your gluten, your moisture, and then you go through other ones, your prox high value and now the range of cannabinoids that need to be tested, not mine. The requirements in some countries for the heavy metals and also for a range of pesticide testing, which is not to say alemanno pesticide testing. Which pesticides are you wanting to test and how are those tested Hemp or some of those tests are up to 200 to 300 dollars, up to a thousand dollars apiece to have those test run. So at the end of the day, if you're testing from the bed all the way to the final product, you can be working at thousand's up to maybe even five thousand dollars per watt to get those analytical. So it can be costly coffee and time consuming. You just have to make sure that you know what your client needs, exactly what kind of testing method they require. And also the Hemp industry has really had to tighten our specifications and be on when it comes to quality assurance.
Joy Beckerman: [00:22:46] Also key and I know in Colorado, Hemp works, which of course is our nation's first post prohibition grain processing facility that I'm very proud to be a part owner and senior advisor to. We contend with all of these compliance issues in all of this analytical testing all the time. And it's just so important for folks to understand as they enter this very promising huge. The compound annual growth rate for the Hemp grain industry is just tremendous. As gluten intolerance and demands for a vegan, a vegetarian based protein come online, as folks get interested in this industry and we certainly hope they do for them to really understand what it means. There is no exception for Hemp here. We live in a developed country that deals with quality assurance and safety. Misandry. I can't thank you enough for being on the show with me. Please check out our previous full interview with Andrea on Hemp Barons.
Joy Beckerman: [00:23:41] And I can't wait to have you back on again. Thank you for everything you do.
Anndrea Hermann: [00:23:45] Thanks, everybody. Enjoy the rest of the show.
Joy Beckerman: [00:23:56] Well, our next guest is internationally renowned Dion Margraaff, not only one of my closest brothers and colleagues, but a true pioneer from all around the world beginning in the 1990s, really be selfless, tireless commitment of this of this dedicated activist for Cannabis and all of its forms is nearly unmatched. And without further ado, let's get Diane on the phone right now. Well, hello, Deon. Brother, thank you so much for celebrating Hemp by being on my anniversary show with me today.
Dion Markgraaff: [00:24:28] Yeah. Hi, Joy. Thanks for having me. Congratulations. It's a great show.
Joy Beckerman: [00:24:33] If you had any opportunity that I can get to educate and sing the song of Hemp, you know, that's my favorite thing to do. And I'm just so grateful to Mbulls to allow me to host Hemp Barons. It's just a wonderful platform to get the word out, which is what you and I really live for.
Dion Markgraaff: [00:24:51] Yeah. Looking over all the people you've had on your show so credible, I think it's information. So, yeah, I wanted to ask you, you know, with all your years in how things are going in your personal life, I was wondering, you know, we've just started to legalize Hemp, legalize cannabis. I mean, sort of all our clean some things we've worked for all these years. I'm just wondering what you with all your, you know, experience and skills and talent pain throughout your career. Like, what do you want to now start doing with your future and with the podcast? Maybe more like idealistically and practically, you know, this sort of crossroads or, you know, it's the same drumbeat as ever, brother.
Joy Beckerman: [00:25:45] It's that it's that product that brings you and I so close together. I mean, I know it's the plant where where we connect on on so many levels. But Hemp create the mold, wrought fire and pest resistant construction. Infill remains my favorite and product of all of the products that we can make from Hemp. And when I say favorite, I mean, that's really the HUDs even coming close to how I feel about that products. Brother, as you well know, as you know, one of the main impetuses of the US Hemp Building Association, of which you're on the board and I believe vice president of the board, you know, over 50 percent of our nation's landfills are filled with construction waste every year from toxic off gassing, temporary construction materials. And so Hemp Creek is not only going to improve our quality of life by providing really optimal indoor air quality and allowing us to do away with the pink awful fiberglass, the toxic drywall these six buildings syndrome's with our sealed that tieback homes. We have these living, breathing wall systems and constructed homes that we lost hundreds and hundreds of years.
Joy Beckerman: [00:27:10] We know this because there are Hemp free homes and structures on the planet that still exist that are hundreds of years old. And so that's where my heart is. And for me, that's where my my future is, is I want to create Hemp, create tiny home communities that I also want to live on in the back 40 with my family and have family living demonstration hubs where folks can come to these sort of resort communities and stay experience Hemp growing experience, permaculture gardens, experiencing really a true regenerative community experience while they're on vacation or traveling for business. And I want everything to be constructed of Hemp create. And of course I want all of the textiles and sheets until total cases, izan towels, everything to be Hemp. I want to create essentially a Hemp village and I'm going to do that. And I'd love to do that with your brothers. We certainly talked about it before. Yeah. I'm so grateful for that question because that's my real that's, that's my vision and that's ultimately what I want to do.
Dion Markgraaff: [00:28:21] And you're perfect for it. I mean, I've, you know, been a part of many classes. And the ones that you have given over the years are really the best that I've seen, you know, so precise and so, you know. So I'd love to hear that. And, you know, you're well qualified. And certainly the people in the earth need it to happen.
Joy Beckerman: [00:28:45] Man, the projects we and educating we've done together. And just the pioneering things, Deong, and I mean really creating with some of our international friends, Sergei and Steve Henn and Greg, and to create that first mobile Hemp treat home on Wheels for Earth Day a couple of years ago in Balboa Park in San Diego.
Joy Beckerman: [00:29:09] And I see you're continuing to work on it. It's beautiful. I got to sleep in it in March on your property. You know, these memories, these inspirations, they mean everything to me and I just. So excited to watch our shared great future unfold together. Thank you so much for being on the show with me today.
Dion Markgraaff: [00:29:28] Thank you. And keep up the great work.
Joy Beckerman: [00:29:40] And now I'm so excited to have the amazing key Curlee with me today is, you know, she is a Hemp and Cannabis advocate, educator and content creator extraordinaire and one of the closest women in my life. Let's get her on the line.
Joy Beckerman: [00:29:53] Hallo miss Kate. Thank you so much for joining me today, sister.
Cait Curley: [00:29:56] Hi, Joy. I am so excited to be on this call. And, you know, I do want you to know that is but it has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you and learn from me these past year year. Explosive passion is absolutely contagious and the depth of knowledge is just hypnotizing to me. I can sit and listen to you for hours.
Cait Curley: [00:30:20] And the neat thing about that is I feel because you have so much wisdom and education when it comes to the plant, that you could just go for hours and hours without talking about the same thing twice and or be redundant. I really just love listening to you. And I do want to say, like I, I, I when I see you, your smile lights up the planet and your dedication, it really it moves mountains.
Cait Curley: [00:30:47] So thank you for being such a genuine and kind of human.
Cait Curley: [00:30:51] I'm so grateful to consider you a mentor, sister and a friend.
Joy Beckerman: [00:30:56] Oh, my God. Thank you, Kate. Thank you so much for that utter reflection. I love being your mirror.
Cait Curley: [00:31:03] So, Joy, I would like to ask you a question. If you could go back to any point in time as yourself blended in as character or a political figure, when, where and who would it be?
Joy Beckerman: [00:31:18] Oh, wow.
Joy Beckerman: [00:31:19] Ok. That's a lot of power. Lot of opportunity for change. But given a realistic ability to change things at any point in history, I think that's a good one. Gerald Ford, when he took over the presidency after Nixon resigned. I would have stopped that Controlled Substances Act in its tracks of 1970. I would not put any form of Cannabis anywhere on that schedule.
Joy Beckerman: [00:31:46] I would be Gerald Ford. And I would I would have corrected that schedule by any means necessary at that time.
Joy Beckerman: [00:31:53] And and I suppose the other one would be I would be Mitch McConnell during the 2018 Farm Bill conference, when some type of compromise occurred that caused a 10 year drug felony conviction ban for eligibility for Hemp farmers to take advantage of the or for any farmer interested in Hemp to take advantage of all of the opportunities that Hemp brings.
Joy Beckerman: [00:32:20] So we're talking about, you know, people who were obviously far more and continue to be far more desperately impacted by the failed war on drugs. The farm bill made it so that those folks, if they have a a drug felony conviction within 10 years, will not be eligible to participate in Hemp licensing or in that opportunity for farming and agriculture. So Gerald Ford in 1974, whenever it is that he took over that presidency and Mitch McConnell during the farm bill. Sister, thank you for asking such a great question, Kate, and for being with me on the show. I can't wait to have you on again. And even better, I can't wait to see you again, sister. Thank you so much for everything, Kate. Thank you for that reflection.
Cait Curley: [00:33:06] Of course. What a quick and awesome, perfect response.
Joy Beckerman: [00:33:22] And my next guests for my anniversary podcast is Ruth Shamai, a true matriarch of the Hemp movement globally, a first grower, a first mover in the Hemp food space roots, Hemp Foods. Oh, the products that she had in the 1990s. And moving on. And now still, of course, a tremendous leader now in the cannabinoid space. Let's get Ruth on the line.
Joy Beckerman: [00:33:46] Well, hello, Ruth.
Joy Beckerman: [00:33:48] Thank you so much for being with me on Hemp Barons today, sister, but.
Ruth Shamai: [00:33:52] It is my pleasure. Yeah. How are you, sister?
Joy Beckerman: [00:33:56] Doing so well, doing so well even during this transformative time.
Ruth Shamai: [00:34:00] That's good. Good. I hope the same is true with you.
Ruth Shamai: [00:34:02] Absolutely. Yes. Thriving.
Joy Beckerman: [00:34:05] Well, what should we talk about on this special celebrating Hemp through the anniversary podcast day?
Ruth Shamai: [00:34:11] Well, I wanted to ask you a question. May I? Of course. OK.
Ruth Shamai: [00:34:17] Because, as you know, I was called to the Hemp movement in the mid 1990s because of the benefits I sub Hemp could bring to our environment, our health and our economy in the form of building materials, fabrics, food and so much more. And of course, now it's expanded even beyond that. But all right. For you. Why is Hemp your first song? And what's your Hemp and vision for the future?
Joy Beckerman: [00:34:44] It should come as no surprise, Ruth, really for the same reasons as you. This incredible, versatile plant that addresses every need of humanity and animals from human and animal nutrition and body care. Nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals to paper, textiles, building materials. Bio composites. Industrial sealants, encodings. Energy and fuel. Nanotechnology, biomedical applications. All of those things that it addresses and the tremendous environmental impact that Hemp can make both as a carbon sequestering crop and phyto remediating crop. And in all of this superior properties that it can bring due to its unique celly, cellulosic makeup and surface area and strength and the incredible richness of its cannabinoid profile, the credible nutrient profile of the of the Hemp grain. I learned right away this was it a game changer, a transformer that Hemp is the path to the healing of the world. Hemp in and of itself is not going to heal the world, but we're not going to be able to heal the world without this plant. And it's. And the fact that I learned at the same time that it had been criminalized it now, of course, it's a legal agricultural commodity in Canada and in the United States. But when I discovered that this solution had been criminalized, not only had they removed all knowledge of the plant from us, the special interests beginning in the 1930s, but that they removed all knowledge of the plant and then criminalized even owning a seed that was viable or a seed capable of germination. There was a harmonic convergence there of a sense of justice and a sense of planetary healing that really altered the trajectory of of my life and my Hemp and vision for the future.
Ruth Shamai: [00:36:35] Is that me too? Yeah. I really understand. It's spoke so deeply to me. My sense of the world and where I wanted it to go from here was the path to follow a man sister and my my vision of the future, of course.
Joy Beckerman: [00:36:49] I'm sure it's a shared one. And that is that we optimize the full crop utilization of this incredible plant in every possible way, and that it sets off an entire domino effect of healing and regeneration throughout our local, state, national and global communities. Ruth, it's been such a pleasure. Thank you so much for spending a few minutes celebrating Hemp and my anniversary, sister. Thank you for everything you do. And I can't wait to have you back on the show.
Ruth Shamai: [00:37:20] Thank you, Joy. It is absolute honor to speak with you once again. And please thank them for me for having me as a guest again and all the best. Congratulations on your Hemp bursary.
Joy Beckerman: [00:37:32] Thank you.
Joy Beckerman: [00:37:40] My next guest today on my anniversary podcast is Morris beegle. You know, Morris beegle, if you know anything about the Hemp movement or the Hemp industry, Noko, Southern Hemp Expo, Silver Mountain, Hemp Guitars Co., Hemp Co..
Joy Beckerman: [00:37:52] And of course, let's talk Hemp. So let me get Morris on the phone. Well, hello, Maurice.
Joy Beckerman: [00:38:00] Thank you so much for being with me on my anniversary podcast today.
Morris Beegle: [00:38:04] Hey, Joy. I appreciate being on the podcast with you. Always great to talk to you.
Joy Beckerman: [00:38:09] Well, it's great having you on the show. And we're gonna be having you want again. And I hope everyone listens to our last interview with Morris beegle. I have been told by Little Ferry that you have a question for me for this anniversary.
Morris Beegle: [00:38:22] Why, yes, I do.
Morris Beegle: [00:38:24] First off, let me say that I completely appreciate all the passion, knowledge and positive advocacy that you have brought to the Hemp and Cannabis Industries for the last 25 plus years.
Morris Beegle: [00:38:35] Thank you. And with that reflecting on all that has happened and all of it could be in the future, if you could personally create the culture of the industry moving forward, what would that look like?
Joy Beckerman: [00:38:48] I appreciate this question so much. Hemp is about cooperation Cannabis in all of its forms. It is the great synthesizer and the great synergise. Even when we add Hemp seed oil to industrial sealants encodings or to food or to cosmetics, it makes everything work better together when we consume Cannabis in any form. It makes things work better together. And this plant is so inspiring in that the only way in reality for us all to take advantage of the many industries that it serves. And you and I both know that it serves every industry that humanity and animals need to survive is through cooperation. If we truly want to work smarter and not harder and we want to be efficient and we want to create truly regenerative communities, not just sustainability, sustainability isn't good enough for humanity. And is it good enough for planet planet Earth? Regeneration is our goal.
Joy Beckerman: [00:39:49] It's what we're going for and it's what Cannabis in all of its forms is going to bring us. But the only way we're going to realize that vision is through cooperation and stepping outside of what has been human nature for so long. And that's competition and evolve and embrace and allow the spirit of cooperation. That's my vision, brother. And you, my dear, are such a catalyst and lightning rod, you and Lizzie Knight and everything that you do with Wafa. We are for better alternatives. You are a catalyst for that brother chopping the wood, carrying the water and building the infrastructure including and tree free Hemp the fact that I didn't mention tree free Hemp, which is one of my favorite things that that WAF but does, which is to, which is to provide Hemp blended recycled paper products to industry worldwide. Thank you for being such a lightning rod brother and being such a part of realizing that vision of cooperation. Morris. Thank you so much for being with me on the show today. And I can't wait to have you back and see you soon.
Morris Beegle: [00:40:54] Thank you, Joy and Amen, sister. Totally appreciate everything that you've done and what you represent.
Joy Beckerman: [00:41:01] Much love, brother. Thank you.
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