‘Way greener future’: Hemp Expo in Wasilla rallies the forces behind the local industry

WASILLA — Numerous local vendors participated in the second annual Hemp Expo on June 8 at VFW Post 9365. Hosted by Trich Productions, this event coincided with National Hemp History Week.

“It’s a wonder product,” Trich Productions co-owner Cody Coman said.

National Hemp History Week is the largest educational campaign dedicated to hemp in the U.S. It’s an industry-wide initiative started by the Hemp Industries Association, striving to educate the various uses and benefits of hemp and promote the hemp industry as whole.

From June 3 to June 6, grassroots originations and local businesses across the country held educational events to discuss the many uses of hemp, dispel the historical stigma and advocate for hemp farming.

Participants aim to raise awareness about the plant, claiming substantial benefits for agriculture, the economy, and the environment- in addition to pushing for development of future applications of industrial hemp.

Coman runs Trich Productions with his family. He said they started Trich in 2017 as “cannabis friendly” production company, specializing in community events like this. He said their goal is to educate and promote cannabis as a whole, whether it’s for recreational, medicinal, or industrial use.

“It’s something that’s been demonized for far too long,” Coman said.

Coman said that during one of their past events, they partnered with the K-Hits radio station for a community coat drive, raising $5,000 in six weeks from the “cannabis community,” including local cannabis retailers across the Valley. He said that also held a Green Christmas fundraising event for Skeetawk and the cannabis community came together to support them as well.

“When a community comes together, big things can be done,” Coman said.

Coman said that industrial hemp has a vast array of uses and can replace 25,000 known counterpart products. He said that he’s looking forward to seeing future

“Whatever you can imagine, people are going to start doing it with hemp,”

Coman noted that next year, they will feature interactive workshops. He said people can learn how to make hemp products like oil, yarn, and even Hempcrete, a bio-composite of hemp and lime that can replace concrete for construction and installation. He said this is natural form of masonry is a testament to the versatility and deep pool of potential laden in hemp.

“That alone should blow people’s minds,” Coman said.

Coman said that he coordinated with National Hemp History Week and the organization behind the effort donated about $1,500 worth of merchandise for this year’s event. He said their far reaching efforts have been integral for grassroots operations like his.

He said that the event was slow but overall, it was a success. He said was inspired by the amount of support on display in his community, and marveled at the fact that the VFW allowed them to hold an event like this at their venue. He said this was encouraging and it felt like the stigma as breaking down.

In 2018 President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill which removed hemp-derived products from its Schedule I drug status. This opened up a hemp farming market across the county while CBD products still face obstacles.

Coman said that he’s excited for the future of industrial hemp. He said it’s only a matter of time before Alaska starts to catch up to the Lower 48.

“It’s coming,” Coman said.

Jennifer Woods, owner of Alaska Puffin’ on the Go and Bushrat Boutique, said that she’s been selling tie-dye and handmade apparel and accessories in Alaska for over 10 years with Bushrat and just started selling Smoking Adventure boxes this year.

She said that each box comes with assorted items to aid cannabis users, particularly new ones with a starter kit of sorts. Boxes contain a variety of items like pipes and rolling papers. They also include “adventure type tools” like key knives, compact towels and emergency blankets for outdoor excursions.

Woods uses hemp for many of her products, as well as other recycled and reused materials, like the tie-die shirts from her boutique and the tie-dye “Adventure Flags” contained in each Smoking Adventure box. She continuously praised hemp, citing it as a way to solve so many problems in modern society.

“We all need to learn about hemp. Hemp is an amazing product that can feed, clothe, and medicate the planet,” Woods said.

Woods said that hemp seeds make high protein foods that are great for people and animals. She said it makes for an effective animal feed that’s healthier than standard feed, which is mostly genetically modified corn.

Hemp is a form of cannabis that has very small traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical that causes people to feel high. Woods said that Cannabidiol (CBD) derives from hemp and can be used as a medicine to treat a number of ailments. CBD does not offer any feelings of intoxication but has countless reports of health benefits.

“It’s an amazing plant. I can go on for hours,” Woods said.

Cory Day, owner of Raw Infusions, shared a tent with Woods. Day and her husband Jerry spent the day selling CBD products, like CBD-infused honey sticks.

“Everyone here is doing phenomenal,” Day said.

Day said that it was a great event and would be even better if more people attended next year. She noted that despite the slow day, there was a lot of synergy going around.

“It’s a good start,” Day said.

Looking forward, Woods said she hopes that the hemp industry takes off in Alaska. She said that she looks forward to the day where she can walk into the store and buy rolls of hemp toilet paper.

“Think of the amount of trees that would save,” Woods said.

Woods said that hemp can help lead the way to a “way greener future.” She said that locals need to read up on the state’s Industrial Hemp Pilot Program and share their public comments before it closes on July 3.

For more information about the program, email: industrialhemp@alaska.gov or visit the state’s website at: http://plants.alaska.gov/industrialhempFAQs.htm

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com