There is strength in numbers as thousands participated in this 2-day event in Tampa, Florida, KushCon. KushCon is led by CEO John Lynch of Kush.com, a digital business-to-business marketplace for the cannabis industry. Lynch is currently moving its headquarters from Seattle to Tampa, largely due to the emerging cannabis market in Florida, hoping to provide an opportunity for the billion-dollar industry. KushCon is the 1st annual convention filled with more than 150 + vendors in the legal hemp market. With thousands of attendees, consumers had the opportunity to explore the leading brands and organizations and speak directly with the industry.
USHBA had the opportunity to attend this conference and showcase to attendees, processors, other vendors, and even people who have never heard of hemp building. Jacob Waddell, USHBA Executive Director was interviewed by Shawna Vercher from Cannabis Empire TV, an upcoming television show dedicated to anything and everything cannabis related. What was discussed was the latest project for the new building industry in providing accessible and environmentally friendly building materials.
USHBA member Colby Hollins had an opportunity to speak with Channel 10 Tampa Bay about the importance of diversity in the industry and more opportunities needed to enter into the legal cannabis marketplace. The event was also filled with informative panels and guest speakers, making participating even more exciting.
Nick Walters from the National Hemp Growers Cooperative presented about the latest project in the hemp industry. Nick had the opportunity to speak on day 2 in an education panel on using hemp as a feedstock for renewable energy. In that session, he described hemp seeds as a viable option for biofuel production instead of corn, and hemp has a high fuel yield and a shorter growth cycle.
The key takeaway, I’d have to say, is the confidence it provided to take some bold steps toward the future as this paradigm shift begins. The global movement toward legalization of cannabis/hemp is resulting in an ever-increasing public perception of the plant that it can be used for good, backed up by factual data. The future looks bright.
