A natural solution

With the opioid epidemic raging across the nation, Franklin-based Appalachian Growers are offering a different solution, CBD.

Owner Lori Lacey came from a wellness background and said she got into the hemp business because of the stories she heard from other women.

“I was a trainer for 21 years and saw a lot of people that had a lot of different health issues,” Lacy said. “So many people are struggling with either cancer therapy, arthritis and pain. I worked with a lot of women that had sleep issues or issues with anxiety. My daughter has two autoimmune diseases that she addressed using CBD oil. I started using it to fix my sleep issues and it worked.”

When Lacy met Steve Yuzzi, the two said they wanted a “midlife crisis” that they could feel good about.

“It definitely was scary, because we didn’t know anything about it,” Lacy said. “I didn’t know anything about farming, the parts of the plants or anything.”

Before breaking ground in Franklin, the couple spent six months in Colorado and Maine learning about the trade.

“We were kind of the newbies on the block,” Lacy said. “Now, we are the people helping the newbies out saying, ‘Hey, it’s not a competition, we are all just trying to save money.’ We knew we had to build a building to dry the plants. If we didn’t have a building, we would have failed.”

With 23,000 plants in the ground for their first year, Lacy said there should have been a film crew behind them to tape the mistakes they made.

“Every year we have learned a substantial amount,” Lacy said. “Steve and I committed whole heartedly to this business, putting all of our life savings into it. At the end of the day, what keeps us going are the testimonials.”

The 2018 Farm Bill allows hemp cultivation broadly, not simply pilot programs for studying market interest in hemp-derived products. It explicitly allows the transfer of hemp-derived products across state lines for commercial or other purposes. It also puts no restrictions on the sale, transport, or possession of hemp-derived products, so long as those items are produced in a manner consistent with the law.

However, the new Farm Bill does not create a completely free system in which individuals or businesses can grow hemp whenever and wherever they want. There are numerous restrictions.

First, hemp cannot contain more than 0.3 percent THC, per section 10113 of the Farm Bill. Any cannabis plant that contains more than 0.3 percent THC would be considered non-hemp cannabis—or marijuana—under federal law and would thus face no legal protection under this new legislation.

Second, there will be significant, shared state-federal regulatory power over hemp cultivation and production. Under section 10113 of the Farm Bill, state departments of agriculture must consult with the state’s governor and chief law enforcement officer to devise a plan that must be submitted to the Secretary of USDA. A state’s plan to license and regulate hemp can only commence once the Secretary of USDA approves that state’s plan. In states opting not to devise a hemp regulatory program, USDA will construct a regulatory program under which hemp cultivators in those states must apply for licenses and comply with a federally run program.  This system of shared regulatory programming is similar to options states had in other policy areas such as health insurance marketplaces under ACA, or workplace safety plans under OSHA—both of which had federally-run systems for states opting not to set up their own systems.

Third, the law outlines actions that are considered violations of federal hemp law (including such activities as cultivating without a license or producing cannabis with more than 0.3 percent THC). The law details possible punishments for such violations, pathways for violators to become compliant, and even which activities qualify as felonies under the law, such as repeated offenses.

Ultimately, the Farm Bill legalizes hemp, but it doesn’t create a system in which people can grow it as freely as they can grow tomatoes or basil.

Though they may look similar, the plants growing at Appalachian Growers’ farms do not contain THC, the chemical that causes a psychoactive reaction.

“Basically, the plants that we have are bred to not have as much THC,” Farm manager Josh Brandes said. “The hemp plant that we have has to meet a certain threshold of THC, 0.3 percent, and if it goes over that, then it would be considered illegal.”

Brandes got into the businesses after a long stent doing landscaping.

“I owned a landscaping and design business prior to this,” Brandes said. “I thought I could do both, but here I am.”

Farm manager Noah Miller decided to get into the hemp business after finding out that there was a farm in Franklin.

“This is something that I love doing,” Miller said. “I heard that there was a hemp farm in Franklin, and I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been coming here for a while and there was nothing like that here. I came out to the greenhouse, and they had 23,000 little seedlings. So, I was in the brewing industry earlier and I decided to switch over.”

A typical day on the farm consists of several walk throughs and scouting the plants.

“Most of what I do during the day is just walk the farm and scout the plants,” Brandes said. “With our certification, we have to make sure that the rows are nice and tidy. That way, the plants have enough airflow.”

Spraying the plants with organic, natural insecticides is something Brandes said takes up most of his time.

“I usually spray at night until 2 a.m.,” Brandes said. “Spraying is a huge endeavor. We also have mites that we put on the plants that eat the other predators. These mites even eat the eggs of the bugs that eat the plants. We are a certified organic farm, which is why we do things like that.”

Another thing the group tries to do other than grow the company is actively spread awareness about the positive effects of CBD.

“It really is a grassroots type of initiative,” Lacy said. “Steve and I travel every weekend to make sure that we are in front of people talking about CBD. We try to do all of the speaking engagements that I can. I was also appointed to the North Carolina Agriculture Hall of Fame Board of Directors.”

On Aug. 24, Lacy will give a presentation to the Center for Life Enrichment in Highlands with the topic of debunking the mysteries of cannabis vs. CBD.

“There are a lot of people that know about CBD, but there are also a lot of people that don’t,” Lacy said. “We want to explain the differences between the two, telling people that it won’t get them high and that they can take it and not be labeled a pothead. We already have so many clients in Highlands, and we want to help them, and more Highlands residents, live an organic, healthy lifestyle.”

To look at Appalachian Growers’ products or to find more information, visit appalachiangrowers.com.

The presentation at the CLE is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 30, from 9 a.m., - 2 p.m. They will carpool from the Peggy Crosby Center at 9 a.m. to the farm in Franklin. The cost is $40 for members and $50 for non-members with lunch included.

By Christopher Lugo