Source: cleveland.com
LYNDHURST, Ohio — Jeremy Koosed said his enthusiasm for hemp began when he was a teenager in the 90's attending Brush High School, wearing the once-popular rope necklaces made from the plant, listening to Dave Matthews Band, and admiring Woody Harrelson.
Now he owns and operates a Lyndhurst-based snack company centered on hemp — a non-drug variety of cannabis that's illegal to grow in most states — and is an advocate for U.S. cultivation rights.
Plant Kingdom makes from scratch hemp products ranging from lemon-salted salad topping seeds and snack bars containing the protein- and Omega 3-rich morsels to cookies made with hemp flour, powder for smoothies, and more.
The South Euclid resident and vegan started his business in Akron in 2008 and now his products are sold in more than 40 coffee shops and other locations from Ohio to North Carolina — Coffee Phix in South Euclid; Phoenix Coffee Company in Cleveland and Cleveland Heights; and the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Shop, to name a few.
Plant Kingdom uses a dehydration method to make its snack bars in Lyndhurst, where it shares a space on Mayfield Road with No Whey! Chocolates. Its Goo balls — one of its most popular items — scones and cookies are baked in Akron.
Some of the products include certified organic spelt and oats harvested in Holmes County, Ohio. The hemp is grown in Canada.
"The seeds are such a substantial source of protein and they're easy to digest. It's a whole food that's not processed in any way," Koosed said. "This could be like the next Ohio popcorn. It's so crunchy and snacky and enjoyable."
While it's grown on a plant that resembles its drug-infused counterpart, hemp contains less than one percent of THC, the chemical responsible for marijuana's psychological effects.
Plant Kingdom's marketing materials are branded with a "Grow Ohio" stamp; a cannabis leaf surrounded by the words "Fuel, paper, fibre, food, medicine," and the phrase, "educate yourself;" and a "Test Pledge" seal.
Test Pledge's mission is to "alleviate concerns by consumers that eating hemp nut or hemp oil products may cause confirmed positive drug test for marijuana," according to its website.
"It's really kicked in in the past two to three years, because we've been out there full force in farmers' markets," said Koosed, 32. "Instead of being confused at my table, people say 'Oh, I've heard about this on Dr. Oz or the Internet.
"I love to do tables and outreach and answer questions like 'Is this going to mess me up? Am I going to pass a drug test? Is this marijuana?'"
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