Hand-in-hand with the development of legal cannabis in Colorado is the hemp industry, another sector that was blacklisted by the federal government for far too long due to unfair stigmas about cannabis. Now, with regulations lifted, the hemp industry may get a serious boost, as a hemp grower plans to market cannabis as insulation for floors and ceilings.
Ryan Loflin, a farmer from Baca County who grows cannabis, informed The Cannabist that he plans to partner up with a company called Western Fibers to create an insulating material made from recycled newspaper and processed hemp stalks. According to their website, the company has been around since 1977, when they started up as a company striving to provide affordable and natural insulation options for homes and businesses. This insulation could be used in place of other, non-organic materials currently used in most homes and businesses.
“This could really help get the industry going,” Loflin told The Cannabist. “Until now, there really hasn’t been an industrial infrastructure for hemp in Colorado.”
According to The Denver Post, Loflin is also famous for growing the first commercial hemp crop since cannabis and hemp have become legal. His was the first legal hemp crop to be grown in 56 years, ever since the product became demonized during “reefer madness.” The crop spans 55 acres, and at first was hailed as only symbolically significant, since this initial grow won’t have great yields for hemp seed oil or other marketable bi-products.
However, it is now looking like something very lucrative indeed will come out of this batch. In addition to the insulation plan, Loflin plans to sell some of his hemp seeds to Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, the famous organic soap company, for use in their product.
"We're very excited that Ryan has done this," David Bronner, the current company president says about the new arrangement. "Ryan has kind of busted it open and taken this necessary step to make hemp a viable crop."
Loflin’s company is called Rocky Mountain Hemp, and he plans to use a farm building in Southeastern Springfield, CO to shred up the stalks and mix them in with the newspaper, creating this new insulation to be used in grows.
Currently, the project is still in its prototype stage and is soon to be demonstrated by Western Fibers. If everything goes well, sales could begin as soon as late this year, according to Mike McGuire, who owns the company. There will be three to six workers to start off in the Springfield facility employed by Loflin, and then more will be added later on if business continues to grow exponentially and additional help is needed.
“Anytime we can bring in a business and create jobs for the county, that’s a very good thing,” Sheila Crane, who serves as the current Executive Director of Baca County Economic Development, toldThe Cannabist. In addition to creating jobs and a new business opportunity for the cannabis and hemp industry in Colorado, as well as for Coloradans in general, this new venture will surely cut costs for those who buy expensive insulation now, and it will become a welcome new enterprise.
Additionally, it looks like the world of hemp is growing in leaps and bounds all across Colorado. Whole Hemp Co., based out of Colorado Springs, has also recently decided to convert a vacant building into a hemp processing facility to begin making products. This, combined with the fact that there are currently 159 hemp growers registered in the state, and 2,648 acres assigned to growing hemp, paints a very positive picture overall for this emerging industry.
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