In 1972, the nonpartisan National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse, or the Shafer Commission, appointed by President Nixon at the request of Congress, reviewed marijuana laws and concluded that personal marijuana use should be decriminalized. However, it wasn’t until 2013 when Colorado became the first to legalize recreational cannabis in the U.S. Legalization has entailed a unique set of challenges, including state decisions on easing standards for criminal activity and allowing recreational usage.
On the latest episode of The Roadmap, host Ted Jenkin sits with Joe Salome, Co-founder and Managing Partner of The Georgia Hemp Company, Georgia’s finest CBD retailer. Salome’s path started with him creating cannabis business plans while attending Kennesaw State University‘s entrepreneurial program. However, when the recreational use of cannabis became legal in Colorado, it shed light on an industry that Salome had been concentrating on for years.
Key Takeaways:
1. Salome began The Georgia Hemp Company as an opportunity to help people. For example, he directly helped his mom get through chemotherapy.
2. In the state of Georgia, cannabis usage falls under the Haleigh’s Hope Act law that allows registered patients and their caregivers to legally possess up to 20 fluid ounces of low-THC oil with their doctors’ recommendations. The law expands to 18 qualifying conditions.
3. “With that being said, it wasn’t until this year that individuals had to fly out of the state to bring back the medicated medicine,” Salome said.
4. The largest challenge The Georgia Hemp Company confronts is that there are currently no regulations in the industry.
5. The Georgia Hemp Company has a holistic marketing approach, where with the right message, they attract the right people with exemplary customer service and the right overall holistic experience.
6. Salome’s staff meticulously verifies the authenticity and quality of every product the company offers since they believe that spreading positive messages is essential. His mission is to dispel the negative connotations of cannabis and to reverse the assertions made about it.
7. For the Hemp company, education is key. They make frequent allusions to Raphael Mechoulam, who, sixty years ago in Israel, discovered the system of endocannibalism. “It’s all about the conversation, the consultation, and the education,” continues Salome.
“The cool thing is: Not only does marijuana have recreational uses, but it has medicinal uses, which means I get to help people.” – Joe Salome
ASBN, from startup to success, we are your go-to resource for small business news, expert advice, information, and event coverage.
