Freedom Isn’t Free…

Neither Is Growing or Selling Hemp

As America celebrates 250 years of independence this July, I’ve been thinking about another kind of freedom.

When we planted our first hemp crop in 2014, we believed we were witnessing the beginning of something remarkable. After decades of prohibition, hemp was finally being recognized for its potential. We believed farmers could build honest businesses, and consumers would have the freedom to choose hemp products for themselves. The excitement was contagious.

Twelve years later, that optimism has been tempered by reality.

Every year seems to bring another permit, another inspection, another fee, another label revision, or another regulation. Banking remains difficult and insurances are very expensive. Marketing restrictions are real. Products approved one year often require new approvals the next.

The irony isn’t lost on us.

A conventionally grown strawberry may legally contain residues from several different pesticides, while our certified organic hemp products must navigate multiple layers of licensing, laboratory testing, inspections, and label approvals. We believe in high standards, but sometimes it feels as if hemp is regulated beyond reason.

This year, Oregon added another hurdle through the new Cannabis and Alcohol Management Program (CAMP) program, another governing body under the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) that hemp and CBD products now fall under. We completed every requirement, just as we always do, because producing safe, certified organic CBD is worth doing right. But each new regulation adds time, expense, and paperwork that small family farms quietly absorb.

As America celebrates freedom, many of us in the hemp industry still spend much of our time asking permission.

Despite the challenges, we haven’t lost sight of why we started.

We still believe hemp belongs on American farms. We still believe consumers deserve the freedom to choose. And we still believe small, local farms matter.

When you purchase from Whole Circle Farms, you’re supporting more than CBD. You’re supporting a certified organic Oregon farm that believes in quality, transparency, and staying the course, even when the path isn’t easy.