Hemp Grower
Departments - From the Editor
As a recently federally legalized crop, hemp has been given a luxury it hasn’t had in more than 80 years: the green light for production. But legalization did not erase the stigma surrounding cannabis, nor did it provide widespread education or all necessary clarifications on federal regulations. Those hindrances combined have made financing hemp businesses a nightmare for some. From simple actions, like opening a bank account, to more specialized services, like credit card processing, financial problems have plagued hemp businesses all along the supply chain.
As a result, many have had to implement piecemeal services from a variety of sources. Our cover story subject, Luis Vega, for example, cashed out his 401(k) fund to launch his farm-to-store business, ¡WEPA! Farms. As a minority farmer, Vega also eventually received a $150,000 investment from the i2 Accelerator Program, which is a partnership between the Minority Cannabis Business