Hemp in 2025: Cliff Hangers, Course Corrections and Community

Hemp in 2025: Cliff Hangers, Course Corrections and Community

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor December 30, 2025 Duration: 31:57

2025 was a year of uncertainty, contradiction and recalibration for the hemp industry.

In this year-end episode of the Lancaster Farming Industrial Hemp Podcast, host Eric Hurlock looks back on a season defined by policy whiplash, shifting definitions and hard conversations about what hemp is — and what it is not.

From rumors of executive action and the collapse of intoxicating hemp loopholes to the rescheduling of marijuana and its ripple effects across agriculture, the year ended with more questions than answers.

The episode revisits key voices from across the hemp landscape — policy advocates, farmers, processors, builders and researchers — and reflects on what the USDA data, federal decisions and on-the-ground realities revealed about the fiber, grain and building sectors.

It's also a personal moment of reflection: Nearly 50 episodes, roughly 160 guests and a year spent listening closely to the people doing the slow work of building real hemp infrastructure. As the show heads into 2026, this episode pauses long enough to take stock — and to set the stage for what comes next.

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Voices You Will Hear in This Episode

Morris Beegle

NoCo Hemp Expo

Joy Beckerman

Hemp Industries Association

Chris Fontes

High Spirits

Cameron McIntosh

Americhanvre Cast Hemp

Morgan Tweet

IND HEMP

Jeremy Klettke

Davis Hemp Farms

Lynda Mugglestone

University of Oxford

Guy Carpenter

Bear Fiber

Andre West

NC State Wilson College of Textiles

Larry Smart

Cornell University

Trey Riddle

IND HEMP

Sandra Marquardt

On the Mark Consulting

Coleman Beale

BastCore

Satish Hodage

YUJ Labs

Ding Hongliang

Hemp Fortex

Maciej Kowalski

Kombinat Konopny

Dave Cook

Tuscarora Mills

Mark D'Sa

Panda Biotech

Joseph Carringer

Canna Markets Group

Micaela Machado

Old Pueblo Hemp Co.

Danny Desjarlais

Lower Sioux Indian Community

Matt Marino

Homeland Hempcrete

Steve Allin

International Hemp Building Association

Jacob Waddell

Hemp Building Institute

Thanks to our Sponsors

IND HEMP

indhemp.com

Americhanvre Cast Hemp

americhanvre.com

King's AgriSeeds

kingsagriseeds.com

Forever Green

hempcutter.com

Sunray Hemp

Palmer, Alaska

National Hemp Association

nationalhempassociation.org

Hemp Education & Marketing Initiative (HEMI)

hempinitiatives.org


There’s a quiet revolution happening in fields and factories, and it’s centered on a single, versatile plant. Industrial Hemp Podcast, guided by Eric Hurlock, the Digital Editor at Lancaster Farming, moves beyond the headlines to explore what’s actually happening on the ground. This isn’t just theoretical discussion; it’s a direct line to the people driving the industry forward. Each episode features conversations with the farmers who are planting and harvesting these crops, facing very real agronomic challenges and opportunities. You’ll also hear from researchers, processors, and policy experts who are shaping the future of hemp for fiber, grain, and other industrial applications. The dialogue digs into the practicalities-from planting techniques and harvesting equipment to market trends, regulatory hurdles, and technological innovations that are changing the game. It’s a clear-eyed look at an agricultural sector finding its footing, reported by journalists with deep roots in farming communities. For anyone curious about the business, science, and sheer hard work behind industrial hemp, this podcast serves as an essential, grounded resource. Tune in for honest talk that cuts through the hype and gets to the root of this growing field.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 100

Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Lost & Found: The Wild Journey of Lewis & Clark's Herbarium [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:16
When President Thomas Jefferson sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on the original American road trip in 1804, there weren't many roads, so they took boats. Up the Missouri River and into the great unknown. One of t…
The Hemp Plastic Company's Paul Benhaim On Why Scalability Matters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:34
This week on the Hemp Show, we talk with global hemp expert and co-founder of the Hemp Plastic Company, Paul Benhaim. Benhaim takes us on a deep dive into hemp plastics — and why he believes scalability is more important…
The Old Pueblo Hemp Revolution with Micaela Machado [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:37
This week on the Hemp Show, we head to Tucson, Arizona, where Micaela Machado of Old Pueblo Hemp Co. is leading a hemp-building revolution. She said she hopes "Tucson becomes a hub for natural building and specifically h…
A Global Perspective on Hemp with Morris Beegle [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:38
In this episode of the Lancaster Farming Hemp Podcast, we welcome back Morris Beegle, the founder of NoCo Hemp Expo and a leading advocate in the hemp industry. The conversation spans the globe as Morris shares insights…
Geoff Whaling and the Future of Hemp Under the Trump Administration [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:56
On this episode of the Hemp Podcast, we welcome back Geoff Whaling, chair of the National Hemp Association, for an in-depth discussion on the evolving landscape of the hemp industry under the new administration. We cover…
Hemp Mushroom Coffins and the Future of Sustainable Burial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:08
On this episode we talk to Max Justice from Setas Mushrooms — the innovator behind MyCoffin, biodegradable coffins made of mycelium and industrial hemp. Justice is the co-founder and CEO of Setas Eternal Living, a compan…
California's War on Hemp: Chris Boucher Breaks it Down [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:20
On this episode we check back in Chris Boucher, who was originally on the program in July of 2022. Boucher is a hemp industry OG. In 1990, he was first introduced to hemp by Jack Herer himself in, author of the book that…
Lucia Vignale and the Cornell Hemp Webinar Series [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:33
This week's guest on the Industrial Hemp podcast is Lucia Vignale, a third-year PhD student at Cornell University, where she studies plant breeding, genetics and pathology. "I'm interested in searching for, mapping, and…