Inside the Trojan Horse of Intoxicating Hemp

Inside the Trojan Horse of Intoxicating Hemp

Author: Eric Hurlock, Digital Editor February 12, 2026 Duration: 57:55
Industrial Hemp Podcast
NewsTechnology

This week on the Hemp Podcast, we have a long conversation about hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids with Chris Fontes, president of the U.S. Hemp Authority and founder of Trojan Horse Cannabis and High Spirits Beverages.

Trojan Horse Cannabis was the first company to bring so-called intoxicating hemp derivatives to market, changing the hemp space forever.

For decades, hemp advocates said hemp was different from marijuana because hemp couldn't get you high.

But the 2018 Farm Bill created the perfect conditions for the birth of a whole new chapter in the story of hemp.

Fontes said when he read the hemp language in the 2018 Farm Bill, "My first thought was: We have uncontrolled THC. There is now a version of THC that is not controlled. Something could be done with this."

THC is the chemical compound produced in the cannabis flower known for its psychoactive properties.

Applying basic principles of math, Fontes realized that this legal THC "can be put into a product at a 10 milligram standard dose and could be shipped through the mail to anyone in the country at the time as there was no state by state blocking and interstate transport was explicitly protected," he said.

Thus, the intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid market was born.

And that's where this conversation gets interesting.

This isn't your typical fiber and grain hemp discussion. But if you want to understand why lawmakers are reacting, why definitions are shifting, and why the word hemp feels contested right now — you have to understand where this market came from.

That's what we have in store for you in this episode. Enjoy.

Learn More

High Spirits Beverages

drinkhighspirits.com

U.S. Hemp Authority

ushempauthority.org

USDA Hemp Overview

usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/plants-and-crops/plant-breeding/hemp

HEMP Act of 2025 (Bill Text)

congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2112/text

Hemp Planting Predictability Act (Bill Text)

congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7024/text

CRS Report: The 2018 Farm Bill's Hemp Definition and Legal Framework

congress.gov/crs-product/R48637

News Nuggets

Italy's Industrial Hemp Seed Lines Surpass EU Germination Standards

hemptoday.net/leading-italian-hemp-varieties-post-2025-germination-bounceback-after-years-of-doubts/

Hemp and Marijuana Are the Same Species — So Why the Different Laws?

lpm.org/news/2026-02-03/hemp-and-marijuana-are-the-same-species-so-why-all-the-different-laws

Federal Hemp Definition Shift Could Impact Fiber and Grain Markets

rfdtv.com/hemp-definition-shift-threatens-fiber-and-grain-expansion

Washington Still Hasn't Decided What CBD Is

hemptoday.net/washington-still-hasnt-decided-what-cbd-is-as-markets-linger-in-legal-uncertainty/

Thanks to our Sponsors

IND Hemp

indhemp.com

Americhanvre Cast Hemp

americhanvre.com


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

Official website RSS
Industrial Hemp Podcast
Podcast Episodes
10th Annual NoCo Hemp Expo Gathers Many Voices [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:12
This week's hemp podcast is a recap of the 10th annual NoCo Hemp Expo in Estes Park, Colorado, April 11-13, where industry stakeholders gathered to collaborate, commiserate and celebrate the state of hemp in 2024. The ep…
Experimental Hemp Micro Processing With Steve Groff [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:04
On this week's hemp podcast, Lancaster Farming talks to Steve Groff from Cedar Meadow Farm in Holtwood, Lancaster County, where he is getting ready to plant 70 acres of industrial hemp. "This year it's all fiber. And we'…
The Bee's Knees: Ken Meyer on the Buzz About Hemp in South Dakota [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:49
In this week's hemp podcast, Lancaster Farming speaks with Ken Meyer, beekeeper and hemp processor from South Dakota. Meyer and his family run a fourth-generation beekeeping business as well as the state's first industri…
Right Coast Hemp Hosts Hempcrete Workshops in New Jersey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:21
On this bonus episode of the Hemp Podcast, we talk to Mike Mercadante from Right Coast Hemp in Manahawkin, New Jersey, where the company is holding the first of a series of hands-on hempcrete work shops, May 10-12. The w…
Mill26 is Making 100% Hemp Paper in Upstate New York [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:46
Hemp Podcast guest James "Jimmy" Cottrell II is a fourth-generation paper maker at family-owned Cottrell Paper in Saratoga County, New York. He started cutting the grass in high school and began working at the mill after…
Good News from the National Hemp Association [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:32
This is a special weekend edition of the Hemp Podcast. Lancaster Farming speaks with Geoff Whaling, chair of the National Hemp Association. I will update the details of this episode soon. For now, enjoy the audio. Learn…
Jean Lotus Trains an Eagle Eye on Hemp Building Worldwide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:38
Jean Lotus is an award-winning investigative journalist and publisher of HempBuild Magazine. She is based in Fort Collins, Colorado, where she has been covering the hemp industry since 2017, and is our guest on this week…

«1...678910