America Missing out on an Untapped $1 Trillion Industrial Hemp Market, Author Says

    SACRAMENTO, CA, March 24, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Industrial hemp is one of the most versatile crops, with more than 25,000 uses including food, nutrition, personal care, health and wellness, paper, textiles, building materials, medicines, pet bedding, plastic alternatives, biofuels, and energy. It's the source of cannabidiol (CBD) that's exploding in popularity with an estimated global market value of $9.3 billion.

Yet the U.S. imports an estimated $78 million in hemp due to a decades-old (and recently rescinded) prohibition against growing the plant that dates from the "Reefer Madness" scare of the 1930s. Hemp and marijuana both derive from the cannabis sativa plant, but they are cultivated differently, possess different chemical attributes, and are used for different reasons, notes businessman, documentary filmmaker, author, and "hemp historian" Matthew Harmon.

Harmon, a seasoned real estate executive with a sharp eye for viable business ventures, has spent more than a decade exploring the economic potential of hemp. He traveled the world with a film crew to produce his 2018 documentary, "Hemp: Our Industrial Legacy." Later that year, President Trump signed a federal farm bill that legalized industrial hemp.

Now Harmon has a new book coming out April 20, "Marijuana Hater's Guide to Making a Billion Dollars From Hemp," urging America to unshackle the economic potential of industrial hemp.

"From farming to processing to creating new hemp-based products, the opportunity is enormous," he writes. "Hemp has myriad uses, many of which are just being tapped. With the potential to grow 100 million acres in the next 50 years, I would estimate the market potential from this plant to be more than $1 trillion just in the United States."

In "Marijuana Hater's Guide to Making a Billion Dollars From Hemp," Harmon details the amazing economic and environmental promise of this renewable resource. Industrial hemp requires little to no pesticides, limited fertilizer, and much less water than most other crops. Most importantly, it can be used to create renewable biofuels and plastic substitutes that are economically and environmentally sustainable to help America become energy independent.

"I want to inspire, motivate, and challenge people to look at hemp differently," he says.

About: "Hemp historian" Matthew Harmon is a successful businessman, documentary filmmaker, and author of the new book, "Marijuana Hater's Guide to Making a Billion Dollars From Hemp." He advocates for America to unshackle a potential $1 trillion industrial hemp economy to build a prosperous and sustainable future. Learn more at hempguide.com.

To request an interview with Matthew Harmon, contact publicist Michelle Tennant Nicholson: [email protected] or 828-749-3200.

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