Skip to content

Kit O'Connell: Approximately 8,000 Words Posts

Hemp CBD Is Still Legal: What The HIA vs. DEA Lawsuit Really Means
A statue of "Lady Justice" holding scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The decision in the HIA vs. DEA lawsuit has spread confusion. (Pixabay / AJEL, public domain)
May 17, 2018
Kit
Leave a Comment

Hemp CBD Is Still Legal: What The HIA vs. DEA Lawsuit Really Means

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

The HIA vs. DEA decision, a ruling in a landmark lawsuit by the hemp industry, has caused a lot of confusion about CBD’s legal status.

The Hemp Industries Association sued the Drug Enforcement Administration last year in an effort to overturn a DEA rule declaring CBD oil illegal. When the court dismissed the case on April 30, based on what was essentially a technical matter, misinformation about the ruling quickly spread online. Since we’re hemp advocates and supporters of access to CBD oil, we knew we had to get to the bottom of the HIA vs. DEA decision and what it means for the industry.

“Our hope was that they would withdraw the rule or go back through the traditional rule making progress,” said Colleen Keahey, executive director at the HIA.

Read moreHemp CBD Is Still Legal: What The HIA vs. DEA Lawsuit Really Means
New Belgium’s Hemp Beer Adds Hempy Smoothness & Aroma To HopsA bottle and a foamy glass of hemp beer sit atop a counter in a liquor store.
A bottle and a foamy glass of The Hemperor sit atop a counter in a liquor store. New Belgium’s new hemp beer has a strong aroma of fresh hemp and a nutty flavor of hemp hearts. (New Belgium)
May 12, 2018
Kit
Leave a Comment

New Belgium’s Hemp Beer Adds Hempy Smoothness & Aroma To Hops

Posted in Austin, Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

Our Hemperor beer review in a nut (hemp?) shell: Delicious!

New Belgium Brewing recently invited our Editor in Chief to a special Austin, Texas tasting of their new hemp beer, The Hemperor HPA.

The Hemperor is a unique new offering. This is the first hemp beer from a brewery as ubiquitous as New Belgium. While this “HPA” or Hemp Pale Ale has the strong flavor of hops, the hemp flavor balances out the bitterness. The smell of The Hemperor has to be experienced to be believed. The private downtown bar where the tasting took place smelled like a hemp field at harvest, just from the open bottles and glasses of beer.

Read moreNew Belgium’s Hemp Beer Adds Hempy Smoothness & Aroma To Hops
Legal Growers Fight Federal Government Over Water For Hemp CropsLegal farmers in the West are struggling with the Federal government over access to water for hemp crops.
A dusty, rusting irrigation pipe sits in a field under a cloudy sky. Legal farmers in the West are struggling with the Federal government over access to water for hemp crops. (Pixabay / distel2610, public domain)
May 10, 2018
Kit
Leave a Comment

Legal Growers Fight Federal Government Over Water For Hemp Crops

Posted in Hemp Magazine, and Journalism

“TECHNICALLY, NO ONE’S EVER denied me the water,” says hemp farmer Kim Phillips, with a laugh.

Legally, Phillips can grow hemp on her 75-acre farm in Montana’s Helena Valley, but whether she can water her crops is another matter.

Phillips is at the center of a dispute that highlights the legal gray area around hemp farming in the United States. The water source she can access from her property is a federally regulated irrigation district controlled by the Bureau of Reclamation, a federal organization that manages water projects in America’s 17 westernmost states. Although Phillips has followed Montana’s strict hemp regulations, the Bureau of Reclamation didn’t respond to her request for water in time for her to irrigate the crops she planted last year. Her field languished and died.

Read moreLegal Growers Fight Federal Government Over Water For Hemp Crops
Kit In Print: Find “Water Wars” In Hemp Magazine Issue 3
Kit O'Connell's article "Water Wars" appears in issue 3 of Hemp Magazin. This magazine is focused on small farmers and their unique struggles to grow legal hemp. (Kit O'Connell)
May 8, 2018
Kit
Leave a Comment

Kit In Print: Find “Water Wars” In Hemp Magazine Issue 3

Posted in Hemp Magazine, and Journalism

For the first time, you can my journalism in a print magazine!

Last year, I interviewed a number of Western hemp advocates who were concerned about the issue of water rights. The U.S. government controls much of the water in the American West, and they’ve threatened to withhold it from legal hemp farmers. I expanded on that story in an article called “Water Wars” for the latest issue of Hemp Magazine. For this article, I interviewed Kim Phillips, a Montana farmer whose hemp crop languished last year because her government water permit was denied. Phillips is struggling with the government again this year, and it’s unclear if she’ll get her water in time for the 2018 season.

Look for the article online soon — but in the meantime you can probably find it in the magazine at a bookstore or newsstand near you.

Read moreKit In Print: Find “Water Wars” In Hemp Magazine Issue 3
CBD Workout Powder Reduces Inflammation & FatigueCBD workout powder can reduce inflammation and speed recovery after exercise.
A plastic scoop of protein powder on a counter, near an open bottle of workout powder resting on its side. CBD workout powder can reduce inflammation and speed recovery after exercise. (Flickr / Marco Verch, CC-BY license)
April 30, 2018
Kit
Leave a Comment

CBD Workout Powder Reduces Inflammation & Fatigue

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

CBD workout powder is an easy way for athletes and gym goers to add this popular supplement to their workout routine.

CBD oil is an extract made from industrial hemp which offers numerous benefits for active people. CBD can reduce inflammation and ease muscle soreness and joint stiffness. Thanks to its widespread effects on the endocannabinoid system, CBD can also promote relaxation. With more athletes experimenting with CBD after the World Anti-Doping Authority lifted their ban, CBD protein powder could be an important new product.

Read moreCBD Workout Powder Reduces Inflammation & Fatigue
CBD Salves & Balms: Reviews Of The Best CBD Topicals Online
A person uses a fingertip to rub lotion into their skin. CBD salves are a popular choice for inflammation and chronic pain. (Pixabay / chezbeate, public domain)
April 28, 2018
Kit
Leave a Comment

CBD Salves & Balms: Reviews Of The Best CBD Topicals Online

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

Topical CBD is a great choice whether you’re dealing with chronic pain or just the aches and stiffness of everyday life.

CBD is an extract made from industrial hemp that can offer relief from pain and inflammation. With few side effects or drawbacks, CBD is seeing tremendous popularity today. While most commonly found in a tincture or capsule, an increasing number of brands offer CBD in a salve or cream designed to be applied directly to the skin.

Read moreCBD Salves & Balms: Reviews Of The Best CBD Topicals Online