From downtown Minneapolis to hundreds of rural farms in Minnesota, millions of dollars are invested in the burgeoning Minnesota hemp industry, released to grow after several years of testing under the 2018 Federal Farm Bill .

In the trendy Minneapolis North Loop neighborhood, Josh Maslowski has opened Stigma Hemp, which sells hemp flowers, CBD oils, scrubs and creams. Maslowski, 38, also a manufacturer's representative, is increasingly interested in cannabis treatments because of the cancerous disease of two close acquaintances who have benefited from marijuana for medical purposes.

"We are not trying to cure cancer here," he warned, noting he could not make medical claims about the CBD. "And not everyone wants to get high, but everyone wants to feel better.

"We believe it's the right time. We will be vertically integrated by the end of the year, in partnership with farmers in Minnesota, and we are going to set up our own hemp farm in a warehouse. "

Maslowski said he and his partner had invested about $ 500,000, including consumer education materials, product development, marketing and legal fees. He borrowed against his house and pooled his savings to run the store and the Stigma website.

"The biggest risk is regulation … between the FDA and the state and making sure this case is not over-regulated," Maslowski said. "That would limit what we can sell."

At Stigma's shop, you can buy hemp flowers at $ 9.99, 250 milligrams of lavender scented oil for $ 39.99 or 500 milligrams of CBD oil for $ 59.99.

Different varieties of hemp are grown for food, fiber and oils used for health.

CBD, abbreviated to cannabidiol, is one of two compounds of marijuana, or cannabis, that affects human nervous systems and endocannabinoids. The other is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which produces the "high" effect of the drug. Hemp is a version of marijuana that is grown with little or no THC. The Minnesota Medical Marijuana Program allows certified patients suffering from chronic pain and 13 other conditions to receive cannabis products containing various levels of CBD and THC from two state-licensed distributors.

Customers buy hemp products to relieve pain, arthritis, and anxiety. And there is at least anecdotal evidence that it works, without the intoxicating effect of marijuana.

"We want Minnesota to be the hemp capital of North America," said Jim Zimmerman, an experienced food developer and marketing specialist for Pillsbury and General Foods. Last year, after much research, he joined Cargill veteran Dave Rye to form C4Life.

"We work [with farmer partners] to establish a gold standard, "Zimmerman added.

C4Life operates an online store and is also a wholesale buyer, future processor and distributor of hemp, working with Waseca-based Midwest Hemp Farms.

The five C4Life investors have raised $ 1.2 million in equity and are about to raise an additional $ 5 million, according to Rye.

He signed a contract with Minnesota farmers who plan to grow more than 2,000 acres this year and major retailers interested in consistent, high quality standards.

"The CBD is a cottage industry," Zimmerman said. "There are hundreds of brands in tobacco shops and CBD stores [nationally]. Many will fall away after about 12 months and by that time you will be able to buy CBD oils from Target, Lunds and other retailers.

"We want to bring test, educational and premium products from the Midwest Hemp to the retail business. Third party testing by batch. Just the oil side of the CBD of the company … "

The Brightfield Group of Florida, which tracks the cannabis industry, predicted that the hemp trade will cost $ 22 billion in sales in 2022.

"CBD derived from hemp has grown considerably in the shadows of her husband, cousin, marijuana, which has allowed its growth to be largely neglected by analysts in the nutraceutical, medical and health sectors. and cannabis, "Brightfield said in February.

Margaret Wiatrowski of the Ministry of Agriculture of Minnesota, said the farmers had filed more than 400 applications for hemp cultivation, up from 65 last year. The department approved about 6,500 acres for outdoor growth. Various varieties of hemp are grown for seeds, food and fiber.

Minnesota contractors are also testing hemp byproducts as lightweight substitutes for plastic pallets and building materials.

John Strohfus, a farmer-breeder near Hastings who has also owned Minnesota Hemp Farms since 2016, sells seeds to participating farmers, buys harvested products and sells them to processors of hemp products.

Hemp is a good diversification crop, requiring less water and chemicals to grow than depressed corn and soybeans, Minnesota's mainstays, and its longer taproots help replenish the soil with nutrients.

"Hemp is a legitimate crop," said Strohfus. "However, we need the Minnesota legislature to help us this session to pass the bill before it changes." [the] definition of industrial hemp according to the federal government. In addition, we need to add protections for retailers and consumers indicating that CBD is not a Schedule 1 drug, a narcotic drug or a drug. And it is legal to sell and consume.

The hemp industry is struggling with various federal and regional rules and is calling on the FDA to promulgate national standards.

The stigma, just hemp and about a dozen other retailers have appeared in twin cities over the past year.

Cody Wiberg of the Minnesota Board of Pharmacy told Star Tribune that he wanted CBD products to be regulated as prescription drugs. "CBD is pharmacologically active," he said. "He acts like a drug."

Maslowski, of Stigma Hemp, and other early entrants are betting that public acceptance and favorable and consistent regulation will generate sales of what they consider a benign substance. If things do not work, Maslowski and his wife, director of youth in a church, have a plan B.

"We are moving to Costa Rica where we got married," he said. "[Cannabis-based] the products are legal. "

Neal St. Anthony is a columnist and Star Tribune journalist since 1984. You can contact him at [email protected].