Business View Magazine November-December 2018

296 297 GLOBAL HEMP GROUP INC. Global Hemp Group supplies high-quality, sustainable, raw materials derived from the hemp plant. Phase Two will operate in the automotive, building materials, bio-compos- ites, energy-related markets, food, nutritional and nutraceuticals, guided by the overarching theme of “global environmental stewardship.” Sustainability and social responsibility are key aspects in all its endeavors. In a recent interview with Business View Magazine, Charles (Charlie) Larsen, President and CEO of Global Hemp Group Inc., and company CFO, Curt Huber, shared insights into the past, present, and future of this innovative company and the amazing potential the hemp industry has for the betterment of our planet. The following is an edited transcript of that discussion: BVM: What business model was Global Hemp Group following when you started the company? Larsen: “GHG started with a purely industrial solutions approach; building materials, food products, textiles. That was our focus and it really didn’t get traction. The investment in infrastructure required to do that was longer than most investors wanted to wait for ROI, so the first few years we grew seed for distribution for food. In 2016, CBD began to be a viable prod- uct line for hemp– that hadn’t existed when we started, it was all coming from the cannabis side. Now hemp has sex appeal with respect to cannabinoids that are beneficial for consumers, and we see that as the driving force to subsidize the industrial side of things, where we can take what we earn on the cultivation and distribution of cannabidiol and, eventually, other cannabinoids, and use that capital to build the infrastructure, ourselves, and speed up the ROI process for the company. “Once we significantly scale our operations in North America,we might venture out.We get calls from all over the world asking us to get involved in hemp projects in countries that have legalized and are looking for expertise in the area. But the U.S. and Canada are our focus for now.Once we get through this next crop and are able to gener- ate some significant revenue,we can look at other projects elsewhere, but we really want to expand in NewBrunswick and Oregon first.” BVM: In what ways is hemp beneficial to the economy, the environment, and health and well- ness? Larsen: “The time from soil to harvest depends on the variety, but the growth cycle typically takes three to four months. It grows so fast, sequesters so much carbon, that it’s very beneficial to the environment. The building materials aspect is one of the things we’re really excited about. The