U.S. Hemp Must Shift To Product Development, Says Report

The U.S. hemp textile sector must shift its focus from production to developing consumer demand for high-quality products, according to a new report from cannabis consultant Joseph Carringer, Lead Strategist at Canna Marketing Group (CMG). Carringer argues that the current emphasis on prematurely scaling production is benefiting international competitors, particularly in China and India, while neglecting the creation of domestic, end-to-end supply chains.

Since the 2018 Farm Bill’s passage, marking what CMG dubs “Hemp V2.0,” the industry has prioritized farming and production over product development and marketing. In the report, “A Wearable Solution: Product Development for Industrial Hemp Textiles,” Carringer points out that U.S. processors have relied on cottonized hemp, which he believes is a misplaced focus. Cottonized hemp, often seen as a “silver bullet” by fiber processors, struggles to compete with longer fiber hemp products, which use wet and semi-wet spinning methods to produce more durable, high-quality yarns and fabrics.

Carringer emphasizes the need to build consumer-facing product lines to achieve economies of scale, warning that without this shift, critical markets will continue to be ceded to other countries. The report concludes that for industrial hemp to thrive as a U.S. commodity, equal investment must be made in product line development, alongside agronomy and processing, to establish stable supply chains.