Hawkweed Hemp Grows as a Local Hemp Trailblazer…

HANDS-ON OWNER: Brian Bethke is involved in all aspects of Hawkweed Hemp including growing, marketing and distributing its various hemp/CBD based products.

The state of California decriminalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in 1996 and lit a fire at a hemp entrepreneur here in Wisconsin.

For nearly 20 years, Brian Bethke has made a name for himself as one of the hardest working musicians in the Chippewa Valley. He has played in successful formations such as The Broken Eights, and his solo output has brought him strong record sales and local recognition for years. But while music has been his livelihood for most of his adult life, a lifelong struggle with physical ailments (not to mention a global pandemic) has produced his new pride and joy, Hawkweed Hemp.

Based in Osseo, Hawkweed Hemp is a family-owned hemp/CBD manufacturing company owned and operated by Bethke. Hawkweed Hemp is a 100% owned farm-to-table hemp business with sales of CBD oils, gummies, creams, rubs and more being crafted by Bethke and his family team. While the use of marijuana is not yet legal in the state of Wisconsin, you can purchase gummies containing 10 milligrams of THC and 250 milligrams of CBD. As more people recognize the effects of CBD in relieving pain, anxiety, and other ailments, products like Bethke’s are gaining acceptance.

“All anyone has to do is look at the research,” Bethke said. “I understand the stigma surrounding THC and marijuana, but unless you’ve stuck your head in the sand for a while, most people know someone who hemp and CBD products have helped. And with many of the laws finally changing, it is clear to the naysayers that the war is over and they have lost.”

Bethke has had chronic Lyme disease since 2005 and has since developed arthritis in her knees. He also has a spinal condition from a cough injury after contracting COVID-19 early last year. Bethke has used CBD products for most of his life to relieve his symptoms, which led to him founding Hawkweed Hemp in December 2018.

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It is clear to the naysayers that the war is over and they have lost.

Brian Betheke

Hawkweed hemp owner

Beyond relieving his own symptoms, the products Bethke has made over the past two and a half years have helped numerous people with their own symptoms. Hawkweed Hemp caters to a tame clientele of “little old ladies” and casual people looking for a non-traditional outlet when it comes to relieving ailments. A prime example is a customer of Bethke’s, a child who has suffered five to six seizures a day for most of his life. However, after nearly two years of using CBD oils, the same child is only having one or two seizures a month.

“The fact that this has helped so many people is worth all the effort in the world,” Bethke said. “I have developed a farmer’s passion for planting a seed and watching it grow. There’s something special about leaving my phone at home and spending a day out in the field. It’s more than just a job or an end product; It is a meditative act that gives me peace of mind.”

Bethke is more than just a hemp dealer; He is involved in every step of the production process. Hawkweed Hemp products begin with Bethke selecting the genetics he will put into the cannabis seeds, growing the plants in a tent before taking them outside, harvesting the hand-picked buds, and then the 40 pounds of raw hemp he will plant in 2021 has harvested, sends to Carbon Cannabis in La Crosse where they extract the CBD from it using CO2. From there, Bethke uses the crude oil to make oils, edibles, and all the products his customers like (and need).

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the then-full-time musician to adjust his full-time job and encouraged him to look to new pastures (literally) at the sun. Inspired by the sun itself, hawkweed hemp was named after the plant hawkweed – a plant that always faces the sun.

“It’s a full-time passion for me,” Bethke said. “I want to make as little money as possible out of this business because I want it to grow and prosper. It became my livelihood overnight and I want to respect and honor that by letting it fulfill its potential.”

The next step for Bethke and Hawkweed Hemp is to expand into the food market, pioneered by their own line of hemp-smoked hot sauces. There are also plans to add dips and candies to the product line once Bethke can ensure the other products he offers won’t drop in quality post-expansion.

For more information on Hawkweed Hemp, visit hawkweedhemp.com.

source https://www.bisayanews.com/2022/01/28/hawkweed-hemp-grows-as-a-local-hemp-trailblazer/