In the country’s Occitania region, farmers and processors are continuing a centuries-long tradition of producing hemp textiles.

The historic southern French region of Occitania is experiencing a hemp textile renaissance, and not with just any fabric, but with the durable, long-fiber denim fabric used in jeans.

Beside the fame of its historic wine region Languedoc, the area was once well known for extensive commercial hemp cultivation that supplied countryside weaving workshops.

Occitania’s climate is dominated by its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, resulting in mild winters, hot, dry summers and warm autumns. It is the sunniest region of France, with more than 300 days of sunshine, but also receives sufficient summer rain to support hemp cultivation.

The mountainous landscape is intersected by fertile river valleys and rocky clay soils that are rich in limestone and well-suited for hemp fiber production.

The ancient Roman city of Nimes—situated in the heart of Occitania—is famous for its iconic fabric Serge de Nimes. Serge, which is no longer produced in France, was a sturdy twill weave fabric woven with hemp and dyed indigo. The material was used to make jeans and was later given the name “denim,” which is a term commonly used to describe jeans' fabric today.

France has a lengthy experience with commercial production of hemp fabric. During the 19th century, France exported the fabrics throughout Europe and to America.

Not only do denim fabrics originate from France, but so does canvas—derived from the word “cannabis”—a tabby hemp fabric that is a tightly woven, long-wearing and used for bedding, towels, sacks, tarpaulins, and other household and commercial textiles.

In the town of Castres to the west is the formerly family-owned weaving mill Tissages d'Autan, dating back to the 1930s, and the company’s contemporary motto is “Jeans will grow on the fields again.”

The factory partners with VirgoCoop, a business management consultant business in Cahors, France, which has the primary goal of accelerating the emergence of environmentally friendly and socially responsible projects, and its team is dedicated to promoting local and organic textile production.

“VirgoCoop strive[s] to grow and spin French hemp into textiles with the same nice quality as in the past,” explains Mathieu Ebbesen, co-founder and director of the Tissages d' Autan mill and president of VirgoCoop, adding that the first steps are renewal of organic textile hemp production and other fair-trade sectors in Occitania and beyond.

Ebbesen works to coordinate the efforts of hemp growers, spinners and weavers, while following his commitment to social equity and economic improvement within the community. He speaks knowledgeably about historical textile production, explaining that this region of Occitania became renowned for its quality wool production, adding that this is also something he wants to implement into the company’s branding strategy.

“When the cooperative started the weaving mill, we were determined that we would only produce hemp fabric from 100% hemp fibers. Today, I have changed my mind set,” Ebbesen says.

The mill produces new designs of exclusive fabrics using blends of wool and hemp. On the one hand, modern wool production poses environmental problems, as raw wool from France is shipped to China to be processed and then sent back as yarns to France. This unsustainable production model is something he intends to change by locally spinning and producing wool. On the other hand, there are many challenges with the processing and spinning of long-fiber hemp, which must first be surmounted before larger fabric volumes can be made of pure hemp. 

Futura 75 is a European Union-approved monecious “industrial hemp” variety with a THC content below 0.3%. This cultivar performs well during the short, winter season in northern Europe as well as during the long, summer season in southern Europe. Futura 75 grows rapidly, and when sown in the spring, reaches up to 4 meters tall by August producing high fiber yields, or if left to mature, its seeds can be harvested in the autumn.

He believes that challenges with preparing and spinning long hemp fibers will be surmounted within 10 years, and the mill will have much larger volumes of high-quality hemp fiber to work with.

“Today France is the largest European producer of hemp seeds, and we will try to breed a variety that’s fit for the textile industry,” Ebbesen explains.

Processing hemp into strong denim fabrics with existing processing lines is a challenge. Therefore, Ebbesen says Virgocoop plans to breed a French monecious hemp variety that will be more uniform at harvest and which, in turn, will generate more homogenous fibers required by modern spinning lines. The company also plans to upgrade its current spinning machines to better handle long fiber.

“We know that our farmers appreciate the value of growing hemp in rotation before wheat and other field crops, and not especially for another purpose than this, but they must still remove the stalks from their fields. Therefore, we contract them and store the stalks they harvest and dry,” he says, pointing out that many farmers in Occitania receive €300-350 (or $305-356 USD) per each ton of bulk hemp stalks (5.0-6.0 tons/hectare or 2.2-2.7 tons/acre), and that there are both organic and conventional growers in the region. He keeps the doors open for all hemp growers but later plans to switch to just organic production.

Methods for Retting Hemp Stalks After they are stored, dried hemp stalks must be retted to facilitate removal of the bark by controlled bacterial decomposition of the adhesive compounds affixing the outer bark layer to the woody stem within. Retting can be achieved by soaking the stalks in water for one to three weeks or as the French farmers do, by spreading out the dried stalks on a grassy pasture to be wetted by dew and rain. Field retting is a simpler method than water retting because the stems do not need to be transported to shallow ponds that can become stagnant and contaminated with plant wastes, which at too high a concentration can poison natural watercourses. However, when stalks are field retted the fibers may also become darker in color and may not be as soft and fine as those processed by water retting. Regardless of which of these two methods is used, after sufficient retting time the stalks are dried again and stored until the bark is removed by decortication.

After they are stored, dried hemp stalks must be retted to facilitate removal of the bark by controlled bacterial decomposition of the adhesive compounds affixing the outer bark layer to the woody stem within.

Retting can be achieved by soaking the stalks in water for one to three weeks or as the French farmers do, by spreading out the dried stalks on a grassy pasture to be wetted by dew and rain.

Field retting is a simpler method than water retting because the stems do not need to be transported to shallow ponds that can become stagnant and contaminated with plant wastes, which at too high a concentration can poison natural watercourses. However, when stalks are field retted the fibers may also become darker in color and may not be as soft and fine as those processed by water retting.

Regardless of which of these two methods is used, after sufficient retting time the stalks are dried again and stored until the bark is removed by decortication.

Farmers in the area are interested in growing hemp, Ebbesen says. “In the future, we will easily contract farmers to grow 500 hectares,” he says, adding that first they need to acquire funding to purchase decortication and spinning equipment. “Fiber processing lines are costly, and we are currently deciding between investing in cottonization equipment or in developing improved long fiber processing.”

Cottonization is a modern technology in which bast fiber plants such as hemp and ramie are treated to release the fiber from the bark with a combination of pressure, alkaline water and enzymes.

Cottonized fibers are shorter and softer and can be spun with ordinary cotton or wool-spinning equipment. The advantages of cottonization are that the fibers can be spun faster, and it allows mixing hemp with other fibers in blended yarns.

The technology is used today largely in China, where most hemp textiles are woven with cottonized fibers. The disadvantage of cottonization is that shorter fibers produce a weaker yarn than long fibers; however, the method offers a more versatile and profitable way of processing hemp fibers that could provide a stronger economic position for both farmers and processers.

“Processing long fiber hemp into jeans will make them very expensive. We do not want to sell €300 (or $305 USD) jeans, and since the farmers would then receive only a small fraction of the price, cottonization can be the solution,” Ebbesen says.

“If we receive investment in cottonization, we will most probably blend the hemp with wool,” he adds, repeating that he is no stranger to mixing hemp with other materials. He also explains that blended wool and hemp fabrics have fantastic qualities, which can be used for other purposes than jeans, such as jackets, shoes and home furnishings.

For instance, wool adds warmth to hemp fabrics and reduces wrinkling. The two materials can either be directly blended in the yarn, or in the weaving mill's newly designed fabrics using wool in warp and hemp in weft—both techniques produce durable, yet soft fabrics.

“Cottonization equipment will be the costliest solution, so to move forward with it will likely require cooperation with other French hemp textile producers,” he says. He also emphasizes how important it is to keep production locally based, and how it is prohibitively expensive to transport bulky hemp stalks far from where they are grown.

(VirgoCoop is also selling hemp biomass. After the bark, which accounts for 30% of the weight, is removed from the stalks, the remaining hurds or shives from the woody inner core—about 60%—as well as stalk dust—about 10%—that can be utilized in other products.)

In ancient times, Ebbesen says, large farm fields were called “canabal” or “canaval,” both terms relating to “cannabis,” showing that hemp was extensively grown then. Hemp fabrics were locally made and commonly used, and vintage hemp textiles can still be found in households throughout the region.

“During the middle of 19th century, if a person wore hemp clothes to a festival, that was considered a sign of poverty,” he says. “But today wearing hemp clothing is a statement of sustainability.”

This opening will represent High Tide's 128th branded retail location across Canada, and 1st in British Columbia

CALGARY, Alberta, July 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - High Tide Inc., retail-focused cannabis company with bricks-and-mortar as well as global e-commerce assets, announced today that its Canna Cabana retail cannabis store located at 10027 100 Street in Fort St. John, British Columbia will begin selling recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories for adult use at 4:20 PM local time today. This opening will represent High Tide's 128th branded retail location across Canada, and 1st in British Columbia, selling recreational cannabis products and consumption accessories. 

"Our first organic store opening in British Columbia is a much-awaited and [a] very positive milestone for High Tide. This is the result of many months of hard work by our team as we navigated the regulatory process to enter the province. I am excited that we finally have the opportunity to bring our innovative discount club model, which has been a proven hit with our customers in the four provinces where we already operate, to British Columbia," said Raj Grover, Hight Tide CEO and president. "Combined with last week's announced acquisition of two operating retail cannabis stores in Vancouver through the Choom BC store portfolio, we are entering the province in a big way and are already almost halfway to the provincial store cap. With this foothold in British Columbia, I anticipate that we will be able to expand quickly through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions, putting us in a position to reach the cap of 8 stores in the coming months."

Ed Kremer is stepping down as chief financial officer.

BOCA RATON, Florida, July 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Jushi Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated, multi-state cannabis operator, announced that Ed Kremer has resigned from his position as chief financial officer to accept a role at a competing large cannabis multi-state operator. Kremer’s resignation took effect July 12. Kremer is party to an employment agreement with Jushi, which, among other things, prohibits him from working for a competitor for a 12-month period. While Jushi is appreciative of Kremer’s hard work to support the timely filing of audited financials, the company takes such post-employment obligations seriously and will take steps to enforce its contractual rights.

The company announced that President and Founder, Jon Barack, will assume the additional role of interim chief financial officer with immediate effect. Since Jushi’s founding, Founder has played an instrumental role in overseeing multiple business lines and corporate activities, including capital raising, going public and deal-making, as well as operational oversight of various departments such as FP&A, business development, IT, construction and real estate. Founder has worked in finance and investing for nearly 20 years following the receipt of a JD and MBA from Northwestern University and a BA from Princeton University.

Jushi also announced that James Cabral has been promoted to chief accounting executive. Cabral joined Jushi in July 2021 as the senior vice president of finance. He previously held audit and accounting roles at various organizations, including vice president, global controller at Brightstar Corp., a multi-billion dollar wireless company, and as senior manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ National Office. Cabral is a certified public accountant and holds an MBA degree from Northwestern University, a Master's in Accounting from Nova Southeastern University, and a BS in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of the Philippines.

“Over the past year, we have made tremendous progress upgrading our talent and building out our bench strength across our finance and accounting departments,” said Jim Cacioppo, Jushi CEO, founder and chairman. “I am confident that the team we have assembled, with the support of senior leadership, will provide continuity as we recruit a new chief financial officer with the qualifications to support our expansion initiatives and complete the securities registration process in the U.S.”

Jushi clarified that Kremer’s resignation was not the result of any financial problem, dispute or matter relating to accounting practices or financial statements.

All first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location.

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, July 13, 2022 - PRESS RELEASE - Trulieve Cannabis Corp., a cannabis company in the United States, announced the opening of its new medical dispensary in Hollywood, Fla. Located at 2908 Hollywood Blvd., the Hollywood dispensary opened at 9 a.m Tuesday, July 12, with ongoing regular hours of 9 a.m.- 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a..m - 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Grand opening festivities throughout the day at the new dispensary included numerous partner giveaways, music, food trucks, deals and specials, and all registered patients will receive a 25% discount. Trulieve also offers statewide home delivery, convenient online ordering and in-store pickup. As always, all first-time guests are eligible for a 50% new customer discount at any Florida-based location.

"Trulieve is excited to expand access to medical cannabis to more patients in Florida and build strong relationships in the Hollywood community," said Kim Rivers, CEO of Trulieve. "We are driven by our commitment to providing tailored, high-quality patient care in a safe and comfortable environment."

Trulieve's retail employees are trained to provide personalized patient care and support individuals at every stage of their cannabis journeys. Trulieve dispensaries throughout Florida offer on-site consultations to help patients obtain appropriate medical products and dosages to ensure optimal cannabis experiences.

Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from a large selection of THC and CBD products available in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more.

The initial plan is to convert Planet 13’s Trece restaurant space to a consumption lounge, restaurant and entertainment experience in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS, July 12, 2022 – PRESS RELEASE – Planet 13 Holdings Inc., a leading vertically integrated multistate cannabis company, applauds the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board on the passing of Nevada cannabis lounge legislation. The company intends to apply for a lounge license and expects to be a successful applicant.

The initial plan is to convert Planet 13’s Trece restaurant space to a consumption lounge, restaurant and entertainment experience. The Planet 13 Entertainment Complex will be the first of its kind space where a consumer can watch products being made, purchase and consume all under one roof. A true luxury, tourist friendly lounge close to the Las Vegas strip.

“Our location close to the Las Vegas strip is ideal for a cannabis consumption lounge and we look forward to converting Trece restaurant to a full-service lounge to host our visitors in a first of its kind, exciting environment characteristic of the Planet 13 experience,” said Bob Groesbeck, co-CEO of Planet 13. “By converting our existing restaurant, we can quickly build a world class lounge in a cost-efficient manner and begin to serve customers sooner.”

Trece is currently an approximately 4,500-square-foot restaurant permitted for occupancy of up to 388 people. The planned conversion would allow on-site consumption under the Nevada regulations approved on June 28, 2022.

For more information on Planet 13, visit the investor website.

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