Conference Program Thursday, March 26th
We have three conference rooms available for your use: the General Session Room, the Breakout Hub, and the Demo Studio. To find out more about the specific schedules for each room, simply click on the circles provided for easy access to the various room schedules.
Coffee / Networking
Welcome to IHI and Hemp 3.0: Creating Clarity in a Fragmented Hemp Industry
A candid opening perspective on where the hemp industry stands today, why clarity matters now more than ever, and how alignment across fiber, grain, cannabinoids, and policy is essential to building a credible, durable future.
Morris Beegle
MC Introduction
James Johnson
The Work Isn’t Finished: Advocacy, Persistence, and the Future of Hemp
A reflection on the role of advocacy in advancing hemp, why sustained engagement still matters, and what it will take to protect and build on the progress already made.
Paige Figi
Stewardship Is Strategy
Why Land, Culture, and Responsibility Shape the Future of Hemp
A perspective on how land stewardship, cultural responsibility, and long-term thinking form the foundation of resilient hemp economies.
Winona LaDuke
What Hemp Could Be: Addressable Markets Beyond Today’s Constraints
An analysis of hemp’s true addressable markets and the economic opportunity unlocked through clear, fit-for-purpose policy and regulation.
Beau WhitneyÂ
Coffee / Networking / IHI Vendor Pavilion
Inside the Policy Engine
Current Legislative Battles and What They Mean for Hemp in 2026 and 2027
An inside look at active state and federal legislative challenges shaping hemp today, and how policy decisions now will define market access, regulation, and risk over the next two years.
Bob Hoban
Paige Figi
Andrew Bish
Brian Swensen
Hemp Infused Lunch / IHI Vendor Pavilion
Welcome back from Lunch
Kelly Burke
The Global Hemp Landscape
Markets, Infrastructure, and What’s Gaining Traction
A global snapshot of where hemp markets stand today, highlighting infrastructure development, trade dynamics, and areas showing real progress.
Ted Haney
Building Hemp Businesses That Last
How hemp companies identify customers, build durable brands, and compete successfully in real markets over the long term.
Ryan Zaczynski
Joseph Carringer
Adolfo Mandato
Amna Shamim
Coffee / Networking / IHI Vendor Pavilion
Ancestral Knowledge, Modern Markets: Indigenous Perspectives on Hemp "
Indigenous leadership, land stewardship, and economic sovereignty shaping a more ethical and resilient hemp industry.
Hunter Buffington
Alicia Fall
Marcus Grignon
Dionne Holmquist
Danny Desjarlais
International Hemp Industry Forum: Aligning Global Markets
Collaboration across continents to build strategic alliances and strengthen the global hemp economy.
Witold Czeszak
Dr. Zafar Riaz
Rick Fox
Jeremy Klettke
MC Introduction
Steven Hoffman
Securing the Future of Hemp Crops
Global Genetics, Seed Systems, and Supply Stability
Anndrea Hermann
Jeremy Klettke
Rémy Hilgenga
Corby Miteff
Engineering Hemp for Industry - Processing Technologies That Enable Scale
An inside look at the processing systems, automation, and separation technologies required to turn hemp biomass into consistent, industrial-grade inputs at commercial scale.
Eric Singular
Alexandru Teodorescu
John Lupien
Nick Palumbo
Coffee / Networking / IHI Vendor Pavilion
Building with Hemp Today: Lessons from the Field
A practical, builder-led discussion on delivering hemp construction projects in the U.S., covering methods, permitting, labor, costs, and real-world client demand.
Jean Lotus
Eric Milburn
Micaela Machado
Derek Wolf
Hemp as a Material Platform
This panel examines hemp as a versatile material platform across structural systems, non-load-bearing blocks, insulation, advanced composites, and bioplastics, with a focus on real-world performance and scalable commercialization.
Eric Hurlock
John Peterson
T J Fiala
Dylan Begard
Hemp Infused Lunch / IHI Vendor Pavilion
Welcome back from Lunch
James Johnson
From Approval to Scale: Hemp Feed Regulation and the Economics That Can Reshape
This session explores the regulatory progress and economic potential of hemp as a high-protein animal feed ingredient. It examines current FDA and AAFCO developments and how expanded approvals could unlock new markets for farmers, processors, and livestock producers.
Andrew Bish
Capital That Builds, Not Chases: Financing Hemp for Long-Term Growth
An examination of patient capital, risk-aware investment strategies, and financial structures designed to support durable, scalable hemp businesses over the long term.
Ed Lehrburger
David DiGiacomo
David Traylor
Coffee / Networking / IHI Vendor Pavilion
From Field to Future: AI in Hemp Industry Evolution
An exploration of how artificial intelligence is being applied across breeding, cultivation, processing, and markets to improve decision-making and accelerate hemp industry maturity.
Chris Day
Charles Warner
Amna Shamim
Legal Reality Check: Cannabinoids, Compliance, and Enforcement in a Shifting U.S. Landscape
Jason Adelstone
David Sergi
Philip Snow
Program, speakers, and schedule subject to change
Innovating Hemp Textiles with Cormatex
The Built Environment - Hemp Building Company Workshop
Certification of Hemp Cannabinoids
Setting the Standard with ASTM