Wisconsin’s Hemp Crossroads: Closing the THC Loophole And Building Real Farm Prosperity

The cannabis shelves are full in Wisconsin, but the fields are quiet—and that contradiction tells the real story. We open up about life as a hemp farmer under total THC rules, why most intoxicating products aren’t grown here, and how the THCA loophole rewards sales over soil. If you’ve wondered how gas stations can stock euphoric drinks while local growers sit on the sidelines, this conversation lays out the mechanics, the stakes, and a path toward policy that actually serves people.

We dig into the difference between hemp and marijuana, the science behind THCA converting to THC, and what “total THC” compliance means for real farms. Rather than chasing single‑compound highs, we champion full‑spectrum, sun‑grown hemp and a regulated market that values safety, testing, and local production. The 2018 Farm Bill promised rotation crops, rural jobs, and resilient supply chains; Wisconsin has the climate and soil to deliver, but red tape and loophole‑driven demand have distorted the mission. Closing the loophole may sting now, yet it can force the bigger fix: legalization, decriminalization, and rescheduling that finally lets Wisconsin cultivate and process cannabis responsibly.

We call for a level playing field where farmers can grow the products consumers already love—legally and locally. That means educating buyers, protecting access, and crafting rules that prioritize health, transparency, and economic longevity over quick wins. If you care about safe products, rural prosperity, and the right to grow your own medicine, you’ll find practical insights and a clear roadmap here. Share this episode, tag your representatives, and add your voice to the movement. If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and pass it along to someone who needs to hear it.

Chapters

• 0:00 Meet The Wisconsin Hemp Farmer
• 0:36 The THC Loophole And New Ban
• 1:26 Total THC Rules And Farmer Limits
• 3:23 Access Versus Local Production
• 5:05 Legalization, Decriminalization, Rescheduling
• 7:22 Hemp’s Purpose: Healing Over High
• 9:20 Industrial Hemp Goals And Red Tape
• 11:22 Leveling The Playing Field For Wisconsin
• 13:10 Single-Compound Products And Safety

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:07

Greetings, my name is Ashley Umber Schaefer. I am the proud owner of DNA Hemp, where we are hemp farmers here in Wisconsin cultivating a natural pharmacy since 2019. And writing on the 2018 Farm Bill has been in the wild, wild Midwest. But boy, let me tell you, I wouldn't have it any other way. We are very passionate.

unknown: 0:33

Woo!

SPEAKER_00: 0:34

My goodness. Are we live or what? We're very passionate about the plant and what we do here on the hemp farm. And I wanted to hop on here and talk about the hemp ban that just was passed through to be taken into effect in the next year for 365 days of reform here for hemp in Wisconsin, looking at the economic growth here. Now I know that there is a THC loophole, and while it's providing us temporary relief, it is killing our potential for agriculture and economic development for hemp and cannabis here in Wisconsin. So the ban wants to close or is going to close the loophole from 0.3% now it is to 0.4% THC. And Wisconsin is a total T state, total THC state, which means that there it takes the THCA and the Delta 9 and combines it, making it illegal for Wisconsin farmers to grow for cannabis, essentially, or hemp derived products. So I mean the big, ugly, and uncomfortable truth about THC products here in Wisconsin is that none of them are being grown here. And for me, that's an issue. I don't really understand what the 2018 hemp farm bill in Wisconsin was set for when it seems like we are so limited and set back by growing the products that make up 95% of the market. Now, I am all for THC legalization and reform. I feel like THC has so many medicinal health benefits for people and are improving the quality of life in many. And that's at the core and crux of why we work with cannabis, why we love hemp. And I want to just give out a very clear and deliberate reminder that hemp has all the medicinal value that cannabis does. It just does not have that THC. That is why it differs. So it is under that 0.3% compliance, in which we are third-party lab tested and tested by the USDA and go under background checks to be able to grow this beautiful plant that offers so much health benefits for pretty much everybody, all vertebrae species that are consuming it. So I love that these products are accessible to people without crazy taxes like we're getting from neighboring states, without so much red tape and restriction of dispensary fees and hoops and hurdles to jump through in that regard. This medicine is accessible to most people walking into your local grocery store or gas station, which, yes, people are legally getting high here in Wisconsin. And I love that for Wisconsin. That's a wonderful thing. But it leaves me as a hemp farmer scratching my head, wondering why we're throwing the biggest party in Wisconsin, but yet we're not allowed to cater it. This is a problem, guys. And I what really scares me about the hemp ban is that everybody's talking about it crushing the 95% of the market that it's holding with the THC products now and every beverage is on tap and different vapes and you name it, it's out there. But yet we're not able to produce it here, being grown, sun-grown, organic in the soil. And I feel like we should really refocus our legalization efforts in order to keep moving forward with the cannabis reform that needs to happen, not only within our state, but nationally. So I am calling for the legalization, decriminalization, and rescheduling of the cannabis plant and close this loophole for THC so we can continue to move forward with the real topic and discussion at hand, and that is access where you and I should be able to grow our own medicine. It is a plant. It is a weed. Should we choose to go there? We need to push for that kind of reform with our local and federal legislators and let our voices be heard in that regard. So there is none of the psychoactive products that are being sold across Wisconsin are sourced from Wisconsin farms legally. Isn't that wild to think that anyone with a seller's permit can sell THCA products, but yet we can't grow it here? You guys, wake up. And I really honestly think this is the opportunity from source, divine, God, what have you, to really appreciate hemp for what it is. And that is not for the high, it is for the healing. The 2018 Farm Bill was to kick start industrial hemp because our our great state was founded on big agriculture. Our soil is rich to grow hemp. Our climate is primed to have a wonderful growing season where we can produce lots and lots of hemp bountifully and abundantly and beautifully and high-quality grade stuff that's not manipulated in an indoor grow or you know by man. We're just gonna let nature do its work. So that is what the Farm Bill really intended to bring in another rotation crop for farmers to diversify and save their farms, essentially. Well, with all of the red tape and bologna and the controversy, it has been a real struggle to try to do that. Not every hemp farmer wants to be an entrepreneur to be able to go through the entire supply chain of growing the product, producing the product, manufacturing and distributing, and then you know, selling the product. I feel like your local corn farmer wants to farm his corn and drop it off at the mill and get a set price. And I hope one day Wisconsin hemp will be there. And I know the future is there, the contracts are there, and we are working towards that. But focusing on this ban, I do feel like it is a necessary evil, what some people might perceive, to close this loophole so we can operate on a level playing field and that everyone can have the opportunity to grow this and produce these products legally here within our great state. So every product that that is sold here is money that is being sent out of state. And I mean, come on. I know we're in it for a good time, but not a long time. I want to think about the longevity of cannabis here and how we can really restructure our and reform these programs to benefit our consumers and the farmers. Regulation is necessary. I am definitely not denying that. And I feel like this restructuring could really be a positive push forward for people to get safe products for their themselves and their loved ones. But we can't bypass Wisconsin farmers, processors, and agricultural workers in in lieu of the of the market push because it's this wasn't meant for economic greed. And that's what it feels like right now that people are just like, hey, this is what's selling. We we we can't ban this. Come on, this is this is what's driving the market. But when we can't produce it, I mean, sure, some processors are sourcing the THC out and bringing it in and reintroducing into the products here in Wisconsin. And that's lovely. I understand that some jobs will be lost, but I can guarantee with an open mind and using our voices, we can restructure the infrastructure here and drive that towards the legalization and what our medicinal cannabis landscape looks like. And that is what we really should be talking about. So I'm just coming from a source of agricultural frustration here, where it feels like my hands are tied and anyone with a seller's permit can sell the THCA, but yet I can't grow it. And just for those that are unclear of what differs from THCA to THC, it's just that acid molecule that's attached to the compound. Once ignited and fired, that knocks off converting it into THC, which is responsible for the euphoric effects that you feel upon igniting it. And edibles are surpassed too because it goes by weight. So it's just really a big gray area that we're operating with and very vol in a volatile market that, as we found out with the hemp band, can be taken away just like that. So I'm talking the loophole is very tenuous and we closed at any time by state or federal action. And also, I have an issue with THC and THCA because most of these drinks, most of these things that are being poured on tap or you're cracking open from the gas station, are just that single compound from the hemp derivative of the THCA. It's just one compound of over a hundred that are available in a hemp plant. So I feel like really this is just about the high. What happened to the healing? I feel like that is truly what how nature intended, why God gave us this plant, is because it is to help people improve quality of life for the longevity, to bring out more balance overall as something to supplement your endocannabinoid system, your master conductor of all your other operating systems. So I feel like we're really losing sight of hemp and the differential and its cousin marijuana and what makes each one special for different things. Yes, there is a place for marijuana, but there is also just as much of a place for hemp. And I feel like we're giving people a really distorted look and the plant's intended purposes and what, how, and why, and what we should be using it for. So then there's that. We have a lot of education and outreach that needs to be done. And the misinformation that's out there is just wild. I know people are running scared right now of like, oh my gosh, what? They're taking away my medicine. And it's like, hold up, wait a minute. No, we're not. You the medicine was there all along. It is just with the compliance with the hemp farm bill in Wisconsin, us being a total THC state. That is what we're speaking to here. So I feel like we need to get back on track that hemp was intended for the healing, not the euphoric effects. And it's the marijuana that brings the euphoria. And I'm telling you, those single compound uh products that are being pushed out there are not it. They're not what what the high that you deserve to have and what you're could get in neighboring states if you just take a small drive up here, there, and everywhere, in which who knows if you're actually getting marijuana because THC, A, that people outside of the state are growing it without the special licensing, without the taxation, and it's not regulated as much. So there, you're probably getting THC there anyways, which are single compound derivatives, which are just not up to par. It is our freedom and our right to grow our own medicine, and we need to take back this power. We're fighting the freedom to farm, to heal, and participate fully in this economy. Let us cater the event, okay? So we need to push past the half measure of the loophole and demand comprehensive, common sense cannabis policy that allows Wisconsin farmers to grow and process all forms of cannabis legally. Bam! That's it. So don't lose sight of the fight for cannabis legalization. This ban is just the beginning of a necessary evil of what needs to happen in order to close this loophole, level the playing field, and realize the true urgency and need for reform and legalization here in Wisconsin. I am done being on the island of prohibition here in Wisconsin. So, what I'm asking you to do is really to use your voice and contact your local and state legislators and let them know how this ban is going to impact you and your and what you have been doing to have access to this medicine. And again, I want to thank you so, so much for the people that understand the value of hemp and how this that this plant that is just genetically phased out over time, the THC compound, to be in compliance. So it is accessible to everybody. There is small businesses like myself, like DNA Hemp, that offer a variety of different consumption methods for you that can really improve your quality of life and are just as good as anything else that is across the border, if not even better, because it's grown sun-grown organic and with a ton of love and heart and passion for what we do here in this industry to keep pushing on despite all of the odds against us. So, DNA Hemp will keep fighting for the right to grow and heal here in the dairy state. I need you to join me on our website, DNA Hemp LLC.com. You can sign the petition that is calling for the legalization, decriminalization, and rescheduling of cannabis and give us take back the power and our right to be able to grow right here in our good state so we can keep our tax dollars, our hard-earned money, and keep our local producers in business. So call the hemp ban what you want to call it, but it is necessary to close this loophole because what they're feeding you is crap with a single cannabinoid bologna. And yes, I know it's gonna cost some people their business, but that might be down the same path that this plant has been going down since this since the prohibition started here. It's not about greed, it's about feeling better. And I that's what I pray and hope for you, lovely people. Thank you. Please remember to share with your buds one love, one heart. Let's get together.