Ganjapreneur, a website dedicated to cannabis industry business news and culture, recently published an interview with Brian Westphal, founder of Lotus Boards, a start-up looking to produce the world’s first hemp plastic skateboard. In the interview, Westphal discussed his goals to spread awareness about ecological manufacturing using biological composite materials and 3D printing. The piece was published as part of a series of interviews conducted via Ganjapreneur with business owners and investors who specialize in cannabis and hemp.
Westphal discusses how he originally came up with the idea after learning about industrial hemp on the “Joe Rogan Experience” Podcast. “Joe would bring up the illegality of industrial hemp and the real conspiracy perpetrated by the media during the 1920′s,” Westphal states. “He also would discuss Henry Ford’s Hemp Plastic concept car as a great example of the wide uses of hemp. From there I researched to see what happened to this material? Why is nobody developing with it? And how come bio-plastics and industrial hemp aren’t more prevalent in our society?”
Westphal also discussed his belief that the future of manufacturing will likely hinge on ecological, renewable practices and 3D printing. “Hemp offers many benefits to our current methods of manufacturing paper, textiles, houses, and of course, plastics. Saving the amount of energy used, reducing carbon emissions, and the amount of water used during cultivation,” are some of the ways that widespread implementation of hemp will be ecologically beneficial, according to Westphal.
With Lotus Boards, Westphal’s goal is not simply to produce skateboards, but also to spread awareness about the benefits of industrial hemp and encourage manufacturers from all industries to pursue ecological practices as well. “Our vision is to spread the use of Industrial Hemp and Bio-Based alternatives with every ride. What better way to show people the capabilities of these new technologies than to let them cruise around on it?”
The full interview can be read on the Ganjapreneur website.
About Ganjapreneur:
Ganjapreneur launched in July 2014 and has since established a significant presence in the cannabis business world. The website regularly publishes interviews and commentary from leading minds in the industry, and has also launched a B2B business directory, a live feed of job listings from marijuana job boards, a domain name marketplace for start-ups and venture capital firms, and a mobile app for Apple and Android devices.
Press Release: http://www.prweb.com/releases/hemp/news/prweb12585124.htm
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