New York State recently legalized the recreational use of marijuana (https://www.nysenate.gov/issues/marijuana). But we are sure of the scope and scale to which small businesses can operate. Although there is more support for small scale businesses to operate, the waters are murky for new business owners. For example, CBD is not legal, but the whole marijuana plant is.
But, NYS has opened it's hemp growing doors to researchers:
- Industrial Hemp Research Initiative in New York State
- Industrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program: Program Guidance
- New York State Department of Agriculture and MarketsGrower Research Partner ApplicationIndustrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program
- New York State Department of Agriculture and MarketsGrain and Fiber Processor Research Partner ApplicationIndustrial Hemp Agricultural Research Pilot Program
To that end, I want to create a pain relieving hemp cloth, as well as a stronger pain-relieving cannabis cloth. I am not even sure if a cloth can effectively deliver pain relief. Using bio-engineering, I want to grow a horizontal hemp cloth, for the sake of making a patch...., where nothing is lost. I want all the properties of the plant embedded, but just say like many fibrous vines to create a patch.
While working on a mind-map in class, I realized that Marijuana policy is the first thing I need to look at. Based on that I broke down the types of cannabis into hemp and marijuana.
From that I came up with five target users and possible products:
User 1: Pain Management
- Pain relieving hemp cloth
- Pain relieving marijuana cloth
- Cannabis extraction liquid
- Seaweed type edible
- Cannabis oil
User 2: Anxiety Relief
- Anxiety Edible
- Pain relieving hemp cloth
- Pain relieving marijuana cloth
- Cannabis extraction liquid
- Seaweed type edible
- Cannabis oil
User 3: Energy Seeker
- Hemp Protein
- Cannabis extraction liquid
User 4: Non-Cannabis User
- Hemp Protein
- Pain Relieving Hemp Cloth
User 5: Fun Seeking, Arousal
- Anxiety Edible
- Pain relieving hemp cloth
- Pain relieving marijuana cloth
- Cannabis extraction liquid
- Seaweed type edible
- Cannabis oil
I also looked at my delivery system. Do I want to use a dispensary? I really like the idea of growing cannabis. I am not sure if I can do this at ITP, I'll have to ask.
I do want to grow a really powerful hemp strain that can be used as a pain relieving patch. Perhaps grow it on a grid, so that it grows in a patch? Will it be soil based or hydroponic? I can begin growing and testing strains...
Until cannabis become fully legal, I can begin experimenting with different strains and different delivery systems for the different products I have imagined.