Episode 62: Cree Crawford, Founder and President, Ionization Labs

Welcome The BG Podcast! Conversations at the intersection of business, community, and public policy, from the Austin metro and around Texas. Today we speak with Cree Crawford, Founder and President of Ionization Labs. He and Bingham Group CEO A.J. discuss the firm’s Cannabinoid Identification (Cann-ID), Cloud-Based, QA/QC Hemp & Marijuana potency testing solution. In June, the 86th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1325, which legalized the production of hemp with a THC concentration of less than 0.3%. The latter legislation follows the hemp definition laid out in the 2018 Farm Bill. Following this passage, state entities, local law enforcement and the legal system struggled with enforcing and persecuting marijuana usage, which is still and illegal controlled substance in accordance with state and federal law. Hemp and marijuana are both derived from cannabis sativa, but hemp must have a THC concentration of less than 0.3%. To determine if an individual is legally using hemp or illegally using marijuana, law enforcement would need testing to prove the THC concentration is above the legal limit, which is not currently available in many law enforcement testing centers. Ionization Labs Cann-ID solution provides one potential solution. Originally recorded on August 19, 2019. ABOUT CREE CRAWFORD Cree is president at Ionization Labs. Ionization Labs provides pre-measured, pre-filled, pre-packaged kits for Cann-ID. Their solution processes 14 of the most prevalent cannabinoids to provide consistent testing results. ABOUT OUR SPONSOR Thanks to our podcast sponsor Regions Financial Corporation! Regions is a member of the S&P 500 Index and one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, it operates approximately 1,500 banking offices and 2,000 ATMs across the South, Midwest and Texas (including 10 branches in the Austin metro).