Apples in Winter

David Sergi is a Texas-based attorney who has spent decades working at the intersection of hemp, cannabis, and regulatory law. In this episode, we unpack the legal battles shaping the future of hemp, from the high-profile fight unfolding in Texas to the broader questions surrounding THC definitions, federal oversight, enforcement actions, and regulatory uncertainty across the United States.We also discuss David's involvement in a federal lawsuit challenging the DEA over a rule that bans the hemp-derived cannabinoid HHC. The groups involved argue the DEA exceeded its authority and violated the intent of the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp and hemp-derived products containing low levels of THC.David shares his perspective on what's actually happening in Texas, why the state has become a focal point in the hemp debate, what is at stake for businesses and consumers, and how ongoing litigation could influence policy far beyond state lines. We also discuss international approaches to regulation, common misconceptions about hemp, where the industry has gotten things wrong, and what businesses should be watching most closely in the year ahead.Whether you're deeply involved in the industry or simply trying to make sense of the headlines, this conversation offers a practical look at one of the most important legal and policy discussions facing hemp today.

Micaela Machado is a sustainable designer, hemp building advocate, and artist whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, natural materials, and environmentally conscious building.This conversation explores hemp as a building material, what makes it so unique, and the growing momentum behind hemp construction. We also discuss the incredible projects Micaela is involved in through her work in sustainable design and green home builds, along with her background in art and sculpture, the spark that first drew her toward hemp, and how those creative foundations evolved into a career centered around sustainable design and regenerative construction.Micaela graduated from The University of Arizona with a degree in Sculpture and Business Management. After years working in California with Cemrock as an artistic fabricator, she returned to Arizona to earn her Master’s Degree in Landscape Architecture, a path that ultimately led her deeper into hemp building and green home construction.She is the qualifying party for Old Pueblo Hemp Co.’s General Residential Contractor’s License, current President of the Association of Professional Landscape Designers, Arizona Chapter, and a member of the United States Hemp Building Association.

John Roulac is the founder of Nutiva, one of the earliest companies to help bring hemp foods into the mainstream in the United States. Over the course of several decades, his work has spanned entrepreneurship, regenerative agriculture, environmental advocacy, policy, and media, including serving as an executive producer of the film Kiss the Ground. More recently, he’s focused on rethinking everyday consumer products through his company Coco Clean.In this conversation, we discuss the early days of hemp in America, what it was like fighting for legitimacy in an industry that existed far outside the mainstream, and the legal battle that led John to sue the U.S. government to help keep hemp foods legal. We also get into regenerative agriculture, environmental health, consumer products, and the progression of his advocacy over time.This conversation moves through entrepreneurship, conviction, public perception, and the importance of staying rooted in genuine passion and truth, even when the broader culture, industry, or political climate may be pushing against it.

Attorney David Bush has practiced law for more than 34 years and is widely considered one of, if not the first, hemp attorneys in the United States. Having represented both cannabis and hemp clients through major periods of industry change, David offers a rare firsthand perspective on the early days of cannabis legalization, the emergence of hemp regulations, and the rapid rise of the Colorado hemp boom.In this conversation, we discuss what it was like navigating industries that were being built in real time, often without clear legal frameworks or public understanding. David reflects on the evolution of cannabis and hemp from fringe industries to major economic and cultural forces, along with the risks, opportunities, and challenges that came with that transformation.This conversation moves through business, law, resilience, shifting public perception, and the strange reality of witnessing entire industries evolve across multiple decades of change.

James Johnson’s path moves from military service into the evolving world of hemp and cannabis, carrying with it a perspective shaped by discipline, structure, and lived experience.In this conversation, we get into the realities of cannabis and hemp within military culture, the contradictions surrounding alcohol, and how those systems influence perception and access. We also touch on his work in hemp education through Hemp 101 and his product line Active Duty RX.This is a conversation about navigating transition, questioning long-standing norms, and creating new lanes where clarity, access, and education can exist side by side.

Priya Mishra is the founder of Hempvati, working at the intersection of industrial hemp and medical cannabis in India, where the conversation around the plant is still layered with stigma, history, and complexity. Her work spans farmer education, patient support, research, and policy, all grounded in a deeper effort to reshape how cannabis is understood and accessed.In this conversation, we get into how Priya found her way into this space through her own health journey, and how that experience now informs the way she approaches advocacy, business, and care. We talk about the realities of navigating cannabis in India today, the gap between perception and science, and what it looks like to build something meaningful in a system that hasn’t fully caught up yet.This is a conversation about challenging narratives, working within constraints, and slowly shifting a culture around a plant that has always been there.

Rachel is a first-generation farmer in Illinois and one of the grassroots forces behind hemp’s return in the state, working at the intersection of farming, policy, and community organizing. As founder and president of the Illinois Hemp Growers Association, she has helped shape legislation, educate growers, and build a regional hemp movement from the field to the policy table.In this conversation, we get into what that work actually looks like on the ground, how Rachel navigates both the practical and political sides of hemp, and how her approach is rooted not just in systems, but in something deeper, ancestral connection, gratitude, and a sense of responsibility to the land.This is a reflection about building something of your own, staying connected to where you come from, and what this next season looks like on the farm.

Rick is a fourth-generation farmer in North Carolina, carrying forward a family legacy that dates back to 1865. After time away building a life in DC, he returned to the land and helped lead a transition from tobacco to hemp, working across both fiber and CBD production.In this conversation, we get into what that shift actually looks like on the ground, what it means to rework a generational farm in real time, and how Rick approaches building something sustainable, traceable, and rooted in place.This is a reflection on legacy, on returning, and on what it takes to make a long-term bet on something new while still honoring what came before.

Gordana Stevancevic was born in Belgrade and moved to Italy with her family after the bombing of Serbia in 1999. She studied economics and entrepreneurship, and later completed postgraduate work in medical cannabis at the University of Padua. Her path eventually led her into textile hemp, where she’s focused on rethinking materials through a lens of sustainability, function, and design.In this conversation, we get into how that shift happened, what drew her specifically to hemp textiles, and what it looks like to build in a space that sits somewhere between fashion, material science, and industry. We talk about the early days of Hemp-Style Magazine, her work with Steva Hemp, and what it actually takes to create products like hemp bedding from the ground up.This is a conversation about materials, about perspective, and about what it looks like to move across countries, industries, and ideas, while staying anchored in something consistent underneath it all.

Beach has been involved in the hemp world since the early days, founding Hemptations in the mid-90s, long before hemp re-entered mainstream conversation in the U.S.In this conversation, we get into what those early years actually looked like, what it meant to build a store centered entirely around hemp products in Cincinnati, Ohio, and how his perspective has taken shape over decades of advocacy, culture, and industry change.This is a conversation about being early, about holding a certain kind of energy over time, and about what it looks like to stand behind something long before it becomes widely accepted.

Apples in Winter. A conversation podcast. Launches March 20.