Jim is a Kentucky native with degrees from Centre College, Brown University, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He worked briefly for the New York Times before returning home to write his first book, “The Cornbread Mafia.” Published in 2012, the Cornbread Mafia tells the story of the biggest domestic marijuana syndicate in American history. The book’s success opened the door to a journalism career, allowing Jim to cover Kentucky news for the Washington Post and cannabis policy for POLITICO. Jim leveraged his expertise and connections in the hemp industry to co-found Cornbread Hemp with his cousin Eric Zipperle.
FMM: You worked briefly for the New York Times before returning home to write his first book, “The Cornbread Mafia. Tell us about your book.
I grew up in central Kentucky, surrounded by a culture where outlaw cannabis growers thrived. In 1989, federal prosecutors held a press conference in Louisville to announce that 70 men from my hometown had been arrested on 30 farms in 10 states with 200 tons of marijuana. In the middle of that press conference, one of the prosecutors referred to the group as “the Cornbread Mafia,” and the name stuck. Twenty years later, I left a job at the New York Times to return home to uncover the true story of the Cornbread Mafia, so I could understand how this happened in my hometown, and how it connected to the greater scope of American history.
FMM: How did writing this book open doors for you?
Writing the book opened doors in several ways. First, it led me into a journalism career, where I covered cannabis policy for POLITICO and breaking news in Kentucky for the Washington Post. It also opened doors for me in the hemp and cannabis industries, where I learned that there was a giant hole in the market that a company like Cornbread Hemp could fill.
FMM: Tell us about Cornbread Hemp.
Cornbread Hemp is a USDA organic hemp product company that makes full spectrum CBD products with the most delta-9 THC allowed by federal law. Most people think that THC is not legal yet, so they are surprised to learn that Cornbread Hemp offers CBD gummies and CBD oils with 50mg CBD and 2mg THC per serving that are 50-state legal and USDA certified organic.
FMM: What do you offer?
Our mission is to improve our customers’ quality of life, and we do that with our CBD+THC products. We offer a full range of CBD gummies, CBD oils, CBD topicals, CBD capsules, and CBD pet products. Our most popular product is our extra-strength CBD gummies, with 50mg CBD and 2mg THC per gummy. People are surprised to learn these gummies are legal with that much THC in them, and even more surprised when they try them in the evening before bedtime.
FMM: How does Cornbread Hemp differ from other companies?
Cornbread Hemp is different from other CBD companies in so many ways. Let’s start with the basics:
- Full spectrum — offering the most THC allowed by law, while most CBD brands offer THC-free products.
- Flower-Only™ — we only use hemp flowers, while most other brands use the whole plant.
- USDA organic — Of the thousands of CBD brands out there, only a small percentage have done the work to become USDA certified organic.
In addition to these product differentiators, Cornbread Hemp is different as a company because we are a family-owned business based in Kentucky. And with fast shipping to all 50 states and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, we provide the best customer service in the business.
FMM: Have you seen any trends?
The most interesting trend happening right now in hemp is the collapse of the delta-8 THC fad. Delta-8 became popular because it’s technically a loophole in the federal law that outlaws delta-9 THC above 0.3 percent, but not other forms of THC, including delta-8. The problem is that the delta-8 THC in consumer products is a synthetic cannabinoid that is made by taking CBD isolate and running it through an acid bath. That means the products made from this synthetic delta-8 THC may be harmful to consumers’ heath. Recently, the FDA and marijuana advocacy group NORML both issued warnings about the safety concerns surrounding delta-8 THC. This has caused consumers to look for naturally occurring delta-9 THC in legal hemp products, which has brought many new customers to Cornbread Hemp, especially for our extra-strength CBD gummies.
