The previously-announced hemp venture, which would make Rockdale a hub for growing, manufacturing and distributing the newly-legal product, is still headed to town with meetings to educate potential growers set for the first quarter in 2020.
Jerry Walters II, chief executive officer of Oppidan, said the company is looking at scheduling the meetings as guidelines over hemp businesses come into sharper focus.
Hemp has been recently legalized by the Texas Legislature but rules for approval and licensing by industrial hemp growers aren’t expected to go into effect before early 2020.
According to the Texas Dept. of Agriculture, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture musty first adopt the state’s rules for the new industry.
Those rules were published by the TDA on Dec. 13 but have not yet been adopted.
INFO—“Growers are going to need lots of information for this new business, and we will teach them how to follow the rules and regulations,” Walters said.
Texas A&M will be involved in the education process and leases are envisioned for growers.
He said the venture will bring up to 50 jobs to the Rockdale area.
Walters emphasized that hemp is not marijuana. He said while both are derived from strains of the cannabis plant, industrial hemp does not provide a “high.”
While Oppidan’s stated goal is to develop pharmaceutical formulated products derived from hemp, Walters says hemp has “a multitude of other uses that includes clothing.”
He said town halls to inform the Rockdale community will be scheduled.
‘RACISM’—Walters said he believes he has already encountered a degree of racism in his attempt to bring a business to Rockdale.
“I don’t think some people want to have a young black man bring a business here,” he told The Reporter. “I’ve been told nobody will support me.”
“What we need is community support,” he said. “We are going to do a lot of things for Rockdale.”
He said Oppidan plans to be part of the community and target a number of issues, including hunger.
“We want to work with the schools and also with Pack Pals, which provides meals for children,” he said.
Oppidan also plans to target community issues such as restoring the Aycock Center and parks.
Walters said Oppidan plans to hire minority workers first.
He said a building in the Rockdale Industrial Park is still envisioned as the headquarters for the company.
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