They want to become the market leader in the legal hemp trade
Hilden - A young company from Hilden wants to revolutionize the legal hemp trade. They are already active in the online business, a store is to follow at the end of the year.
Benjamin Uhlig, Salma Adou and Lukas Adams (from left) in front of the building on Hans-Sachs-Straße - they want to revolutionize the legal hemp market.
Anyone driving past Hans-Sachs-Strasse 17 will immediately notice the green building with the tower, which used to be home to an Asian restaurant. "Cannabis is revolution, cryptocurrency is revolution, cannabis bit is revolution," can be read there on the green tower. Some curious people are attracted by the eye-catching facade, snapping photos of themselves and the building, which is painted with cannabis plants. The eye-catching artwork already suggests what will be created there..
While the demand for cannabis legalization is getting louder and louder in this country, start-ups are already getting ready with their own cannabis stores. Joint Store GmbH has set up shop at Hans-Sachs-Strasse 17 in Hilden. Behind it is a young company for the marketing of cannabis. Lukas Adams is the managing director and idea provider. "The Joint Store exclusively sells CBD products that are made with permitted commercial hemp that is legal in Germany and can be sold freely in this country. We source our goods through selected reputable manufacturers who practice controlled cultivation of useful hemp," he explains. In the classic coffee shops in the Netherlands, on the other hand, the sale of active cannabis has been tolerated since 1976. Adults are allowed to buy and consume five grams per person per day there. This is not possible in Germany.
Info
What you need to know about cannabis
Cannabis is the name of the Indian hemp plant that contains the psychoactive ingredient tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This active ingredient causes a state of intoxication..
In this country, two cannabis products are commonly used as intoxicants: marijuana and hashish. The former refers to the dried petals, stems and leaves of the plant. Hashish is the dried resin from the glandular hairs of the female plant.
The 27-year-old originally trained as a wholesale and retail merchant and gained initial experience in field sales. In Hilden, the Meerbusch native found a suitable location on Hans-Sachs-Strasse. "We have access to the highway here and are close to two airports, it doesn't get any better than that," Adams explains. He then set out to find a suitable team and has found operations managers in Benjamin Uhlig and Salma Adou. "My idea is to start something new with the joint store. There is nothing comparable in Germany," Adams explains.
For many, cannabis legalization is overdue, while others warn of the drug's harmful effects on health. Now, German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has presented a new key points paper. According to it, both the cultivation and the distribution of cannabis are to be carried out by so-called cannabis clubs or social clubs. In the future, the purchase and possession of a maximum of 25 grams of cannabis from the age of 18 should then in principle be exempt from punishment. The cultivation of up to three cannabis plants on one's own is also to be permitted. It is not yet known when the new regulation will come into force.
"But anyone who follows the debate about legalization closely also knows that demand is already present and is steadily increasing," says Lukas Adams. At the moment, consumers only have the option of purchasing the usually contaminated cannabis from the black market. "This is another reason why politicians like Federal Health Minister Lauterbach want to "dare" a push to legalize cannabis, so that controlled dispensing to adults will push back the black market and decriminalize the consumption of small amounts of the stimulant," he says. He and his team look forward to the legalization of cannabis with excitement. "As soon as legalization comes, we will expand our range and, for example, offer more products for cultivation such as seeds and cuttings," Benjamin Uhlig explains. An own social club would be an option to consider, an own cultivation of hemp is currently not under discussion. First and foremost, it should be about expanding the product range. "We want to become the leading company on the market throughout Germany. It is also a dream to open another store in Berlin. The market is much bigger there," explains Lukas Adams.
The store in Hilden is scheduled to open at the end of the year. Renovation work in the 500-square-meter store is currently in full swing. There is still a lot to do before the opening.