For nearly 250 years, Kentucky’s hemp industry was at the forefront of opportunity in the Bluegrass state. But in 1937, Congress voted to make cannabis illegal, and centuries of tradition went dark.
Except some farmers would not go quietly.
The name Cornbread comes from the Cornbread Mafia, America’s largest domestic cannabis syndicate, which operated in Marion County, Kentucky.
In the 1970’s, the Cornbread Mafia began its massive cannabis cultivation operations, which continued into the 1980’s, when 70 Kentuckians were arrested with over 200 tons of cannabis.
Growing up in Marion County during this time, Cornbread Hemp co-founder Jim Higdon wrote the official nonfiction account of The Cornbread Mafia, published in 2012.
The book’s success launched Jim into a journalism career, covering cannabis for Politico, Washington Post, and more.
While reporting on the 2018 Farm Bill that would re-legalize hemp, Jim realized that there were no companies making authentic, high quality CBD products, and he knew that something better was possible.
That’s when he approached his cousin, Eric Zipperle, to start a cannabis company that delivered a higher quality product, and represented the 250-year tradition of Kentucky cannabis.
Together, they founded Cornbread Hemp.
