In the year 1995, My friend Ed Spiegel had the idea to bring austrian wine to the Netherlands. So we set up an import company under the name

"SPIEGEL AUSTRIAN WINE IMPORT"

Next to the wine, we started to import also beer. Somehow Ed found out, that there was no pumpkin-oil in the Netherlands, something that everyone in austria knows and many people use.

In the search for pumpkin-oil, we found a family-company and they did not only make pumpkin-oil oh what a surprise - they made “cold pressed hempseed” - oil like their greatgrand parents did (by over 120 years of family tradition).

I said to Ed : “...let us bring the hempoil to netherland” ! He agreed and so we brought hempoil into the land of coffeeshops!

 

People started talking about me,

  ( ... there is a crazy austrian guy, running around in amsterdam with hempoil for salade and telling everyone how healthy it is....),   ......but other people (shop owners ) thought about it and started to buy.

This was begin 1996 and also the begin of the rehabilitation for the hempplant in westeurope.

Also at this time a good friend told me about a new company in tirol (mountain-parts of austria), with the name “ SPIRIT OF HANF ”. Spirit of hanf produced a hempbeer with 7% alcohol and a little bit thc ;-)) (below the norm of austrian law).

This beer was legal with codenumber, so we contacted the guys and started the official and legal import to netherland. ‘Spiegel austrian wine import’ was suddenly general wholesaler of Spirit of Hanf in Netherland.

Begin 1997 we had seven products from Spirit of Hanf. Also in 1997, hemp was growing again in austria, switzerland, germany, netherland , france , spain and england! At this time Ed got concentrated on the winebusiness and I on the hemp-business.

Suddenly switzerland came up with a lot of hempproducts and also germany joined in. England surprised us with the vegan ‘Flapjack’ & ‘Hemp 9 bars’.

Not to forget the cosmetic products! And as I checked my productlist, I had allready 125 differend hempproducts and more and more shops were selling them.

1998 the people did not think anymore about the crazy austrian guy. They started to think about the use of hemp in many different ways, meanwhile i was still running around, getting new shops, promoting the Goods on housepartys at my Hemp and Smartbar and telling everyone about the profit for the whole world trough growing hemp and more people were listening to what I had to say. (And more people start to think about hemp)

July 1998 Ed and I came to the conclusion, that it would be better to split up and follow differend roads. Ed’s ‘Spiegel austrian wine import’ is selling qualitywine and I started my own company under the name “ HEMPERIUM ” wholesale in THC-FREE Hempproducts.

July 1999 ‘Hemperium’ is doing well , more hemp is growing and more people know hemp again! Then in oktober, I had my first own product ready: “ HEMP LOLLYS ” with lemon-hemp taste.

Begin of november, my website was just ready - before - the 12th HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup !

Meanwhile, I got good reactions on the hemp lollys and to my biggest surprise I won the “ High Times Cannabis Cup ” for the best hemp product 1999.

One week later, there was the first “ HAARLEM HEMP HAPPENING ”, a Hemp exhibition on the first weekend of december. And there, I got the HAARLEM HEMP AWARD 1999 for the best hemp product, my hemp-lollypops.

So for Hemperium the year 1999 was very succesful and positive.

Also for getting more and more attention for the plant HEMP - because the master plan is to bring hemp back all over the

for us and our children..... !

2000
INTO THE FUTURE - BACK TO THE ROOTS !

In the year 2000, Hemperium started to grow. Its many new customers were in countries all over Europe -- even New Zealand started buying my hemplollies!

In November, I got the idea to set up a second website under the title “hemperium.net -- a Dutch online-guide to smoker’s paradise”, which is a portal-site, and provides free information. It was launched at end of November, and in December 2000, it had already had over 25.000 hits.

So, Hemperium went into 2001 with a second website and many new customers. I also wanted to go to the Cannatrade in Switzerland – so that year I did! It was a big success, everyone liked my hemplollies, and i got new customers & made new friends. Back in Amsterdam, I concentrated on getting more customers, selling hemp products in their shops. Meanwhile, more & more visitors came to my websites every month, and this also brought me new customers.

Another high times cannabis cup came up – on ‘cup-night’ I was behind my stand in the ‘Melkweg’, selling lollies, candies, & space cake, when I was suddenly called onstage: Hemperium won the “high-times cup 2001” for the best hemp product, my hemp-chocolate! I was very happy at the same time, there was a break-through in Amsterdam, and I got my products into ordinary shops like souvenir shops, tobacco shops, shoarmas & snack bars…

Suddenly the shop-owners were not afraid about a hemp leaf anymore!

Hemperium brought a second hemplolly, flat & yellow, onto the market, under the name “mellow yellow cannabislolly”.

It was also a year ago that I started www.hemperium.net, but over 850.000 hits was not bad. Still growing every month…

So 2001 was a very, very good year for Hemperium, and I went happily into 2002.

2002 – a good start!

I changed my prices into euros, but did not raise them !!!

4 weeks later, I was hit in my new company car; suddenly I was flying through the air, until I landed with a big bang on the roof against a tree. Luckily I had my seatbelt on, so I was unharmed. Just the car was gone. I was innocent, so everything was paid for (except a lot of time).

Again the Cannatrade in Switzerland was a big success. It’s not only good for business – it’s a really good & positive atmosphere throughout the exhibition, which also has to do with the organisation (thanks to Marco and Roman).

Amsterdam had a good tourist summer, and Hemperium got new customers from inside the Netherlands, & outside too. On the internet, the ratings continued to go up, peaking in November with over 268.000 hits on Hemperium.net. In November I also created a new hemplolly in orange, called “orange-top lollypop”, using the same high-quality blossom extract, which I also use in my other lollies, but with a mellow orange taste too. Some of the shops in Amsterdam now have all three of my hemplollies, the original green hemplolly (‘High Times Cup 1999’& ‘Haarlem Hemp Happening 1999’ winner), the mellow yellow cannabislolly, and the orange-top lollypop. If you look for them, you will find them…

After a difficult start, 2002 became a good year for Hemperium, and with positive thinking and a nice joint, I was flying into 2003!

At the end I want to thank all the people, which help and belive made Hemperium to what it is now !

In
CANNABIS
we trust.
CHRIS