Yep, Eric Friend, that’s his name, and for the last decade this love child of Mr. Rogers and Willy Neilson has served on the ARK board of directors as the resident ‘Hempster’- advocating for a plant as industrious as he is. He may look like a hippie (he proudly is) but despite two brain tumors, Eric has served his planet with distinction as an entrepreneur, community organizer, animal advocate, and political leader.

While I am sure he would prefer we talk about the new Greenerside hemp museum that is now open inside Tip Tops cannabis retail in downtown Anchorage Alaska, first of its kind in the world, that is not the story of triumph of the human spirit we want to share here today. Eric is an inspiration to many and everyone who meets him because of his sheer tenaciousness. Mental health is something we all deal with and far too often those with challenges will sink into depression and let the system run them through the mill until like caged lions they are better off left plugged in. Not our boy Eric. He is on a mission and from the time he wakes until he shuts his eyes, the dominate thought is “how can we mainstream hemp in Alaska?”.

So, to tell Eric’s story, we must tell a hemp story. Many know cannabis by its street name, marijuana, but few know that the most sacred documents in our Nation, like the Declaration of Independence are written on hemp; that the Revolutionary War was won largely because of hemp rope, that its 16 times more effective at capturing carbon than trees; or that it produces an oil you can run your car on and top your salad with. Like Eric, hemp has a variety of good qualities but sadly, gets often mislabeled by a conditioned populace still fighting Regan’s “War on Drugs”.

Hemp is an economic tool that can help the climate, commerce, and culture. Hemp is one form of cannabis, but it has no intoxicating effects. However, it can be locally grown in Alaska, milled into fiber, food, and fuel, in Alaska, used to build houses, replace plastics, and build cars and airplanes from the refined natural material, in Alaska. For the last 20-years Eric has been a friend to the planet and her people, serving diligently in the search for justice for this misunderstood victim of greedy industries and a controlling system. He has paid the price, or as he would see it made the investment in a world worth living in.

At the moment, Eric isn’t at the top of his game but that doesn’t stop him. And with a little help from his friends, he will get back in, ready to take hemp to the endzone in providing a generation win for the planet and her people. He will be the first to admit he is not perfect and that on any given day his usual rays of sunlight are covered by the grey clouds of doubt and uncertainty but that’s the point. Being a superhero is not a full-time job though it is on call. Eric’s lesson is our imperfections are what make us perfect when we act with love and compassion to a purpose that lifts us all up together and moves us collectively forward.

If hemp was seen for more than just a way to escape the drudgery of the world, and if the many beautiful people like Eric in the world found themselves amongst a tribe of healers and lightworkers, we could all raise our individual vibration and live a higher quality life, that doesn’t need to be dulled or escaped from. With a vibrant hemp industry, and good friends, our problems won’t vanish into smoke, but we will have the tools and the team to ease suffering and brighten the world for many.

Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek, said once “In a very real sense, we are all aliens on a strange planet. We spend most of our lives reaching out and trying to communicate. If during our lifetime, we can reach out and really communicate with just two people, we are indeed very fortunate.” Like many, I consider myself very fortunate to communicate and connect with Eric and other special people like him. Hemp is a plant and cannot speak for itself but with Eric Friend leading the charge, the future of what only fools would call a weed, is lit.