FEATURE
Meet the canadian
CBD entrepreneur
keeping the budding industry grounded.
MIKE HODGSON,
OF THREE FOURTEEN CBD
By Leo Forfar
Forty-seven-year-old Mike Hodgson of London, Ontario
has turned an intimate familiarity with the marijuana plant
into a promising business in the booming cannabidiol
trade. Having honed his business skills in the creation of
two successful start-up companies, Mike now occupies
an invaluable position on several crucial fronts.
Mike manages GreenLeaf Productions, the mother company
of ThreeFourteen CBD. Mike’s dedication to understanding
and optimising the many sides of hemp down to the smallest
detail is reflected in the brand name: 314 is the molecular weight
of CBD.
Having kept a close eye on Canada’s view of hemp, Mike
made strategic moves when the time came for legalisation.
He remains well-informed of this evolving, sometimes
turbulent relationship between the government and the plant.
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“I’ve always had my eye on the industry, and when the
authorities started to embrace it, I wondered how I could fit
into the new landscape. It takes a lot of big money to get
into the growth side of marijuana, so I decided my best fit
was in CBD and oils. In Canada, the marijuana industry was
worth approximately seven billion dollars before legalisation.
The government is trying to flip that over and convert the
cashflow from the black market to the legit market in the
hopes of protecting the average citizen, so they know exactly
what they’re smoking.”
Like many who have quickly risen to a place of prominence
in this business, Mike’s motivation is as personal as it is
professional.