Cannabis Culture & Hemp Business in France

Text: Dieter Klaus Glasmann

Interview with Reggae Artist Tiwony

The current handling of the German government's cannabis legalization plans, which once sounded so motivated, is leaving a lot of frustration in the community. The comprehensive legalization with trade in specialist stores has become a kind of decriminalization, without trade, with the possibility of obtaining supplies via home cultivation or a grow club. Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, not even this slimmed-down law is in the bag, so the resentment that some politicians are feeling these days is understandable. If we look at the Netherlands, Switzerland or some other countries, we have the feeling that we are treading water and not making any progress. Occasionally, we almost forget that things are even more restrictive in many countries than they are here. To see this, we don't have to look far, but simply to our neighbourhood. As modern as the Grand Nation may be in some respects, cannabis policy is still considered very strict by EU standards.

Strange enough, we here only notice little of the cannabis policy developments among our neighbours in the West. We look over France and envy the Spanish for their progressive, albeit poorly regulated, approach to cannabis as a stimulant.

We want to change this and immerse ourselves in the hemp and cannabis culture of France in conversation with reggae and dancehall artist Tiwony. As a musician and cannabis entrepreneur, he gives us a first-hand account of can- nabis in France, the musical journey to his new album and his business with medicinal hemp teas.

Let's jump in by talking a little bit about your background. Tell us a little about yourself and your life! How did you find your way to music? And what is your connection to hemp and cannabis?

Tiwony: Blessings, and thanks for making this interview with me. I have been a Reggae and Dancehall Artist for 25 years now, coming from Guadeloupe and Cameroon. I grew up in Guadeloupe, where I really started to practice my passion for music. Then I went to Paris to work with the pioneers of French Reggae Who paved the way for me by inviting me in Sound System, on different compilations, collaborations etc. and from that, I realized that music will be my job forever. As you know, I'm also a Rastaman, so I always get my meditation with Ganja, but I'm not simply a smoker, I always wanted to know more about this natural healing that some elders always told me about, also what the processes are in terms of farming, growing, all those molecules that you can find in cannabis, all the Health's Virtues etc. So I travelled a lot in Humboldt, California, where I sealed some good connections, and now I have two CBD shops in Paris with some good friends of mine.

You live in Paris, but you also travel a lot around the world. Where did you have the best experience with hemp?

Tiwony: My Best experience with hemp was in Redway in Humboldt county, where I tasted the best qualities ever, where I learned a lot about all the stages of growing such premium strains etc.

In Europe, France is one of the countries with the strictest laws regarding cannabis. Are you aware of any developments or initiatives that could change that?

Tiwony: Many things have already changed in France since the last 5 past years. Now you can find CBD products in all pharmacies, CBD flowers & hash in all tobacco shops, hemp products in all supermarkets, So there are people who are really in front line with the state to soften the laws and the wrong vision of cannabis by the politicians. So I could say that the process is positive and things are moving slowly but surely.

Now let's talk about your latest album Frequency and the tune with the same name. Frequency is the best album of your career as a musician so far, and the tune is a real catchy tune that gets stuck in your head right away. Tell us a bit about working on the album! Who did you work with? How and where was the album created?

Tiwony: Thanks for your feedback. This album Frequency was another experience than the ones before. I took more time to work on it, trying to get an eclectic project but in the same time something really compact for the listeners.

Even though it is a reggae, dancehall or reggae hip hop frequency. I worked with some great composers like Bost, Cisko, Jekel, Dj James plus some great artiste like Anthony B, Cali P, Meta Dia, Balik from Danakil, Awadi, Tairo, Daddy Mory, Lord Kossity, Shalli, who really bring some hot spices to the album combined with my vibe what created a real musical alchemy. I had the blessing to travel to New York, Senegal, Guadeloupe, my home country, and of course Paris to build this album that I'm really proud of today.

You can celebrate the title song Frequency, even if you maybe don't understand the lyrics because you don't know French. But often the content is still important. What is the message of the song Frequency? What is the tune about?

Tiwony: This Song is all about reconnecting ourselves with the essence of life, finding inner peace in this crazy world through letting go and also by focusing ourselves on the positive energies, surrounding ourselves with good people. All of this symbolizes the good frequency necessary for all humanity.

You are not only a musician, but also active in the CBD business. As far as I know, you own CBD stores and are also involved in the production of natural hemp products. Can you elaborate a bit on your involvements in the hemp field?

Tiwony: Yes, indeed, I have two CBD shops in Paris, Republic Garden and Gardenz with four associated friends. We launched this project during COVID-19, and we realized the real effect of CBD on the health of multiple generations. This allowed us to better understand all the virtues and the spectrum of this pretty flower. We therefore decided to launch our ranges of herbal teas under the Nateava brand, with sublingual oils based on CBD and CBN, also accompanied by a range of caramelized, roasted, shelled, whole hemp seeds but also hemp proteins as well as flour, all certified organic by official French institutions.

I have already had a closer look at the Nateava teas in particular, which contain very different plants depending on the variety. Do you generally use medicinal plants for your health? If so, which ones?

Tiwony: Actually, it is primarily because we use plenty of medicinal plants and herbal teas such as Moringa, hibiscus, ginger, fresh mint etc that led us also to create these varieties of teas so called Nateava

In Germany, many CBD companies complain that they keep running a lot of authorities. How is it in France? Do you also know about such problems?

Tiwony: That was more like this a few years ago, when the CBD started to take place in France. The government was afraid of the confusion that could arise with the THC flower, But now with all the propagandas in the media about the positive effects of CBD, it has become more normal for everyone. For example, today you can find CBD flower or resin in every tobacco shops also in all the pharmacies u have all kinds of balms and many products containing CBD.

What are your next plans and projects? Will you concentrate more on music, or will the focus be more on hemp businesses in the near future? Or will you manage to keep everything in balance and pay equal attention to both things?

Tiwony: I would say that music is my root and the hemp business is a branch of the same tree. So the root can feed the branch to provide good fruits and beautiful Flowers.