Various sales platforms, businesses and cultural associations are emerging in our territory. What does this surge of medium-small entrepreneurs have in common? Very easy, a topic that has always interested our peninsula, but which has often interfered with a State that is sometimes absent, sometimes distracted and sometimes unprepared: the boundless world of cannabis. Our team in particular had the pleasure of meeting in person three courageous new entrepreneurs who deal with this topic with all their passion and above all with professionalism, engaging with the cannabis market in its boundless and multifaceted function from the point of view of the principle, i.e. the seeds of the plant.
Theirs is a fresh and innovative reality, which brings with it the biological culture and the enormous resources that this country can provide in climate terms. To understand their intent but above all their work we went directly to the headquarters of Quantamon Seeds , in Monterotondo, a town in the province of Rome, and we kindly spoke with Alessio Mingoia , one of the founding members.
Good evening Alessio, what is Quantamon Seeds and what does it do?
Quantamon srl is a company founded in April 2018, which launched QUANTAMONSEEDS, a new all-Italian and Capitoline Seeds bank, the result of a project born in 2016 by four Italian guys with work experience in different sectors, lifelong friends with a unique passion for this thousand-year-old plant, hemp. Quantamon is also a dense network of collaborators, of breeders with international experience who help us and develop the best genetics in the sector. This is why we have put on the market a collection of new and old hemp seed genetics, creating a unique and inimitable artistic product, with collectible seeds that have high and low THC and CBD potentials, our product has been released into different markets, from the web, to distributions, from grow shops to hemp/head shops with the sole purpose of preserving this plant that could save the world or at least make it better, raising awareness in our nation of the cause. Many nations are already reaping profit and social benefits from it.
Since when did you approach the world of seeds and realize that your passion could become a job?
Interesting question, (smiles) we have loved hemp for many years now and have made several trips to Holland and Spain where this plant has much more liberal laws than our "democratic" country; we have studied hemp in all its facets, from the healing properties of the root to the pharmaceutical and galenic potential of its extracts, from textile fiber to the new hemp-based bio-building. In the end, however, we favored her genetic side, starting to commission breeding work from real professionals already in 2015/2016, but I repeat, our love for "Mary Jane" (as she calls her) has distant roots, when we immediately understood that she could being a job, makes you wake up in the morning with a smile, a dream that is coming true day after day, as demonstrated by the many businesses that are marketing our collectible Quantamon seeds; the passion we put into what we do is immense, we will try to make it clear to everyone.
What is your finished product? What audience invests and what is the purpose of those who purchase?
Our finished product is a collection of 10 hybrid hemp seeds 5 feminized auto-flowering and 5 photo-dependent feminized seeds, the new collectible hybrids with low THC content and high CBD content are coming out soon, all of this placed in the market with packaging designed by our collaborator SERGIO CRIMINISI with a unique and graphically appealing mascot, which is why our partners are facilitated in the resale of our product. It is also totally aseptic and does not instigate cultivation. We at Quantamon, having our headquarters in Italy, are very careful to respect Italian laws and condemn the seeding of our products at least until the rules of our country change and this is permitted.
What are the difficulties encountered by a new business in Italy? And above all, how many depended on a prohibitionist legislative system?
In our country, as you well know, it is difficult to open any business due to time, costs and bureaucracy. Our desire to undertake this path ultimately made the creation of this company possible. The project made us travel throughout Europe among Corsican fairs and collaborators in the sector but after 2 years it transformed into QUANTAMON SRL which sells a totally legal aseptic product in Italy and in the world and we are very satisfied with the final result because we do not go against the our legislative system, however we are part of various associations on the hemp supply chain and with them we have also had our say on the legislative proposals presented to the various ministries, hoping that in the not too distant future perhaps things will change for this exceptional plant but they are convinced that if we want to align ourselves with the rest of Europe and the world something must change.
2016 already seemed like the turning point year, several production companies tried to anticipate what now seemed like an obvious legalization. Isn't there a risk that your occupation could be misunderstood and considered to be a full-fledged recreational hemp seller?
I confirm, in 2016, after the partial regulation of 242, many agricultural and commercial entrepreneurs saw the first glimmer of light in a market that in Europe alone exceeds 20 billion euros. But we are still far from the final goal, for example in countries like Spain, Holland, Germany and Switzerland there are less prohibitionist laws, and in other states like the USA and Canada it is completely legal or is becoming so. Flourishing markets, which in just a few years are becoming multinationals, it is up to us to open our eyes and perhaps look back at what was a source of pride in the 1960s. Italy was the second largest exporter of hemp in the world, we have a perfect climate and above all Made in Italy is famous all over the world.
Does this market in Italy currently seem to have improved?
As I said before, things haven't changed much since 2016, but the media lens has begun to focus attention on those companies that sold inflorescences for ornamental collector use and has placed emphasis on these issues, raising awareness public and young investors who, thanks to their courage, now find themselves at the top of the Italian commercial pyramid. To our advantage, we are among the first to display a collection of hemp seeds for the purpose of preserving the hybrid itself and we always free ourselves from any placing of the seed inside the packaging.
A few words about the supply chain and job opportunities.
The supply chain is a long and complex discussion for an interview, a report would be needed. However, the economic possibilities behind this plant are endless. The important thing is to understand if we want to seize this enormous opportunity for development and income creation before other states. I always remember that no one has ever died from hemp or cannabis , furthermore it could help many people live more dignified.
Talking to you one has the impression of entering a very distant world which however, through various branches of the same sector, is beginning its rise in Italy. Do you feel like the vehicles of a message to the national panorama?
Yes. Or rather, I hope so, we would be proud if we were seen by the public in this role of spokesperson. I certainly cannot elect myself as a champion of legalization, for our part we are affiliated with various associations with which we are carrying out various projects. Some legislative proposals will be sent to the various ministries in recent days for a bill that better protects the supply chain. We are always on track and we don't want to stop... with the hope that our customers agree with us.
