The idea for our documentary film was sparked after reading a USA Today article about America�s first house constructed with industrial hemp in our home state of North Carolina last fall. The house was designed by Anthony Brenner of Push Design who worked with Hemp Technologies to build the house for the city's former mayor and his wife.

Anthony's nine-year old daughter Bailey has a rare genetic disorder and an extreme sensitivity to chemicals that can induce reactive seizures. It was her condition that drove Brenner on his quest to find the perfect healthy building material, leading him to Hemcrete�s� non-toxic qualities for home construction. The one drawback -- hemp is illegal to grow in the US -- so it must be imported, despite the fact that it once was a thriving crop here until the 1940's. Almost every other industrialized nation in the world has been able to distinguish the difference between industrial hemp and marijuana and is reaping the benefits of growing and exporting it, especially now that American consumers are purchasing over $400 million in hemp products annually.  

Brenner and his wife recently made the difficult decision to place Bailey in a therapeutic residential facility several hours from their home for children with autism spectrum disorder to develop a comprehensive plan to address some of her challenges.  Our film will follow Anthony's dream of building a toxin-free hemp group home for Bailey and other children with disabilities in Asheville so that she can live closer to their home.

�My goal from day one was that everything I�d design, all the materials used, would meet Bailey�s standards. If things weren�t nontoxic and chemical-free, then I wasn�t interested.� - Anthony Brenner

We'll take a look at the toxicity of modern home building materials that use dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, chlorinated plastics (PVC, CPVC), volatile organic compounds (VOC�s),that are found in everything from insulation, sealants, resins in composite wood, paints, flooring, cabinets, fabric, furniture, bedding, stains and flame retardants. Many of these chemicals continue to off-gas over time adding to indoor air-pollution and are contributing to the rise in cancers and respiratory disease in humans.

The documentary will feature interviews with hemp business leaders and entrepreneurs from all over the globe. We'll show how Europe, South Africa and Canada are way ahead of us in the race for jobs and innovation using industrial hemp. We'll also be creating imaginative narrative sequences, animations and graphics to educate audiences about hemp�s history, falsehoods, uses and benefits. 

Impact & Advocacy:

We want to get people talking about hemp around the kitchen table. We want to reach out to lawmakers, consumers, business entrepreneurs and farmers.  Mainstream media outlets like USA Today, CNN and Reader's Digest picked up the Push Design Hemp House story and we think the time is right to get this issue in front of everyone - from the mom who is worried about her baby�s health and future to the farmers needing a better crop with less pesticides and soil damage.  Progressive leaders in the auto, textile, plastics, fiber and health food industries are already using hemp and it�s time for the U.S. to get in the race for a greener economy. Legalizing industrial hemp farming could have an unprecedented impact on improving the health of Americans, our environment and economy and we want to make the documentary film to make it happen. 

Please help us make our documentary:

Please make a contribution!*** We are in the first phase of production and need funding to help with cameras and equipment, travel, insurance, research, outreach & website development, supplies, editing, transcribing, and crew compensation. We�ll continue shooting this spring and throughout the year and plan to complete a fundraising film trailer that will support larger asks from foundations and screen at fundraising events for the film.

Depending on your level of donation, we are offering sincere gratitude, and a token of our appreciation in the form of a sample or product made with hemp.  Higher levels of donations will receive DVD's and recognition on our website and film credits. On top of that you get the feeling of knowing you made a contribution to help America's farmers, our economy, healthier homes & people while making the USA a greener, more sustainable nation!

***Please note: If your giving level includes a perk, the tax-deductible amount is your contribution minus the value of that perk(s).  We are very sorry it states "fully tax-deductible" in the descriptions for donations $50 and up. We cannot change the type in those fields.  

Other Ways You Can Help: Please help us connect to others and encourage your friends to learn about hemp and contribute to our film project. Go to http://www.bringingithomemovie.com where we'll be posting our progress and have links to more information.