This week on the Hemp Show, we head to Tucson, Arizona, where Micaela Machado of Old Pueblo Hemp Co. is leading a hemp-building revolution.

She said she hopes “Tucson becomes a hub for natural building and specifically hemp. I think Tucson, Arizona, is right for building, for processing. We have all the right weather and lots of land to do it with.”

Machado is a general contractor with a background in sculpture and landscape architecture, and she’s bringing her deep passion for sustainability and natural building to the hemp industry.

Her passion is fueled by a drive to provide healthier housing alternatives for people. New houses are often made from hazardous materials that emit dangerous chemicals into the home, she said.

“Every night we’re sleeping in these Tupperware airtight toxic containers. And so I think that opens people’s eyes” to natural building materials, she said.

We’ll hear how she made the leap from sculpting concrete for zoos and aquariums to pioneering hemp construction in the Southwest. She shares her “aha” moment with hemp and how her work is transforming communities, from feature walls to full-scale commercial projects.

Plus, we’ll get the details on the Hemp Building Fiesta, happening March 28-30 in Tucson — a hands-on workshop featuring some of the biggest names in the industry, including Sergiy “Dr. Hemphouse” Kovalenkov, Danny DeJarlais from Lower Sioux, Mary Jane Oatman from the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association and more.

Also on the show, host Eric Hurlock gives the show’s new guest host Sophia a crash coarse in building with hemp.

Topics Covered:

✅ Micaela’s journey from sculpture to hemp construction

✅ The origins of Old Pueblo Hemp Co.

✅ The unique challenges and opportunities for hemp building in the desert

✅ Tucson’s first permitted hemp construction project

✅ The upcoming Hemp Building Fiesta — who’s coming, what’s happening, and why you should be there

✅ The future of hemp construction in Arizona

Links & Resources:

✅  Old Pueblo Hemp Co.

✅  Hemp Building Fiesta Registration

Thanks to our sponsors:

✅ IND Hemp – Family-owned hemp feed, food, and fiber company bringing new opportunities to farmers and manufacturers across the U.S.

✅ Americhanvre Cast Hemp – Providing educational resources and hands-on workshops for the hemp building community.

✅ Forever Green – Distributors of the KP4 Hemp Cutter.

Music by Tin Bird Shadow