Vassilis Arseniou was born in Thessaloniki in 1978 with origins from Kilkis and Thassos. His father, Paraskevas Arseniou, a military doctor, and his mother Maria, raised him with precious family values: the love for freedom, logic, aesthetics, nature and the unquenchable curiosity of understanding the world around him. He grew up in Greece and Europe, living beautiful and carefree childhood, exploring and cultivating a variety of interests where he continued his studies studying business administration, engineering, graphic design, theology and finished computer science in London. His personal quest and love for man in 2004 prompted him to become a priest in the Church of Greece and the Patriarchate of Constantinople, until 2010 when he self-deposed and began his business activity in the field of health and wellness with great success.
In April 2017, following the Joint Ministerial Decision on industrial hemp, drawing inspiration and support from his family environment, he begins the research and study of the market, processing and finally cultivation, while at the same time his father doctor Paraskevas Arseniou, a pathologist specializing in immunology and homeopathy, studies international medical research and literature.
“Cannabis had attracted our interest at least 20 years earlier, with the first announcements of studies on the endocannabinoid system, anandamide, etc. The prohibition of course significantly limited access to the plant and its healing properties. So in recent years we have all witnessed countless sacrifices of people, friends and relatives, in the gears of the cancer industry.” Recognizing cannabis as a very tool for freeing man from numerous sufferings, they decide together with his wife and extended family, in December 2017, to found The Hemp Way based in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki.
“Knowing the specificity of the Greek land and the climate,” says Vassilis Arseniou, “it was obvious that we had to start the production of industrial hemp in Greece.” Since April 2018, The Hemp Way, in collaboration with experienced Greek producers, has cultivated acres of industrial hemp in greenhouses in Vasilika, Thessaloniki.
“This year we cultivated with the aim of producing fine industrial hemp blossoms for high-quality tea and achieved excellent results. Eventually, after multiple sorting of our crop, we will provide three grades of herb: asporus, with seeds and detritus.”
“What we are primarily interested in is to produce a clean, quality product in a fair trade environment that leaves both the consumer and the pro ducer fully satisfied in terms of quality and reward.
At the same time, we seek to highlight The Greek cannabis products both in Greece and in Europe, for their competitive advantages, which we already see, both in the cultivation and in the final quality of the produced product. We understand, of course, that in order to complete this effort, it must be done through cooperation between producers, academic institutions and the competent bodies.”
The Hemp Way store and the Greek cannabis products can be found in our store in Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, at 29 Argyroupoleos Street, on the internet on our company’s website (www.thehempway.eu).
The Green Greeks Magazine
