Margaret River Hemp Co’s Georgina Wilkinson on the changing perceptions of hemp

‘Can I smoke my shirt after I’ve worn it?’ ‘Drug dealers wear this stuff.’ These were the kinds of comments Georgina Wilkinson faced when she first opened Margaret River Hemp Co 24 years ago. Thankfully, a lot has changed since those early days, when hemp was a seriously misunderstood plant.

Fast forward to today, and Margaret River Hemp Co is Australia’s largest hemp clothing and body care retailer. Beloved by the local community, the store has become a major success story, and a shining example of how to sell and market a plant as versatile as hemp.