The hemp world is constantly evolving, and rapidly. When — or if — it shifts to where Hemptown USA has placed a big bet will be one of the more interesting questions of 2020.

The company, incorporated in Canada but with its major operations in Oregon, has raised about $23 million in a few short years of existence, and poured much of it into producing and selling CBG. Short for cannabigerol, it’s a cannabinoid like CBD, aka cannabidiol. But unlike CBD, it's virtually unknown to the masses.

“There’s tremendous excitement about CBG on the industry side,” said Bethany Gomez, managing director at Brightfield Group, a leading CBD and cannabis research firm.