Voices of Cannabis: Dreu VanHoose

Dreu is the owner of VanHoose Hemp Co in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

“My aunts and uncles were very interested in herbal, natural alternative medicines to heal themselves. So I want to say that I come from a family of healers descended from my grandfather, which brings it full circle.”

Dreu VanHoose

Born and raised in the DMV area (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia), Dreu VanHoose attended Drexel University where she developed a fascination with plant science. After suffering from chronic back pain, Dreu began researching plant cannabinoids and the human endocannabinoid system.

When she returned to DC, where growing weed was legal at the time, she taught herself how to grow cannabis and began caring for her own facility, researching every detail and best practices and getting into recorded himself. When the Farm Bill was passed in 2018, Dreu, whose grandparents live in Alabama, decided to start growing cannabis on a 10-acre property she inherited from her family.

While working to earn her cultivation license, Dreu became a recipient of the Young Farmers Grant and continues to work with HBCUs such as Tuskegee and Alabama A&M to conduct cannabis cultivation research. With her business, VanHoose Hemp Co., Dreu aims to grow more than just cannabis. Her goal is to advocate for women, those with prior cannabis-related charges, disabled veterans, and others, and create a space for them to thrive in the industry. “Our tagline is Real, Organic and Rooted, and like I said, we’re real people,” she says.