Alexander Cerveny, CEO @ Hanf.com – He comes from an IT background and, together with his family and around 50 employees, is trying to offer HANF.com customers a one-stop shop for all aspects of the cannabis plant, both online and in 13 stores. The therapeutic success of cannabis extract in treating his grandmother’s Alzheimer’s disease laid the foundation for this no longer so small start-up.

[Erik]: Hello Alex, it’s great that you’ve been able to find the time for our interview despite the hustle and bustle of Mary Jane. Today we’re going to be talking about the culinary aspects of terpenes, specifically those extracted from cannabis – as well as those reconstructed from “organic” terpenes.

But first, I’d like to find out a little more about you – how did you get into the cannabis business?

[Alexander]: So, the background to the whole thing was actually my grandmother. Unfortunately, she had Alzheimer’s, and my father – who had never smoked a joint in his entire life – was working as a trade fair constructor. A colleague, with whom he also talked about his mother’s illness, planted the idea in his head that cannabis – or, more precisely, the CBD it contains – could be a way to help his mother.

[Erik]: Nowadays, it has been proven that CBD products derived from cannabis have therapeutic value even without intoxicating ingredients – but back then, things were certainly different. What did your father do with the clues, and how far had your grandmother’s limitations progressed?

[Alexander]: My father immediately began researching – he basically read everything there was on the subject, although his focus was naturally always on the medical side – but there was also a touch of humour involved, of course.

Well, at that time, Grandma was really beside herself – she no longer recognised her children, didn’t know how to use cutlery and threw things at the television if the right programme wasn’t on.

[Erik]: It’s understandable that your father immersed himself in the subject; the suffering in the family was certainly great, and thankfully your father was open-minded.

[Alexander]: Yes, he was and still is. With the knowledge he had acquired, he simply grew a few plants himself at the time, but in the Czech Republic, where this was tolerated. He then made an extract from these plants himself, calculated the dose and used it to help his grandmother.

[Erik]: Wow, what a story – and how did the grandmother respond to the capsules?

[Alexander]: It was hard to believe, but you were able to take your grandmother to a restaurant again and she had an appetite. Even at the buffet, she was able to choose something for herself, find her seat and sit down on her own. Best of all, she recognised her sons! Her long-term memory wasn’t back yet, but at least she was able to remember everything new.

[Erik]: …and how did it develop from there?

[Alexander]: A little later, she was able to access her long-term memory again. She was herself again, and this opened my father’s eyes to the fact that cannabis is, above all else, a medicine. With this experience and the insights gained from it, my father founded Hanf.com.

[Erik]: Is the lady still alive?

[Alexander]: No, unfortunately she doesn’t. At some point, she moved into a nursing home due to the high level of care she required. The operator at the time simply did not continue with this cannabis therapy.

[Erik]: What happened next for your father?

[Alexander]: Based on this experience, he said to himself, “Hey, we have to get this plant out of the corner somehow.” He was absolutely certain that its many useful medicinal applications and positive effects would convince others as well.

[Erik]: What did he do about it then?

[Alexander]: Based on his experiences, he attempted to initiate a referendum, strictly following the motto “Save hemp,” which resulted in the 2015 Hemp Fair in Munich. He essentially reached and inspired many people with this initiative. For example, people in Berlin thought that what was possible in Munich could also be possible in Berlin, and Mary Jane made its appearance the following year.

[Erik]: When did you have your first personal experience with cannabis in food or drink – whether intoxicating or not – was it the legendary ‘hash cookie’?

[Alexander]: Yes, classic student flat share. Brownies at half past two in the morning.

[Erik]: When did your father finally establish Hanf.com?

[Alexander]: In 2017, he started a small hemp shop in Munich. He had always had a talent for testing boundaries, and his new venture offered plenty of opportunities to do so.

He told himself that if supermarkets and DIY stores were allowed to sell hemp with a THC content of less than 0.3%, then he should be allowed to do so too. No sooner said than done – and shortly afterwards, the CBD flower hype began.

[Erik]: What happened next? Today, Hanf.com offers everything that could possibly make the heart of a cannabis connoisseur happy – whether for medical or culinary reasons or purely out of interest in this world. Of course, only CBD, CBG and non-intoxicating products are sold, correct?

[Alexander]: Correct. It quickly grew into several stores – an investor was found and, as part of the professionalisation process, the “.com” domain was acquired and we were suddenly online too.

It didn’t take long before the phone rang – I still remember the words: “Alex, we need someone to take care of the IT. We need a proper web shop. Come on over.”

[Erik]: …and that was, so to speak, “your moment”?

[Alexander]: In a way, yes – I joined the company in the summer of 2021, almost exactly four years ago. Since then, I have been working on establishing new structures and processes and optimising existing ones. HANF.com is intended to be a scalable model based on several pillars – retail, franchise system, online shop, B2B. My activities cover all of these areas.

[Erik]: Yes, if you want to do it properly, you quickly need to acquire many different skills.

[Alexander]: In the past, my father would take a box like this, go to the shelf and see what the shop needed. This meant that it was very difficult to keep track of what was still in stock and what was in the shop, or what was still on its way to us or to the customer.

[Erik]: OK, so at least that was a basis that could be developed further…

[Alexander]: I now rely on a cloud-enabled warehouse management system, because we need an automated ordering system at the back end – with the number of branches we have, that’s currently the best approach.

[Erik]: However, it remains a challenge to remain efficient and successful in branch operations without losing sight of the spirit and idea that underpin the business and are largely responsible for its success.

[Alexander]: If you manage to catch that and keep the stakes high, it works. I’m also a programmer, I have my master’s degree, and topics such as computer science, blockchain, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and mechatronics all come together in my work somehow – but unfortunately, so does a lot of paperwork.

[Erik]: Well, Alex, unfortunately that’s inevitable.

[Alexander]: The team is and remains important – here, I know for sure that I can rely on people and that everyone supports the cause.

[Erik]: You can really feel it – everyone here at the stand has positive vibes. When everyone – regardless of their role – feels like they belong to the team and is committed to the goal, it’s also good for the company’s success.

What else did you and your colleagues do before your team got into the cannabis product business?

[Alexander]: We have a dental technician, a trained chemist, lots of retail staff, a mechanic, a bookseller, former self-employed people, game developers, music teachers… A very diverse team.

[Erik]: With so much commitment, the topic of time management and work/life balance is certainly always present. Of course, time – known to be “more important than money” – also plays a role, usually in the form of a lack thereof…😉 Family would be a keyword here – do you already have children, not yet, or don’t you want any?

[Alexander]: Actually, I don’t want one – but my girlfriend does. So, let’s say it’s an issue.

[Erik]: Alex, unless you’re allergic to children, I can only say to you: look inside yourself. I have daughters myself and wouldn’t want to be without them.

[Alexander]: Yes, I hear that a lot, but there are so many things to consider – in my line of business, I often encounter resistance in Bavaria – and I think that this will continue to be a topic of discussion and sensitivity for a long time to come, especially among parents, which could potentially affect their own children.

[Erik]: Sure, there’s always something to talk about when it comes to your business, but isn’t it remarkable that your father didn’t fail in Bavaria, where the headwinds are certainly strong?

[Alexander]: Yes, you just have to stay on the ball – commitment and perseverance are important factors here.

[Erik]: There’s something to that. What’s that video playing on your screen?

[Alexander]: On the screen up there? Can you see what’s there?

[Erik]: Yes, just about, Alexander – my “old eyes” are certainly dazzled by the bright exhibition lighting…😉

[Alexander]: I’ll show you here on the tablet – this happened two weeks ago – we had to edit it down a bit for the trade fair.

It’s a bit slapstick, really, that 22 police officers stormed into one of our branches to confiscate all our CBD products. The reason was an alleged deviation in the residual THC content of a CBD flower delivery to us that had been intercepted some time ago – possibly an oversight on the part of the supplier. The goods were not with us and I can’t comment on that. But it was enough to keep us on our toes.

[Erik]: OK, you can’t really call that ‘leaving me alone’ anymore.

[Alexander]: Yes, and that wasn’t all, of course – a week before Mary Jane, you confiscated cuttings from us. We had a total of over 30 raids on our branches.

Since all decisions regarding CBD were in our favour, they are now moving away from the issue and focusing on the allegedly “illegal” sale of cuttings.

[Erik]: Well, they obviously wanted to crack down on you, I think because the authorities don’t like the business. That’s obviously a situation where you always have a bit of a nagging feeling in the pit of your stomach, and that’s not really good for success – after all, you’re mainly committed to the medicinal aspects of the plant and handle everything very carefully.

[Alexander]: Honestly, all our products are of good quality. I know this because we test all our products. We operate entirely within the law.

[Erik]: At least I can be sure about terpenes – they are known to have no intoxicating potential, unlike THC-containing cannabis – for me, they have a most likely culinary intoxicating potential.

[Alexander]: Yes, that’s true, of course. But just look at the discussion about what a cutting is. In some places, it is considered a plant as soon as the roots are in the soil… but what about hydroponics? In some places, the size of the cuttings is important, but hey, the different genetics alone already result in completely different growth patterns…

[Erik]: Yes, I have also read quite a bit about this and think that, with just over a year’s experience, we could take the opportunity to optimise the framework conditions once again.

[Alexander]: Let’s see.

[Erik]: Everything here at the stand is intoxication-free – but I took a sniff of your samples and noticed many very different aromas, or rather terpenes and phenols.

[Alexander]: I would say that it is basically “full spectrum hashish” but with less than 0.3% THC.

Consumption is somewhat similar to therapy with fragrances – like aromatherapy. Your body and senses react to the terpenes and phenols, usually with physical relaxation.

[Erik]: …and beyond?

[Alexander]: We know that CBD is also anti-inflammatory – even when smoked or vaped – without any of the psychoactive effects of THC.

[Erik]: Visitors are literally “storming your place”.

[Alexander]: We have now achieved a very good level of brand awareness – with eleven of our own stores, four franchise outlets and around 800 different items in our shops, we are already unique in Germany.

[Erik]: But that’s certainly not the only driving force for you – you’re still living out your father’s vision despite the branches and franchises, right?

[Alexander]: Yes, of course – we want to continue educating people about all aspects of cannabis. We want to be a point of contact for people who have problems, but who are not just looking for the high, but also all the other aspects, especially the healing ones.

[Erik]: Yes, that’s certainly a good idea in this age of “quick fixes” for everything. But hemp products also have many other valuable uses.

[Alexander]: Exactly, that’s why we also stock healthy food, shampoo, cosmetics and clothes in our shops.

[Erik]: Alexander, I have a few more questions about terpenes and phenols to finish up. Before this interview, I ordered some terpenes from you – “Amnesia” and “Blue Berry” from the manufacturer PlantOfLife – so that I could experiment with them a bit before Mary Jane.

Now I’ve heard that PlantOfLife is discontinuing the production of terpenes – is that true? If so, why, and will you continue to offer terpenes, and if so, from which producer?

[Alexander]: Basically, there are different quality levels for terpenes, which are also reflected in the price. And extraction is a complex process. If PlantOfLife were to cease production, we would probably source from a few American companies. They are always at the forefront of technical development.

[Erik]: With your experience over the last few years, I ask you, Alexander – is the topic of flavouring with terpene profiles extracted from cannabis really on the rise in your opinion?

Especially when manufacturers such as PlantOfLife decide to stop, this could be a sign, couldn’t it?

[Alexander]: The demand for terpenes is still growing steadily. However, I can’t tell you what people use them for at home.

[Erik]: What do you see as the decisive reason for using terpenes extracted from cannabis for flavouring – what advantage do they have over terpenes extracted from oranges, tomatoes or pine trees, for example?

[Alexander]: I have no idea what the differences are. You’ll have to ask terpene producers.

[Erik]: Do you believe that terpenes generally influence mood? If so, where does the intoxication begin, in your opinion – already with the invigorating effect of limonene?

[Alexander]: Terpenes are part of the entourage effect and are important for this effect to occur at all. How exactly they influence mood and intoxication is a topic for science – not for retail.

[Erik]: Would you say that the different terpene profiles of the strains – in addition to their effects – are what make each strain unique?

[Alexander]: The terpene profile of the plant is often responsible for its name. “Sour Mango”, “Diesel” and “Strawberry Skunk” all refer to the smell that makes the variety so special. In this respect, the terpene profile is already part of this uniqueness.

[Erik]: In this case, regardless of whether intoxication is involved or not, what is the best base for flavouring in your experience?

Are terpenes in their pure form, crumble, rosin or even fresh buds the best starting point for doing justice to the respective variety in culinary terms, i.e. in terms of taste?

[Alexander]: In this context, dabbing is certainly the buzzword of recent years. However, we feel that Germany (as always) needs years to pick up on a trend.

[Erik]: When cooking, it is important that the taste and “behaviour” of ingredients vary as little as possible – after all, you want to repeat the same taste experience.

In your experience, to what extent does the “terpene fingerprint” of the respective varieties change depending on whether they were grown outdoors, in a tent or using different cultivation methods such as soil, hydro, etc.?

[Alexander]: We’re in retail, not the grow business. You’ll have to ask next door about that.

[Erik]: I will do that – Alexander, how quickly time flies – we have already reached the end of our interview.

Thank you very much for this truly insightful and inspiring conversation, even though today was about more than ‘just’ terpenes.

I hope to be able to buy and try many more interesting and high-quality terpenes from you in the future – we’ll see.

I wish you and the team at HANF.com continued fun at Mary Jane, and I hope to see you at Mary Jane 2026.

All the best for you,

Erik