CLEMSON, S.C. —
Former Clemson football coach, Danny Ford, a co-owner of Denver Downs Farm, and several other farmers are suing a hemp company, and its owner, after he sold them "useless" hemp seeds and rendered their hemp products "useless and unmarketable," according to a lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed in Anderson County by Danny Ford, Tom Garrison, Stevie Timm, Jim Huston and Haley Mullen.
Both Ford and Garrison were selected to participate in the 2018 Industrial Hemp Pilot Program, according to the lawsuit.
Former Clemson football coach Danny Ford talks about growing hemp
Ford coached football at Clemson from 1978 to 1989.
Garrison is the co-owner of Denver Downs Farm in Anderson.
The lawsuit states before Sept. 22, 2018, David Bulick, and his companies, Carolina Botanical Genetics, LLC and Charleston Hemp Company, LLC, "carelessly and recklessly" targeted Ford and Garrison with sales messages and "inaccurate promises" about his knowledge and ability to handle, extract and process hemp materials to marketable oils.
The suit says Ford and Garrison agreed to work with the company to extract and process their hemp product.
The pair grew the hemp plants and delivered batches of hemp product to Charleston Hemp Company, LLC, and Bulick, that were "all suitable, adequate, proper, and ideal for extraction and processing," according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit claims the defendants "negligently extracted and processed Plaintiffs Ford’s and Garrison’s hemp product, which resulted in Plaintiffs’ product becoming contaminated and/or otherwise being rendered useless and unmarketable."
After that, the lawsuit said the defendants made numerous false statements regarding Garrison and Ford's competence as farmers, going so far as to say "Ford and Garrison were unfit for their trade or occupation."
The lawsuit says in May of 2019, the other farmers, Timm, Huston and Mullon, agreed to purchase hemp seeds from the defendants, and that the defendants would extract and process the product into marketable oils.
The suit alleges they were delivered seeds that were "inadequate, contaminated, deficient, and/or otherwise nonviable, such that the seeds were useless and unmarketable, rendering them worthless."
The lawsuit said all five plaintiffs sustained significant damages, including lost income and lost profits, among other things.
Bulick and his company are being sued for several counts, including negligence and recklessness, negligent misrepresentation and defamation/libel/slander.
The plaintiffs are requesting a jury trial and judgement.
Merritt Farmer Jr., attorney for David Bulik, released this statement to WYFF News 4:
"Mr. Bulick has been made aware of the filed complaint and vigorously denies all of the allegations made in what appears to be a frivolous lawsuit against Mr. Bulick and his companies. We look forward to adjudicating this matter along with several counterclaims that will be filed against the plaintiffs. Mr. Bulick and his companies have been and continue to be ambassadors for the hemp industry in the State of South Carolina."
In 2018, Danny Ford spoke with WYFF about the first year of growing hemp in South Carolina.
https://www.wyff4.com/article/former...owner/34315745
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