Hometown HeroFreedom You Can Taste
Austin-born. Veteran-built. Fighting for hemp since 2015.
20,000+
Five-Star Reviews
#72
Inc. 5000 Ranked
3x
Hemp Cup Winners
10
Years in Business
We don't carry brands just because they're popular. Hometown Hero earned their spot because they do things the right way — GMP-certified facility, third-party lab results on every batch, and a ten-year track record of putting quality and transparency first. They've been in the fight for legal hemp since before it was trendy, and they back it up with real investment in the veteran community. That's the kind of brand we want on our shelves.
How Hometown Hero Got Here
Hometown Hero started the way most good things do — two friends, a garage, and a reason to give a damn. Lewis Hamer and Lukas Gilkey launched the company out of Lukas' home in Austin, Texas in the summer of 2015. Lukas, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, had seen firsthand what trauma does to the people who serve. From day one, a portion of every sale has gone to veteran organizations.
When Texas legalized hemp in 2019, they pivoted hard into cannabis. The stories coming out of the veteran community convinced them this plant could do real good — and they wanted to make sure the products built around it were done right. What started as a two-person operation grew into a full team of growers, chemists, and confectioners, all working out of a GMP-certified facility in Austin.
They've been on the cover of The New York Times, won at the High Times Hemp Cup, and led the fight to kill multiple THC prohibition bills in Texas. CNN, High Times, Inc. 5000 — the recognition keeps coming because the work hasn't stopped. Lewis and Lukas are still running the show, still based in Austin, still doing it the way they started: with grit, care, and zero shortcuts.
The Hometown Hero Journey
Founded in Austin, TX. First donation to Disabled American Veterans.
Hemp legalized nationwide via the Farm Bill.
Texas legalizes hemp. First cannabis product launches. Ranked #72 on Inc. 5000.
First THC product (Delta-8 Blueberry Gummies). Silver and Bronze at High Times Hemp Cup.
Featured on the cover of The New York Times. Launched first hemp-derived Delta-9 gummies. Sold 400,000+ gummies in the weeks following.
Expanded product line into caramels and taffies.
Secured legal injunction in Arkansas. Began full brand overhaul.
Completed rebrand. Won 1st place at High Times Hemp Cup for chocolates.
Led the fight to kill SB3 (total THC ban) in Texas. Featured on CNN nationally.
The Hometown Hero Standard
Built to a Higher Standard
GMP-certified production facility. Every batch tested in-house, then sent to a third-party DEA-certified lab for potency and contaminants. Results on every package via QR code.
Veterans First
Donations to Texas VFW, DAV, Operation Finally Home, K9s for Warriors, Heroic Hearts Project, and more. It's not a marketing angle — it's the reason the company exists.
Hemp Advocacy
Fought and won against prohibition bills in 2021, 2023, and 2025. Co-founded the Texas Hemp Business Council. Lobbied from Austin to Capitol Hill.
Grown in Texas
Hemp cultivated in the red, sandy loam of Texas Wine Country. No chemical fertilizers. No pesticides. Sun, rain, and care.