What kinds of businesses does Spire Insurance Solutions cover?

Spire is an independent specialty commercial insurance agency for cannabis and hemp operations (dispensaries, cultivators, processors, transportation), pet services (vets, groomers, boarders, day care, trainers, pet retail), self-storage and warehousing facilities, and food and beverage businesses (restaurants, bars, breweries, event venues). All coverage is subject to underwriting.

What states does Spire Insurance Solutions write business in?

Spire is licensed in Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Maine. Contact a Spire agent to confirm current licensing for your state.

How is Spire different from other commercial insurance agencies?

Spire focuses on a few specialty industries instead of writing for every type of business. Our team has deep underwriting and industry knowledge in cannabis, pet care, self-storage, and food and beverage — sectors that are often underserved by generalist carriers. We are also a Keystone Insurers Group partner agency, which gives us access to a broader carrier roster than a standalone independent agency.

Is Spire affiliated with another insurance agency?

Spire Insurance Solutions and Top O' Michigan Insurance Solutions are sister agencies under Spire America Holdings, Inc. Top O' Michigan serves individuals, families, and small-to-mid-sized businesses primarily in northern Michigan, while Spire focuses on specialty commercial coverage nationally.

How do I file a claim with Spire?

Most claims are reported directly to the insurance carrier so adjusters can be dispatched quickly. If you do not have your carrier's claim line handy, call Spire at 800-686-8664 or email service@thespireteam.com and we will route you to the right place. Spire stays involved as your advocate throughout the claims process.

Where is Spire Insurance Solutions located?

Spire is headquartered at 3183 Logan Valley Rd, Traverse City, Michigan 49684, with a second office at 400 Renaissance Center, Suite 2600, Detroit, Michigan 48243. Phone 800-686-8664. Email service@thespireteam.com.

Was The First American Flag Really Made of Hemp?

It's one of those facts that gets passed around: “The original American flag was made of hemp.” Cannabis advocates love it. History buffs raise an eyebrow. So what's actually true?

The short answer: probably not the flag itself, but yes for almost everything around it

The story tied to Betsy Ross's 1776 flag specifically can't be definitively proven — the actual physical flag has been lost to history, and contemporary records don't specify the fabric content. What IS well-documented is hemp's central role in early American manufacturing.

Hemp in colonial America

Hemp was so essential to the colonies that several states actually required farmers to grow it. Specific historical examples:

Sails and rigging: The Royal Navy and American merchant fleet ran on hemp sails and hemp ropes — cotton and synthetic alternatives didn't yet exist or weren't competitive.
Paper: Drafts of the Declaration of Independence were written on hemp paper, though the final official copy was on parchment.
Clothing and textiles: Coarse work clothing, blankets, and military uniforms were often hemp or hemp-blend.
Currency and bonds: Some early American paper currency and government bonds were printed on hemp paper.

So while the specific Betsy Ross flag is unverified, the broader claim — that hemp was woven into the founding of America — is unambiguously true.

What changed

Industrial hemp remained a major American crop into the early 20th century, peaking during World War II when the federal government's Hemp for Victory campaign pushed farmers to grow hemp for parachute cordage and military rope. After 1937, federal restrictions and shifting agricultural priorities pushed hemp out of mainstream production for decades.

The 2018 Farm Bill federally legalized commercial hemp cultivation again, opening the modern hemp industry that operators are growing into now.

Why this history matters

Hemp isn't a fringe novelty crop. It's a foundational American material that took an 80-year detour through prohibition. Operators building modern hemp businesses are working in a market that's both very new and very old at the same time.

For insurance purposes, hemp's federal legal status (post-2018 Farm Bill) creates very different coverage paths than cannabis. Operators expanding into hemp should review specialty programs that explicitly cover Farm-Bill-compliant hemp products.

All coverage is subject to underwriting.