L O U I S I A N A
HEMP M A G A Z I N E A MAGAZINE FOR GROWERS AND PROCESSORS
VOL. 1 ISSUE 2 A 337 MEDIA PUBLICATION
Our Mission
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ouisiana Hemp Magazine was born from the idea that a product that has such great potential should have a state-based hub publication where information can be shared in a productive, explanatory and entertaining way. We believe hemp to be a commodity that can improve the quality of life of individuals, offer jobs for farmers, income to Louisiana residents, and to be an opportunity for entrepreneurs by cultivating a plant that has tremendous promise. We want to be a space where you can read real stories about real people, obtain information on hemp trends, cultivation, extraction and infusion techniques, and find consulting and networking opportunities that can benefit all Louisianians who simply want to live life with hemp being a part of it. We consider our state to finally be moving in the right direction when it comes to hemp, and we’d like to thank all of the lawmakers, businesspeople, advocates and individuals who worked toward making Louisiana hemp cultivation a reality. We look forward to being a publication where we can all work collectively to bring the benefits of hemp to light throughout Louisiana.
Contents
4 Passion in the Particulars 6 Harvesting Industrial Hemp Science Cultivating Hemp Compliance
10 Mountain Climbing Owner / Publisher
14 Constructing the Future
337 Media
Contact Us
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COVER PHOTO BY ROBERT NELSON ON UNSPLASH
18 Cypress Hemp 22 Lasting Legacy
PHOTO BY ESTEBAN LOPEZ ON UNSPLASH
All pages within Louisiana Hemp Magazine are the property of 337 Media. No portion of the materials on the pages may be reprinted or republished in any form without the express written permission of 337 Media ©2020. The content of Louisiana Hemp Magazine has been checked for accuracy, but the publishers cannot be held liable for any update or change made by advertisers and/or contributors to the magazine. 337 Media, LLC is not responsible for injuries sustained by the reader while pursuing activities described or illustrated herein, nor failure of equipment depicted or illustrated herein. No liability is, or will be, assumed by Louisiana Hemp Magazine, 337 Media or any of its owners, administration, writers or photographers for the magazine or for any of the information contained within the magazine. All rights reserved.
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Passion in the Particulars My "Accidental" Interview with Louisiana Industrial Hemp Virtuosos By Abby Meaux Conques If there's ever a time to be completely raw and real, free of ego-protective masks, I think the pandemic is a pretty good time to do so. I see it as an absolute zero to get rid of the song, dance and fluff that muddles professionalism to an extent, not to mention depleting precious time. Many people don’t have the mental capacity for the fluff right now in the midst of ensuring that they can afford their family’s grocery bill or confirm that every member in their household is now upholding a level of personal hygiene that rivals crossing a sterile field.
The men in which I had the honor of speaking with were Matthew O. Indest, PhD, Horticultural Consultant, MOI Consulting LLC, and Pat Jack, Compliance Officer, CBD Rich Louisiana LLC. The list of credentials, accomplishments and experience from both are long, technical, and have a bunch of well-deserved fancy letters attached, but I mainly just want our readers to have a complete grasp of the company I was in and to be able to ascertain the level of proficiency that we are dealing with in their writings that follow.
That being said, as the Creative Director of a couple of small publications, emails are tsent my way fairly often (simply for being the point of contact) with people suggesting story ideas or professional connections. Sometimes it’s a text or a post-it note with a simple name and “would be a good contact” mention. No backstory, no information... just a blind cold call to see what’s on the other side of the line (normally after a fair bit of social media sleuthing to get an inkling of an idea of who I may be about to have a fullblown conversation with.)
This is merely an introductory preface to their sophisticated cognizance of all things industrial hemp and beyond... like bitcoin and cotton and sweet potatoes...oh my. I want everyone to be well-informed of just how qualified these guys are when you read future issue musings by the duo which, in person, (as much as “in-person” you can be in a social distancing quarantine) have the most refreshing harmony of synergy as you could hope a two-man team to have.
In all honesty, many connections don’t pan out. Sometimes it’s due to a bit of self-selling of what said connection can contribute to the cause. Sometimes it’s a matter of a good bit of energy in the beginning stages and the zest for new ideas that tend to fizzle out over time if the proverbial fires aren’t fanned...fire fanning is a hot commodity in a small grassroots effort. In some instances, the promises are penciled in and precious space is allocated for, only for deadlines to approach and no contribution to be found. This is always followed by a mad dash of searching for good-quality content to fill in, fueled solely by a moderate level of anxiety and a typical Type-A quest for unattainable perfection. Fast forward to a simple “would be a good connection” text with a phone number. An approaching deadline and the last few fall-apart connections made reaching out without much to go on slightly comfortable. So a cold call was made, and a zoom call set up for the next day. At the time of the call, I brought my notebook with me “just in case.” If the aspects of our constructed reality are based on past experiences, I had let too many disenchantments govern my level of enthusiasm. To say that I was pleasantly surprised with my zoom company would be an unfair understatement. For the subsequent hour and a half, I learned more about various aspects of the science and compliance in the industrial hemp industry than I had learned in years of personal, casual research. 4
So let’s get all technical with it: Dr. Matthew Indest resides in the Greater New Orleans Area of Louisiana. He is a proud product of a multi-generational line of Urban Victory Gardeners; a family history which he credits planting the seeds of horticultural interest to. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Horticultural Science as well as a Doctorate in Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences from Louisiana State University. Throughout his degree programs at LSU, he was instrumental in the state’s plant breeding programs for sweet potato and cotton. His analytical skills were finely honed in a post-doctoral fellowship with the USDA ARS’s Cotton Structure and Quality research group. His extensive knowledge in agricultural research stems from years of study and data-gathering concerning various facets of all things cotton, agriculturally; from quality and yield, to heritability qualities and plant tolerance, to biotic and abiotic stressors, and from irrigation system qualities to pest management. He brings this knowledge to Louisiana’s hemp homefront with his focus on plant-breeding strategies, applied urban horticultural practices, cannabis-testing standards research, and legislative reform. Dr. Indest’s passion for plant-based medicine research and his concern for consumer safety has led to volunteering efforts with groups such as Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana where he advocates for developing safety and quality standards in the interest of patient groups to include: autism, epilepsy, AIDS, pain management, addiction treatment, PTSD, and cancer. He is licensed to grow Total THC Compliant hemp under LA’s Federally Approved InL OU ISIA N A H EM P M A GA ZIN E
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dustrial Hemp program. In maybe the most modest sentence in this paragraph, Dr. Indest is “just happy to have found my niche of working with plants and still being able to help people along the way!” Now onto Pat Jack. Patrick is the product of a long family line of attorneys-at-law. Pat’s exposure to his father’s and his grandfather’s legal practices (while working at their offices in various capacities) shaped the sharp compliance tooling with which he conducts hemp industry market analysis. Legal compliance has become his comfort zone, his knack supported by a lifetime assemblage of refined legal information.
He's has been involved in the software and information technology sphere both at professional and passionate personal levels since 1993, since the day the first GIF image was published to the web. Pat Jack is the current founder of CBD Rich Louisiana, LLC, a company which concentrates on hemp consultancy for Louisiana farmers. He’s the guy to go to for regulatory compliance questions and can lead you through the most meticulous and extensive proceedings paramount to the planting, growing, processing, buying, and selling of industrial hemp. He’s got a quick wit to boot. Together, these two make up a Louisiana-based superduo for a wealth of scientific and industrial hemp regulatory compliance knowledge. The yin-yang, perfect match kind of chemistry between them is nothing short of magnetic, and speaking with them makes you feel as if you should be paying them for the entertainment and wisdom combined.
From 2013-2016 Pat Jack served as the founder and CEO of BitPolitic which provided website integration services, the coding of bitcoin campaign donations portals into political candidates’ websites while Lucky for us, (and providing campaign you), in each issue principals with deep of Louisiana Hemp cryptocurrency techMagazine, the two nical and compliance will dole out valusupport. BitPolitic’s able knowledge in clients ranged from bite-size nuggets to candidates running anyone who shares for US Congress, in their views of aidState legislatures and ing the formulation the libertarian govof a manageable and ernor’s candidate for effective industrial the State of Florida. hemp-yielding proPHOTO CREDIT PAT JACK Pat Jack developed cess. If you’re thirsty CBD RICH HEMP TRICHOMES EXPRESSED BY THE FLOWER OF THE SOUR SPACE CANDY HEMP STRAIN. technical knowledge to learn about the PROFESSIONALLY DRIED, CURED AND TRIMMED FLOWER PRODUCT READY FOR R&D, and applied that to deep details, the ins LONG TERM STORAGE OR FOR SALE INTO THE HEMP MARKETS the hemp industry afand outs of the induster residing in Colorado for four months of 2019’s through 2020’s try and precise execution of steps needed to have a legit, compliwinter months. Pat’s time in Colorado was spent ravenously reant part in this fairly new industry in our state, these are the guys searching compliance operations and analyzing business and busiyou want to learn from. ness software practices in “the industry”. Their professional consultancy services can be utilized by contacting them via LinkedIn or through each respective email at moiconsultingllc@gmail.com or cbdrichlouisiana@gmail.com. MATTHEW O. INDEST, PHD HORTICULTURAL CONSULTANT, MOI CONSULTING LLC
PAT JACK COMPLIANCE OFFICER, CBD RICH LOUISIANA LLC
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HARVESTING INDUSTRIAL HEMP SCIENCE - CULTIVATING HEMP COMPLIANCE Your Louisiana Hemp Grower Need-To-Know matters and nitty-gritty regulatory compliance information with the down-and-dirty elements of powerful hemp science, seed to sale. By PhD cultivation and your compliance consultancy - Dr. Matthew O. Indest PhD and Pat Jack
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uccessful hemp industry production is critically dependent upon the precise understanding of the “total THC” (t-THC) compliance of your flowering hemp plants -- seed to sale. The hemp grower’s constant struggle for mastery to understand Louisiana’s USDA-regulated hemp program as it pertains to compliant “total THC” levels is the bar for entry into the rapidly developing Louisiana industrial hemp markets. Your compliance officer and your Chief of Cultivation must (or YOU must) maintain a level of masterful understanding of compliance enhancing Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) throughout every step in the execution of your hemp business model. This must be done consistently in a rapidly-changing regulatory environment. The rules and regulations of the industrial hemp industry place extreme, and often changing, demands on your business’s extended SOP, from seed to sale, from state to state, and from nation to nation. Genetics (choosing the strain or strains of industrial hemp that you will grow) are the primary factor that will determine your industrial hemp crop’s t-THC compliance. The selection of the best strains for growing will also determine the richness of the CBD content in your finished crop, all while remaining legally compliant. The ratio of CBD to t-THC, [THC + (THCA * 87.7%) ≤ .3%], varies from one industrial hemp strain to the next. The distinction between “THC compliant” and “t-THC compliant” must be absolutely, precisely understood to safely conduct the interstate trade of your hemp and hemp derived products. The stability of your crop’s CBD to t-THC ratio within each seed lot is the biggest critical risk factor to a hemp grower. The genetic variance in commercialized hemp strains spells the difference between federally-compliant Industrial Hemp and a federally-illegal Schedule 1 drug. One “hot” flower in a field of 100 acres of hemp is ruinous. Using clones instead of “feminized” seed will hedge some of the risks because clones are genetic replicas of the source mother. Thus, the variability from clones match that of the mother plants. Clones, also marketed as Unrooted Cuttings (URC) or, Liners and come at higher expense than feminized seed, but can be worth it. Assuming, ofcourse, that your vendor has verified those mother plants were not males. We’ll talk more about clones and balancing costs in future articles; keep checking “LA Hemp Growers” magazine for new content. Our Louisiana hemp industry is in its infancy, and due diligence in strain selection for cultivation is critical and mandatory. Until true “certified variety” CBD rich and industrial hemp seed is available for sale in quantity, industrial hemp farmers and growers suffer great risk, civil and potentially criminal risk.
STRAINING TO PICK THE RIGHT HEMP STRAIN Especially when growing from seed, the variability of current hemp strains introduces great risk, both civil and potentially criminal liabilities, into your operational equation. Your entire team, at all times, is tasked with maintaining regulatory compliance.
press wildly differing phenotypes because “Certified Varieties” of hemp are largely not yet available, and certainly not available in great abundance. It only takes one hot flower sample (t-THC non-compliant) in the crop testing inspector’s bag and you are done for.
The propagules available for purchase (seeds, seedlings, and even cuttings) have the propensity to ex6
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This variability in current industrial hemp strains (better described as instability) could present as:
1 Male plants polluting (pollinating and “seeding out”) your flowering female CBD and minor cannabinoid bearing crop 2 Visible differences in plant vigor and structure 3 Dramatically different Days to Optimum Harvet Potential (DOHP) within a seed lot 4 Most importantly, your crops final cannabinoid content (t-THC hot, or not, while maintaining CBD richness) Have you selected the strain or strains to grow which have the greatest statistical probability of finishing as compliant hemp? The consequences of variability in the phenotypic expression of what we see marketed as a stable variety of “feminized” hemp seed include a mountain of labor costs stacked upon losses from reduced plant count because the male plants must be pulled from the crop. You’ve got to find the males, and that’s hard work. If you fail to pull all the males (and hermaphrodites), your flower will be pollinated, your flower will fill with seed and will be worthless in the current markets. Even one, single grain of pollen can convince a plant to turn its focus away from producing cannabinoids and terpenes and suggest to the plant to prepare entirely for pollination and seed production. You can lose 40-50% or more of the potency of your crop when pollination occurs.
Non-uniform crop quality, and even the unexpected need to stagger harvests within a strain are also consequences of this variability within even the very same lot of seed, seed perhaps purported by the vendor to be a certified “variety”. Hemp strain variability can turn high expectations for lucrative marketability into a complete crop loss, the potential suspension of your license to grow, the extinguishing of your license, or worse. Options and procedures are present to minimize your risks.
PROPAGULE COMPLIANCE DOCUMENTATION When considering the purchase of genetics (seed and starter plant stock) the seller must offer documentation. Sometimes called a binder, a portfolio, or a “seed deck”. Seed seller or re-seller documentation should contain a full panel analysis or at least some battery or array of tests performed on the parent plant material. The seller must absolutely provide “Certificates of Analysis”, or COA. If you have to ask for the COA, that’s a red flag, walk away to the next salesman. The hemp propagule’s parental stock documentation verifies the propagules come from t-THC compliant lineage. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, LDAF, demands that you prove the seed you are planning on buying and planting can meet their criteria for their stamp of
approval. You must have the proper documentation from the seed seller or re-seller to prove to LDAF the strain can be grown resulting in “total THC” compliant material. Getting your hands on high-quality photographs, or better yet, obtaining actual flower samples that represent the crop your seed will produce is a must for understanding the crop you will grow. Microscopic examination of flower samples can be very valuable, you must learn to read your flower. If the seller offers these extra bits of documentation and support, that’s a big plus in your due diligence. The bare minimum is COA; if that doesn’t come up front, that’s an issue that you should not be tasked with resolving.
QUALITY TESTING - LAB ANALYSIS Quality testing (pre-harvest t-THC monitoring) testing in the field during the growing season differs from the regulatory tests required by LDAF. LDAF’s regulatory compliance testing starts your harvest timer; from that point on you have a 15-day window for your completed, mandated harvest. In order for you to meet any contract’s specifications in which you might be a party and to maximize your crop’s value, in-season (pre-harvest, in the field) testing is a necessary expense. Don’t roll the dice in the dirt as you are liable to be looking down into that cottonmouth.
should be done before you plant your crops. Establish a relationship with your preferred testing lab partner ASAP. What if they get too busy to do your testing? What’s their capacity, current client load, etcetera? How long have they been operating? What does their team look like? Don’t pick a lab willy-nilly; you must perform due diligence when selecting your lab and develop a strong relationship and work towards contractual agreements with your testing lab (or labs). Search google images section for the COA the lab produces, practice reading their lab reports and compare them to other labs.
Selecting your pre-harvest, or in-season testing lab
Establish a reliable contact with the testing lab (the 7
lab candidates) you choose. Your lab contact should be more than willing to work with you, continually discussing the compliance issues that surround the proper sampling and testing methods required for your industrial hemp material. Hemp rules, regulations and compliance demands change frequently, not only in Louisiana but in all states, especially in this 2014 Farm Bill, “USDA interim rules legacy sunset” year. Compliance demands change at the state levels as well, across all states. Your testing lab’s contact person should be able to easily interpret and explain the data their lab generates - the data for which you pay. Be aware of your testing needs pre-planting so you can look for package deals with your lab of choice. Ask yourself ques-
tions such as: How many different strains will you be growing, how many different fields, greenhouses or indoor grow sites are you operating during the growing season, and then multiply those by four or five at the very least. For instance, you could make a deal for five tests over a period of the last five weeks of flowering. You can get a discount with a package deal and further secure your business relationship with your lab for the next crop, the next field, or lot, or the second and third strains you are already staggering. Dr. Matthew Indest PhD understands this process and has studied it in depth. Along with compliance analysis from his colleague Pat Jack, your statistical probability of avoiding jeopardy is increased dramatically.
HARVEST AND POST HARVEST PROCESSING Among the final considerations for growers must be their ability to manage the harvesting of their crop and the post-harvest processing of their crop. For example, knocking trichomes off your flower is like dropping dimes and quarters slowly through a grate in the floor with every post-harvest step.CAnnabinoids are produced by trichomes growing on your flowers and some types of leaves. Mechanical harvest options exist but can severely impact crop quality, thus the value of your crop. Hand-labor is expensive but preserves harvest quality. Scaling your harvest operation appropriately to your planting acreage will determine your ability to harvest the fruit of your season-long hard work. If you are planting 100 acres, your scale might be such that some mechanical harvesting options are required as sourcing that kind of hand labor is not fiscally prudent. At that scale you can handle some trichome loss and degradation. If you are growing 10 acres, hand labor can increase the value of your final harvest quality and provide for ROI+ on hand-labor.
Across all industrial hemp growing states, many or a few growers and farmers have seen as much as 50% of their acreage go unharvested due largely to being poorly prepared for the scale of their crop’s potential labor demands. Getting the crop in is a big concern, doing it while preserving the quality of your crop is an even bigger concern. Staggering your harvest by planting some strains that flower earlier than others is a strategy that requires even more research and due diligence into growing multiple strains, or genetics. Planting dates can be staggered as well. You can stagger both ends of your stand as each genetic may require both different planting times, and different harvest times. The planning and budgeting of your labor force must be approached with just as much concern as any of your SOP in your operation.
LOUISIANA HEMP AND LOUISIANA AGRICULTURE Louisiana is known for its diversity, culturally and environmentally. This has required our agriculturalists, farmers and growers in Louisiana to adapt and adapt often as any new issues and potentials, especially in the budding industrial hemp market-- can and will crop up. Cannabis (yes, industrial hemp is cannabis) like any agricultural commodity or horticultural crop, has a unique science and art that increases your statistical probability of completing successful hemp production operations. Research into the agronomic, genetic, pest and pathogenic factors that affect industrial hemp cultivation is just beginning in Louisiana, and this is hard work, a challenge within which our agricultural community thrives. We can get the work done, and there is more help than you would expect for this new crop available from many different sources, at many different levels. 8
We can lean on the data from other states and their universities to guide this first industrial hemp crop year, and we might best temper our expectations with a realistic outlook for our profit margins. The current price of biomass should be written on the back of your hand in grease pencil, every day. The math equation to compute the value of your crop based on CBD content should be written on your palm in red magic marker. Louisiana presents unique climates, photoperiods, pests, and major, challenging factors in crop production. The strains of hemp available from the current crop of seed and propagule providers has never been grown in Louisiana. To an unusually large extent we do not know what challenges these factors present for our hemp growing operations in Louisiana. L OU ISIA N A H EM P M A GA ZIN E
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Research into the factors we will face that become challenges while growing industrial hemp in Louisiana (trial and test growing, which is risky and expensive but necessary) and research on the plant growing in Louisiana must be done. If little or no research is done at the same levels as some other states, Louisiana farms will be flying blind, relying on trial and error and anecdotal practices. That is both risky and dangerous.
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ollaboration and effective team building are two of the biggest keys to success in our new, Louisiana hemp industry. As individuals, Dr. Matthew Indest PhD and Pat Jack were overwhelmed by the quality and quantity of information available for the entrants and stakeholders in the hemp industry. After introductions at the June 2019 MJBizCon in New Orleans, business cards were exchanged, and they quickly got to work! MOI Consulting LLC and CBD RICH LOUISIANA LLC have never looked back and see tremendous promise for our new Louisiana industrial hemp industry. Identifying valuable synergies and business to business opportunities within and around the industrial hemp industries is necessary to increase your chances of finding lasting success in the hemp play. From growing hemp to the sale of hemp derived products over the retail counter, from seed to sale, your team is the most important factor in your success. No one knows all of the issues that face the growers and farmers, seed and genetics breeders, and processors and transporters of industrial hemp, those that will take the risks to pioneer the industrial hemp industry here in Louisiana. Surround yourself with flexible, open-minded, and adaptable teammates who are hungry to learn. Sure, apply the agronomic skills you have developed and leverage your farm’s previous crop experiences. But also keep your ears to the ground and be prepared for inevitable challenges and events while growing industrial hemp in Louisiana.
CONTACT INFO
A lack of research burdens our Louisiana farmers with unfair risk, the grower and the farmer should not be faced with this type of risk. Unfortunately, you will be in this first year and perhaps the second year of growing industrial hemp in Louisiana. We can rise above that, and we must, in order to catch up to a market where we have been given a starting position well behind the pack of other hemp growing states.
The key process is developing an offensive and a defensive business strategy that mitigates risk and continually increases the probability of success. Gathering the right core team around you early will give growers the edge to stay competitive, sustainable, and successful as they add value to their team year over year, from crop to crop. Our Louisiana hemp market begins in earnest as the actual growing of hemp in Louisiana commences this year, in 2020; team Hemp Louisiana, yes, that will be a real thing. Our team’s resources will be added to team hemp Louisiana. Our work at MOI Consulting LLC and CBD RICH LOUISIANA LLC for the past two years involves the constant sifting through the wealth of data trickling in from many different sources (chiefly data generated by hemp industry activities in the states that started growing hemp as long as five years ago). We work directly with the hemp industry data available to determine its credibility and to uncover the hidden gems that mark the trail of successes other growers and hemp industry professionals have enjoyed across the U.S.. Meta-data analysis of our successors across the U.S. (and internationally) gives us an opportunity to serve the hardworking people of Louisiana. We will assist our business connections and clients with the successful navigation through the hemp industry verticals. From seed all the way up, down, sideways or crossways through the nascent hemp industry business sectors, “the verticals” (all of which are developing rapidly) we stand ready to perform with strength in the Louisiana hemp industry.
Dr. Matthew O. Indest, Ph.D. Licensed Hemp Grower, Horticultural Scientist: Plant Breeding MOI Consulting LLC moiconsultingllc@gmail.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewoindest/
Industrial hemp offers Louisiana an incredibly diverse set of opportunities and challenges for the larger workforces in agriculture, research, medicine, health and wellness, and law enforcement. You, as a grower of hemp and as an operator in the hemp industry (at whatever additional levels) you are entering a very diverse and far reaching new business model with nearly unbelievable opportunities, including heretofore hidden opportunities we are just beginning to understand at this point in time. With decades of cannabis and hemp stigma ingrained in the fabric of our society, industrial hemp growers are stepping into the clearing. Embracing our new hemp industries and acting decisively to enjoy the value that hemp offers our state’s people and industries is the path forward, a path that needs to be cleared and trod down. MOI Consulting LLC and CBD RICH LOUISIANA LLC always keep their tools sharp. We can clear trails. From the Greater New Orleans area and Louisiana coastal regions to the recently tornado- ravaged northern extents of our state we love, we regularly survive the threats of hell and high-water, year-after-year. Louisianians constantly work to preserve our values of family, hospitality, tradition, community, freedom, faith, and forgiveness. We can handle hemp, and do well in these new industries. We are proud to be Americans in both difficult and in prosperous times. Challenges are opportunities for success. Geaux Tigers and God bless hemp. Let’s clear some trail together.
Pat Jack Industrial Hemp compliance, process, market analysis, hemp derived wholesale and retail. CBD RICH LOUISIANA LLC cbdrichlouisiana@gmail.com Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickjack/
Disclaimer: The authors of this article are not attorneys and do not hold themselves out as such. This article is for general business information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice. 9
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING
CBD Company Birthed Out of Necessity By Abby Meaux Conques
H
es for them,” Carter said. “Everything involved and organically grew from there.”
The CBD business is a result of Carter‘s seeking out natural and holistic medicines after getting sober from an opioid addiction eight years ago.
Carter claims that her husband, Chad, has always been a visionary of the business. Carter mentions Chad Carter is the one that pushes the envelope and suggests the implementation of new and effective types of products.
eather Comeaux Carter & company’s CBD business, Mountain Pure CBD, out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is one of those business stories that grew out of necessity.
“The only natural plant medicine I could find that actually worked for me was CBD,” Carter said. Carter used CBD when she needed something safe and effective for aches and pains, anxiousness and sleeplessness. It wasn’t until she needed to find something to help her child in 2015 with his own struggles. At the time he was a tender six-year-old, and she had the drive to find something to help him that wasn’t a harmful medication. “My husband went to Colorado and actually found a CBD meant specifically for children.” His trip planted the seed for the future business that the Carters and company would eventually start. “There wasn’t anything comparable with lab tests around here, so my only choice was to make my own for my son,” Carter explained. “I was very meticulous in the making of our oil and before long I had inquiries from friends and family to make batch10
Carter explained that they got into this business during the years when people were extremely skeptical of CBD and its benefits. Chad and Heather, along with another business partner, Natalie, worked on every aspect of the business as much as they all could between other jobs to fill in the gaps and pay their bills. “From the beginning, we branded ourselves as a therapeutic company. After the business began to grow organically, we realized that we really wanted to be there for the people who are over the age of 40 with many chronic needs,” Carter explained. The company felt like the best way to go product-wise in the beginning was to offer a broad spectrum oil. “We felt like it would be useful for so many ailments; it was the way to go in our opinion.“ Even though it’s the most expensive way to manufacture CBD, it was important to Carter to offer the most beneficial way to combine multiple elements without having any THC content. L OU ISIA N A H EM P M A GA ZIN E
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In terms of extraction, full spectrum is cheaper to extract because the process is completed only once. Isolates are cheaper to manufacture because they are processed times over. The Mountain Pure CBD company obtains a CBD isolate with CBD, CBG & CBN extracted from wax out of a Colorado lab & has their own manufacturing facility in Baton Rouge. “All of the recipes are ours – we take pride in that. We know we were the creators of them to help people, and that feels really good,“ Carter said. “We are big believers in the entourage effect.” The entourage effect is described as CBD, CBG and CBN, which is closer to the whole plant and better for the body. Simply CBG alone allows the CBD to react better on a cellular level. Mountain Pure CBD is in a variety of retail shops including Body Botanicals Herbal Wellness Center in Baton Rouge which is also a business interest of the Carters.. All of their products are sold online as well. As an exclusive for Louisiana Hemp Magazine readers, you can use a discount code #hemp for a discount on your online order. In addition to owning a CBD business, Carter also serves as executive director of the Louisiana Cannabis Retailers Association. “It’s a grassroots effort to communicate and work with representatives in order to educate them about how their decisions regarding cannabis laws affect the general population,” Carter explained. “The state has really crippled the industry with overregulation, but I truly believe it’s because of lack of information.” Carter and the association hope to help with that. MOUNTAIN PURE CBD PRODUCTS READY TO BE SHIPPED ANYWHERE IN THE U.S.
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Education is needed across the whole board regarding the Cannabis Industry. “I want us to at least be able to start the conversation and educate people. One of the ways this needs to be done starts with the personal responsibility of the consumer,” Carter mentioned. Since true regulations are loosely enforced, people are diluting and misrepresenting CBD products. “You simply can’t rely on the overregulation. No one can keep up with it and the due diligence to ensure that these companies are really putting what they’re saying they’re putting into these products. There are some companies blatantly labeling their product as THC-Free and Full Spectrum. That’s impossible.” Grievances like these appear to be all the more reason for the consumer to take it upon themselves to read up on scientific articles and educate themselves on what they’re putting in their own bodies. “When it comes down to it, we’re still at a point where you have to be your own advocate. Personal empowerment is everything.” When I asked what extra measures the consumer can take besides extensively researching CBD companies, Carter mentioned that legitimate CBD manufacturers will have lab test results readily available for anyone to look up on their website at a moment’s notice. What is Carter’s hope for the future? “That all things alternative be covered one day by insurance companies. All of my pharmaceuticals are free; how is that fair?“ Since day one, Carter’s vision has been to have access to natural and holistic therapies that work for a multitude of ailments. At first, her focus was on herself and her own family; the only thing that has changed is her vision to have these products accessible to more people in the community.
MOUNTAIN PURE CBD PUP CALMS
MOUNTAIN PURE CBD FACILITY
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CONSTRUCTING THE FUTURE Contractor Sets Sights on Building Hempcrete Homes in Louisiana By Abby Meaux Conques
J
oseph Strong, Louisiana native, is a licensed contractor & owner of Strong Construction, LLC.
He holds various certifications and a construction degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He’s also an advocate of a construction material formed with hemp, called hempcrete. Strong’s post-graduation construction career working for builders in California planted the seeds of green building for the current business owner. *green building refers to both a structure and the application of processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from planning to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition.* “My time spent there opened my eyes to a lot of different ways of doing things than how we’re used to doing them here in Louisiana...concepts like what kind of carbon footprint we’re leaving for future generations and building sustainable and environmentally conscious structures,“ Strong explained. “I attended many green building conventions and sought the new things businesses were implementing in order to lower carbon emissions in the building process and constructing sustainable subdivisions.“ Strong utilizes various concepts in his building specifications – namely solar panel use and the like. Then, one day in 2012, a friend introduced him to the concept of hempcrete. The concept is not a new one globally. It gained popularity in Europe in the 1980’s to remedy post World War II builds which used concrete which began to fail due to water permeation. The lime / hemp mixture yielded better results than concrete. Hempcrete was also the substance favored when used throughout France to restore medieval timber framed buildings, as it was the closest consistency to wattle and daub. In Japan, there’s a historical hemp house in Nagano that was found to be built in 1698. Today, it’s recognized as a Japanese National Heritage Site and has survived earthquakes and tsunamis. In India, the famous Ellora Caves (dated to be 14
1,500 old) have been preserved by hemp plaster walls. The fire-resistant hemp plaster also absorbed heat, kept insects at bay, and absorbed up to 90% of airborne sound, which made a perfect dwelling place for the monks who resided there. The Ellora Caves are a World Heritage Site. Strong was able to connect with various professionals in the hempcrete arena via various social media platforms. “These guys are elders in their communities and are eager to pass down their knowledge to people who want to absorb it. I’m lucky that I get to converse with these guys and use the concepts they’ve learned over decades of application.” In the United States there are only 50 to 60 Hempcrete-built homes. Five of those homes are built in Asheville, North Carolina. ”People may think they can read some books on the subject and do this. I’ve been in construction since I was 18 and I’m 43 now; I thought I could probably figure it out. I quickly realized you need proper training and hands-on building with the material to understand how to use hempcrete effectively.” Strong decided to make an investment in his own hemp knowledge and attend an extensive workshop in Asheville in 2017 with hands-on learning on how to build hempcrete homes. He was instrumental in the construction of the fifth Hempcrete home built in Asheville. One of the connections he made in Asheville was Henry Valles. Valles is a notable Hempcrete building consultant in Austin, Texas who constructed a homeless shelter on donated land to help individuals get back on their feet after facing tough times. Valles served on the early adopters speaking panel in October of 2019 at the US Hemp Building Summit. Valles’ contribution of building a sustainable shelter for the homeless community inspired Strong to make this one of his goals to do the same in Louisiana. Strong joined the Hemp Industries Association and after attending various hemp conferences, Strong and met builders that he was turning to for advice on the new (to us) concept. L OU ISIA N A H EM P M A GA ZIN E
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“It was exhilarating to meet these like-minded people in person...there’s comraderie to be found in support of the same concepts. When I went to Mexico and connected with some of the builders there, we spoke about how we were all fathers to daughters...and that one of our driving forces was to leave the planet better than we found it. So here I was with this group of men that I never met, connected with them on so many different levels,” Strong mentioned. The group in Mexico built a sustainable Hempcrete structure to replace a school that was previously destroyed. One of the main reasons for the build was to teach the school children about sustainability.
WHAT MAKES HEMPCRETE DIFFERENT? Hempcrete is composed of hemp, lime and water. It’s 85% cellulose and sequesters carbon, even while in the field. Hemp is like silica and binds with the lime. It has a high thermal mass so it traps air inside the walls. “It basically exhales and inhales, letting the walls breathe - this lowers HVAC tonnage
as the house sequester carbon for life,” Strong explained. It’s strong, lightweight and breathable, energy efficient, offers incredible insulation, is naturally non-toxic, lasts hundreds of years and is carbon negative. Over time, hempcrete gets stronger and eventually hardens to the extent that one would find in petrified wood. As for the benefits of hempcrete, the list is impressive. For one, it’s fire resistant. As recently as February, the company Hempitecture out of Idaho, sent hempcrete sample specimens to a ASTM E 84 testing lab. These tests are utilized by code officials and regulatory agencies in the acknowledgment of interior finish materials amongst others. They ascertain the burning behavior of materials by noting the flame spread along sample specimens. Flame spread and smoke developed indexes are reported from the testing. The results are based on a 0 to 450 scale. Hempcrete scored 0, the highest possible rating. Hempcrete is also mold resistant and termite resistant. 15
On a variety of levels, Hempcrete surpasses traditional building techniques. So how does Hempcrete hold up in the construction costs of traditionally built homes? In the long run, one could save 30 to 40% of construction costs since only one product is used for construction of the home as opposed to 4 or 5 materials. Building a traditional HEMPCRETE SAMPLE FIRE TEST
home uses different products such as insulation, gypsum board, Tyvek, plywood etc. “You could use the one product in Hempcrete, the finished walls look nice...a lot like the texture of stucco, the structure would be fire resistant, mold resistant, termite resistant...and you get all of those other benefits in the thermal mass insulation, negative carbon, design flexibility, significantly reduce CO2 emissions, it’s inherently air-tight, and is a no-waste product (rebuild or fertilize).” Until recently, Hempcrete products were imported from places in the northern U.S. and Europe. This drove up the cost of building a Hempcrete home. But with the passing of the 2018 farm bill, and many farmers beginning their new hemp harvest this spring, a Louisiana Hempcrete home could be built completely from material sourced in Louisiana. For Strong’s construction company, who sources his building lumber from Louisiana, using Louisiana-sourced hemp would save on costs and keep all of the building monies in our state. “It’s a win-win,” Strong explained. Another added bonus of using Hempcrete for construction is the possibility of saving 50% carbon emissions on the building of a home. “Many people don’t realize this, but 50% of our carbon emissions comes from construction materials of building things,” Strong mentioned.
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WHAT ROADBLOCKS ARE THERE IN LOUISIANA IN THE BUILDING OF THE STATE’S FIRST HEMPCRETE HOME? Strong mentioned, “I think it would be the educational process.“ He went on to explain that builders would have to first know what they are doing and get hands-on experience doing it. The educational process regarding that situation would be for someone well-versed in the industry to conduct workshops and educate builders and professionals in the construction industry on how to mix and construct Hempcrete. One of Strong's long-term goals is to make sure those types of workshops happen within the next year or so. Another way in which education comes into play is that contractors that use this method will need to educate inspectors and structural engineers on how the system works along with the benefits of it. An added industry that would need to get on board are insurance companies. “I honestly think that once homeowners’ insurance companies understand the benefits of Hempcrete being fire resistant, termite resistant, and mold resistant, they would jump in to be a part of this process. But as it stands now, it is possible to build a Hempcrete home in Louisiana, and I hope I’m the first to do it.”
HOW EXACTLY ARE HEMPCRETE HOMES CONSTRUCTED? Homes would be constructed with monolithic pours two feet in height around the perimeter and lightly packed. 24 hours is needed between each 2 foot pour for curing. So essentially one would build structures in 2 foot monolithic heights at a time, and can still get a structure built in the same amount of time as a traditional home build. Like many hemp advocates, Strong believes that utilizing the hemp plant in various industries could help the state to not be so dependent on one industry alone. “This is the path we need to be on. Hemp can help farmers, growers, processors, manufacturers...everyone can benefit from hemp. Once you go hemp, you never go back.”
Follow Strong Construction’s social media accounts at StrongConstructionLLA (Facebook and Instagram) or Strong Construction LLC on LinkedIn.
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IMAGES FROM BINGER HOUSE HEMPCRETE WORKSHOP / ASHEVILLE, N.C.
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CYPRESS HEMP One CBD Company's Quest for Wellness for Louisianians is Personal By Abby Meaux Conques
K
risty Hebert of Cypress Hemp out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the true definition of a survivor. In 2012 as a LSU freshman, she survived a drunk driver rolling over her seven times in attempts to flee, shattering her pelvis. “I spent six months recovering in a rehab hospital and figured out I had a chemical sensitivity to opioids. It got to the point where they were going to implement a feeding tube for me and I simply refused to keep going down that road.“ Hebert began to look into alternative therapies to help with her physical condition, recovery, and mental anxiety/PTSD that she experienced from her horrific accident; it was then that she discovered CBD. “This was before the time where CBD use was widely accepted. I faced a lot of negative backlash when I was in the rehab hospital. People told me that I should just do what the doctor said I should do. But I was just really getting sick on opioids and they weren’t helping any of my mental anxieties. What attracted me the most to CBD besides the therapeutic effects was that there was no chance of abuse, addiction, or overdose,” Hebert explained.
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“After I was able to recover, I had even more of a drive to obtain my formal education in agriculture and biomechanical engineering. Upon graduation I moved to Kentucky, which at the time, was the epicenter for hemp production,” Hebert said. While in Kentucky, Hebert worked For various companies that had ties to the wonderful world of hemp. She worked as an engineer in food processing at Victory Hemp Foods and also researched the efficiency of Hempcrete in the construction industry. “My eyes were really opened when I worked doing lab testing for CBD products. There were companies selling products that weren’t consistent with what they were labeled as containing,” Hebert said. Hebert had been ingesting CBD oil for years and began to question if what she was putting in her body daily was really what was written on the label. “It wasn’t uncommon to find products that were labeled CBD that weren’t anything more than a bottle full of vitamin E, or worse, just loaded with heavy metals!” she explained. “That's when I knew there had to be more regulation in this industry and more transparency. I had to do something to help that happen,” she said. L OU ISIA N A H EM P M A GA ZIN E
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KRISTY HEBERT
In 2017 Hebert decided to make the move back to Louisiana. “I just felt that I needed to move back to my home state and help do something in this industry.” Hebert’s time in Kentucky showed her how the biggest fight won with the acceptance of this plant was in educating the public.
One of the things they wanted to see come to fruition in accordance with their brand was the absence of pesticide use. They also concluded that they wanted to utilize organically grown plants, and that their end-product be free of harmful microbes or leftover residuals.
“I knew very early on that if I were to get involved in this, I also wanted to do my part to educate the public,” she explained.
Hebert explains how the business grew organically, and that they continue to rethink solutions to problems that they see. Instead of using any type of chemical pest control, they utilize Mother Nature. Hebert explained enthusiastically, “ladybugs are our form of pest control!” She continued, “The way that we choose to consume products is how we strive to produce our own,” Hebert said.
Hebert explained that the idea for the Cypress Hemp company came when herself and friend Blake Bilger decided to dedicate themselves to pursue the cannabis business. “Blake and I met in engineering school. We’re both problem solvers by nature.” They spent a lot of time contemplating what they wanted to see change in the industry.
I asked Hebert her opinion on the state of cannabis as it stands currently in Louisiana. “One thing I do want people 19
to realize is that this is an industrial revolution – it’s an end to an 80 year prohibition, which is a good thing. But on the flipside, we lost a lot of time these last decades; so we’re starting back at square one and the next few years are going to be filled with a lot of research. It’s a chicken and egg situation.” With the lack of experience as a state in this industry and no complete year of all of the dots being connected from farming to buyer, it’s safe to say we should be prepared for hiccups. Hebert suggests that if you’re looking to get into the industry, make sure that you have your ducks in a row before you plant; also, be creative. “One thing that I’ve seen in other states is that people planted before they had buyers or before they checked to be sure that their contracts’ i’s were dotted and t‘s crossed; so they were left with many plants in hand because they didn’t have anyone to purchase their product.” The hemp supply chain appears to be already disconnected in our state. Prior to the passage of the farm bill of 2018, Cypress Hemp was farming in Virginia. “We knew there was no sense to be a Louisiana business paying farming taxes in Virginia,” she said. Today, they’re growing their own plants as well as partnering with several farmers in addition to their farms. “Different parts of Louisiana could absolutely produce differently. Since it’s the first season there are a lot of unknowns,” Hebert explained. There’s a lot of trial and error involved in the inaugural planting season. Some farmers might be planting from clones, which gives a higher assurance that all the plants will act the same. Some farmers are growing various seeds to see which ones will do the best and will then clone at that point; the plants will be genetic replicas of the mother plant.
BLAKE AND KRISTY WITH GOVERNOR JOHN BEL EDWARDS AT SIGNING OF HB491 JUNE 6, 2019
“Mother nature is very interesting; on paper, one arelooks like it may produce beautifully in a specific region, but then when it comes to the time to plant and harvest, the results can be very different in reality,” Hebert said. The plants are living organisms and will genetically and physically respond if exposed to various stressors. Hebert and a group of professionals in the same arena started a nonprofit which is a state chapter of a national organization called the Louisiana Hemp Industry Association (LAHIA). The trade organization’s main focus is to gather and connect various parts of the industry from farmer, to seed distributor, to retailer. Hebert acts as President, Bilger is the Vice President, and the other Board of Directors range from farmers, to processors, to couriers, to labs. “The organization came as a direct response to the lack of communication between seed and sale; we hope to create a place where people can connect,” said Hebert. The organization will be membership-based and you can apply as a supporting member if you’re not associated with the hemp industry in any capacity, or get involved with a business membership. Once public gatherings are able to take place again, there will be monthly meetups throughout Louisiana. The organization will also sponsor education seminars and give information on various resources. “Many businesses and agencies are utilizing the new open doors of the hemp industry, but at the same time, they’re coming in new to the industry, so there is a lack of communication in many areas. What we’d like to do is explain things that go on in black-and-white and to be able to deliver information in an understandable way while being a major connection hub,” Hebert explained. The organization will also offer lab and farm tours for the public to be able to get a firsthand look into the hemp industry. 20
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I asked Hebert if she has any advice to hemp enthusiasts who would like to get involved with the industry. “Innovation is necessary! Look at the peripheral industries and get creative; if we all look at this from an innovative standpoint, the industry will be way more than CBD.“ One facet of the industry that should be looked at are delivery drivers. Licensed and contracted drivers will be needed to have product exchanged between facilities. “CBD is probably going to be the main crop group, but hemp can be grown for fibers, seeds for food, Hempcrete, and biodegradable abilities,” Hebert explained.
talking about CBD right now, but we should really be talking about a complete cannabinoid profile.” That profile includes other cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, CBC & CBD-A. “They can do so much more than simply CBD and THC combined; the body uses the synergy of all of the cannabinoids and Terpenes that work together beautifully.“ Early clinical studies of CBG show the potential that hemp has to aid autoimmune disorders; these studies are in their infancy, and a lot more research needs to be done, but it looks like it’s another positive aspect for the hemp home team.
Cypress Hemp always knew that they wanted to run a sustainable business with the least amount of carbon emissions as possible. For every product purchased with them, a tree gets planted. They also use biodegradable, compostable packaging. “We purchase carbon credits and donate to carbon credit charities to offset the release from shipping from one place to the other. We can’t expect people to stop shipping packages, but we can find a solution by other means,” she said.
What’s another way Cypress Hemp utilizes the whole hemp plant? They use Omega-rich hemp seed oil in their tinctures and rolls-ons as opposed to other carrier oils other companies may use. What’s the benefit of this? Hemp seed oil is rich in Omega 3-6-9 in an ideal ratio. It’s often referred to as "nature's most perfect oil." It’s a plant-based, sustainable alternative to fish oil as fish don’t make their own Omegas. They obtain the Omegas from the plankton and algae that they consume. In conclusion, I asked Hebert if there is any final advice she would like to give to our readers. “Your voices matter! Be active in legislation! if a bunch of you speak up, we can share your voices in a well-received way.” She added, “Be excited that prohibition has ended and that the hemp plant is a beautiful plant with so many benefits that we’re just in the infancy of collectively discovering.”
Hebert believes that if we look at things through an engineer's problem-solving point of view, we can get innovative as consumers. “Another job hemp can do is to be made into biodegradable plastics. Just like we can’t expect people to stop shipping, we can’t expect people to stop using disposable forks, and it’s not feasible to carry a fork around...but by replacing that reusable fork with a biodegradable fork we can make a world of difference.“ “We try to use this amazing plant we have access to in every way possible,” said Hebert. With the passage of House Bill 491, act 164, it recognizes that hemp can have .3% THC. “People are just getting used to
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Lasting Legacy Green Time Wellness Brand Serves as Tribute to Father By Abby Meaux Conques
Tara Elwell, owner Green Time Wellness at 3711 W Pinhook Road, and fiance, Jeff Guidry, are the managing duo of the wellness business that was built out of what Elwell sees as a lasting legacy to her late father, Robert Elwell. “Previously, I had my career established; I owned my own law firm specializing in Succession & Probate, Wills & Trusts, and Estate Planning. But after my father got sick, everything changed,” Elwell said. In 2018, Elwell’s father was diagnosed with a very aggressive, advanced cancer. His diagnosis would create waves that would carry Elwell in a very different direction than she ever dreamed of. Elwell is a long-time advocate of natural, holistic and alternative health options. When it came to research and documentation, Elwell’s tenacity was a by-product of her twelve year law career. “I began to research CBD and its effects - I wanted to get him to agree to try it daily,” Elwell explained. The Federal Farm Bill of 2018 was recently passed and took hemp and hemp-derived CBD off of the Federal controlled substance list. Her father agreed to CBD to his treatment plan and they began a daily regimen to aid in his discomfort. Elwell began to take stock of her own ailments that could benefit from a daily CBD regimen. She began taking CBD for the anxiety that came with her emotional situation and sleeplessness due to the enormous stress she was encountering. CBD became such a big part of her life, helping her father to be more comfortable and in aiding her own symptoms. She began further research on CBD and the laws surrounding it. “Although Louisiana law had not yet caught up with the Federal law at the time, I started getting involved in advocating with a great hemp group who were encouraging our legislators for hemp and hemp-derived CBD to become legal here in Louisiana,” Elwell said. “My father was an extremely intelligent man and I completely trusted his business advice. When we started talking about me opening a wellness store carrying CBD products, he was fully supportive and encouraged me to do it with full force and passion,” she explained. Elwell began her new business venture and never looked back. Upon entering the world of CBD, there were a lot of hoops to jump through and professional relationships to nurture. Her attention to meticulous detail helped her to secure a connection with one of the largest and most accredited manufacturers and extractors of CBD in the world. She decided to be-
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come one of their distributors, and the Green Time Wellness brand was born. In April 2019, Elwell’s father passed away. “My CBD business is dedicated to my late father and is his legacy,” she said. Even though the pain from losing a parent was still raw, she used her emotions as fuel to ramp up operations and get quality CBD into the hands of people who needed it. Green Time Wellness opened its doors November 2019 and has an online store for ordering and shipping all over the country. Elwell’s advice on beginning a CBD regimen is comprised of 2 parts: find quality CBD and take the time to find the right dosage for your body. “It does take research to find a trusted, quality CBD brand since this industry is brand new and strict regulations aren’t in place yet,” Elwell said. A quality CBD product starts with the seedlings and the growth process. You’ll want to find a reputable company that gets their product from growers who don’t use harsh pesticides and don’t add any fillers post-extraction. You want a product that has the least amount of steps between the seed to seal process. Credible companies have their lab results available so the consumer can double check product quality. Green Time Wellness has the lab results of all of their product categories listed directly on their website. Elwell immerses herself in all of the details of the changing regulations and being in compliance with law. She also serves as a board member of the Louisiana Cannabis Retailers Association. “A lot of times, the first question people ask when they walk in is ‘Will your product cause me to fail a drug test?’” she explained. “People worry and rightfully so. There are people who could lose their jobs or their pain management plan, and there are CBD products out there that don’t comply and could get people fired.” In Elwell and Guidry’s experience since the shop opened, when customers receive the information that Elwell has a law background, they know they're in good hands since they have an understanding of her attention to detail and knowledge of law. Green Time Wellness currently offers CBD tinctures mixed with MCT oil or hemp oil, CBD gel capsules, salves, pet treats, and face care. There are multiple strengths of the tinctures and capsules to suit anyone’s needs from mild anxiety or pains to chronic ailments. All Green Time Wellness products can be purchased online and shipped at www.greentimewellness.com.
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