The Blissful Canna-preneur

By Amy Marie Orozco

About 10 years ago, Annette Russell put into action the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention.” Her son’s severe eczema was winning against the prescribed steroidand-chemical-filled meds and over-the-counter cures, so she created a remedy for him. And her creation, a cream, proved very successful.

Thanks to a lifetime of dry skin, Annette was well acquainted with just how important pure ingredients are. She had begun reading product labels as a teenager. That knowledge coupled with an ailing son, 10-plus years in cosmetics, 20plus years exploring essential oils, a knack for the art, and lots of research had given her what she needed to begin.

Next, she created Buddha Balm for pain relief from her own arthritis and chronic pain. It worked. It worked for family and friends, too, who told their friends, who told their friends, and so on.

“A friend suggested I sell it at the dispensaries. I had been a patient at Santa Barbara Care Center for many years. I left some samples with the manager one day, and they became my first and number one account,” explains Annette, who now works at Santa Barbara Care Center.

For security and sanitary reasons, she had a production room built to health code standards where each order is made to order, without any additives, emulsifiers, preservatives, or toxins. The essential oils are chosen for their healing properties and are of the highest grade (ingestible).

“Cannabis and hemp not only relieve pain and aid in healing when applied topically but also help with skin elasticity, plus wrinkle and scar reduction,” explains Annette.

The everchanging twists and turns of legal and compliant canna-preneurship make it difficult for micro industries. Legal counsel doesn’t come cheaply, nor do permitting fees and business applications. Annette has kept at it, though. Handcrafting her products in small batches and moving forward step by step, inch by inch. She took a year to find the right fit for a CBD source.

“First, it was only isolates, and that was not effective at all,” Annette says. She found a West Virginia hemp farm for her flowers, and she does her own extraction. The CBD is lab tested and the products only use pure botanical and essential oils.

Today her merchandise line includes CBD Buddha Balm, CBD Cannabliss Body Oil, and CBD Lip Balm. Buddha Balm is a topical pain reliever that can be used to treat many conditions from nerve pain to annoying itching. Cannabliss Body Oil is a massage oil, bath oil, and/or body moisturizer that reduces arthritis and PMS symptoms. The Lip Balm is hemp and honey infused, keeping things soft and moisturized.

It’s exciting to be part of the growing cannabis industry, Annette notes. Like any entrepreneur in any field, there are frustrations. There is never enough time and always a need for lots of capital. Facing these challenges, no doubt, will necessitate more inventions from her. CS 805 Buddha Bliss products are available at 805buddhabliss.com. Follow 805 Buddha Bliss on Instagram @805buddhabliss.