Hemp Shak Stays SLO and Steady

by Melinda Bie

Raised in Bishop, California, Steven and Katy Hemler are passionate about CBD and its benefits, so much so that when given the opportunity in 2018, they jumped head first into ownership of the Hemp Shak in San Luis Obispo. In addition to offering locally made CBD, this locally flavored store also offers eco-friendly clothing, local art, records, jewelry, fair trade products, crystals, and much more.

Steven, in addition to holding a degree in Herbal Medicine, was a budtender in an Orange County-based dispensary that was voted number one by the Orange County Register in 2010. He is also keenly aware of the social injustice involved in the cannabis industry having served 2 years in jail for operating a legal cannabis collective. “I could have fought my cases and won however they raised my bail so high right at the last minute when I was about to bail out with proof of funds and bail bondsman and everything in place,” Steven recalls. “So I would have had to sit in Orange County Jail for at least 4 full years to fight it and that was not worth it to me.”

He worked as a chef in a Morro Bay vegan restaurant, so it seemed only natural that he would connect his education, his cannabis knowledge, and his vegan/organic cooking talents to develop his own line of CBD salve for Hemp Shak. All of Hemp Shak’s CBD products are made in small, controlled batches using the highest quality CBD extract, organic food grade MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, organic beeswax, and pure organic and wildcrafted essential oils for all of the salves and blends.

Originally established in 1996, Hemp Shak changed locations several times in downtown San Luis Obispo, settling in for some time at the Network Shopping Center, a small interior mall located on Higuera Street. Before becoming an owner, Katy was a Hemp Shak employee for 5 years and knew first hand the location was not ideal for foot traffic and relocated to their current location of 781 Higuera Street in May of 2020. Right at the beginning months of the COVID pandemic.

As if the stress of a move and a pandemic wasn’t enough, in the early morning hours on January 3, 2021, burglars ransacked the store and stole more than half of its inventory, which included all of the CBD products and merchandise including jewelry, clothing and wallets, many of which were handcrafted by local artisans. To add insult to injury, the security system was non-operational and the insurance coverage was a casualty of the pandemic, being one of the expenses that had to be cut due to budget constraints. In the words of Katy, “It was a low blow.”

Steven and Katy have a deep appreciation of their community as well as the great benefits of CBD. Stephen tells the story of a woman who approached their farmers market booth not too long ago. Quite skeptical of the claims made, she was forthcoming to Steven about her health issues, many involving chronic pain. He provided her with a free sample, telling her “we want this to work for you.” Only a few minutes later, she came back to the booth saying, “I need this. If you only knew how many pain pills I had to take to even come out here tonight.” It’s those kinds of testimonials and success stories that keep Steven and Katy moving and are helping them to navigage through this latest challenge.

The Hemp Shak is located at 781 Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo and offers free local delivery. If so inclined, show your support either by purchasing a product or by making a donation through their webpage, hempshakslo.com.