Gratitude Friday XI: Our Story
Author: Alexa Bonsey
A few weeks ago, we were interviewed for an article about the growing presence of CBD in Asheville businesses by our local paper, The Citizen Times. We are glad to have had this opportunity to share the value of CBD, the science behind CBD, and our mission of empowerment with the local community.
Conducting this interview was also a valuable reminder of our story — where we came from, where we are now, and where we are going.
We are tremendously grateful for the ways in which Blue Ridge Hemp Co. has developed and the steps we took to get here. Today, we want to celebrate #gratitudefriday by sharing with you the story of our company.
As BRHC has grown and evolved, we have come to view each day as a new opportunity to empower others.
We spread a message of positivity, gratitude, and self care to people around the world through our wellness products, our Instagram, our daily Vlog on YouTube, and our blog.
Inspired by our interview, we want to empower you by sharing some important aspects of our company’s evolution: how Blue Ridge Hemp Co. came to be, and how we create the products that are used throughout the Blue Ridge Nation.
Our mission to empower others has been the driving force for BRHC from the very beginning. A few years ago, Will began researching and experimenting with different types of CBD in order to support a loved one who was suffering from fibromyalgia.
She had never had a day in her life that was free of pain, and Will wanted to find something that would offer her some relief.
They discovered a few studies indicating that topical application of CBD was more effective than ingesting the compound, so they began experimenting with topical formulations.
Eventually, they landed on the CBD Infused Salve formation. It offered relief to Will’s loved one and she began sharing it with others.
This salve was the first seed of Blue Ridge Hemp Co.’s growth as a company. Soon after finalizing the salve, Will created formulations for our other products and refined the process through which we incorporate CBD into each product.
Driven by a desire to help others, he pored over online forums and research studies to learn how best to create, source, and use CBD.
The CBD (which is short for cannabidiol) that is used in each of our products is extracted from organically grown industrial hemp. These are cannabis strains that produce less than .3% THC and have a higher CBD content. The CBD we currently use is derived from Colorado-based industrial hemp.
Thanks to legislative changes, North Carolina began growing hemp for the first time last year and we will soon be sourcing our CBD from hemp grown within our state.
This is an exciting change because we will be able to work more locally and support the local economy.
We will be able to reduce the cost of our products because there will be fewer travel and shipment costs. Sourcing locally will also provide us with more control over the extraction and isolation processes; by being in contact with the plant, we’ll be able to have higher standards for the CBD we use.
Although legislation has historically limited our ability to interact with the physical plant, we still hold high standards for our CBD and production methods. The plants that we use have been bred to produce high amounts of CBD and low amounts of THC; our raw plants average 8% — 12% CBD and as low as .01% THC.
The two most common methods of CBD extraction are CO2 extraction, or ethanol extraction. The CBD we use is produced by the latter, which involves extracting cannabinoids by introducing ethanol to the raw hemp plant.
This yields an extract of CBD oil, which can range from 5% — 85% CBD content.
This extract is then taken one step further to produce 99% pure CBD isolate. The raw extracts are refined using other processes to isolate the CBD from the extract’s other components. The CBD is then left in its purest form as a crystalline substance that can be pulverized into powder. This powder can be used for the body in various ways.
Thus far, we have chosen to focus primarily on topical products because past studies have indicated that topically applying CBD is one of the most effective ways to use it.
When applied topically rather than ingested, the CBD does not have to be broken down by the digestive system or the liver.
By using it topically, we can also combine CBD with other botanicals that are known to offer relief from certain physiological and emotional conditions.
Essential oils are some of the botanicals we combine with CBD in our products. Terpenes, compounds found in plants, trigger distinct effects on the human body. In essential oils, terpenes create an oil’s aroma and induce other responses in the body that can create relief from pain (e.g. peppermint essential oil, which we use in products like our Muscle Care Roll-On, provides a cooling and calming sensation that can aid sore muscles when applied topically).
By combining essential oils and other compatible botanicals with the cannabinoids in our products, the effects of the product can be stronger than when one element of the product is used alone.
This follows science behind the entourage effect, which states that parts of the cannabis plant will work together to produce a greater effect than they could when used alone. This is why we choose to blend certain botanicals that have been reported to offer relief for specific conditions in our products.
We also follow the philosophy of the entourage effect in our work with others. Over the past several months, we have begun to collaborate with other local businesses like Mandelin Naturals, Goddess Ghee, Dobra Tea, Elements Real Food, and Asheville Bee Charmer.
We are so grateful for and proud of these collaborations, and we hope to continue working with other local businesses as our own company grows.
By combining our unique skills and knowledge with that of other local businesses, we can together create something new that combines our strengths, reaches greater audiences, and serves more people.
A 2014 study by the National Institute of Health revealed that 100 million US adults — a third of our country’s population — suffer from chronic pain each year.
This is a huge demographic, and it is this very reality that inspires Will and the rest of the Blue Ridge Hemp Co. team to continue finding ways to help people manage such challenges.
We are so grateful to support people near and far in their journeys of health, wellness, and empowerment through our products, our company, and our collaborations.
We are grateful to give people around the world the opportunity to explore the power of CBD in their own lives.
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At Blue Ridge Hemp Co. we produce CBD-infused natural care products for pain and wellness management. We are on a mission to empower through wellness, gratitude, and self care!
Check out our site to see the products we offer!
Follow us on Instagram to see our day to day and make sure you check out the Insta stories!
Watch our journey unfold each and every day on our Daily Vlog, Inside Blue Ridge Hemp on YouTube.
