2019 National Cannabis Festival
Zygote Nation was there! … At the 2019 National Cannabis Festival on April 20, 2019, on the RFK Festival Grounds in Washington, D.C.
The festival brought out thousands of visitors on the beautiful spring day. I decided to attend since a group of hemp extract vendors would be present among the larger gathering of businesses, advocacy groups, and non-profit organizations involved with medical marijuana and the relaxation of laws on marijuana’s recreational use in the nation’s capital. My coverage below is limited to hemp vendors.
I also listened in on several worthwhile panel discussions on hemp-related topics, such as the legal status of food and supplement products containing cannabidiol (CBD), one of the hemp plant’s main beneficial substances, now that federal oversight of hemp falls under the US Food and Drug Administration.
I am glad I attended, as I found it quite educational to meet the hemp vendors and hear the panel discussions.
Here is my list of the festival’s notable hemp businesses and products:
CBD Livity
Photos by Michael Sirak
CBD Livity of Virginia Beach, Virginia, offers a line of elixirs for humans and pets, both in CBD isolate blends and broad-spectrum formulations containing the hemp plant’s cannabinoids and terpenes. Its Synergy + Broad Spectrum hemp elixir caught my eye. It contains organic hemp seed oil, CBD-rich hemp extract, and organic essential oils of ginger, copaiba, and lemon, according to the extract’s label. CBD Livity is the second hemp extract vendor I have encountered that adds copaiba, a resin from a tree of the same name, to its hemp extract. (The first was Pure Harmony Wellness of Austin, Texas. See my 2018 Tampa Bay VegFest coverage.) CBD Livity’s isolate blend, the CBD Synergy Elixir, contains organic hemp seed oil, CBD, organic moringa oil, and organic peppermint essential oil. CBD Livity’s elixirs currently do not contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the hemp plant’s main psychoactive substance. But a company representative at the festival told me CBD Livity is formulating “full-spectrum” blends that will include the legal amount of THC (0.3 percent by dry weight, an amount too small to make a person feel “high,” but still considered beneficial to the body for the way it works synergistically with the hemp plant’s other cannabinoids). Also catching my eye was the company’s beeswax-based CBD Senses Candle. It’s infused with CBD and also contains coconut oil, hemp seed oil, and essential oils of lavender, eucalyptus, and bergamot, according to CBD Livity’s website. Designed to help provide relief from stress and anxiety, the candle has a nice smell. Among the company’s other products are CBD topical salves.
The Medicine Farm
Photos by Michael Sirak
The Medicine Farm of Bethel in western Maine sells hemp tinctures and salves for humans and pets. The company’s marketing material states that it makes all of its products in small batches using organic full-spectrum hemp oil that is rich in cannabinoids. The company grows its own proprietary hemp cultivars (i.e., strains), which produce high concentrations of cannabinoids, but test “well below the legal limit” of THC, according to a marketing pamphlet. The tinctures feature a base of medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and a blend of essential oils that varies depending on the tincture. The MCT oil is derived from certified organic, cold-pressed coconuts, a company representative told me. The Medicine Farm’s No. 12 line of tinctures is meant for regular daily use, while the No. 30 line is formulated to provide energy and focus at any time of the day, according to the company’s website. Its line of calm tinctures promotes restfulness and provides relief from anxiety and stress, states the website. Its selection of salves is meant to provide relief from pain and inflammation or be calming. I grabbed the company’s Omega Cod Liver Tincture. It was the first hemp tincture I’d seen with cod liver oil. This blend is formulated for pets, but a company representative told me it’s perfectly suitable for human use as well. (I have seen other hemp vendors state this, too, with their respective pet tinctures.) I hope the tincture helps to make my pelt shiny.
Hempfield Botanicals
Screenshot (left) captured from hempfieldbotanicals.com and photo (right) by Michael Sirak
Hempfield Botanicals of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, markets a line of products I had not seen before: CBD oral oils, each one created with a specific blend of terpenes to support a desired outcome, such as increased mental focus. (Terpenes are substances that give plants their aroma. But research has shown they also can boost the effect of cannabinoids in the body.) Hempfield Botanicals’ line of oral oils comprises: 40 Winks, to promote restive sleep; Comfort, to foster calmness and less anxiety; Head Ease, to soothe an aching head; Hemped Up, for energy without jittery side effects; Relief, to ease pain; and Tunnel Vision, to boost mental focus. Each variety contains the CBD, along with hemp seed oil, and the respective terpene mix. Like the company’s other CBD products (e.g., face oil, lip balm, massage oil, muscle-recovery lotion, salve), the oral oils are THC-free, according to a marketing handout. “Licensed compounding pharmacists with expertise in the cannabis industry” formulated the oral oils, according to the products’ packaging.
Humbled Healing Company
Photos by Michael Sirak
Humbled Healing Company of Mohnton, Pennsylvania, has a selection of hemp drops (for humans and pets) and softgel capsules. The drops come in Chocolate Mint, Natural, and Vanilla Bean varieties. Both the drops and capsules are available in full-spectrum blends or as non-THC CBD-isolates. The company also sells hemp roll-ons and salves for external use; they come in these blends: Clove, Fragrance-Free, Lavender, and Peppermint. The full-spectrum Chocolate Mint Hemp Drops caught my attention. This blend contains organic hemp seed oil, full-spectrum organic hemp, organic chocolate and mint flavoring, and sunflower oil. I appreciate that the company uses organic flavorings, as I avoid hemp extract vendors that use artificial flavors (and/or artificial colors). Humbled Healing Company uses US-grown organic hemp and organic-certified herbs in its products, according to its website.
