2019 Hemp Industries Association Conference
Zygote Nation was there! ... At the 2019 Hemp Industries Association Conference on Nov. 3-4, 2019, at the Westin Charlotte hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This event was not consumer-focused, but rather geared toward professionals in the hemp industry. Nonetheless, I am so glad I attended. I was able to sit in on numerous presentations and panel discussion by authorities in the hemp sector that exposed me to much information on this nascent, growing industry.
Photo by Michael Sirak
I also had the chance to spend time in the exhibit hall. Among the larger set of hemp cultivators, processors, extractors, and testers were several consumer-oriented hemp businesses showcasing their products, such as hemp extracts with cannabidiol (CBD).
The conference took place near the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Photo by Michael Sirak
Here is my list of the conference’s notable vendors and consumer products:
Myco Sativa
Photo by Michael Sirak
Myco Sativa of Seymour, Tennessee, southeast of Knoxville, is one of only a few businesses I have seen offering products that combine hemp extract with medicinal mushrooms. To me, that is a winning combination. The ingredients the company uses are in their “most bio-available form,” states Myco Sativa’s website. (Bio-available means most-readily absorbed by the body.) The company’s product line-up includes three capsule blends: 1) Cordyceps Gold to boost energy (with CBD and a proprietary cordyceps blend), 2) Longevity Gold (hemp extract with CBD, astaxanthin, and agaricus, chaga, maitake, and tiger’s milk mushroom extracts), and 3) Reishi Gold to support the immune system (hemp extract, reishi shell-broken spore powder, reishi mushroom extract, black pepper extract). Each variety comes in a bottle with 60 capsules. Myco Sativa also sells a powdered, skin-hydrating B-Fly Tea (green tea, hemp powder, butterfly pea extract, lion’s mane mushroom extract). I tried this tea and liked it; it has a blueish hue due to the pea extract. The company also has a powdered Cold Brew Deluxe Coffee (with CBD and chaga and lion’s mane extracts), an Optimum Full-Spectrum Hemp Extract (CBD, the cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG), reishi spore oil), and a Restore Luxury Skin Oil (CBD, CBG, hemp oil, jojoba seed oil, lavender essential oil, marula seed oil, reishi spore oil). The latter product is for topical use, not internal.
Photo by Michael Sirak
Photo by Michael Sirak
Appalachian Growers
Photo by Michael Sirak
Appalachian Growers of Franklin, North Carolina, sells full-spectrum hemp tinctures that feature organically grown hemp and other organic-certified ingredients. I think this is a quality small business. The hemp oils are available in four varieties: Natural, Lemon Ginger, Orange Citrus, and Spearmint. I like that Appalachian Growers offers flavors like Lemon Ginger, which I do not recall seeing before in a hemp tincture, and Spearmint, which I may have seen (only) once prior. I bought the Lemon Ginger. It has a nice, pleasant taste, and I appreciate the fact that the company uses organic lemon extract and organic ginger extract for the flavor. The Lemon Ginger tincture also contains organic medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, as do the other varieties. Another nice feature is that the labeling on the tincture bottle shows the strains of hemp used. Appalachian Growers is working toward securing U.S. Department of Agriculture organic certification for the tinctures, a company representative told Zygote Nation. The company also sells several varieties of organic hemp flower, pre-rolled hemp cigaretes, and a full-spectrum pet tincture.
Photo by Michael Sirak
Photo by Michael Sirak
Oak City Hemp
Photo by Michael Sirak
Oak City Hemp of Pottsboro, North Carolina, is the first company I stumbled upon to sell a hemp tea, among its line of full-spectrum hemp products. The tea, which comes in single-serving bags, features North Carolina-grown industrial hemp. “These tea bags are fantastic for those late nights when you can’t sleep, or just [want] a nice hot cup of herbal tea in the afternoon,” states the description of the tea at the company’s website. I had never tried hemp tea before and wasn’t sure what to expect taste-wise. I found it to have a delayed, slightly bitter taste, but I liked it. Oak City Hemp also sells hemp tincture with MCT oil, smokable hemp flower, and a topical roll-on and a salve for muscle aches and pain relief.
Photo by Michael Sirak
A barrel of hemp flowers. Photo by Michael Sirak
The crosswalks near the NASCAR Hall of Fame have a checkered-flag pattern. Photo by Michael Sirak
