The Florida government, the everlasting buzzkill it is, places serious restrictions on what medical dispensaries in the state can sell, how they market it, and the physical form of it. Some of these rules make complete sense in certain situations, like putting child-safe caps on Welch’s looking gummies. But many rules make no sense.
One rule in the statute bars “possession, use, or administration of marijuana in the form of commercially produced food items other than edibles or of marijuana seeds.” This scraps cannabis beverages—a hugely popular item in the low-THC market—CBD for dogs, intimacy oils, etc. That’s where The Hemp Company comes in.
The Hemp Company, owned by the renowned dispensary Curaleaf, recently opened in April at their West Palm Beach, Florida location. Supported by the 2018 Farm Bill that stipulates that the sale and production of hemp-derived products is legal as long as THC counts for less than .3% of the product’s weight, the store promotes all the ways cannabis can help the average person’s average problems. Leave your medical card at the door.
Matt Keller, the store director, describes The Hemp Company as an expansion of Curaleaf’s mission.
“Our goal is to provide education and connect our customers with the right products, to give them a concierge consultation experience so they don’t have to throw a dart at a dartboard.” Keller said.
Curaleaf has long known that cannabis is not a one-size-fits-all solution, and The Hemp Company is no different. When customers enter the store, a consultation area set with chairs is waiting for them to sit down and chat with one of their knowledgeable employees to figure out what would work best for their specific needs.
The philosophy revolves around wellness, encompassing more than just cannabis. There are products including adaptogenic mushrooms, like reishi, a mushroom known for boosting the immune system and supporting stress relief. They offer alternatives to drinking alcohol, like The Hemp Company’s own Select Zero Proof line. The Hemp Company team underwent cannabinoid training and is familiar with product formulations that can benefit different consumers. For example, CBN for sleep, CBD for your dog that hates thunderstorms, THC for a subtle buzz with friends, CBG for gut health and recovery, and more. Everything sold in the store has a purpose and brings the same commitment to quality control, testing, and safety to the hemp market that they have brought to the regulated cannabis market.
The Hemp Company selects the brands they display very carefully, distinguishing themselves from the swathe of low-THC snake oil on the market.
“There’s a lot of synthetic stuff going around, and many bad actors, in the hemp space,” Keller said. “We’re combating the unregulated hemp industry by ensuring all our Farm Bill-compliant hemp-derived products are manufactured in a certified GMP facility with strict manufacturing and testing standards.”
The Hemp Company sits at 300 Clematis Street in beautiful downtown West Palm Beach, Florida.
“We’re working with all the best of the best brands,” Keller said. “We want to be able to connect people with the right products. At the end of the day, we want to ensure that people have access to tested and regulated cannabis products.”
