I get asked quite often "Why do you use Hemp?". Along with, "Isn't that a drug?", "Are you a hippie?", "Why don't you have an over abundance of tie dye?", "Will I fail a drug test using your products?". So I figured I would address these questions in a blog post. I may have answered some in a previous post, but decided to go into a little more detail on this since I will be opening a retail store in October! 💚
Why do I use Hemp? Several reasons; it's organic, a renewable resource, and makes my candles burn way longer than any store bought candle on the market. I know because I tested it, or you can ask my customers. They love it! 💚
Hemp is not a drug. The hemp ingredients I use do not contain THC or CBD. However, it does come from the same type of plant as Marijuana, which is Cannabis Sativa. So what's the difference? The legal definition, which was used in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018. Hemp is any Cannabis Sativa plant that contains 0.3 percent or less of THC. The amount of THC is so low that it is unable to cause any type of psychoactive effects. The term Marijuana is used to represent Cannabis plants that contain more than 0.3 percent of THC and will cause one to get "high". The level of THC in a Cannabis plant depends on how its grown. Hemp products must go through rigorous testing in the United States to ensure it does not contain more than 0.3% THC to be used in products and sold. Hemp is legal in all 50 states, and is used in health and wellness products, fabrics, as an alternate building material, candle wicks, and for many other products because it grows fast and has little negative affects on the environment like other crops do. I buy my hemp products from reliable suppliers in the United States so I know they have passed the required testing to be legal.
Am I a hippie? I'm not really sure how to answer that. The short answer is no. However, I do believe in using anything we can to help our environment, our health, and supporting other small businesses. So maybe the answer is yes? My candle business was never meant to be another head shop though. My goal is to normalize the hemp plant as a sustainable resource in products we use everyday. As we evolve, and concern for the environment grows, it's important to see that the products we use everyday can be both a luxury and eco friendly. We don't have to sacrifice one for the other.
Will you fail a drug test using my products? I doubt it, but I'll never make a claim either way because I'm only using products that the FDA has already tested and approved in the farming phase. I can only describe my experience with hemp products. As I previously mentioned, the government requires hemp to be tested to ensure it contains less than 0.3 percent THC, which are very trace amounts that do not cause you to "get high", which is what makes the use of hemp federally legal. I have used other product brands with hemp seed oil in them for years and have never failed a drug test. I have used my own products and never failed a drug test. So the the required testing of the farmers producing the hemp must be accurate from my experience.
The tie dye question is a joke...I think. Most people associate Hemp and Marijuana as being the same thing, which they kind of are, but aren't. Tie dye, along with other paraphernalia, and Hemp/Marijuana is part of the stigma that have been attached to this plant since the 60s. Don't get me wrong, I love tie dye, and I might sell tie dye on hemp fabric at some point, but it's not my business style or goal. The point in my business is to get rid of the stigma surrounding hemp. That includes any "jokes" or affiliated mainstream associations with hemp. Hemp Wick Candles is a luxury hemp product brand made to be affordable, sustainable, and renewable. That's also why my products focus on the story behind the fragrances and not so much the ingredients they are made with. Yes, it's literally in our name, but the name is just a technicality of ingredients.... and because I was shocked someone else hadn't used the name yet, so I jumped on it. Which is also why my brand is in the trademark process.
If you research it, you will see that hemp is in our near future to be used as a more earth friendly material in all sorts of home products. I just wanted to be ahead of the game.
Resource:
https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana
https://www.usda.gov/farmbill