Has Hemp Gone Mainstream?

Has Hemp CBD Gone Mainstream?

The idea that anything about Cannabis and Hemp would be considered mainstream is an edgy thought! However we are in 2018! The benefit of Cannabis and Hemp CBD for wellness, medical symptoms and CBD infused beauty products has been undeniably proven in the laboratory of human experiences. Increased public awareness and demand is driving a thriving industry.

Although the cannabis and hemp industries have been moving forward on parallel yet separate paths, the paths are now crossing in an interesting way.

Due to the legalization of recreational cannabis in several states in the US, the market has taken some dramatic turns. The regulatory realm of the industry requires that raw and finished cannabis products (THC content over 0.03%) can only be sold in the state of production. This has created a drastic oversupply and has driven the prices down, which means an economic challenge for cannabis growers.

In response to the challenge, cannabis growers are now turning their attention towards hemp to stay profitable. As of now, Oregon officials are seeing an uptick in requests to grow hemp at a rate of 20% higher than in 2015. The number of government permits to grow hemp rose from 12 in 2015 to 353 by early May 2018.

Colorado leads the states in hemp production in spite of its legal recreational cannabis law. As of this writing, 19 states have legalized some form of hemp production. So, what is the increase of the hemp appeal?

The magic key is CBD!

The cannabinoid, non-psychoactive CBD, from hemp has been extensively used for chronic pain, and other ailments. The demand for CBD oil for pain and CBD infused beauty products online has been increasing exponentially. This and the price decline of wholesale cannabis are turning the heads and business strategies of cannabis growers to incorporate growing hemp. Some growers are opting to move exclusively to hemp. This movement can be a natural transition because growing hemp for CBD uses many of the same techniques as growing cannabis.

Approximately 50% of hemp grown across the U.S. is being grown for CBD extraction. This is indicative of a thriving market demand for hemp based CBD products and the ‘legal friendly’, environment that allows for ease of expansion and success.

The health, wellness and beauty industries are definitely seeing a shift in demand for quality products that are CBD based and infused. This has opened the door for many traditional health and beauty companies to include CBD oil for pain, CBD anti-aging products, hemp skin care products and CBD cosmetic products in their inventory.

The negative stigma of cannabis and hemp that has kept these plant cousins’ life enhancing properties from mainstream awareness has come to an end. The return of these plants to our daily health, wellness and beauty routines marks a significant movement in reclaiming our individual inherent right to quality of life choices.

The message couldn’t be clearer and the mainstream has listened.

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