In a surge of excitement — and competition — for the best CBD and hemp products, it is often too easy to be led astray by misleading and at times dishonest representations.
At the forefront of these phis is the pretension that some large, massively-funded brands are “craft” CBD. Though the question emerges with wrinkles, caveats and complications, Nothing But Hemp chatted with Minny Grown CBD’s Zach Rohr to find out the true meaning of “craft cannabis.”
Zach founded Minny Grown CBD to offer a truly local and hand-grown and cultivated hemp and CBD experience for Minnesotans, provided by Minnesotan farmers and processed at Minny Grown’s facilities in Cannon Falls.
Rohr compared the need for hand-grown, lovingly-raised cannabis to an easy analogy in the food industry.
While big box stores may be interested only in their profit margins when dealing with meat-packing plants across the country and the globe, an entire network of local farmers and ranchers has sprung up where people are conscious enough of how they consume and what they put in their bodies.
“We’re really trying to produce something locally and give to people who are from here. I think there’s a lot to be said for these phytocannabinoids that are produced in the Minnesota sun. It is the same thing with food,” Zach said. “Eat what is in your area seasonally.”
Rohr said while larger mega-grower hemp operations may excel at simply extracting CBD isolates or manufacturing hundreds of acres mechanically for uses in textiles, rope and other industrial applications, nothing quite compares to the personal touch when it comes to CBD wellness products.
Maybe that’s why Minny Grown CBD is both a local favorite and an award-winner for its full-spectrum organic brand products.
“We’re focused on creating these unique cannabinoid profiles through our full spectrum oil because it’s not the CBD isolate, it’s not these huge extractors with 2,000 pounds an hour,” Zach said.
“It is really maintaining the environment throughout the extraction process. It’s no secret that the plant works best as one, there’s a reason why the plant naturally produces these cannabinoids, and that’s what we’re trying to capture and put into our products.”
While combines, CBD isolates and hundreds if not thousands of acres of industrial hemp may make for a mediocre, widely-distributed hemp product, no reasonable person would compare that to a craft product, Rohr said.
Take the example of beer: You likely have a favorite nationally or internationally distributed beer, often with a lower alcohol content and overall quality than one you might encounter at a small local brewery you might visit.
The key difference for Zach Rohr? You’ll never meet the brewer of that mega-brand.
He takes pride in the handful of acres and the handful of farmer partners Minny Grown CBD works with to create true craft hemp products. Because to him, less is more when it comes to wellness CBD.
“We know where each plant came from without a doubt,” Zach said. “I can look at a bag and basically point to you on a map where that bag came from, who that came from, who the farmer was and how they got involved in hemp. That’s what makes things craft.”
