Robert Angotti, Lic. Ac., Herbalist, Hemp Farmer
I started getting questions about the use of hemp-cannabis over two years ago. Patients had begun accessing various products from the plant. Meanwhile, the CBD (cannabidiol) industry was growing. However, after the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, things changed rapidly. The bill re-introduced hemp-cannabis as a crop in the United States. Moreover, it brought cannabis back to my medical pharmacy. Recorded use of cannabis in Chinese medicine goes as far back as two thousand years. What an interesting year it has been.
Before the start of 2019, I was deep into the research of this herb. To be clear, Chinese herbalists have been allowed to prescribe cannabis seed (Huo Ma Ren) since my earliest days with Chinese medicine. However, herbalists could only prescribe the seeds not the flowers. The seeds are great for nourishing the fluids, the blood and the yin. Cannabis seeds are a chief herb in formulas used for constipation for example. Additionally, the seeds are legal because they have very low concentrations of the molecules known as cannabinoids, unlike the flowers.
The cannabinoids are what the fuss has been about with this plant over the years. CBD or THC or both? CBD is often the most prominent cannabinoid in the legal “hemp”, cannabis plant. There are hundreds of cannabinoids however and the future of cannabis as medicine is promising. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) however is the cannabinoid that would make “hemp” cannabis illegal. For a farmer, that could be the difference of just a few extra days in the field, and the loss of tens of thousands of dollars. Although “hemp” cannabis strains have very low concentrations of THC, the concentrations of the cannabinoids increase naturally late in the growing season.
Hemp Farming
How do I know? I am a hemp farmer! For the 2019 growing season I applied for a license in the state of Minnesota. By May, we had several hundred seeds germinating. By October, we had harvested half an acre of plants. Then, over the past several months, we have been turning that plant material into beneficial medicine for patients. It was a lot of hard work, and almost all of it was done by hand. But it was enjoyable!
I must have touched each of our plants 10 or more times from seed to harvest. Meanwhile, at the clinic, I was prescribing hemp products from other companies to learn more about their clinical value. In short order, I heard many compelling stories. Patients were seeing benefits in pain, sleep, mood and digestion just to name a few. Because cannabinoids like CBD work through our endo-cannabinoid system (more on this in a future post), the dose can vary quite significantly from person to person. Finding the optimal therapeutic potential can take some fine tuning.
At the farm, I learned about fine tuning the needs of the plant as well. Cannabis is a great plant for collecting substances from the soil. It’s called a “bio accumulator” meaning it absorbs the elements from the soil around it. This means it does a wonderful job cleaning the soil, but it also means it will take in surrounding toxins such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides and more. For example, hemp was used in Russia to clean the soils of Chernobyl after the radiation fall out. Plants grown this way are toxic for consumption. To avoid these dangers, we used organic growing methods on the farm and then tested our plants for toxicity. I am proud to say that our plants were clean of heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, mycotoxins and solvents.
Throughout last year, I continued to study the best ways to administer this medicinal plant to patients. Cannabis is famous for being smoked and inhalation is the quickest way for the medicine to enter the bloodstream. However, smoking is only one method of administration and has some downsides. I wanted to find not only the fastest method but the safest.
Hemp Processing
I finally settled on an oil infusion process. This means we cook the hemp-cannabis flower with an organic, MCT, carrier oil. The plant’s oils then move into the carrier oil. This method preserves some of the other medicinally active ingredients, balances the taste, and enters the bloodstream reasonably quickly. Especially when administered under the tongue.
The clinic now has a variety of hemp-cannabis products available for patients including oils and balms. Active patients can purchase products at the clinic for themselves and when the do, they have been and will continue to be given a 20% discount at checkout. Others are welcome to purchase products through the online shop. The shop is now integrated into the clinic website. Now is a great time to tell a friend about the shop. With the “grand opening discount” online shoppers get 20% off. This offer runs for the next two weeks. Please share this post with some friends to pass that news along.
Additionally, for those patients who have been using the clinic’s hemp-cannabis products, I have a 10% discount available if you are willing to help build the shops appeal with a review. Just find the product you’ve been using and add your review. On your next purchase, we can apply the 10% discount on top of your normal 20% discount. We would really appreciate it!
In addition to helping you feel better, I am hoping to earn enough selling these products to pay for last year’s grow and make some investments toward the future. I would love to get a tractor!
Hemp herbal combinations
Looking ahead, I am really excited about creating some specialized oils with classic Chinese herbal combinations. I’ve been researching these traditional formulations and contemplating three different combinations. The herbs in each combination would enhance certain functions and add focus to the formula. One combination would be for vitality and longevity. Another would be focused more intensely on pain management and tissue restoration. The final formulation would be focused on calming the mind and improving sleep. I will keep you informed.
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This is very interesting especially the herbal combinations you are working on.Thanks for all your hard work bringing Chinese herbs to your patients.
Yes! Local and tested for heavy metals and other toxins…THANK YOU! Very appreciated! The usage of CBD’s has stopped my reliance on over the counter pain meds for my chronic back pain. Finally, a local source that is reliable and from someone that I trust. Your hard work is greatly appreciated!