Author: David Pratt Carter

David is a Cancer fighter and advocate for healthy living. He's a continued survivor of significant health challenges and credits cannabis, cuisine and positive thinking with his continued health successes David is an avid researcher of all things hemp and cannabis. He's written numerous guest articles and continues to provide articles for Carolina Hemp Hut, NYC CBD Source and other retail and educational hemp web sites.David can be reached for public-speaking events and Zoom presentations via the Carolina Hemp Hut "contact" page.

Posted on May 11, 2021May 11, 2021 by David Pratt Carter

Vindictive Reviews of CBD Stores

It is not just ironic that there is the first negative review appearing on the same day as the termination of a disgruntled employee. We would hope that all reviews found here would be honest and related to the customer’s true experience with the staff and products at the Carolina Hemp Hut and not intentional bullying due to one person’s grievances with a supervisor. In fact, based upon this former employee’s track record with other businesses with whom they have worked, we understand now that a slew of negative reviews is now to be expected for a spell.

At this point many small businesses would be in a tailspin. After all, getting negative reviews is what businesses that thrive on feedback and need peer referrals to help business stay alive and thrive in this nutso world in which we live.

As a small business, most people know that daily decisions can make or break the business. The small business known as the Carolina Hemp Hut is composed of only a few wonderfully diverse people. Each of them has a vested interest in the success of the business. If you compare a small business to a large one such as Walmart, you are bound to find that at Walmart, the management loses no sleep over a negative review, an angered customer, or, in fact an angry employee (or in this case, an angry former employee). Walmart stores will stay open with thousands of negative reviews from customers. Small businesses, on the other hand, can be crushed by one vindictive person whose target is one person at the Small Business. Most would label this a personal vendetta.

When a personal vendetta is used to bash a business, apparently with the hopes of ultimately harming the targeted individual by destroying their livelihood, it only harms small businesses. Think back to Walmart again, give them a negative review and to them it is free advertising. Attack a small business and it may lead to staff being let go and business folding. This is what can happen when an unstable or irrationally angry individual becomes vindictive and coerces friends to attack the company.

If you are the type of person who condones fabricating grievances to destroy a company, then it is unfortunate that you are allowing for families who are innocent to be harmed. Employees at Walmart will not lose their jobs because of vindictive falsehoods. They likely will not even notice that you are upset. With a small business, entire families who are completely innocent and not part of the grievance are disrupted and harmed.

Some people will not even have remorse when they learn that their actions are harming people far beyond the scope of one person (the target for the vindictive bullying). We worry over this, but we also know we cannot change other people – we can only do what we can to change ourselves. We spend far more time than what you find among our peers learning more and dedicating ourselves to helping others.

Back to the reviews: Go ahead and read the reviews for Carolina Hemp Hut’s stores. You are bound to learn a lot. It is important for us to live our Vision every day. We strive to meet our set Goals with every encounter, not just transaction. We have very well-defined core values as well.

Our vision:

A world where people seek better health first with better food from nature then medicines from nature.

Our Mission:

To be a pathfinder in the world of botanical health, we will concentrate on learning and expanding the possibilities to improve the health of everyone around us.

Some of Our Core Principles:

We believe in natural health. We know that food is medicine. We know that nature already provides us with the means to cure or prevent so many illnesses. Therefore, we believe in learning more about the botanical gifts we are given and share this education with others.

We believe in elevating our customers. Whether it is education, product matching or simply better than expected display of respect compounding high levels of customers services, the Carolina Hemp Hut staff will treat each customer as a they would a beloved member of their own family – with respect, courtesy, smiles and careful listening. When we discover we are wrong on any topic, we will respectfully admit the error and apologize.

The esteemed Zig Ziglar (you really should look this guy up, he is amazing) taught his audiences: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” We know we do not have everything in life we want, but we are certainly helping others find theirs and we know that the formula works. This is another reason why we are so steadfastly dedicated to the highest levels of customer service.

At our stores, our team members are instructed to wear presentable clothing such as collared shirts and no sneakers. Every team member is urged to smile sincerely (even with a mask on) because the sound of a voice with a smile is more warming than a neutral or negative facial expression. We provide detailed customers service and cannabinoid health training to further support our mission. All in all, these and other components combine to create a warm and positive environment which people who visit our stores can feel and notice quickly.

We know that to err is human. This is also why our team is also taught to admit mistakes quickly before misinformation is spread and more errors are made. This level of transparency has enabled us to secure a highly esteemed rating on multiple platforms including Google and Google Maps.

Because of our dedication to serving our customers, we also go beyond the normal scope to provide referrals to our competitors or other shops when we are not directly able to assist our customers. We want each visitor to our stores to get the answers they need without a lot of runaround or hassle.

You may already know that Carolina Hemp Hut has a significant e-commerce store of the same name. The online reviews from customers across the country match the nearly 100% ratings of our local market customers. The customer service standards at the Carolina Hemp Hut are exceedingly high. While we cannot meet every customers’ exact needs, we work harder to ensure they are met than anyone. When USPS or UPS make things slow, we still jump to our customers’ queries and needs quickly – every step of the way.

This total dedication to the customer experience really makes these targeted negative reviews very suspect. We have not changed our model of service perfection. What changed was one employee who was terminated.

One of the founders of the small business dedicates significant time to assisting medical practitioners provide better medical care. One of our management team is a frequent visitor to help parents at local NICU centers. The team at the Carolina Hemp Hut care about helping people, not harming them.

An intelligent observer to this novella would quickly gather that the aggrieved party may be better off airing their concerns through legal means instead of social. After all, if you truly feel you were harmed, use the legal process to make your attacks, it is sensible and it does not cause any harm to the innocent parties.

After receiving this first negative review, we knew right away that there would be more. “Hell hath no fury… “came up in the team meeting later that evening. It was appropriate. Since we knew no matter what anyone said or even did, the anger would still be unleashed. Therefore, we spent a considerable amount of time reviewing hours of security footage for the past month.

Reviewing security footage is tedious and mostly boring. You can fast forward through most of down time in the footage from the many cameras in the store. We decided to be more practical in the approach. We learned some amazing stuff!

One fun tidbit, 32% of the customers walked directly to the dedicated Bud Bar in our store. That is a big nod to the appreciation for hemp flower in North Carolina.

Since we are such sticklers for customer service, we made sure to take notes of customer interactions and realized a trend which was disturbing with one employee who was already on probation. When the employee was confronted about this, it led to a dismissal instead of a path correction. The employee displayed vindictive behaving from the start. (You may find videos of similar behavior on YouTube, Reddit and other social sites. However, we do not think it is appropriate to reward bad behavior with fame.)

As a small business dedicated to a high-quality customer experience, we know we are not going to hit perfection 100% of the time but always reach for it. It’ is our staunch dedication to our core values that makes us work to achieve that 100% perfection level. It means people believe in our mission, not just our products or services We are ecstatic that people are able to discover the amazing positive benefits humans have been experiencing for centuries from cannabis plants.

Frankly, we know it is not a bad thing that negative or low-rated review happens from time to time with the businesses who really care – this makes them strive harder. For large companies who’ve already “made it” – think of the Wal-Marts, the Coca-Colas, and the IBMs of the world – they do not worry so much over retail store reviews at all. They can use deep pockets to finance extraordinary marketing campaigns which squelch out the sounds of any small fry Local Business. But small businesses must rely on solid, honest reviews to continue to maintain a reasonable reputation which in turn is conducive to continued business. Think about all the negatives you hear each year about big stores and big companies around you. How many of them were truly harmed because you feel vindictive against them?

This Is very key since at the small business level, continued business means continued coverage of utility bills, insurance, and the like. Take a glance back at the mega big monster companies and they have staff many levels down the food chain taking care of entering the magic characters on their keyboards to make sure the bills are paid.

Therefore, it circles back to how a personal attack against a small business owner is bully behavior. We wish to stand up to this bully. After all, it is our mission to help people.

Our customers are intelligent enough to understand that Carolina Hemp Hut responds quickly to their concerns and their questions. This is why we do not have valid negative reviews. Our aim to provide exceptional products with better than expected service makes the difference. As a customer, if you have a grievance with our products, you speak up about them to us. We make things right. This is always our policy. An smart observer to the reviews posted in store web sites can readily distinguish “fake” negative reviews and even fake positive reviews from bots or review scam operations. We will not condone these practices.

Our customers know the score every day. When they come in to our stores, they’re greeted with warmth and compassion and we listen to YOUR story to help you discover better health options.

We believe that if you find yourself feeling like you need to harm a company because an individual at that company or business hurt your feelings, then you have become the bully that everyone warns us about.

We are eager to greet new customers and assist them with their own health journeys.

As always, we wish you an amazing day!

Posted on April 11, 2021April 12, 2021 by David Pratt Carter

Delta-8: Is it Helpful for your Health?

Delta-8: Sinful or Helpful for your Health?

Most people in the United States have not heard of Delta-8. It is, however, becoming a very popular cannabis product in hemp/CBD stores across the country where they are legal. The people who appreciate the advent of Delta-8 in the marketplace are growing in number. The people who decry the use of anything cannabis are becoming more vocal.

What is Delta-8?

We will start here with what Delta-8 is NOT. It is not Delta-9. Both are forms of tetrahydrocannabinol. Delta-8 is an analogue of Delta-9. As you may know, D9 is an illegal cannabinoid at the Federal level across the country. Even though it is illegal in the United States and a Schedule 1 drug (why it still is classified as Sched 1 is beyond us), it is legal of adult use in many States already. Delta-8, however, when it is derived from Industrial Hemp, is legal in the United States

Since Delta-8 products are similar to Delta-9 but not the same there are notable differences in how Delta-8 affects people as compared to Delta-9.

How can Delta-8 be Used?

So far, we have experienced most our customers seek out Delta-8 products specifically for sleep. People consistently claim CBD AND Delta-8 have helped improve their length of sleep and quality of sleep.

Many people have discovered better sleep using cannabinoids. For those with modest sleep issues, such as occasional sleeplessness or anxiety which causes sleep to be more erratic, modest doses of CBD have been helpful to relieve the discomfort from stress and anxiety and this helps people ease into better sleep. When the discomfort is higher from more sleeplessness or higher anxiety, customer are using a combination of CBD and Delta-8. This drastically improves the level of anxiety and discomfort and helps boost sleep outcomes.

The following statistics from the Sleep Association help underscore the need for more natural options with lack of sleep issues.

Sleep Deprivation Statistics:

37% of 20-39 year-olds report short sleep duration

40% of 40-59 year-olds report short sleep duration

35.3% adults report <7 hours of sleep during a typical 24-hour period.

You can Learn more from Carolina Hemp Hut's dedicated Team of Cannabis Consultants.

Get updates and learn from the best in Hemp

Delta-8 and its analgesic properties are very useful to consumers who face persistent pain and do not wish to engage opiates for pain relief. Not only does the Delta-8 require a prescription to consumer, it also does not suffer the same limitations at opiates as far as over-dose levels. The risk of death from overdose with opiates used for pain is far greater than with cannabinoids. In fact, there have been no documented direct deaths from consumption of Delta-8 products. This is a significant reason why so many people are switching from prescription opiates to cannabis products.

There are other benefits claimed for Delta-8 which include anti-emetic qualities, appetite suppression (orexigenic) and neuroprotective behavior.

The US Farm Bill (2018) and Legal Cannabinoids

Since 2018, Industrial Hemp processors have been allowed to produce cannabinoid products from Industrial Hemp as it the content of Delta-9 THC does not exceed 0.3% (by dwt). This means more minor cannabinoids such as the Delta-8

Since all legal Delta-8 is derived from Hemp plants, it bypasses the stipulation of any THC being derived from marijuana plants (which, by reasonable definition, is still cannabis sativa, the very same plant that produces Industrial Hemp).

The Sinful Nature of Delta-8 and your Health

Cannabis naysayers are quick to describe the evils of the psychoactive behaviors of cannabinoids. Even though there are relatively few cannabinoids that actually have psychoactive properties, those who are against all things cannabis use the few friends of THC as examples of compounds that are destined to destroy our civilization – or something like that.

When it comes to pharmaceutical products, most firms will reference a list of “side effects” when the side effects are actually more of “direct effects”. With Cannabis products, we try to educate our customers across the spectrum of direct effects and health impacts of cannabinoids.

One common direct effect of Delta-8, much like other THC brethren, is the dry mouth. This is why we typically recommend to Delta-8 consumers to hydrate well. Additionally, even though the incidence appears to be far less than that associated with Delta-9, there are people who experience bouts of paranoia with Delta-8. Linked closely to this is the possibility of increased anxiety rather than decreased as you’d expect in the more modest cannabinoids such as CBD.

Cannabidiol (CBD) does not have any psychoactive properties. Most of the opponents of cannabis products still do not support the use of CBD as a curative or beneficial compound. Numerous studies and hoards of anecdotal testimony suggest that CBD along with many other cannabinoids are still exceptional targets for more in-depth testing and research into overall efficacy and impact on human health. Delta-8, like Delta-9, is in the same group: Does the collection of benefits (which is significant) outweigh the psychoactive nature of THC compounds?

The Helpful Nature of Delta-8 and your Health

Recreational and medical fans of Delta-8 are quick to report that the direct effects of larger doses of Delta-8 include the mild euphoria, uplifted mindset, happiness, and relief from the discomfort of pain, aches and other troubling conditions. When taken within two hours of intended sleep, most consumers are satisfied with the improved sleep they experience without the same drowsy impact of some OTC medications and pharmaceuticals.

As the Delta-8 compound does bind with the CB1 and CB2 receptors (perhaps not as energetically as regular Delta-9), it is believed that it is also a key agent in improving cancer treatment outcomes. This is important as more studies into the medical impact of botanical agents such as CBD, THC and Delta-8 are still vital to help settle the ongoing dispute as to whether Cannabis should be considered an herb, a medicine, or a drug.

What is the Best Way to enjoy Delta-8?

Full Service cannabis stores in States across the country are able to offer Delta-8 alongside other cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, CBC, and more – all as long as they are derived from Industrial Hemp and compliant with the 2018 Farm Bill.

When Delta-8 products started breaking into the popular culture, it did so in the States more energetically where Delta-9 was illegal. Therefore, States such as North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia embraced the delta-8 products being developed. Vape cartridges and edibles were the first big categories to embrace the Delta-8 distillates.

A fair representation of users of CBD vape products learned that combining the CBD vape sessions with occasional Delta-8 sessions may help ease anxiety and help promote relaxation more than just one of the cannabinoids used as a solo treatment.

This same discovery has applied to the hemp edibles crowd who have enjoyed more relaxation thanks to CBD’s calming impact for anxiety. When a small amount of Delta-8 is introduced, such as under 10mg, the CBD appears to be boosted while overall relaxation improves without introducing a “high” feeling.

Experiencing Delta-8 Products at Carolina Hemp Hut

Delta-8 products started growing in popularity in late Summer 2020. During the COVID-19 concerns for immune health, people were experiencing higher than typical levels of anxiety. Limited sleep, irritability and other symptoms were also presenting more commonly. Our stores saw far more online orders (for safety reasons) of our wide array of CBD/Hemp edibles and vape products for the negative health impacts from the pandemic. As the Delta-8 products moved from a “suspicious” product to a “go to” product for the discomfort people were facing, it grew rapidly in popularity.

Some weeks, the Delta-8 sales of products such as Edibles, Vapes, Infused Flower, and topicals exceed the popularity of the benchmark CBD products. When polled, most customers reveal that the goal of consuming Delta-8 is NOT the high, but relief from three key issues:

Sleeplessness/Insomnia
High Anxiety
Body Aches/Pains

When customers seek products for relief of the above bullets of discomfort, we always explain the differences in the two cannabinoids CBD and Delta-8 as well as provide a direct warning as to the possibility of some psychoactive impact with larger doses of Delta-8.

We are encouraged that most consumers are seeking relief from discomfort rather than a “high”. We, as a team, work to eliminate the stereotypes of cannabis that have evolved from years of government embargo on natural medicines (from cannabis). Our goals include educating consumers on ALL available cannabinoids to permit not only broader acceptance of botanical solutions, but to dispel the many myths associated with cannabis as a plant and product.

Some last thoughts on Delta-8 and You

It is key to mention that the level of medical and scientific research with regard to Delta-8 and a host of other cannabinoids is still lacking. Government funding is nearly non-existent. Big Pharma, except for GW (who is attempting to corner the market on all things cannabis it would seem), is resistant to adopting cannabis compounds in their drug therapies at this time, but more are considering it.

More testing, both anecdotal and clinical, will help determine the overall strength of safe doses, the impact on the body and brain, and possible drug interactions. Much like any other cannabis product or cannabinoids (such as the cannabinoids in Echinacea), your body’s own chemistry and metabolic action will have an impact on your overall dosing and health impact.

More To Explore

News

Vindictive Reviews of CBD Stores

It is not just ironic that there is the first negative review appearing on the same day as the termination of a disgruntled employee. We

David Pratt Carter May 11, 2021

Hemp Education

Delta-8: Is it Helpful for your Health?

We hear more about cannabinoids such as Delta-8 THC and many people are curious. The Team at the Carolina Hemp Hut stores takes the time to break down what Delta-8 is and what it may do for you and your health.

David Pratt Carter April 11, 2021

Posted on May 16, 2020May 16, 2020 by David Pratt Carter

Natural Health

I’m sure you’ve heard the old definition of insanity often attributed to Albert Einstein: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

The real definition of insanity is “the state of being seriously mentally ill; madness.”

This is really boiled down to “Madness” when you consider what insanity really is. Is it madness to keep doing the same things for your health and expect your body to suddenly become “healthier”?

Most people don’t change their health practices at all unless they have a life changing event. A life changing event could be the death of a loved one from some health concern, it could be a dire diagnosis of Cardiovascular disease or Cancer, or it could be a warning of pre-diabetes. It’s still shocking that many people don’t make any changes to their lives EVEN WHEN they get news of some health issue that NEEDS ATTENTION.

Too many of us abdicate or give up our responsibility for self-care. We trust a doctor to give us a pill that will “cure”.

Think about yourself right now, have you accepted the word from a trusted medical authority and received a dire prognosis and a prescription? Then visited the pharmacy and got the prescription filled, went home, and started following the prescription without doing ANYTHING ELSE to adjust your health or your life.

Natural Health vs Modern Medicine

Doctors ARE trusted authorities and you should take advice from them. But, doctors don’t necessarily cover the spectrum of health solutions. There’s an old adage which goes “To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” What happens when you give a doctor another tool other than a hammer?

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to investigate what health concerns we face most and what things can be done for each without the use of prescriptions and surgeries. This won’t be in any way an insult to the medical profession. Instead, it’s more of a life instruction. Natural Health really starts with YOU making your OWN decisions about YOUR LIFE.

I’m not a trained medical professional. Other than being the son of a doctor and the former husband of a doctor, my medical training consists of helping others in medical school study internal medicine and a little gross anatomy. Of course, I’ve read copiously from many medical studies and journals to learn more about what makes things tick. I trust the advice of learned associates who are medically trained. Plus, I educate from my life experiences.

I’ve been trained under the Ziglar Legacy program as well as the Choose to Win program stemming from the great motivational speaker, Zig Ziglar. I’ve discovered where the positive outlook and goal setting instruments taught within those really shape a more positive outcome with health – when you believe you can do it.

Success for you may just begin right now with identifying your own health problem.

Now’s the time you figure out what you want out of your own life and health. Take a moment and write down what your particular health issue is. If it’s weight, write it down on its own sheet of paper. If it’s Cancer, do the same. If you have others, identify those as well on their own sheet.

In my next article, I’m going to give you the next steps to finding better health success leveraging what a doctor may tell you AND natural health. Meanwhile, be honest with yourself and take the time to identify the health problem(s) which you may face.

Posted on May 15, 2020June 4, 2020 by David Pratt Carter

What is Hemp Oil Good for?

What can hemp oil do?

With more people discovering natural health options, more are discovering that oil from the hemp seed is highly nutritious. As you embark upon a more healthy journey in your life, you will also discover that hemp oil has remarkable benefits for your skin health as well. Let’s break down what is hemp oil good for with an inside then outside approach to health.

Hemp Oil from the Inside

Hempseed oil is often referred to as “hemp oil,” and it’s harvested by cold-pressing hemp seeds. Hemp seeds, as you may already know, are the seeds of the Cannabis plants. In the United States, the most common seed products come from the Cannabis Sativa plants. Hemp seeds have a rich nutrient profile, lots of good fats and fatty acids and carries a wide range of nutrients. Hemp seed oil can help skin health, inflammation, brain & hearth health. Hemp seed oil is a worthy addition into anyone’s diet.

The more favorable hemp see oils come from a process known as Cold Pressing. The reason a cold-pressed oil is preferred over oil from other methods (even though it produces less oil) is that the resulting oil has better characteristics and benefits of the seed. It’s been learned that cold pressing produces lower phosphorous levels. You may be happy to learn that phosphorous is cause of the grassy flavors of some oils. This strong taste found in non-cold pressed oils tends to be the one factor that keeps people from trying out hemp seed oil (hemp oil) as a dietary booster.

A clean hemp seed oil harvested for human use will provide vitamins and fatty acids. Researchers have discovered where omega-3 fatty acids have significant impacts on the improvement of our health. Some of these impacts may include:

Omega-3s Can Fight Depression and Anxiety
Omega-3s Can Improve Eye Health
Omega-3s Can Promote Brain Health During Pregnancy and Early Life
Omega-3s Can Improve Risk Factors for Heart Disease
Omega-3s Can Reduce Symptoms of ADHD in Children
Omega-3s Can Reduce Symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome
Omega-3s Can Fight Inflammation
Omega-3s Can Fight Autoimmune Diseases
Omega-3s Can Improve Mental Disorders
Omega-3s Can Fight Age-Related Mental Decline and Alzheimer’s Disease
Omega-3s May Help Prevent Cancer
Omega-3s Can Reduce Asthma in Children
Omega-3s Can Reduce Fat in Your Liver
Omega-3s May Improve Bone and Joint Health
Omega-3s Can Alleviate Menstrual Pain
Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Improve Sleep
Omega-3 Fats Are Good For Your Skin

Since hemp oil from the seeds (hemp seed extract) is different from the oil extracted from the flowers, buds and other aerial parts (often called hemp oil extract or sometimes misnamed CBD), it’s regulated differently. Typical hemp seed oil contains no THC, CBD or other cannabinoids in traceable amounts. A respectable hemp seed oil has remarkable quantities of the beneficial Omega-3 while keeping it in a safe ratio with Omega-6 content. Researchers have proposed an ideal ratio of 3 to 1 for Omega-6 to Omega-3 content in dietary oils. Luckily for you, good hemp oil brands (such as those carried by Carolina Hemp Hut) have these ideal ratios.

Internal Health from Hemp Oil

Hemp and Brain Health

It’s believed that the fatty acids available from hemp seed oil may benefit our brains. Brain health relies upon healthy fats to operate smoothly. There have been studies with mice and hemp seed oil which have shown positive impact of the fatty acids from hemp on the health and reduction of inflammation in the brain.

Hemp and Heart Health

There are recent studies revealing a strong linkage between hemp seed oils fatty acids and improved heart health. It’s apparent that more studies are warranted on this. The overall health impact of hemp on cardiovascular disease may be significant.

Hemp and Beauty

Hemp Seed Oil has a significant amount of naturally occurring linoleic acid and oleic acids. These are known to play a vital role in skin health and anti-aging. Since these cannot be produced by humans naturally, inclusion of hemp seed oil in the diet is beneficial.

External Health from Hemp Oil

Natural Moisturizer and Anti-Inflammatory Agent

This is one of the expected benefits of hemp seed oil. People are typically familiar with the moisturizing quality of most oils. Hemp Seed oil, however, is exceptional with its inclusion of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), which acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory while simultaneously encouraging skin growth and new cell generation. Skin care products containing hemp seed oil are likely to improve skin health better than non-GLA oils. Additionally, the price for most Hemp Seed Oils in bulk (just a bottle of oil) is far cheaper than the typical processed oil product from a leading beauty company.

Delving into skin health further reveals studies published that support the use of hemp seed oil in many ways for skin health and reduction of inflammatory discomfort. Sure, Hemp Seed Oil may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles as we age. More significant benefits may appear due to the natural anti-inflammatory aspects of the GLA along with the other Omega-3 fatty acids. If you’re suffering from eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, or similar, then hemp seed oil may be an important and helpful weapon in your health arsenal. We will be sure to share new discoveries with you as we uncover them.

Carolina Hemp Hut advocates using Hemp Seed Oil

We’ve been carrying Evo Hemp’s wonderfully pure hemp seed oil in our store for quite a while. The product is made in the USA. It’s minimally processed. Plus, it’s a good value for your health. Even if you’re not using cannabinoids for health, including hemp oil from Evo Hemp is a good idea, regardless.

Posted on March 28, 2020March 28, 2020 by David Pratt Carter

What do Isolate, Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum mean?

“I keep seeing Isolate and Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum”

We really don’t want a lot of confusion among our customers. People come into our stores and frequently have some bewilderment when it comes to what they’re actually getting. What we end up discovering is that most of the time, they know enough about CBD and Hemp Oil Extract to be in the store and curious, but not enough to to make the wise choices. This is where we come in. We start out by helping them with the answer to: “What do isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum mean?”

Many people are becoming more aware of the source of CBD and other cannabinoids: The Hemp Plant. The innocuous hemp plant or cannabis sativa is often confused with it’s kissing cousing, marijuana. They’re both from the same family, but they have different behaviors due to the compounds they contain. Think of it this way, a Great Dane and a Chihuahua would admittedly dogs. However, we know that they are completely different in size, temperament, behavior and even bark. Hemp and Marijuana are the same as dogs in this regard.

When the a crop of hemp is taken to an extractor, there are many steps to the total extraction process possible for the mass of plant material. Extraction is what is used to remove the key compounds from the biomass (the hemp crop). The results the extraction starts with full spectrum crude. This is further processed into many forms, particularly Isolate, Broad and Full Spectrum extracts.

The terms are often confused as many product manufacturer presently try to avoid the hassles associated with some sales platforms (such as Amazon.com) and payment processors (most payment processors for retail will not support Hemp retail sales still). This simple guide will provide the best starting point for most people beginning with the world of Hemp and cannabinoids:

1. Isolate

This one is pretty clear to many, but it still may be confusing. First, it’s an Isolate of something. For the hemp products, this means Isolate of Cannabidiol (CBD). When an extraction process removed all other compounds from the hemp oil except for the Cannabidiol, the result is often called just Isolate. This of course is the shortened form of “Isolated Cannabidiol”. The beauty of CBD isolate is that it’s very easy to mix in liquids of various types and it is odorless and relatively tasteless. Many edible manufacturers use Isolate instead of any other form because of the lack of taste or flavor.

2. Broad Spectrum

Hemp Oil Extract starts with full spectrum crude. Further extraction processes on this crude will result in cleaner (less taste, less plant material) distillate. It’s possible to create what is called Broad Spectrum by targeting the specific compound of Δ-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and removing it as the rest of the compounds “pass through” and become part of the cleaner distillate. This effectively makes the product almost a full spectrum, but is missing the THC, the key compound which is associated with the “high” from marijuana. Keep in mind, you cannot get high from hemp products if they are within the legal limits of THC. This is why Broad Spectrum is very popular for many in school, law enforcement, transportation and workplaces where THC is forbidden.

3. Full Spectrum

When Hemp is extracted, the first form is typically crude. By it’s nature, this crude extract is full spectrum as it contains all of the extracted spectrum of cannabinoids from the hemp plant. This does mean that the extract may contain a trace amount of Δ-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and it may contain more than the legal limit, depending on the strain and extraction. As long as the extract is from a legal industrial hemp plant, it’s legal in all 50 States under the US Farm Bill of 2018. Legal full spectrum crude is often further distilled to remove the chlorophyll and other plant material from the extract. This results in a less “hempy” tasting extract. Most products prefer the second pass of distillate to ensure for suitable taste and higher cannabidiol levels. Some of the lesser-processed hemp oil extracts result in very earthy (some would say skunky or even dank) tasting products. There’s no clear advantage other than cost of production to having a single pass distillate vs cleaner distillates full spectrum hemp oil extract.

Hemp Oil extract, whether is’t in the Isolate, Broad Spectrum or Full Spectrum form is helpful to the human body due to the presence of the endocannabinoid system. This system works with plant-based cannabinoids, called phytocannabinoids, to regulate and manage various aspects of our health.

A purified form of the Isolate of Cannabidiol (CBD) is now used in an FDA-approved drug called Epidiolex. This drug is used to help manage the symptoms of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients two years of age and older. These are both forms of epilepsy. Although not approved by the FDA, people have been using forms of hemp, including those with higher THC, to treat epilepsy and other conditions for many years. These conditions include anxiety, pain, fibromyalgia, MS, and others. Whether or not these treatments are effective remains anecdotal at present. Industrial hemp is being tested for many medical uses currently and it’s likely that we will find more uses for hemp for health in the near future. It’s important to note that there are no allowable patents on natural products. This means a drug company would have to alter the original compound or combine it with other compounds to essentially create a man-made product which would be allowed for patent protection. This is one reason why many people believe the pharmaceutical industry is against the use of natural products resulting from Industrial Hemp (and other forms of cannabis).

If you’re seeking to remain clear of all forms of THC for job purposes or some similar reason, it’s best to attempt to offer your body as many of the helpful and often therapeutic cannabinoids as possible. This is why people should first consider a Broad Spectrum, without any THC, as a natural booster to health and as a possible agent in reducing discomfort from pain or anxiety or a host of other conditions. When “popping” on a drug test is a high risk, some of the cannabinoids may be detected by some testing processes as THC or “general cannabinoid” and would cause issue for some people. In these cases, an Isolate or avoiding all forms of Hemp Oil Extract would be preferred. If you can, you may consider asking for special consideration for isolated CBD or broad spectrum, when possible. Some employers are lenient as long as they know that the concentration of THC is minor or nonexistent with most people who use Broad Spectrum or Isolate CBD.

If you’re seeking to eliminate discomfort from pain and boost your responsiveness to fighting discomfort from anxiety AND you’re not going to have a drug test in your future, it’s a good idea to consider the trace amount of THC in the Full Spectrum products as beneficial. NIH published studies confirm that THC and other cannabinoids are beneficial as natural agents and within other compounds to combat pain.

Choosing the Best Hemp Oil Extract Product

When you’re already able to choose the form (full spectrum, broad spectrum, or isolate), then you’re going to be far more prepared to select the best product for yourself. The hemp products industry has been keeping the prices of simple isolates relatively affordable for everyone. Although there are some players in the industry who are preying on those of use who are “just learning”, nearly all reputable vendors of CBD products are keeping the products very fairly priced. A good rule of thumb would be to drop the zero in the total milligrams of an isolate product to get the street price or reasonable market price of the product. For example, a 200mg to 250mg one ounce bottle of hemp oil extract drops (Isolate CBD) should cost no more than $20 to $25 (see where the extra zero in the milligrams was dropped to make this easy?).

When it comes to broad or full spectrum, there’s a bit of a finer line in the price of the products. Each of these typically cost upwards of 1.25x to 3x the price of a comparably sized isolate. As an example, a broad spectrum product (no THC) from Kalki in 250mg has a retail price of $29.95. These can be purchased at many trusted stores for full retail or a bit less, when on sale. Finding these products for the price of an isolate is more difficult as the isolates are very simple to manufacture while the others require more effort. Some manufacturers have more expensive marketing or higher levels of quality and these too will increase the price of the product. However, these more expensive products also tend to be backed by more transparent guarantees for quality and service (even returns). You’ll seldom find this level of quality management from the lower priced isolate brands or vendors.

To find the best product for yourself, it’s often best to combine the two considerations 1) form of hemp oil extract and 2) price or budget. You can always consider other options such as gummies, beverages, vapes or similar. The majority of hemp oil extract products sold still are drops. Keep these in mind as you shop around for your best new source of relief from discomfort thank to industrial hemp.

Posted on January 15, 2020January 15, 2020 by David Pratt Carter

It’s not the Wild, Wild West when it comes to CBD

The CBD industry is sometimes called the Wild West. But it's not

We find the reports all through the web. You look online and search for CBD or Hemp or similar and check the news sites. You can find discussion of CBD just about anywhere. Why is CBD so popular all of a sudden?

CBD is a Natural Product

Let’s consider the source: Hemp. CBD is short for Cannabidiol which is a constituent compound most often found within the Industrial Hemp (cannabis sativa) plant. It has a close cousin, often called marijuana, which has far more THC than CBD in most strains. Since the hemp regulations currently only allow for 0.3% total THC (the psychoactive compound found in ‘weed’), you can rest assured that you’re not likely at all to get a high from enjoying the benefits of CBD or the Industrial Hemp plant.

Since many products containing hemp are minimally processed, they are often considered to be a natural product. We often see the term “botanical supplement” when referencing hemp products. Although the FDA is adamant about not allowing the term “supplement” or “Diet Supplement” on anything hemp, people do understand and appreciate many ways in which hemp products have helped them cope with various health aspects simply by ingesting small amounts of hemp products.

CBD May Help With…

There are plenty of anecdotal statements on the benefits of CBD and related cannabinoids on peoples’ health. In fact, some have also been validated by the US Government with the FDA approval of Epidoliex, a seizure management drug which has CBD as its main ingredient. Many people have tried CBD prior to the approval of this drug with success in the management of seizures beyond the Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome patients.

Carnival barkers may now exclaim that CBD cures pretty much everything including cancer. But, let’s not run down that path so quickly. While it’s true that CBD is a great component for just about anyone’s medicine cabinet, the studies are still needed to validate what diseases and treatments are best for CBD.

Using CBD on Your Own

Many enterprising customers have already jumped on the cannabis bandwagon with CBD and cannabinoid products to improve their health. We’ve had customers stop by for reasons of:

Anxiety
Stress
Depression
PTSD
Fibromyalgia
Multiple Sclerosis
Neuropathy
Sleeplessness/Insomnia
Lack of Focus
And yes, even cancer

While your family doctor may cringe when you tell them you’re taking CBD for something, many are now jumping on board the CBD train. Doctors in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough are actively sending their customers to Carolina Hemp Huts to pick up salves and drops of CBD to alleviate discomforts that may not be so readily addressed with conventional Western pharmaceutical products.

If you or any family member (including the furry ones) have the need for a hemp product, please be sure and consider the resources available at the Carolina Hemp Hut stores.

Editor’s note: A primary care physician should be consulted before taking any supplements. No one other than a doctor should provide medical advice. This article is not intended to include medical advice, nor should it be interpreted as such.

Posted on November 14, 2019 by David Pratt Carter

How does CBD Help with Insomnia?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the main cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Cannabinoids interact with our endocannabinoid system, which helps our body maintain a state of balance and stability.

How can CBD help with insomnia?

CBD decreases anxiety and pain, which can both interfere with restful sleep. Those who experience sleeplessness, or have trouble staying asleep, are often anxious about aspects of their waking life or anxious about their poor sleep patterns. By reducing certain symptoms, it’s also possible that sleep may improve.

According to the Mayo Clinic, insomnia can be caused by mental health disorders (anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression) or physical conditions, such as chronic pain. Those are conditions that CBD may help.

Note: This post content was written by Lani Rowe, Healthy lifestyler. CBD user and investigator.

Pain, which may also cause sleep problems, can be helped by CBD as well. A 2018 review in Frontiers in Pharmacology noted that there’s a fair amount of evidence to support the claim that CBD soothes the pain. The authors note that by reducing chronic pain, CBD can improve sleep.

Other research tells us that CBD affects the sleep cycle. Research from 2014 looked at four patients with Parkinson’s disease. It found that CBD improved the symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a disorder in which a person acts out their dreams. RBD is associated with poor sleep and nightmares.

A 2019 retrospective case study in the Permanente Journal carried out at an integrative medicine and psychiatric clinic investigated the use of CBD for anxiety and sleep. Twenty-five of the 72 patients surveyed reported poor sleep as a primary concern, while 47 reported anxiety as a primary concern.

At the first monthly assessment following the beginning of CBD treatment (25-175 milligrams per day), 66 percent of patients experienced an improvement in sleep, while 25 percent experienced worse sleep. At the two-month mark, 56 percent reported an improvement in sleep compared with the previous month, while 26 percent reported worsening problems associated with their sleep. The patients demonstrated a more sustained response to CBD as a treatment for anxiety than sleep and experienced a more marked reduction in their anxiety than their insomnia.

The authors also noted that the CBD was well-accepted and well-tolerated by the patients in the study, with minimal side effects.

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Posted on October 24, 2019October 24, 2019 by David Pratt Carter

USA Today: Ask Google about CBD – Get Results

USA Today recently covered CBD and how much it’s being searched on Google. Rest assured that the popularity of this wunderkind of cannabis compounds is not slowing down as far as online popularity.

If you perform your own research, you’ll find plenty of articles from the mass media outlets and, better still, from the academics studying cannabinoids. Even though we’ve been aware of the cannabinoid THC for many years, the popularity of it’s cannabis cousin, CBD, have been only recently propelled into the spotlight.

Like any other mainstream health fad and product, CBD has been marketed by both kind-hearted businesses and unscrupulous vendors. Some selling the hemp-derived compound in various forms to help people address symptoms and conditions such as:

Epilepsy
Anxiety
Pain
Sleeplessness or Insomnia
PTSD
ADD/ADHD

Smart vendors of the products infused or created with CBD know to speak of the abatement of discomfort from these conditions and never lay claims that CBD is a cure for anything directly.

Through the decades, we’ve encountered plenty of health-related product fads. Some of these were based on solid science while others, such as the “Toning Sneakers” and “balance bands” (shilled by the huckster CEO from CBD company called PrimeMyBody, Paul Rogers), were merely tools to separate people from their money while making them think they’re getting a benefit.

How does CBD stand in this?

As far as research goes (as provided in the many Google search results from NIH and related health studies), CBD or Cannabidiol and other Cannabinoids are showing that, for the most part, they’re doing something positive for health from a number of fronts. How effective the various products are really amounts to a small series of questions that need to be asked by consumers:

Where is the product sourced?
Does the product have reliable third party testing results with their products?
Do you know how many milligrams of CBD you should be targeting for your particular health condition?
How much legal THC is in the Product?
Is the product Full Spectrum (does it have THC?) or is it an isolate (isolated with only CBD)?

The smart money is on producers of CBD that is sourced within the United States. This means the hemp is harvested and goes through extraction or isolation in the USA and not imported from China or Europe. While there are many good products available overseas, hemp is one crop that you should scrutinize well before purchasing hemp products. The big reason for this is products should have a COA (Certificate of Analysis) which takes form typically with total cannabinoids being graded. But, good COAs also include Heavy Metal and Pesticide testing. Can you imagine buying a 1/4 ounce of radioactive Chernobyl dank weed on sale for $20? Sounds like a bargain, maybe. The hemp plant is notoriously good at removing contaminants from the soil. If you’re importing CBD products made with foreign grown hemp, you’re not easily able to get the testing results you’d need to be assured that the product is responsibly sourced.

Further, the COAs provide you with a solid understanding of the spectrum of cannabinoids in the product. Most COAs will indicate the total percentage of (dry weight) CBD within a product. Let’s say you’re examining a bottle of CBD water soluble drops from Hemplicid. You see that the total Cannabinoids for the container is 49.848 mg/ml. This means that there is about 50mg of total useful CBD and CBD related cannabinoids (excluding the fun cousin, THC) in each milliliter (or typically one dropper) of CBD oil from that bottle. More specifically, the total percentage of CBD is 4.97% (total percentage of CBD based upon the dry weight).

When you’ve checked the data on the COA, you’re more apt to discover whether you’re really taking a super small dose of CBD or you’re taking one adequate to address your particular health concerns. Reverting back to the COA sampled above, we understand that the particular product had 49mg of CBD (rounded down) per dropper from the 1500mg bottle. Since a bottle typically holds 30ml of CBD with the 1ml dispensing dropper, you’re likely to get 30 total doses out of the 30ml bottle (about one ounce).

Let’s say you ran into an old friend who you’ve not seen in years. They’re bubbling over their new business venture: They’re selling Hempworx CBD. The price of the 500mg bottle of Hempworx CBD oil is $69 plus shipping. Your friend tells you that this is the best CBD, hands down. Doing the quick math on the investment for CBD from Hempworx, you’re able to find the value at $0.14 per milligram of CBD before shipping cost.

Comparing the cost to a certified organic CBD oil (we’re trying to stick to Apples to Apples comparisons here – Hempworx is not certified organic, but they claim to be organic), we can place Hempworx head to head with Nature’s Love. The price of the 500mg bottle of Nature’s Love CBD oil is $40 plus shipping (but shipping is free if you use a promo code with Carolina Hemp Hut). Running the math for this you’ll find $40/500mg=$0.08/milligram of CBD.

We’re not claiming superiority of CBD product here, but the math becomes a bit easier for consumers to appreciate once they pull together the answers to the key questions.

Back on the COA, we can see whether the THC (not the THCA) is under the legal limits in your State. In North Carolina, we’re required to maintain our product inventory with less than 0.3% of total THC (by dry weight). We are strict about maintaining this compliance as well as making sure we do actively stock LEGAL products with trace THC since THC has been shown to be very beneficial to health (see above pubmed studies).

Finally, you’re going to be better off comparing the snake oil products from China and unscrupulous vendors (they’re a dime a dozen and popping up in Facebook and elsewhere) before you invest any money. An example of one of the known slimier sellers on the web is one that pops up frequently with MANY different names. They set up a UPS Store mail box in Las Vegas or Chicago or similar, create a website and start creating ads on Facebook and Google searches (against the policies of both). These ads stick around until enough people complain to the platform management. When this happens, they just change the name and launch a new website with a new Post office box in some big city.

Here’s an image from one of the slimier sites:

The team at Carolina Hemp Hut has been working with authorities and industry leaders to ensure that all products offered under the Carolina Hemp Hut and Hemp Oil Rockstar umbrellas are above-the rest when it comes to product quality, strength, price/affordability and availability.