Dear Friends,

Several Fridays ago, I tuned into a live-stream conference at the National Center for Complimentary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). The conference speakers reported on their research into the properties of full-spectrum hemp, under the title Exploring the Mechanisms Underlying Analgesic Properties of Minor Cannabinoids and Terpenes.

Homestead customers may not know much about NCCIH. It was formed in the late 1990’s as interest in holistic health became mainstream, with a mission to turn a scientific eye to alternative medicine. One of the agency’s top scientific priorities in 2020 is to explore non-pharmacologic management of pain.

Pain from arthritis, low-back injury, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, joint wear and tear, sports injuries, osteoporosis, and other inflammatory conditions affect millions of Americans. Pharmaceutical treatments like opioids are addictive, over-prescribed, misused, and dangerous. These two factors have converged, pushing high-powered researchers to compete for National Institute of Health grant funding to find solutions.

NCCIH has set its sights on CBD and the “minor” cannabinoids and terpenes and is supporting grant applications to study all components of the cannabis plant except THC, with particular interest in CBD, CBG, CBN, and an array of Terpenes. These compounds are found in Laura’s Homestead Alternatives full-spectrum CBD and are likely more potent when derived from hemp grown organically, as is the USDA-Certified Organic hemp used in Laura’s Homestead Alternatives CBD products. The plant-based combinations are NOT found in products made with CBD isolate.

With its focus on cannabinoids, NCCIH says that natural products such as willow bark are sources of compounds which can be developed into pharmaceuticals, in the case of willow bark, aspirin. As I watched the live stream and listened to investigators from well-regarded universities, it became apparent that much of the interest was in exploring natural compounds which could be isolated, the process patented, and then synthesized in a laboratory.

Among seminar investigators there was no doubt that CBD and the minor cannabinoids showed benefits in alleviating pain. In other words, full-spectrum CBD was the ticket. Many of the university researchers were in the “pain field,” and talked confidently about the “mouse grimace scale.”

The upshot of the seminar, which I embrace, is there exist complex interactions and synergistic effects within the family of cannabinoids and terpenes. This is why I have insisted that all Laura’s Homestead Alternatives CBD products are made exclusively from full-spectrum, organically- grown hemp from my Mt. Folly Farm. As research progresses, we’ll be sure to keep you up to date.

Laura Freeman Signature
PS – Who drew the Mouse Grimace cartoons? My husband Bill, a former Green Beret who is behind the Mercantile’s Veteran’s program. As Veteran’s Day approaches, please let veterans in your life know about our discount program. All this week, we are increasing our Veteran Program discount by 10%! Bill swears by extra-strength Laura’s Homestead Alternatives CBD and the travel menthol lotion for his many aches and pains.