This article is brought to you by Canna Hemp, crafting CBD products with organic, botanical ingredients.
The legalization of cannabis has brought a lot of new players into the industry, but some people have been doing the work for a long time. Alternative Medicine Association (AMA), the first licensed cultivator in Nevada, grew from years of experience providing relief to customers.
Several years ago, Chris Rebentisch, the CEO of AMA’s parent company 1933 Industries and founder of AMA’s sister CBD-focused company Canna Hemp™, lost everything in the war on drugs—but it was his commitment to cannabis’s life-changing properties that inspired him to keep moving forward. He remained in the industry to bring the most effective, consistent cannabis to those who need relief.
(Courtesy of AMA, Canna Hemp)
“It’s about providing hope,” he says. “And that comes from my own pain that I had to go through to get to where I am today.”
With all the information he needed to start building an empire of cannabis brands, it was only a matter of time before AMA’s methods led to something new.
Cannabis innovation sprouting from the roots
Rebentisch has been in the business for a long time, and he knows his flower. But AMA takes just as much care in its extraction methods for its batter, crumble, distillate, shatter, and vape pens.
“We take the time and base our research on both anecdotal and scientific information. We know that if consumers take our product and it doesn’t work, we failed,” says Rebentisch.
AMA found that hydrocarbon extraction provides the best concentration of both cannabinoids and terpenes, so he developed a careful extraction method that leaves extremely low residual solvents far below the state-mandated maximums. The key, he says, is staying slow and steady.
(Courtesy of AMA, Canna Hemp)
“Just like anything in life, you get out what you put in, and it couldn’t be truer than for the extraction methods used in cannabis,” he says.
The method AMA uses starts with hand-sorting the flower, paying attention to feel and smell. Then it’s processed with low levels of heat. Regular agitation and rotation release the hydrocarbon while keeping the good stuff in. Then the material is tested again.
“We do it the right way. We take our time. We never cut corners, and we scrutinize every aspect of the process,” Rebentisch explains. “We hold ourselves and our product to a high standard.”
After assessing what he could do in the national CBD space, including the same extraction methods and similarly high-quality products, Canna Hemp™ was born.
Creating a CBD brand for the masses
Canna Hemp™ came along while Rebentisch was winding his way through the legal system. He wanted to keep providing quality cannabis to people without bringing THC into it the equation, due to its highly debatable legal status. A lot of CBD companies promise an everything-but-THC product, but like with AMA, Rebentisch planned the products extra carefully.
(Courtesy of AMA, Canna Hemp)
To help his products stand out and achieve the entourage effect, he created TerpFX™ proprietary cannabis-derived terpene blends formulated to mimic cannabis strains. The terpenes are blended with cannabinoid isolates to get just the right amounts of not just CBD, but CBG and CBN as well. And since Canna Hemp™ products featuring TerpFX™ have no THC, they are safe to ship across state lines while still helping consumers achieve the entourage effect.
“We’ll ship it to some rural town in Montana that we’ve never shipped to before,” Chris says. “And then two days later, we get two or three more orders, then a week later we get 10 or 15 orders from the same small town. It’s cool when that happens because we know that word of mouth continues to be our best marketing tool.”
And when it comes to getting the word out about their brand, Canna Hemp™ is already excelling.
Education as a means of cannabis customer connection
(Courtesy of AMA, Canna Hemp)
Rebentisch credits 1933 Industries president Ester Vigil for creating an edifying cannabis retail model that resonates with cannabis consumers. Vigil comes from the cosmetics world, where teaching customers how to use the products is just as important as selling them. One of the greatest ideas she has brought to the brand is its team of brand ambassadors.
1933’s brand ambassador team holds multiple pop-ups a day at dispensaries and CBD stores to teach people how to select the best cannabis products and how to use them, while their education team works directly with retailers so they can pass the intel along to their customers.
“We’re not a brand you carry on your shelf,” explains Rebentisch. “We’re a partner that helps you sell our product.”
The program has had a significant effect on stores and customers alike.
“When we say we’re going to come in and do a pop-up or an event with our brand ambassadors, our partners know that there’s going to be increased interest and more chances to sell their products. They gain more consumer intrigue and trust because our products are there, too. It really helps signify what each brand is about,” he adds.
A CBD brand created with love and compassion
Rebentisch is excited that he can provide the high-quality, consistent products that he’s worked so hard to create for thousands of people to enjoy. Today, AMA provides a robust line of flower, resin, wax, and distillate in a variety of strains, while Canna Hemp™ has products, ranging from vapes and dabs to topicals and an award-winning Relief Cream, specifically designed to promote calm, euphoria, focus, relief, and sleep.
Rebentisch sums it up when he says, “the products were developed the way they are because I have so much love for what cannabis can do. That’s what gives Canna Hemp™ it’s heart.”
