San Antonio Takes a Leading Role in CBD
The 2019 Essex Modern City Festival has officially closed out with its awaited event filled with music, live murals and a food/vendor showcasing their talents to San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, May 11, 2019. The festival was held for four days and consisted of live art, music, and community events to discuss topics that are important to San Antonio; including business supporting Cannabidiol (CBD) products. Rick Martinez, the founder, and CEO of Green Seed Cannabis Co. moderated “Turning a New Leaf: San Antonio Takes a Leading Role in CBD” on May 10, 2019, to showcase a sample of local entrepreneurs who are working to normalize CBD use in Texas and showcase what San Antonio is doing to contribute to the CBD industry. Each shared their unique compelling story and background to why they started selling CBD products, and what it has done for their lives and business. Representing themselves at the event was none other than San Antonio Sensi Magazine, Emjayzehemp, and Flora & Fortitude.
Before jumping into the introductions and coverage, note that Rick Martinez is also @weedtoknowbasison YouTube and Instagram. He is an explosive force in advocating, educating, and ending the stigma around cannabis in Texas. He is active on social media and hosts a podcast dedicated to helping cannabis-based business owners take their businesses to the next level. He recorded the hour discussion during the event to distribute at a later time. Subscribe to his social media pages for updates for when it drops!
Meredith Keller represented San Antonio Sensi Magazine. @sensimagazine is a Denver based lifestyle publication that has a progressive editorial stance around the changing landscape of cannabis. Surprisingly enough, Sensi Magazine has decided to base a branch in San Antonio and plan to have their publications out in this city September 2019.
Meredith stated that most cannabis and CBD companies have a hard time getting out to the public. She explained that Seni takes the opportunity to introduce products in an edgy way to a receptive audience that is open to being the wave of reforming consumer-friendly ideas. She said that “Sensi readers tend to be progressive and educated regarding cannabis products so they are open to hearing about it.” By taking that angle, Sensi has an opportunity to share products, events, and lifestyle topics to deliver the public the best information possible.
“Sensi readers tend to be progressive and educated regarding cannabis products so they are open to hearing about it.” – Meredith Keller, San Antonio Sensi Magazine
Amos Lozano is the CEO of @EmjayzeHemp. EmjayzeHemp is a 100% Hemp company based in San Antonio. The Ninja Warrior is passionate about using renewable materials and changing the landscape of how hemp products are packaged in the industry.
The conception of the idea for his company began back in 2009 and started actively building EmjayzeHemp in 2016. “I knew that there was going to be a need for it”, he said, “I wanted to have a product on the shelves the day the laws allowed it and it is was a matter of time before it happened”. You can now find his products in most shops that sell CBD products in San Antonio.
Matt and Ellyn Dixon of Flora And Fortitude have been in business for themselves for about two years but only recently started adding CBD to their products about 8 months ago.
Matt Dixon co-founder of Flora & Fortitude, @floraandfortitude on Instagram, the company’s behalf, serves as the business and creative portion of Flora & Fortitude and made sure to emphasize that his wife, Ellyn, serves as the brain behind the beautiful caramel creations the company sells along with their cold brew coffee.
Ellyn, a nutritionist, always puts a heavy emphasis on quality over quantity, organic and humanely produced and raised food. That idea carries into the couples passion for quality, homemade and unique foods, and into their marketing and business practices as a startup.
Matt’s objective to lure in customers is through the beauty of his marketing. “I want people to be attracted to us, walk up to our table, and then learn that it’s a product that contains CBD.” This approach creates customers who are charmed by the brand and its beauty and allows CBD to become an afterthought. Their creations can be found in most places that sell CBD products in the San Antonio area.
During the live discussion, it was clear that each of these individuals is passionate about CBD and what it will bring to San Antonio’s community and Texas. When posed with the question about how they plan to combat the stigma around CBD products, they all agreed it’s about educating the public about what CBD is and how to use it. Amos, while lighting one of his pre-rolled joints, added that he could easily sum up how he is fighting to end the stigma “head-on”.
“I’m not your normal guy. I have long hair, and I’m here smoking a joint in public.” He expressed that once people smell or see what he is doing, they want to talk to him about it since Texas is still a state where there are legal repercussions to having possession or selling products that are not CBD based. By being open about his usage, he invites a conversation allowing people to ask questions about CBD and give him an opportunity to educate about the uses of hemp within society.
At Emjayze, we face things head on – Amos Lozano, CEO of EmjayzeHemp
As this industry evolves, people are constantly wanting to figure out what their role in the evolution of CBD and hemp. Whether a creator, business owner, simply enjoy consuming products, or have no interest in the consumption but want to get involved in the benefits of hemp for consumer goods, it can be daunting to figure out where to start the process, Matt offered sage advice to anyone trying to solve that equation: What are you passionate about and how can you add hemp to it?
For him, the answer was obvious, adding it into the caramels he already sells. All he had to do was add one ingredient and he already opened his market up to a new audience. “Think about what you already do, add that one ingredient, now you can have an impact”. However that evolves, whether supporting brands that sell hemp consumer products, using reusable products or educating yourself about what influence hemp can have on the country and what medical CBD has done for so many individuals around the country. Everyone has an opportunity to shift the narrative to hemp and what it can do for the planet.
What are you passionate about and how can you add hemp to it?. – Matt Dixon, Flora and Fortitude
Texas has the opportunity to be leaders in the industry due to the capital it already possesses through its agricultural resources. Additionally, Rick highlighted that San Antonio is a military city, therefore has favorable circumstances in which to use CBD to support the veterans within the community.
San Antonio is taking a leading role in normalizing CBD in Texas. Anyone can look around San Antonio and find that more individuals who love how CBD improves their quality of life and can feel it working. There still is a need for shops, brands, art studios, and anyone who enjoys a good conversation about hemp or CBD, to hold events educating the public by providing information about CBD and who they are as a brand in order for hemp products to become widely accepted as normal among Texas; However, it is clear to see that these wonderful individuals are building that acceptance culture to end the stigma associated with hemp as they pioneer in the frontier of CBD.
These are just some of the wonderful people around Texas who are involved in the CBD movement. Check back at my socials for updates, highlights and how individuals work to destigmatize the CBD industry.
Texas Cannabis Today amplifies cannabis education and voices in Texas. For more cannabis, hemp, and CBD lifestyle news, follow Texas Cannabis Today on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and subscribe HERE for our cannabis newsletter.
