Clark hopes to paint a clearer picture of hemp and CBD oil
Zedrick Clark, a certified natural health professional, spoke at his inaugural workshop on hemp and CBD oil, attempting to explain the benefits and the difference between hemp and marijuana.
For decades the stigma created with hemp and in particular the cannabidiol oil it produces has been hotly debated because of the relationship with marijuana.
Zedrick Clark, owner of Nature’s Blessings, is hoping to inform people about the value of hemp as a viable cash crop that would be ideal to grow in this area and be totally unrelated to marijuana.
With the recent passing of Senate Bill 57, a bill that decriminalizes hemp and paves the way for the development of a new hemp industry in the state, Clark said hemp, which was a major cash crop in the nation until the 1920s, has been demonized because of its relationship to marijuana.
However, he said now that Ohio has made it legal to grow the crop again, the opportunity for area farmers to grow a useful product has arisen.
“It is exciting because this is creating an interest because hemp can do some positive things that other products can’t,” Clark said. “We are just beginning to realize all of the benefits of CBD oil.”
Senate Bill 57 allows Ohio farmers and university researchers to grow industrial hemp and legalizes the sale of hemp-derived cannabidiol oil, or CBD. The Ohio Department of Agriculture will administer the newly created hemp program.
The legislation allows for cultivation of hemp as long as it contains less than 0.3 percent THC, the cannabis compound that gives marijuana its high. It would be regulated by the state.
Ohio is the 47th state to regulate hemp. The Ohio Farm Bureau has predicted it will become the state’s third-largest crop, behind corn and soybeans.
In recent years research of CBD oil has shown it has many benefits including easing pain, inflammation and arthritis; increasing cognitive functions; reducing headaches; providing relaxation and helping with sleep disorders; weaning people off of alcohol and opiate addiction; and helping people with obsessive-compulsive disorder issues and those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Research has shown that people are getting positive results from the use of CBD oil in a lot of different ways,” Clark said.
Clark, a certified natural health professional, spoke to a room full of people at his inaugural workshop on hemp and CBD oil, attempting to explain the benefits of hemp and CBD oil and the difference between hemp and marijuana. He said while he is looking forward to passing along valuable information on hemp and CBD oil, there are still many avenues left to be explored with the passing of Senate Bill 57.
“There are still lots and lots and lots of gray areas because it is such a new product,” Clark said in reference to CBD oil.
One of those issues is the amount of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the psychoactive property in hemp, that will be allowed in any product.
Unlike other cannabinoids such as THC, CBD does not produce a euphoric “high” or psychoactive effect.
Clark also talked about how some companies will promote hemp oil yet have very little actual CBD oil in them.
While Clark promoted the benefits of CBD oils, he also warned that because so little is known about the product because it is fairly new, the most important thing to remember is purchasing it from a reputable source.
“With any and all supplements and herbs in addition to CBD oil, you need to make sure you are purchasing them from a reputable source,” Clark said. “Hemp companies have just started in the last two or three years, so there isn’t a long history there.”
He said Nature’s Blessings teams up with Trace Mineral Research and Solaray Brands, both companies that have been in business for more than three decades.
“Integrity matters,” Clark said. “I don’t think everyone should be making CBD, selling it or even taking it. It should be in health food stores and pharmacies where people better understand it.”
While CBD may be sold legally at stores now, Clark warns against stopping in at gas stations or convenience stores to make a purchase.
“I think this should be left in the hands of people and companies who understand its use and purpose,” Clark said. “One of my main goals is to educate people to better understand the many benefits of CBD oil and to clear up the misunderstandings between hemp and marijuana.”
Clark said hemp is able to aid in medical symptoms. It also is a hearty crop that can be used to make clothing, paper and many more products.
Clark believes the legalization of hemp in Ohio will have a profound impact on the farming and agricultural community. The challenge will not be in growing it, but in transporting and processing it.
“There are a number of steps that go into growing hemp that go far beyond simply growing it,” Clark said. “There are three different markets for hemp. You have fuel, fiber and medicine that we will see being used on a much bigger scale. It will be a little while until Ohio figures this out because there is a lot of confusion right now.”
To learn more about the benefits of CBD oil or to explore the growing of hemp, Clark may be emailed at Zed@naturesblessingsonline.com or called at 330-403-3277 or stop to talk in person at 4860 E. Main St. in Berlin.