Matt and Crystal Grayson are growing their Broussard hemp farm in what they hope will one day become the Amazon of the cannabis world. The first step in your business plan is to connect those who grow hemp and produce CBD products.
The husband-wife duo sold their home just before the pandemic and moved to a more rural Broussard property to pursue their dream of cultivating and selling cannabis-derived plants and products. Your goal for Zorrillo Cannabis Co. is to create a reputable operation that connects producers, producers and customers.
“He came to me one day and said,‘ What if we get these farmers to partner with us? We help them grow. We help them process and package and sell on our platform. We help them get in. the shops. Basically, we would be the Amazons of the cannabis world, “said Crystal Grayson.
Now, with a major growth operation underway, the Graysons are preparing to open the Zorrillo manufacturing part.
The Graysons are currently being renovated and relocated to a warehouse on 103 Row 1 in Lafayette that previously housed Acme Freight Logistics. The space will look more like an Amazon delivery center than a traditional store, as it will primarily serve producers and producers before commercial products are sold online or in a retail environment, the Graysons said.
“We sell products that processors use to make their products,” Matt Grayson said. “We also sell to the consumer through the website and place custom orders, so they can come and pick it up, but most of the traffic going through this store will be my farmers and processors who will come to pick up orders for different things. . “
Matt Grayson smells of a CBD flower pot grown on his hemp farm on Thursday, May 6, 2021 in Broussard.
The Louisiana Industrial Hemp Plan was approved in December 2019 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Industrial hemp is a plant in the cannabis family that is low in THC, the compound that gives marijuana its highest level. Hemp is often grown to extract CBD, a non-augmenting chemical that is often used in personal care products or as a dietary supplement.
Louisiana hemp growers and producers are inspected frequently to ensure that plants and products do not contain more than the federal limit of 0.3% total THC. Zorrillo has permits from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, including those of contractors, growers, seed growers and processors.
The packaged CBD flower that was grown on Matt Grayson’s hemp farm is seen on Thursday, May 6, 2021 in Broussard.
Matt Grayson said he became interested in cannabis while recovering from alcoholism. He said CBD products have helped him overcome his addiction and his clients have reported improvements in a wide range of medical conditions.
“Our goal is to educate the public,” Matt Grayson said. “If you take the outlaw aspects, the stigma, it wouldn’t be great. It’s more medicine. That’s why we’re trying to work on removing that stigma so people don’t get scared.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not approved the cannabis plant for any medical use, although the FDA has approved several drugs containing individual cannabinoids.
According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there is some evidence that products containing cannabis compounds may be useful in treating certain health conditions.
Research suggests that cannabis-containing products may be useful in treating certain rare forms of epilepsy, nausea, and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy, loss of appetite, and weight loss associated with HIV / AIDS. chronic pain and symptoms of multiple sclerosis, according to the NCCIH. Studies have been inconsistent in determining whether cannabis products help control pain, relieve anxiety, improve sleep quality, treat glaucoma, reduce the symptoms of irritable bowel disease, relieve the symptoms of the disorder. post-traumatic stress disorder and decreased opioid use.
Plants grow under LED lights at Matt Grayson’s hemp farm on Thursday, May 6, 2021 in Broussard.
Dwayne Dugas, a hemp producer based in Carencro, said he overcame opioid addiction with the help of CBD products.
“I started trying CBD for my pain,” Dugas said. “I am addicted to recovering opioids and CBD has helped me with pain management.”
Dugas, who also owns a construction business, initially started growing hemp for his own use.
He now has about 700 cannabis plants on his indoor farm and is one of the growers working with the Graysons through Zorrillo.
“What I’ve found in this industry is not that everyone is honest and has character,” Dugas said. “I used to be with a different company, but Matt’s business plan and market vision stood out to me, as well as his honesty and character.”
On Thursday, May 6, 2021 at Broussard you can see CBD salvos and oils grown on Matt Grayson’s hemp farm.
As their business grows, Crystal Grayson continues to work full time and Matt Grayson has shrunk his gardening and gardening business. Your children also help with the growth process.
Dugas and the Graysons said they would one day like to grow marijuana if Louisiana lawmakers approved it for recreational use. To do this successfully, they said it is important to follow existing regulations for hemp cultivation.
The effort to legalize recreational marijuana in Louisiana went further than ever this year after an unexpected bipartisan push.
“I wouldn’t call it a trampoline,” Dugas said. “Our ultimate game is to grow marijuana, but we will not stop growing CBD once we can grow marijuana. Both have different medicinal benefits.”
Learn more about Zorrillo, named after the Spanish word for skunk, at zorrillo.com.
