Go to The Source: Spokane company creates, sells CBD

Sometimes it only takes a handful of lotion to begin to change your perception. Shaun McHenry, owner of The Source CBD in Spokane, sees this often, especially after he and Manager Reeno Walsh discuss the potential health benefits of hemp-based CBD products. “We give people a little lotion and ask them to rub it on any spots where they may be feeling pain – they start to feel good, and now our foot is in the door,” he said. “Soon they’re in here wanting tinctures and other products, and bringing in their friends.” Along with helping people reduce pain, McHenry also finds it satisfying to remove some of the stigma, uncertainty, or confusion about hemp/cannabis products. The Source CBD creates tinctures, topicals, infused water and a variety of other craft CBD products derived from cannabinoids, which are natural compounds found in hemp plants. They interact with receptor sites in the human body to regulate and stimulate certain functions promoting equilibrium in the body. Hemp plants grown today are bred specifically for their unique medicinal profiles, rich in cannabinoids and other natural healing compounds. Terpenes, flavanoids, and other minor cannabinoids are responsible for each strain’s unique smell, favor and benefit. “We specialize in the major and minor cannabinoids and how they interact with each other,” McHenry said. “We try to put together the different pieces of the puzzle to find what works best for each person.” How did you get started in the industry? I’ve been working with and studying CBD products for almost seven years. This location used to be the Eastern Washington Cannabis Marketplace, and we worked with more than 5,000 medical marijuana patients a year. We had some of the greatest cannabis minds around collaborating about techniques and sharing relevant info with each other. CBD was always the most fascinating cannabinoid to me, hitting so many receptors in the body, and regulating imbalances, which can be so destructive in day-to-day life. I’ve had the opportunity to see the whole evolution of the industry. A lot has changed, and a lot is changing, and I try to stay on the cutting edge. What products do you make? Besides CBD products, we have isolates of Cannabigerol (CBG), which works mainly on receptor sites in the immune system. We infuse it in lotions, tinctures, and concentrates. We also just started working with Cannabidivarin (CBDV) which is known to reduce seizures and can help with diabetic issues. We make everything here in our labs using ultrasonic homogenization and high shear mixing equipment which lets us combine cannabinoids and terpenes with various carrier oils. What kind of customers do you have? Because awareness of CBD is increasing and the stigma is disappearing, our customer base is very broad. We’ve seen firefighters, teachers, nurses, military, pretty much all walks of life. The most interesting case I’ve seen was a gentleman who came in with a facial twitch, stutter and severe depression. He tried the crystal isolate, which is refined hemp oil, and he reported back that as long as he takes the isolate every six hours, he no longer suffers from the twitch or stutter, and his depression has been reduced greatly. Part of helping people is just knowing how CBD works in the body. We start with our professional opinion of what combination might work best and adjust up or down after a consultation. We’ve treated dogs, cats, parrots, horses, even a lizard! How do people know what they’re getting in their CBD? CBD is really on the tip of everyone’s tongues, but they may not know much about it. Lately what we’ve been doing to educate people is going to area senior centers. Reeno has been doing group consultations for the last year-and-a-half. We have reached many people, including some who don’t know how to Google or have the capacity to research all the data themselves. Some are not in good health, which can cause depression and anxiety, so our visits deliver valuable information. Our first class had 30 people, and some come back monthly. Our recommendation, if you’re looking for CBD, is to find someone with a good track record and years of success helping people. Reputation is important! What’s next for The Source? I want us to be a pinnacle of CBD knowledge for the community. We’re planning on starting a hemp farm in Michigan in 2020 which will grow proprietary strains. I enjoy looking for the best plant sources, and I also look for reputation, quality and third-party testing.