One may be hard pressed to avoid the recent influx of hemp cannabidiol (CBD) products and related businesses as of late, with many opening their doors within La Jolla’s (District 1) confines. Now that both houses of Congress have passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which ultimately legalizes industrial hemp production federally, one Sorrento Valley-based company, Medical Marijuana, Inc., believes that this is for everyone’s benefit. While CBD is often confused with its cooler, omnipresent cousin (marijuana), their uses and chemical makeup are vastly different. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the psychoactive ingredient present in cannabis, which can produce the high or buzzed – ultimately impaired feeling. CBD has trace (.03 percent or less) elements of THC, making the impairment factor nonexistent.  Research shows that non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as CBD are far preferable to utilize therapeutically as they avoid the intoxicating effects of the psychoactive cannabinoids. Located across the highway from La Jolla, Medical Marijuana Inc. CEO Stuart Titus and crew are already busy perfecting these products for local, national and international consumption. Within the past few years, their HempMeds subsidiary helped lead the charge on legalizing CBD in Brazil, Mexico, and Paraguay. “With the signage of the Farm Bill into law, states across the U.S. would ultimately have the ability to subsidize and mass produce hemp,” Titus said. “This would greatly benefit our locally based businesses, but also countless patients and struggling farmers throughout Southern California as well. The thousands of products made from, and the practical applications of, hemp are almost countless. Requiring no agricultural chemicals to grow, and by utilizing 1/3 of the water required for traditional crops, hemp presents an excellent alternative for farmers in drought-stricken areas.  As a rotational crop, hemp actually adds nutrients back to the soil as well, making it an ideal companion for much of our US farmland. As a publicly traded company, Medical Marijuana, Inc. and their several subsidiaries offer a wide range of both cannabis and hemp-based products and services. From CBD chewing gum to investment options and lab innovation, the publicly traded company seems to have all of their bases covered. While their laboratories, testing facilities and other industrial buildings are based throughout San Diego, including a corporate office in Poway, Titus also praised District 1’s foresight on this ever-changing issue. “We’ve been in our Sorrento Valley location since May of 2018, and couldn’t feel more welcome,” said Titus. “It truly takes a village to allow this burgeoning market to grow and we appreciate the foresight of community leaders. While this can often be a divisive political issue, this is the direction the country is headed in. Prohibition of hemp and cannabis is going the way of alcohol, with 33 states now favoring medical cannabis.”   Medical Marijuana Inc.
Where: 10525 Vista Sorrento Parkway
Info: shop.medicalmarijuanainc.com.