Medically reviewed by Katherine Golden, RN
Written by Denise Rustning
Leaf411 recently added our first supporting member from the State of Oregon—CAASI CBD!
While our vetting process is more virtual than in the past, we were impressed with CAASI founder and CEO Lori Peck’s story about why she started her company, as well her commitment to transparency throughout the manufacturing process.
(Just a reminder: Hemp-based CBD was made federally legal by the 2018 Farm Bill which allows it to be sold online and shipped to all 50 states. In order to meet the law, CBD hemp must contain less than 0.3% THC. This is such a small amount of THC that most people don’t feel any intoxicating effects from it.)
CAASI products contain CBD isolate, which doesn’t include any THC at all. Keep reading to learn more about Lori’s motivation for developing CAASI CBD, along with what makes her product different from CBD oils you might find at the grocery store.
Moving Past Stigma to Healing
Like many people, Peck was initially skeptical about anything related to cannabis.
“I bought into the stigma of cannabis. I didn’t know anything about it and hadn’t tried it since high school when I discovered that I’m very sensitive to THC,” Peck said.
A cancer diagnosis, along with several other life-changing events, inspired Peck to take a second look at CBD hemp’s potential to boost wellness. She found that it made a difference in her own life.
Based on her own experience, Peck was exploring the idea of putting together cannabis care kits for people who were fighting cancer. She began seeking out others who shared their expertise and discovered Hustle Hard: For Women Who Mean Business, a three-day intensive designed to launch female cannabis entrepreneurs. Hustle Hard has since grown into Females to the Front.
For Peck, the Hustle Hard event was transformative. “I was blown away by the amazing smart women that I met, including chemists, scientists, nurses and doctors working in the cannabis industry. Between my own experience using CBD hemp products and what I learned at Hustle Hard, I decided this was where I wanted to focus—developing clean, plant-based products that contain as few ingredients as possible,” she said.
Pivoting into Purpose-Driven Work
Peck majored in fashion design and spent years in corporate retail before launching CAASI.
“It was not my lifelong dream to be in corporate retail, but I gained a lot of experience on how to run a business. At the same time, my work lacked purpose. People don’t need new t-shirts all the time,” Peck said.
“Now, I’m doing work that I love, proving something that will be helpful for people,” she said.
Sourcing the Best CBD Available
Not all CBD is the same. That cheap bottle of CBD you find in the convenience store may only contain a fraction of the promised CBD, or it may have been manufactured using low-quality hemp.
Honest, high-quality CBD companies, on the other hand, are committed to sourcing hemp that utilizes industry best practices. They are also transparent, describing their processes and providing Certificates of Analysis (COAs) showing the results of third-party testing. CAASI is a prime example of a company doing CBD the right way.
“We start with hemp from Horn Creek Farm in Southern Oregon, where you’ll find some of the richest soil in the state,” Peck said. “They’re not FDA certified organic, but they use organic farming practices. They are just really good people.”
Sonically-Vibrated CBD to Improve Absorption
The hemp flower that Peck sources from Horn Creek Farm then goes to Scientia Labs for extraction. Transparency and scientific rigor are both central to Scientia Lab’s work.
“Scientia Labs isolates the CBD from the hemp. The CBD is broken down into a powder, and then that powder is mixed with organic MCT oils and just a few other ingredients,” Peck explained. “The challenge is that when you have oils, they don’t easily mix with liquids. That’s where the sonic vibration process makes a difference. When the product is sonically vibrated, it breaks the liquid down into nanoparticles that more readily mix with liquids, and which can be absorbed into your system much easier.”
This process also results in a product that lacks the bitterness of many CBD isolates.
Peck said, “A lot of isolates can tend to leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but the CAASI CBD drops mild enough that you can even use them in water. They’re also very versatile, since they’re unflavored.”
Partnering with Leaf411 on Education You Can Trust
“At CAASI, we recognize that education is important, especially for people who are new to CBD. We do our best to align ourselves with experts like Leaf411 who are really knowledgeable and have the professional background to answer questions about medication interactions, for example,” Peck said. “It also provides credibility for us to be able to say we’ve completed your vetting process and meet the standards for a product that a clinical professional might suggest.”
Check Out CAASI at Our Upcoming Leaf411 Learning Series Launch!
CAASI will be joining the upcoming Leaf411 Learning Series Launch on August 20, 2020, as one of the vendors in our virtual expo hall. Stop by the booth to say hello and learn more about how CAASI’s CBD drops are different. Sign up for our our Learning Series at this link: https://hopin.to/events/leaf-learning
CAASI will also be featured in an upcoming MJ Lifestyle VIP Plant Wellness Subscription Box, and will soon be available in select retail locations in the Portland, Oregon, area. Remember that you can also order trial size or full size products directly from their website.
Helping You Find CBD Products and Information You Can Trust
At Leaf411, our commitment is to you—the public. Whether you’re looking for CBD products you can trust, or medically-sound information on CBD, we can help. Call our anonymous nurse-staffed hotline for free at 844-LEAF411 (844-532-3411) or chat us from our homepage during hotline hours.
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