Grower Stories #68: Anthony Bear
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A Holistic Approach to Healing: An Interview With Anthony Bear of Plant Medicine Company Bear Blend
Starting out of a passion for clean, green, healing medicine, Anthony Bear turned his tiny organic farm full of vegetables, flowers, herbs, and chickens into a massive cannabis industry brand focused on overall wellness. Bear Blend’s unique and spiritual approach to what they do is just one thing that sets them apart from their competition. #growerstories
Anthony Bear : I do not consider myself a part of the cannabis industry. I am not only loyal to one herb in the plant kingdom. I worship them all. My path towards plant medicines began with the soul. Coming out of college I was an extreme idealist and philosopher. Although I had a certain talent for mathematics and sciences, I was more drawn to religious studies. Much to my parent’s dismay, I spent my post-graduate days meditating and reading Buddhist and Christian scriptures. I decided that I would only pursue a vocation that felt completely aligned with my spiritual path. As such, the only job that could come close to meeting my lofty ideals was farming, and I became an organic farmer — vegetables, flowers, herbs, and chickens to start.
I worked for a brilliant farmer who had a whole library of soil science and botany which I read and reread all summer long. It was then that I realized that we are only as healthy as our soil is. I became infatuated with healthy soil, composting, worms, fungus, and the cycles of plant biology. This led me to starting an organic farm with my brother in Southeastern Ohio where we unknowingly moved into a neighborhood of brilliant medicinal herbalists and herbal sanctuaries. The next summer I had the honor of meeting so many brilliant herbal teachers like [tooltip title="Paul Strauss" content="Herbalist and expert on botanical medicines."]Paul Strauss[/tooltip], [tooltip title="Tis Mal Crow" content="Native American root doctor and herbalist."]Tis Mal Crow[/tooltip], [tooltip title="7Song" content="Herbalist and director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine."]Seven Song[/tooltip], and [tooltip title="Rosemary Gladstar" content="Educator, activist and founder of Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center and Botanical Sanctuary."]Rosemary Gladstar[/tooltip].
I have been studying herbs ever since. Whatever ails you, there is an herbal treatment. And wherever you are walking on earth, there is usually some plant around you that can provide nutrients and sustenance. The plant kingdom is vast and limitless and our knowledge of it is infantile. The cannabis movement is now ushering in a new herbal renaissance which is inspiring so many people towards herbal awareness. Our products are right in the middle of this revolution as a sort of bridge between the tobacco ceremonies of the old and the joint smoking ceremonies of the new.
Tia : How did you start the brand?
Anthony : For years I had worked with herbs as a sort of passion and a hobby. At one point, a Native American herbalist told me about the traditions in his tribe, the Muscogee. All of the shamans and medicine people would have their own special smoking blend. I began learning about all the different herbs that had been traditionally smoked and eventually I created my own smoking blend. For years I had only made the blend for myself, but one day when I was out on tour as a musician one of my friends commented that I should really start selling it because everyone loved it. Another friend of mine made me a label and I started making the Bear Blend at festivals — always selling out. Eventually, I put together - a booth, a banner, and more varieties and herbal blends. And before you know it, we had a brand.
Tia : What has been the biggest challenge your brand has faced so far?
Anthony : Many people are afraid of herbs. In fact, we have found that people are more afraid of herbal medicines than they are of chemical and pharmaceutical medicines. When you think of poisons in nature, most people think about plant or fungal poisons. The truth is, however, that poisoning from a plant is actually very very rare, while poisoning from chemicals or pills is way more common. Our biggest challenge is in getting people to be open to trying plant medicines. But once they do, they always realize that there is nothing to be scared of.
Tia : Tell us more about your ceremonial blends. What makes them so special?
Anthony : Indigenous peoples all over the world and in almost every culture and region on this planet used some form of an herbal sacrament in the ceremony. Some cultures made teas. Some made smoking blends or burned herbs as incense. So there is nothing too unusual about our ceremonial blends. We are only reminding people of something innate and universal to the human experience, something that we have sort of lost touch with.
Tia : How do you fertilize your plants? Are those methods dependent on which strain you're working with?
Anthony : All of our blends are 100 percent certified organic by [tooltip title="Oregon Tilth" content="Certifier, educator and advocate for organic agriculture and products since 1974."]Oregon Tilth[/tooltip].
Tia : Do you have any issues with selling all your products? (Due to COVID-19 or any other issues?)
Anthony : Our sales have actually grown since the pandemic started because we are primarily selling online and direct. Also, many people have heard stories that mullein and wormwood can actually help the body and lungs prepare for the infection. On top of that, many of our customers are tobacco or other smokers trying to find a way to quit or transition to something that is a little more healthy after reading reports that smokers are at higher risk.
Tia : Due to COVID-19, have you seen demand for products like pre-rolls and gummies increase?
Anthony : Yes. Although we do not sell gummies.
Tia : What goes into your “Rolliez”? Do you add something specific?
Anthony : The Rolliez are made with our proprietary herbal blends hand-packed into Organic Raw cones.
Tia : What is your personal cannabis experience? Do you consume cannabis yourself? If so, how?
Anthony : I was a long-time habitual cannabis smoker. I no longer partake nearly as often as I used to — down to about once a week at the most. Cannabis was a part of both my creative and spiritual journey for sure. It definitely opened my mind and heart up to an awareness of something bigger. These days, I find cannabis to be a powerful medicinal herb that I use sparingly for digestion, relaxation, and pain relief.
Tia : You also have Organic Herbal Chew for sale. What are the specifics in creating those and how much time it usually takes to create one?
Anthony : Our chew is made in a proprietary process which I cannot disclose. The chew is not like a tobacco chew that you may be familiar with. This is sweeter like an herbal candy and the herbs can be very relaxing and softening. We highly recommend that you give it a shot if you can.
Tia : Please name three brands (THC/CBD) in your state that you follow the most, and why? Which three brands on the national level earned your interest/respect?
Anthony : I don’t really follow THC/CBD brands that much to be honest. I am more of an herbalist. Three Brands that I watch are Traditional Medicinals, American Spirit, and anything by [tooltip title="Paul Edward Stamets" content="US mycologist and advocate of medicinal fungi and mycoremediation."]Paul Stamets[/tooltip].
Tia : If you could ask any of those brands you admire one question what would it be?
Anthony : Thank you for what you have done to help the world maintain awareness and appreciation for plant medicines. Do you want to try some of our blends?
Tia : If you could change one thing in the cannabis industry what would it be and why?
Anthony : Cannabis is too high in THC. It has been bred to be too strong and overpowering because humans love to get intoxicated. I think this has made it a little bit too strong for newcomers. It would be like after the legalization of alcohol if the only booze you could buy was [tooltip title="Everclear (alcohol)" content="Grain alcohol brand, known for its high alcohol content."]Everclear[/tooltip]. There are some other varieties now that have an equal blend of CBD and THC. I think more effort should be put towards creating a diversity of strains that are a little more balanced.
Tia : What do you see as the major trends in the cannabis industry?
Anthony : Edibles are a major trend because they are easier to control the dosage. Also because people don’t want to smoke. But I think that it creates a sort of distance between people and their medicine. We encourage people to use only the raw herbs and to touch them and feel them. People are way too familiar with over-processed foods and medicines, but in my opinion, this only allows people to stay a little bit divided from the natural world.
Tia : If you could smoke with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
Anthony : Paul Stamets
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Thank you so much, Bear Blend team, for taking the time to do the interview. To learn more about them, head on over to their website.
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