Grower Stories #106: Bridget May

Our Talk With Bridget May From Green Bee Botanicals About Their History and Products

The AskGrowers team sat down with Bridget May from Green Bee Botanicals to talk about some of the leading products that the company makes and also about its focus on medical cannabis. Bridget May also gives some crucial tips for anyone looking to create a new cannabis-related brand, tells what her favorite strains and products to use are, and why she’d like to go back in time to smoke some weed with her high school peers. #growerstories

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I’m a botanist, chemist, artist, environmentalist, activist, and entrepreneur — not necessarily in that order. My biggest focus these days, when I’m not creating lotions and potions, is what to do to heal our planet and the people, and plants, and animals on it. I think about it a lot and I know we humans are going to have to get creative to make it work.

I realized at some point that I was never going to do a good job of healing others until I healed myself, though. It’s still a work in progress, but I’ve learned how to let go of feeling overwhelmed by paying more attention to the present moment. All we really ever have is just this moment, after all. Even the past and the future are only really experienced by us right now, in the present. It’s kind of interesting to think about it that way, isn’t it?

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Tia (AskGrowers) : What inspired you to get into the cannabis industry?

Bridget May : I didn’t smoke much when I was younger because I’m an ultra-lightweight and it was always hard for me to dose myself successfully. But when I was introduced to CBD, I finally found a blend of THC and other cannabinoids in strains like Cannatonic that helped me with anxiety and sleep. I was really intrigued! I started researching the science and discovered there was so much more to the plant than just THC and getting high. The science behind the endocannabinoid system really blew my mind — and made me obsessed! — and I started experimenting with extractions and recipes for topicals and tinctures. My friends, who all loved my formulations, insisted that I bring it to market.

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Tia : How did you start Green Bee Botanicals? Tell us your origin story!

Bridget : Green Bee Botanicals was really founded in my kitchen while working full-time in the biotech industry. I earned my degrees in botany and biology in school and I’m a self-taught herbalist. I’ve always believed that herbal medicine has been underutilized in our society.

My first job out of university was in the scientific field, in pharmaceutical medicine. Later, I worked as an analytical chemist with a biotech firm using microalgae to develop renewable biofuels, bio cosmetics, and sustainable bio nutrition — including an alternative to palm oil. This project was really important to me because the palm oil industry is wreaking such havoc on the environment. Unfortunately, the company, like many tech companies, did not succeed.

I learned a lot at these jobs and got a ton of experience, such as complying with FDA requirements, quality control, and GMPs (good manufacturing practices) but my heart always remained with plants. I was inspired to return to my studies of Western herbalism and alternative medicine.

Learning that the human body has a natural endocannabinoid system with receptors that bind perfectly with phytocannabinoids (THC, CBD, and the other cannabinoids in cannabis) surprised and excited me so much; I had found the secret — and the proof! — behind why cannabis is good medicine.

My immediate health concern at the time was my skin, which was getting drier and more delicate. So, I experimented, tested, tried multiple combinations, and finally succeeded in making a cannabis moisturizer for myself and my friends that we all love.

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Tia : Do you present your brand as a sustainable company? If so, what do you do to maintain this internally?

Bridget : We do our very best to be as sustainable as possible. We use sun-grown cannabis for our formulations (we are thrilled to be partnering with Sonoma Hills Farm in Petaluma) and most of our ingredients are organic and sustainably sourced. The only time we don't use organic is if it's unavailable. Another one of our most loved partners is Eden Botanicals in Petaluma, a family-run business that supplies all of our organic essential oils.

Green Bee’s mission centers around quality, sustainability, giving back, and self-care. We understand the irony of a growing industry that is poised to make billions of dollars that has caused so much suffering to the lives of many — especially people of color. Even as cannabis is becoming legal in more states, there are still something like 40,000 people incarcerated for ‘marijuana’ offenses. We help fight this injustice by donating, writing, and calling our representatives, networking, raising awareness, and educating our friends, families, and peers.

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Tia : What are the specifics of your renewing serum? Do you have any specific approaches to making it?

Bridget : I wanted to make a product that not only works but also smells and feels good. So many amazing cannabis products work well but don’t necessarily smell good. I formulated our Renewing Serum for normal and dry skin, so it’s super moisturizing and loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory power. It won 1st place at this year’s Emerald Cup (woohoo!) as well as other awards and is a top seller for us. It helps smooth fine lines, even out skin tone, boost collagen, hydrate, and protect against environmental damage. It has a light, uplifting scent and silky texture and absorbs into the skin effortlessly.

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Tia : I’ve noticed you have relaxing and calming oils for massages. Besides your own product, what else on the market could you advise for beginners in the industry from other brands?

Bridget : Low-dose gummies and other edibles are a fun and easy way to ease into cannabis use. You can start with one or a half (even a quarter!), wait an hour or so, and see how you feel. I’m a big fan of Wyld gummies. Or try a beverage. Cann makes a low-dose sparkling beverage with only 2mg THC per can and they’re fast-acting, not to mention delicious.

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Tia : Do you have any plans to educate people about the proper cannabis consumption on your blog at some point?

Bridget : Oh yes! It’s so important and it’s easy to forget after being around the plant for so long that most people still don’t know the difference between THC, CBD, and CBG! Or how to find your individual dose, which can vary wildly.

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Tia : What’s your advice to the person who wants to start a cannabis-related brand? Bridget : 

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK and read the regulations. It is complicated and many times the regulations don’t make logical sense.
2. BUILD ALLIES. What has helped me the most is the information, education, support, and mentorship I’ve received from colleagues in the cannabis business, mostly women. Starting a new business is notoriously difficult, but a cannabis business, especially in California, is a rollercoaster. You need to be able to respond quickly to all kinds of challenges and having friends to help you along the way is truly invaluable. There are all kinds of social media groups out there that are full of helpful people.
3. KEEP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK. There’s a lot in the newly legal cannabis industry that can be disheartening, like label regulations changing right after you’ve spent thousands of dollars, seeing other small businesses struggle, and knowing there are thousands of people still in jail for cannabis possession. Sometimes I want to crawl back in bed and stay there. But that isn’t going to solve any problems or heal any people or make my business successful. So, every day I intentionally focus on the positive. I don’t know how anyone can make it in this business if they don’t.

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Tia : What’s your personal consumption routine? What are the top three products that you’re using?

Bridget : 

1. I just started smoking a bit more because I have this new one-hitter refillable glass pipe by Jane West that I LOVE. It has a mini chamber to catch all the smoke so you don’t lose any and it's just right to take on the go and for lightweights like me. A little flower goes a long way!
2. Green Bee Botanicals Brightening Eye Cream and Renewing Serum. I know, I’m tooting my own horn, but my skin is so dry, and now also breaking out (thanks, hormones!) and our serum and eye cream (which I put all over my face, not just under my eyes) help heal and protect my skin and keep it soft.
3. For sleep: Plus Tropical Mango 9:1 gummies These taste delicious and 1 milligram of THC is really all I need, I swear to Pink Jesus. :-)

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Tia : Your top strains to smoke? Why?

Bridget : Pink Jesus by Sonoma Hills Farm, which is Sun + Earth Certified. This certification means that it’s sun-grown, without chemicals, by workers paid a fair wage. It is a bright Sativa hybrid with notes of lavender and raspberry and it makes me feel talkative and happy while keeping my head clear. Fun!

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Tia : If you could smoke with anyone in this world, who would that be and why?

Bridget : I’d go back to high school and smoke with all the stoner kids, now that I know how to take half a puff at a time. ;)

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Tia : Are there any cannabis brands in your state you appreciate and follow? Name them.

Bridget : Other women and LGBTQ owned brands I recommend:

• Sonoma Hills Farm: Sun Grown Flower
• Garden Society: Chocolates & Prerolls
• Kikoko: Tea
• Potli: Cannabis-Infused Sriracha and Honey
• Mellows: Handcrafted Marshmallows
• OARA: Probiotic Chocolate
• Sweet Releaf: Topicals
• Cosmic View: Medicinals & Sweets
• Quim: Intimacy Oils

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Tia : What are the cannabis news in your state currently? What would you change if you could have a chance to do so?

Bridget : I would love to change the regulations around cannabis topicals so that they were not required to have child-proof packaging. It is cumbersome and wasteful for a product that is non-psychoactive. I would also free everyone still incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis crimes. Come on people!

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Thank you so much, Green Bee Botanicals team, for taking the time to do the interview. To learn more about them, head on over to their website.