By Brandy Garner
My journey into the hemp industry didn’t start with a business plan. It started with two close friends battling cancer — one enduring the pain of her illness, the other navigating the side effects of chemotherapy. Both were desperate for relief but skeptical of the options available to them. When one of them asked if I could create a pain cream she could trust, it sparked something in me.
As a psychiatric nurse on Chicago’s South Side, I’d spent my career focused on helping others. But this request sent me in an entirely new direction. I dove into research and holistic medicine, determined to provide my friends with something safe and effective. That determination eventually grew into a mission to help others experience the benefits of hemp-derived products, including CBD.
Today, I’m the proud owner of Brandy’s CBD, my own business rooted in integrity and care. And my store has become a hub for wellness in a neighborhood too often overlooked.
With a hemp license from the state in hand, I partnered with labs to ensure rigorous testing for purity and quality, creating products that my family, friends and community could trust. Beyond our storefront, our products are now carried by 10 other retailers across Chicago, and we’re expanding to other states.
That’s why I wholeheartedly support Ald. William Hall’s proposed ordinance to responsibly regulate hemp in Chicago. Clear and meaningful regulations are long overdue. While hemp was made legal under federal law in 2018 under the Farm Bill, the absence of state and local guidelines have left small business owners like me operating in limbo, waiting for officials to act.
Worse, some state and local proposals would ban local hemp retailers entirely, handing over control of our industry to large, deep-pocketed marijuana corporations.
This would devastate small businesses like mine, especially those in disadvantaged neighborhoods. It would stifle economic progress in areas that desperately need investment and limit consumer access to the products they’ve come to trust.
Chicagoans deserve both safety and access when it comes to wellness products. That’s why my store goes above and beyond with our safety standards, only admitting customers who are at least 21 and ensuring that every product undergoes thorough testing for purity, dosing accuracy, and proper labeling. We also educate our customers and provide access to Certificates of Analysis for full transparency.
While there certainly are bad actors in this industry, the vast majority are upstanding operators who, like me, are eager to pay taxes, follow regulations and contribute to the economy. Responsible hemp regulation will give Black-owned businesses like mine a second wind, allowing us to thrive and reinvest in the communities we love.
For me, hemp is more than a business – it’s how I’ve continued my mission to help others by offering wellness solutions that improve their quality of life.
With thoughtful regulation, we can protect consumers, uplift small businesses and ensure that families like mine, and communities like ours, can continue to thrive. Let’s keep hemp as a lifeline for the many Chicagoans who, like my friends, benefit so much from having it available.
Brandy Garner is the founder of Brandy’s CBD, located in Chicago.
The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Chicago Defender.