When Brandon Lewis learned about the homeopathic properties of CBD products, he and lifelong friend Kyle Chong teamed up to create a hemp and CBD company that puts quality, integrity, and transparency at the center of their business model. "It's not about the money," Lewis said. "We're helping people."
What can you share about your background?
I grew up in Miami with one of my best friends whom I've known since the age of 12 — Kyle Chong. We roomed together at FSU and later started a retail wireless chain that grew to over 1,000 employees and 100-plus stores nationwide.
When did you become aware of CBD products?
I’ve been passionate about legalization, decriminalization and prison reform for years. And as a family, we’ve looked for homeopathic remedies for various common ailments. Two years ago, I was introduced to hemp and CBD at a cannabis conference in Denver, Colorado. Subsequently, President Trump signed The Farm Bill in December 2018 making hemp federally legal.
What led you to launch Aspen Green?
I was asked to get involved with a handful of hemp companies to distribute their products. And when I asked to see the farms, meet the farmers or even know where the hemp was grown, I was stonewalled. I realized that some companies don’t even know what batch is in each bottle. Hemp can come in batches from all over the country, or even oversees from China. Thus, began my journey to create a hemp and CBD company that puts quality, integrity, and transparency as the pillars of our company and our products. All the products are organic; production Is based in Colorado.
How did you choose which products to offer?
We decided to create products that we need and use ourselves that will be most beneficial for common problems like anxiety, insomnia, depression, arthritis and pain.
What are some common misconceptions about hemp and CBD products?
The biggest misconception is that hemp and CBD can get you high – it cannot. To be classified as hemp, the final product must contain 0.3% or less of THC (tetrahydracannabinol), the only cannabinoid that creates an intoxicating feeling of being “high.”
The public may not know that George Washington and Thomas Jefferson owned hemp farms, hemp was widely used for myriad products through WWII, and that quality hemp products really help people.
What kind of feedback do you get from customers?
We hear more and more testimonials every day from customers who found relief from conditions including Parkinson’s, epilepsy, arthritis, depression, anxiety, insomnia and pain. And personally, I had not found anything to help me relax in 25 years. I don’t drink, so I am elated to have found something that is non-intoxicating but helps bring a calmness to my life.
What’s your favorite thing about living in Ponte Vedra?
Ponte Vedra is a great, wholesome, family community that I found in 1998 and I love my golf so I’m never leaving.
What is one thing even close friends would be surprised to learn about you?
My friends know everything about me; they wouldn’t be surprised about anything because I’m a very transparent guy. In fact, since high school I’ve been nicknamed “Tell It Like It Is Lewis” by my closest friends.
