Grandma Went From Christian Minister To CBD Evangelist, Entrepreneur

The cannabis world is full of unlikely conversion stories, like that of former Speaker of the House John Boehner, who went from being overtly anti-cannabis to being a voice for the legal marijuana industry and an advisor to one of the largest weed companies in the U.S. today, or that of former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who opposed legalization during his presidency but now sits on the boards of a couple cannabis companies.

One such conversion story is that of Joy Smith, a grandmother who went from preaching the Lord’s word as a Christian minister, to preaching the benefits of pure CBD as a hemp entrepreneur.

“I’ve always had a passion to see people healed and to help them find their purpose,” Smith said in an exclusive interview. “Being a minister was a natural result of this passion; and so is leading a CBD company. I have the distinct honor of seeing lives transformed and people truly stepping into their potential because of what CBD has done for them.

Minister to CEO, believe it or not, was a very natural transition for me.”

Getting Into CBD

Joy first tried CBD by recommendation of her son, during a time where she has having issues related to sleep and chronic pain. At first, she was very hesitant, but ended up taking the leap after conducting enough research. “The relief was almost immediate and I became an instant convert.”

Following that great experience, Joy decided to start digging into CBD in detail and started testing diverse products containing the much celebrated chemical compound found in hemp and cannabis plants. It quickly became clear to her that the CBD industry was pretty much of a “hit or miss” industry. “Some products worked and others didn’t. I was also victim to some unscrupulous companies.”

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Assuming many others had had similar experiences, Joy set out to create a company that not only provided the high-quality CBD, but one that also incorporated “radical transparency via stringent third-party testing and then making those results available.”

Joy Smith - Picture courtesy of Joy Organics

The goal was to reach those who could greatly benefit but might otherwise be skeptical to try CBD, she said.

Christian Cannabis?

Knowing about Joy Smith’s past as a Christian minister, one might wonder: what do religions say about cannabis?

Joy quickly brought up a few religions that consider cannabis a sacred plant.

“Many other religions find issues with things like THC or alcohol, which can alter one’s mental state,” she said. “But I haven’t heard any well-informed, anti-CBD sentiment that is founded in religion, especially considering this compound in particular lacks those potentially negative psychotropic effects.

For me and my faith as a Christian, whether or not to use a plant that God created to help heal my body seemed like an obvious decision.”

However, Joy clarified that her personal focus is entirely put on CBD and hemp, not marijuana. Having said this, she acknowledged “there’s much to be explored regarding the medicinal benefits of the plant and how to maximize them.” “Cannabis has been safely used for health and wellness for thousands of years, and we’re just beginning to discover the nuances of how all 113 cannabinoids affects the human body. It’s an exciting time to be in this industry now that the stigma is being erased.”

Organic Joy

With all of this in mind, Joy, her husband and one of her four sons, co-founded Joy Organics, a Colorado-based CBD company. The company manufactures and sells pharmaceutical grade, full-spectrum phytocannabinoid-rich hemp oil, which is THC-free and rigorously tested by third-party labs.

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In addition to selling their products online and white-labeling for other brands, Joy Organics now operates three brick and mortar stores.

Picture courtesy of Joy Organics

One of the biggest challenges for Joy Organics, however, still lingers: education. “What I see is that a lack of education, and even misinformation, impedes many people who could greatly benefit from CBD from seeking out this natural alternative. It’s a shame but understandable. When I see so much capacity for good in this plant, it’s difficult to understand why so many want to impede access. This is our biggest challenge but the amount of advocates in this space, including the medical profession, reminds me that we’re not alone in this fight. That’s encouraging and makes me believe it’s just a matter of time before we see CBD products used in the same way as vitamins.”

In her opinion, the current lack of clarity in FDA regulations is not serving the industry and, more importantly, consumers. As it stands now, the guidelines focus mainly on marketing and disallowing CBD in to the food supply chain, she noted. This results in consumers being left to fend for themselves.

“I’m hopeful that the FDA creates industry standards so consumers can have confidence in what they’re purchasing and using. Once everyone is operating from the same playbook I also think we’ll see real innovations in the space to maximize what the plant has to offer,” Smith concluded.

Spanish version: Joy Smith: la Abuela que Pasó de ser Pastora Cristiana a Emprendedora de CBD

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This article was originally published on Forbes, and republished here with permission.