Blue Ridge Hemp Review

July 29, 2020

Sometimes it’s the bad stuff that dictates how we live our lives. This is definitely true for pain, which can cast a pall over everything in our day. Chronic pain is actually the most common qualifying condition for medical marijuana, and according to a report from 2019, as much as 67.5% of medical patients receive cannabis to treat the condition. 

Alleviating pain through the use of cannabis-derived products is central to the mission statement of Blue Ridge Hemp, which takes CBD and combines “it with other ethically and sustainably sourced Terpene rich botanicals to form products that allow all people to harness the healing power of Cannabis.”

As part of this effort to ease pain, the company offers smokable CBD flower, CBD tea, tinctures, and topicals, that are non-GMO, eco-friendly, and sustainably sourced from the farms the company partners with.

Materials, ingredients & manufacturing process 

Blue Ridge Hemp takes pride in using high-quality materials that are sustainably sourced from “trusted partner farms,” according to the company. 

The ingredients are displayed on the page of each product sold by Blue Ridge Hemp. Take for instance the CBD infused salve, which includes key ingredients like mango butter, which serves as a base of the salve and menthol crystal added to produce a cooling effect. The full ingredient list includes a couple dozen natural oils ranging from oregano to black pepper to juniper berry. 

With the tinctures, the ingredients are much more straightforward — 99% pure CBD isolate, with some coconut oil added in there. 

The teas made by Blue Ridge Hemp contain dried organic hemp flower, as well as other natural ingredients such as lemongrass or ginger. 

The company says that regarding the manufacturing process, “our team has been trained in current good manufacturing practices,” and that it uses a restricted-access production facility that is inspected by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to ensure the quality of the products produced therein. 

That said, the company does not provide any further details about its facilities, extraction process, hemp sourcing, or which certifications it or its facilities have received. 

Transparency & lab results

Blue Ridge Hemp states that all of its products “can be verified authentic and linked to lab results,” but other than the lab results for the hemp flower, there aren’t any easily accessible results on the company website.

The product pages for the flower include fairly extensive lab results which include the cannabinoids breakdown, the terpene count, the amount of moisture, heavy metals, and dozens of various chemicals

The product page for the flowers lists two cultivators — “Sovereign Fields” and “4 Letter Farms.”  Both of these are based out of Oregon, which is about a 33-hour drive from Asheville, North Carolina (where Blue Ridge Hemp is based), and the famous Blue Ridge Mountains that surround the small hipstery city.

A little more access to the lab results and information about the company’s manufacturing process would greatly help transparency.  

Packaging & branding 

Bluegrass and hippies, craft brews and hipsters, mountain folks and college kids — there’s a lot that comes to mind when one thinks about the Blue Ridge Mountains — and especially when Asheville is mentioned.

Blue Ridge Hemp seems to be trying to catch a little bit of that mountain magic in a bottle with its branding, which has a vibe that says “your parents said you couldn’t be a forestry major, but you can still buy premium CBD and find a wellness regime that works for you.”

The logo shows a setting sun over a blue mountain ridge with what is either a cannabis bud or a pine tree in the foreground. It’s a great logo and actually, most of the company’s packaging wears it well. 

The company’s “Blue Js” (get it?) pre-rolled hemp joints come in a nice little tin box that’s perfect for a jaunt to the holler with a six-pack and some friends, or a dog and some CBD dog treats made by Blue Ridge Hemp.

Customer service 

If a customer needs assistance from Blue Ridge Hemp, they can reach out to the company by way of the online contact form or a phone number which is answered 9 am-5 pm on weekdays (EST).

We reached out to the brand’s customer service with a few questions and actually never heard back from them — not ideal.

Product lineup

Tinctures 

• CBD Tincture 1oz 350mg, 750mg, 1000mg CBD
  99% pure CBD in MCT oil base. Available in 350mg, 750mg, and 1000mg CBD bottles.

• Pet Tincture 1oz 250mg CBD
  Life can be ruff. These tinctures for your best friend include 99.7% pure CBD isolate on a base of extra virgin olive oil.

Topicals and skincare 

• CBD Infused Gel 2oz 200mg CBD 
  99.7% pure CBD isolate and 19 essential oils. 200mg CBD per container.
• CBD Infused Salve 2oz 200mg CBD
  99.7% pure CBD isolate and 19 essential oils. 200mg CBD per container, on a mango butter base. 
• CBD Infused Organic Hand & Body Lotion 8oz 100mg CBD
  99.7% pure CBD isolate with 200mg CBD per container, along with several organic extracts. 
• CBD Infused Roll-On Essential Oil Blend Headache & Stress 10ml 50mg CBD
  50mg CBD in each roll-on, to be applied directly on the skin for relief. 
• CBD Infused Massage Oil 8oz 100mg CBD
  Natural oils and 99.7% pure CBD isolate for those aches and pains. 
• CBD Infused Roll-On Essential Oil Blend Calm and Relax 10ml 50mg CBD
  50mg of 99.7% pure CBD, meant for chest and throat relief. 
• CBD Infused Roll-On Essential Oil Blend Muscle Care 10ml 50mg CBD 
  50mg CBD plus ginseng, essential oils, and amethyst. 
• CBD Infused Roll-On Essential Oil Blend Breathe Easy & Concentrate 10ml 50mg CBD
  50mg of 99.7% pure CBD, meant for chest and throat relief.  
• CBD Infused Roll-On Essential Oil Blend Joint Care 10ml 50mg CBD 
  50mg of 99.7% pure CBD, meant for joint relief.
• Bath Bombs
  The company sells three 60mg CBD bath bombs, all of which are loaded with essential oils.  
• Hemp flower
  Blue Ridge Hemp sells a variety of hemp flower strains in containers of 1 gram, 3.5 grams, or 7 grams.
• Hemp Tea
  Blue Ridge Hemp sells four types of dried hemp tea that include dried hemp and other herbal tea mainstays. 
• CBD superfoods
  Blue Ridge Hemp sells several CBD packed “superfoods” – including CBD-infused coconut oil and chocolate spread.

The final word 

Blue Ridge Hemp makes an easy pitch on its website — pain is bad, let’s make it less bad. Along the way, the company also offers an assortment of bath bombs, skincare products, tinctures, and even one CBD solution for the dog in your life. And many of these products – especially the tinctures, are significantly more affordable than those of many competitors. 

The company also benefits from solid branding and an online look that suggests you may be buying a skincare product, but you might also end up spending a weekend in a cabin on a commune in the Blue Ridge Mountains learning to play the banjo from a liberal arts professor who relocated from Massachusetts. 

One knock though — the company could be a bit more forthcoming with their lab results and about the manufacturing and sourcing process.