This editorial spotlight was contributed by Direct Cannabis Network
For 15 years the Emerald Cup has been showcasing Northern California’s premier cannabis destination while advancing the concept of sustainable, outdoor farming. Its reputation is firmly solidified as the largest, most respected, organic, outdoor, cannabis competition in the world.
In this editorial series, DCN had the opportunity to speak with each of the first place winners to showcase who they are, their mission and what it takes to compete in one of the industries most respected cannabis events.
Meet OM Edibles
Om Edibles is all female owned and operated, except for a few guys that work with them. They have been creating cannabis products for over a decade under proposition 215. They are entirely passion driven and motivated by their love and connection to the cannabis plant. They believe that Cannabis is a superfood, something that you can use all parts of, and they also believe that when Cannabis is combined with other super foods and nutrient dense ingredients a superior product is made.
Maya Elisabeth, CEO of OM Edibles
The Interview
DCN: What is the mission statement behind OM Edibles?
OM Edibles: We believe that Cannabis is a superfood. Something that has health benefit and healing properties in every single part. We also believe that when Cannabis is combined with other super foods, healing herbs, and nutritionally dense ingredients superior products are made. We believe you get out what you put in and our products are only as good as the ingredients are used to create them. We believe in the medicinal value of all parts of the plant and that the high is just a side effect, desired by many but not by all. Cannabis miracles are real and we are grateful to partake and provide them for people. Each one of our products is an Opportunity for self-care, relief, and relaxation. That is our form of activism.
DCN: OM Edibles placed first place in the CBD topical competition with the Rose Geranium Bath Salt! How does it feel?
OM Edibles: It Feels amazing. The Emerald Cup is the most near and dear to my heart as it honors full sun and organic cannabis. Also, myself and Om was born and raised in the bay area, Northern California, which makes this competition especially important to us.
DCN: Let’s talk about this product, what is your favorite thing about this Rose Geranium Bath salt? Who would you say could benefit from using this specific topical?
OM Edibles: Cannabis baths deserve a category of their own. A whole new way of consuming! Far beyond a traditional topical and totally different than an edible. I’ll be totally honest with you; it has to do with the colon and absorption. For ladies, there’s even another method of absorption through the Yoni. That combined with every part of your body being touched at once and the feeling of buoyancy, with the benefits of the magnesium in the Epsom salt, along with skin beneficial oil‘s, therapeutic grade essential oil‘s, and of course Cannabis!
Basically the whole experience is miraculous. Such a magnificent cure-all and a very beautiful way to consume. No chance of a bad high, but a very deep relaxation. These salts are incredibly helpful for people who are dealing with pain, anxiety, insomnia, depression, post work out soreness, dermatological issues, muscle spasms, inflammation, and so much more. The government patent for cannabinoids is for anti-oxidative properties and neuroprotectant properties. Antioxidants cancel free radicals and free radicals cause illness and wrinkles.
There is a total beauty aspect along with the salts. I encourage people to leave the oil in their hair and skin overnight for the most benefit! The blend of oils that we use is miraculous for the skin. Apricot kernel oil contains B 17, something that has been known to kill cancer. Avocado seed is so moisturizing for your hair and skin! Jojoba is a miracle in itself, known to take away scars and deeply heal the skin and erase fine lines. Argan for the hair and skin leaves the skin so soft and smooth! We also use the salt as preventative medicine because every day we are exposed to environmental toxins and harmful rays we have no choice but to be subjected to. We use Cannabis as a protectant to keep all harmful things away. Cannabis hydrotherapy provides more of a full body experience and if you haven’t done your self the favor of trying when yet I highly encourage you to do so! An affordable act of self-care that brings unlimited benefit. Couples also thank us for them.
Cannabis has a gentle way of lowering inhibitions without encouraging regretful behaviors. Many times it’s what people need to relax their mind a little bit and get to their body a little bit more. We have them available in five different flavors, and actually, our lavender salt took second place in the general topical category! A very big year for our cannabis-infused Epsom salts.
DCN: What other products do you carry?
OM Edibles: We make about 20 different products. Ranging from Edibles to topicals to tinctures. We have a CBD raw cacao (also a first-place Emerald Cup winner), six different elixirs to choose from, A beautiful balm (Lion Balm), A beautiful assortment of vegan Gummis, Olive oil, body oil in three flavors, Epsom salts in 5 flavors, and our Icey Stick.
DCN: OM Edibles has been around since 2008, your company like many other cannabis industry pioneers have faced many changes, what has it been like building a compliant company?
OM Edibles: Compliance is intimidating and expensive. I thank great spirit every single day that the winds have been blowing in our sail. I feel it’s an honor to walk this path and I try my hardest to stay focused and in a place of gratitude so I can keep moving forward. A lot of success with compliance has to do with bringing together the proper team. I know for example that I’m not the person to be dealing with METRC (the States track and trace system). That will be someone’s full-time job! So delegating what you can’t do, doing the best for what you can, and focusing on the task at hand. That’s what we are doing!
DCN: OM Edibles takes pride in developing products that are consistently healthy, effective, and enjoyable, can you share more on why this is so important?
OM Edibles: Cannabis is unique because it can be consumed in so many different ways. Each Way provides a different healing benefit and experience. What other medicines in the world taste like chocolate? The culture that we come from has learned to enjoy all of the creative ways Cannabis can be consumed. That’s what our culture was built on! Why not make it the best that you can? If you’re going to infuse an oil choose an oil that is already healthy! If you’re going to use sweetener try your best to use a sweetener that is better for you than the rest. We have found that the better ingredients we use, the better products we create, and it’s no secret. We really do get out what we put in! There’s just no need to make it taste bad or unhealthy; we have the world at our fingertips!
DCN: What does OM Edibles have in store for 2019?
OM Edibles: 2019 is all about growth and stability. We are focused on maintaining our quality as we steadily grow and providing a workplace for people that feels good. We care more than just about the products that we make, and our levels of success are measured in all directions like how happy our employees are. We don’t see any limitations in the future, we are calling in success on all levels!
DCN: DCN is a business to business digital news network, giving a voice to cannabis startups, and sharing the stories of entrepreneurs in this industry if there was one piece of advice you would like to share with the new entrepreneurs who are coming into this industry, what would you say?
OM Edibles: If you’re new to our cannabis culture, please do your best to learn a little bit about where we’ve come from and how We have emerged. So many people that work with the plant want to be respected and acknowledged. This culture has been going on for hundreds of years and just because it had to emerge in a gray market doesn’t mean our cultural values are not still valid.
For everybody old school let’s keep setting an example of how things can be done and for everybody new, please do your best to respect the culture and values that we have. Most of them come from our respect and love for the plant and people trying to be safe in a gray market. Understanding that and acknowledging can take you so far. Just showing an effort to be respectful to the people that have paved the way can take you so very far. My other piece of advice is if you don’t already consume cannabis, please try to consume Cannabis in every single form before you start serving it. Even if you just have a tech platform. You should know what you’re serving to people. That would involve eating too strong of an edible, using a topical, taking a bath, using a suppository, taking a dab, smoking a joint, taking a vapor hit, rolling a joint, trimming a pound, and helping somebody to give them compassion.
Cannabis is powerful and consuming too much can be quite a humbling experience. I encourage every single person who desires to work with this plant to be humbled by Cannabis so they can find out two things- One: consuming too much Cannabis can be very uncomfortable and intense, and two: after about eight hours you’re perfectly fine, hungry, and probably enjoying a great movie and laughing your head off. I want people to be humbled by Cannabis intentionally so they can understand that it’s the safest medicine in the world and also very powerful.
I promise you if you go through the small initiation you will have greater respect for the plant then you could imagine and it will make you a much better person of service in the Cannabis realm.
DCN: Thank you for taking the time to share more about OM Edibles. Congratulations again! Before we let you go is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
OM Edibles: Thank you for the opportunity! We want to say thank you. We are incredibly grateful and continuously blown away by the opportunities that I’ve been given to us. We are thankful for Cannabis and for all the freedom fighters that have paved the way.
To learn more about OM Edibles visit www.omedibles.org
Stay tuned for our next Emerald Cup Spotlight.