When mbg recently spoke with industry expert Carl Germano, R.D., CNS, CDN, the author of Road to Ananda: Simple Guide to the Endocannabinoid System, Hemp Phytocannabinoids/CBD, and Your Health, he explained that he regularly sees pesticides and herbicides used to combat the slew of pests and natural predators that flock to industrial hemp crops. Aside from being dangerous for farmers and the environment, chemical pesticides could pose a health risk according to the review: “Their direct human toxicity is poorly quantified but include infection, carcinogenicity, reproductive, and developmental impacts,” it reads. More research needs to be done to determine the amount of pesticides that are considered unsafe—but the versatility of the cannabis plant complicates such research. “Unlike many of our currently regulated crops, cannabis can be dried or turned into oils, concentrating it and any chemicals put onto the plants… We don’t know how those concentrations might affect users who ingest and inhale the end products,” Janna Beckerman, a Purdue professor of botany and plant pathology, writes of her team’s recent research paper titled Cannabis3 as conundrum3. They suggest that some chemicals may be safe to spray on industrial hemp that’ll be turned into a T-shirt but not hemp that’ll become an ingestible supplement, so there’s some nuance there. The E.U. Commission is one governing body that has certified and validated hemp strains for decades, and their organic label guarantees that at least 95% of a product is organic. mindbodygreen’s hemp multi+ is one of the few hemp supplements you’ll find in the U.S. carrying the seal. In addition to being rigorously tested for pesticides in the E.U., it’s also free of heavy metals4 and mold—two other potential contaminants of industrial hemp. With daily use, the organic supplement promotes a sense of calm and well-being without the psychoactive effects of marijuana.* It’s paired with other responsibly cultivated mood-supporting ingredients including hops, rosemary, and black cumin seed for a deeper chill without the high.* You can learn more about the product here and shop around here. Emma received her B.A. in Environmental Science & Policy with a specialty in environmental communications from Duke University. In addition to penning over 1,000 mbg articles on topics from the water crisis in California to the rise of urban beekeeping, her work has appeared on Grist, Bloomberg News, Bustle, and Forbes. She’s spoken about the intersection of self-care and sustainability on podcasts and live events alongside environmental thought leaders like Marci Zaroff, Gay Browne, and Summer Rayne Oakes.
