Jessica Bates, Founder of Moon Mother Hemp

Photography by Jennifer Skog

What were you like as a young girl?  What did you dream of becoming?

Even as a young girl I was interested in wellness and herbal medicine. I dreamed of becoming a doctor for years. It wasn't until my teen years that I began to dive deeply into herbal medicine and my true path started to become clear. 

Describe yourself in three words.

Compassionate, Loyal, Committed

Can you share your Cannabis journey with us?

My journey with cannabis began when I was 13 when I smoked my first joint. It was a full-on love affair for me from then on. This resulted in many years of mental, emotional, and spiritual expansion and self-exploration. Although mental expansion and recreational use have their own therapeutic nature, I didn’t begin exploring the physical therapeutic properties of cannabis until I was approaching it as a plant medicine from an herbalists perspective in my mid-20s. When I started studying the physical benefits of cannabis, everything truly changed in my relationship with the plant. After years of working with the plant personally and in my practice I began incorporating hemp-based CBD into my line of herbal remedies and topicals. The shift from Moon Mother Medicinals, my former herbal remedies company, to Moon Mother Hemp Company, happened swiftly and organically as my clientele became aware of the benefits of CBD and the demand for those particular products grew. With the growing demand for high-quality hemp products, our company continues to grow and so does our team of dedicated cannabis lovers. My thirst for knowledge about this powerful plant is unquenched still after years of studying as scientific studies have only just touched on the plant’s capabilities. My partner and I live in service to the plant, the soil, and the earth as we work to bring cannabis normalization to our greater community and society and will continue to do so until the plant is free and so are all of its users.

How is Cannabis involved in your daily life today? Have you always been open about consumption & advocacy?

Cannabis consumption, cultivation, and advocacy are all a part of my daily life. My entire family uses cannabis in one form or another including supplements, topicals, and inhalation. I have always been open about consumption and advocacy. Being from the midwest, this has closed some major doors for me and in the past has caused me issues but I have always stayed true to the plant and the doors that were closed to me due to my advocacy just kept me on my path. 

What led you to pursue a career in cannabis and why did you choose hemp over THC products?

My partner and I have been in the cannabis industry in the private market for many years in the form of caregiver & cultivator as well as incorporating cannabis as an herbal remedy in my herbalist practice. We have been working with the cannabis plant in one way or another for at least 15 years so it is only natural that we would continue to do so. In Colorado, THC cannabis must be grown indoors and the carbon footprint of the industry is very high. Two years ago we decided to work with the hemp plant in order to free the plant and bring our cultivation outdoors under the sun and moon where it belongs. Being free to cultivate in the open Rocky Mountain breeze and soil with snowmelt and sunshine has changed our relationship with the plant forever for the better. 

What is your core mission behind Moon Mother Hemp?

At Moon Mother Hemp Company, we are committed to providing the highest quality and purest CBD wellness products possible. We are also committed to doing so in an environmentally responsible, sustainable manner. Our full-spectrum hemp oil supplements and botanicals are made from USDA certified organic hemp grown in Colorado. Every ingredient in Moon Mother’s tinctures and topicals is organic and carefully selected to support healing and wellbeing for body and mind.

How important is sustainability to you?  What are some things you do that you think makes a big impact on our planet?

Sustainability is everything to Moon Mother Hemp Company. Each piece of packaging from our product boxes to brochures is carefully chosen to be 100% post-consumer material and Forestry Alliance approved. Each box that goes out from our fulfillment center is packed using sustainable materials including post-consumer and compostable packing materials. We use water-activated paper tape to cut down on the plastic in the world. Our farming practices are certified organic and include sustainable practices such as crop rotation and using cover crops to protect the soil. 

What products are people loving?

Our bestselling products are our Peppermint 1000 Mg Tincture, Muscle Balm, and Glow Skin Serum. 

How have you introduced hemp with your little ladies?  What are their favorite products to use?

We have introduced hemp to our kids and often use the Dream Balm on their feet and legs. Using the Dream Balm before bed is an amazing ritual to settle the entire family and it is especially effective for growing pains on little legs. 

What are some ways you like to spend your free time?

My favorite ways to spend my free time are gardening, creating herbal remedies and spending time in nature. There is nothing that truly recharges my soul like having bare feet in the dirt on the forest floor or swimming in the ocean.

What are the biggest challenges you are faced with today?

The biggest challenge we are faced with at this time is the effects on the industry of the Covid-19 virus. All of our events have been canceled where we would normally meet with buyers and press and it has slowed the momentum of our business as well as many small businesses across the country. 

What exciting future plans do you have with Moon Mother Hemp?

We are excited to be planning a fall harvest field trip in collaboration with some amazing cannavists in the community as well as a Parenthood and Cannabis panel this summer featuring some knowledgeable speakers! 

What's your favorite Quote or Mantra?

"Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet." Tich Nhat Hanh

Anything else you would like our readers to know?

We always like to take a few minutes to recognize the activists who have come before us and have paved the way for legalization and safe access to cannabis and to recognize the families and communities directly affected by the war on drugs and those who are STILL incarcerated for cannabis possession. 

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