Mae Bereal is no stranger to cannabis. As a teenager, she consumed cannabis to treat medical bouts of depression and anxiety. And, as a young woman, as she began having children, she sought out education on the plant as her focus turned to a more holistic way of living. Mae originally began on the THC […]
Mae Bereal is no stranger to cannabis. As a teenager, she consumed cannabis to treat medical bouts of depression and anxiety. And, as a young woman, as she began having children, she sought out education on the plant as her focus turned to a more holistic way of living. Mae originally began on the THC side of things, but now has included CBD into her lineup. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Mae regarding her role as a religious woman of color who is raising four children while running a multitude of businesses.
VEGAS CANNABIS MAGAZINE: You are not only a woman, but a woman of color, a mother of four and a woman of God. Did these things open doors for you or prove to be obstacles?
MAE BEREAL: Honestly, both. When obstacles have arisen, I have been able to lean on my faith and push forward. It is never easy to be the first in an industry to do a certain something. In being the first, you then have to pave the way. It’s a trial and error process. If you don’t have the faith in it and the passion behind it, ultimately you are going to abandon it. For me, in the beginning, walking into a room as a black woman was difficult, but it was also empowering. And it gave people that I would speak to a different perspective which they could relate to and oftentimes it made them listen. It is a good time to be a woman of color in the cannabis industry as well as a mom.
VCM: You took a leap and began introducing CBD products within your local church. How did that go?
MB: It was difficult. Having to approach something delicately while understanding that there has been a lot of misinformation. Educating people is so important. Especially people who have been influenced by old propaganda regarding the cannabis plant. I took to it slowly, listening to people’s opinions and replacing them with facts. Once people began opening up, the next step was for them to tell me what their problems were, where they had pain, and I offered solutions to help. It was an easy swap for me to replace the chemical-ridden creams with all natural, organic pain-reducing topicals that I could assure them came from a plant created by God. Once you understand where people are coming from and why they believe the way they do, you can easily give them the information they need to go down a better path.
VCM: Tell us about your own journey with cannabis.
MB: I began consuming cannabis as a teenager. As a teen, I suffered with depression and anxiety and was at times suicidal. I was introduced to cannabis, and at that time I didn’t truly understand the medical impact of the plant. All I knew was that this flower made me feel this way and removed these negative feelings. I was a patient for a while, and then, as I began having children, with each child I had, I became more and more holistic. Eventually, I wanted to learn as much as I could about the natural healing powers of cannabis – why it worked and how it worked. I wanted to help other people who were going down the same path I had gone down.
VCM: Tell us about your product line.
MB: Currently, our product line includes a Detoxing Soak, Essential Oil Rollers, Rose Gold Body Balms, Rose Body Oils, Men’s Beard Balms, as well as other products. Our Rose Gold products include 24 karat gold within them which actually has antibacterial properties. That, along with hemp-derived full spectrum CBD oil and other organic ingredients really sets our products apart.
VCM: When I received my products, I noticed there was a seeded insert which I assume is part of your sustainability efforts.
MB: Yes, each order also receives a seeded piece of paper which has information about our company and our products as well as a QR code which takes you to our website. After reviewing the information on the paper, you can plant it, water it and watch it grow into wildflowers. Our mailers are also 100% compostable. We are working towards being a zero-waste corporation.
VCM: How can readers purchase LAV8 products?
MB: Products can be purchased online at LAV8CBD.com. You can also follow us on Instagram @LAV8CBD.
VCM: What are you working on for the future?
MB: I have secured licensing in California on the THC side. My licenses include manufacturing, distribution, cultivation, and events. We are currently working on retail. My facility is at the end stages of being fully compliant. My goal was to have seed-to-sale licensing so that I had control over my products from beginning to end. This way, I am able to stand behind everything with no guesswork involved.
VCM: Anything you want to add?
MB: This month is Black History Month. And, what better month than this for me to be a black woman who has made history within the cannabis industry. The State of California sent out a press release stating that only twelve annual cannabis licenses were approved, and I was one of the twelve, yet the only one to receive a Cannabis Event Organizer License. I am blessed and honored to be named one of the twelve recipients.
VISIT LAV8 ONLINE AT LAV8CBD.COM
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