Family Friendly by Nature
Neil and I started Root Bioscience when we could not find a company making hemp products we could trust. We were looking for a brand rooted in science with safe and effective products that were easy to use. We expected the same consistent quality and commitment to consumer education we find in the best over the counter health and wellness products on the market today. When we could not find the company we were looking for, we decided to build it.
Our story starts in 2014 when Congress passed legislation allowing states to create industrial hemp programs. Since the term “hemp” really means nothing more than “cannabis with less than 0.3% THC,” we saw this as the first true indication that the United States was beginning to seriously consider federal cannabis reform. As lawyers with significant expertise helping businesses operate in complex regulatory environments, we had just begun representing cannabis companies in states such as California and these new laws allowed us to begin confidently building a national cannabis law practice.
Then things got personal.
Our family members began using hemp products to address conditions ranging from sleep disorders to life-threatening disease. This allowed us to see up close and personal the impact these products can have when manufactured and administered properly. Long before we considered manufacturing ourselves, we committed to ensuring our loved ones could safely access the products they need.
In 2017, we formed Sensible South, a 501(c)(4) non-profit, to advocate for state regulations that allow patients to access cannabis for medical purposes. We quickly added to our advisory board thought leaders such as Dr. David Casarett, Duke University Health System’s Chief of Palliative Care, who authored Stoned: A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana, and we went to work educating elected officials and regulators throughout the South.
As Sensible South's reputation grew, we began building relationships with executives at the top of the United States and Canadian cannabis industries that allowed us to better understand our unique opportunity to manufacture products in Research Triangle Park, home to some of the world’s top universities, health systems, life science companies and agribusinesses.
As we began to socialize our plan, we were able to put together a partnership with a group of generational farmers led by Fen Rascoe, agriculture representative on the North Carolina Industrial Hemp Commission. This ensured our access to plants with genetic traits tailored to our product lines grown by people we have known for decades who use sustainable agriculture practices that match our core values. We also drew attention from John Replogle, Jim Geikie and Celeste Lutrario, former key Burt’s Bees executives who agreed to help drive our product formulation strategy.
Finally, we built a production team that delivers a science-driven approach to the nascent cannabis industry. Plant molecular biology, biotechnology, biochemistry, nanomaterials, pharmaceutical formulation and product development are just a few of our scientist’s core areas of expertise.
Ultimately, the Root difference is trust.
We make products for our families, so you can trust giving them to yours.