GATESVILLE, Texas (KXXV) — Some are calling it a “curve” in the industry — and for business owner Amanda Ashby, it’s been years in the making.
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One of the first health and wellness businesses in Gatesville to manufacture and distribute THC products is opening just off Main Street.
“We know where it's coming from. It's not something you get behind the H-E-B, and that’s the important part — that it’s legal,” Ashby said.
Ashby, owner of The Hemp Lady, said her mission goes beyond sales. She hopes to educate customers and create a comfortable, transparent environment for those seeking alternative wellness products.
“They like it because they don't have to go to the smoke shop. People like it because I’m educating them. I make sure they know what they’re getting when they walk out the door — versus retail packages that just sell to you, and you don’t know how it affects you,” she said.
Opening the shop hasn’t been easy.
“It's not been easy at all. We've been doing this for a few years now, home-based, and we've asked for buildings — even this one, in the very beginning — and it was a no,” Ashby said.
As new Texas laws take effect around THC, Ashby hopes to change not just how hemp products are sold, but how they’re seen.
“With the new law they just implemented, you do have to be 21 and up to consume any CBD product. Before that, there was no law. So we think it’s important to have a 21-and-up room — that way, people feel comfortable coming in if they choose to,” she said.
Ashby said recent updates also affect how she dispenses products.
“These are my jars that I dispense out of into your baggies. So, I need to make sure these are child-resistant now. That’s the only update on that part of the law,” she said.
Ashby plans to open her shop in early November.
“I believe in the CBD. I believe that it’s holistic. I believe it’s medicinal. I believe that we need it — and it’s geared toward health,” she said.
