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Blair Lauren Brown has made it her mission to “embrace the process.”
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CANNABIS CURES: THE TRUTH ABOUT CBD

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Every woman on your list needs this tantalizing kit of comfort. Relax, relate, release!
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If your mom loves glowing skin, Verte... is a perfect find. Made from all-natural ingredients,

I've talked at length about my obsessive desire (and, realistically, only part-time reality) to eliminate prescription pills from my life. Easier said than done, but hands down, the best solution I've found...

Blair Lauren Brown has made it her mission to “embrace the process.”

With the help of one of my favorite hemp based brands...I’m going to drop some knowledge + bring you the facts...

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A Moment with Verté Essentials
February 15, 2019
Blair Lauren Brown has made it her mission to “embrace the process.”

Blair Lauren Brown has made it her mission to “embrace the process.”
The talismanic jewelry designer and lifelong seeker was raised with a strong sense of compassion and healing. Trained in ayurveda, the Sadhana yoga philosophy of spirit in everything, theta waves and vibration, she hosts workshops to explore meditative and dream spaces.
Brown first became aware of the use of medicinal cannabis when her grandfather—a Stanford MD—prescribed it to her mother in the 90s as chemotherapy relief. In 2004, she helped her brother build his first medical grow. But it wasn’t until 2016 that she finally ventured into the space herself with an eye towards creating a plant medicine line infused with premium hemp extract: Just like that, Verté Essentials was born.
Here, the alchemist talks CBD, creating rituals and embracing the beauty of the journey:
Live The Process: Your grandfather was a doctor and your mother struggled with cancer—were those factors formative in your gravitation towards healing?
Blair Lauren Brown: Of course. But let’s be clear, my mother doesn’t struggle with anything! She’s an incredible model of strength, patience and presence. I think that, regardless of that positioning, my grandfather and mother were, and are, incredibly influential in all of my choices. Not only because I can now see them with reverence, but also because they were—and continue to be—excellent examples of the way you can see beauty in the world.
My grandfather was incredibly open, compassionate and worldly. He treated those who no one else wanted to treat and served his community in charitable ways, as well as continued to see his pediatric patients well into their later years. And he told the most beautiful stories with the lens of love for everything. My mother operates that way also, with more of a quiet humility. And I would hope that those influences are very clear in everything that I do.
The nature of their experiences certainly sparked curiosity in me, but, more importantly, I would say that it is the way that I was raised—and by whom I was raised—that allowed me to see all of the different opportunities for expressing compassion and connectivity, which is ultimately what I believe Verté Essentials is all about. The products speak to supporting people and the planet as holistically as possible, with the underlining integrity of minimalism and the idea that less is more; cleaner is better.
LTP: You first became interested in the power of cannabis early on. How did your involvement evolve over time?
BLB: My entree into the space was slow and calculated. I’ve been around it for almost 20 years now, but I didn’t touch it in a professional capacity because of uncertainty about how it might affect my jewelry company. So, I watched from the sidelines and took in what everybody else was doing. Two years ago, when we approached state majority, I decided it was time. I intended to maintain a slow approach, knowing that often what happens in emerging industries is a race—not necessarily to the top or for quality or a good product. So, we spent a lot of time doing meticulous research, which ultimately led us to Verté. Originally, the plan was to use full-plant, all of the molecules, THC included, thinking that we could approach best efficacy there. But, in the research, we discovered that we could do everything we wanted and more with CBD and other plant botanicals.
It’s really an extension of my life philosophy: patience and process help identify the best potential outcome.


LTP: What ultimately inspired you to launch Verté Essentials?
BLB: There is a South African word, ubuntu, which—much like “reverence”—is about honoring that which came before you, knowing that you are where you are now because of it and that it’s also a part of what shapes the future.
If I look back on the history of cannabis in our culture, I can’t help but also reflect upon and respect its history within other cultures and traditions. With my 20 years experience and knowing the incredible healing properties of cannabis, I had to create something that honors our past and embraces our future. There’s no question that it deserves its time and the reverence that every other culture in history gave it. We have the opportunity with cannabis to support health and healing, to support women in business, to support minorities that have been marginalized in the process of illegalizing and to create opportunities for regenerative farming techniques that help support all of us—in both food and health capacities.
For us, education is a priority. We believe that we can empower by virtue of getting our product out there: the larger we are as a company, the more people we can impact with a product that is far more powerful than a lot of other things that sit on the shelves. We’re not trying to be a fluffy artisanal brand; we want to reach and serve more people.
We recommend using it every day—as often as possible! Make a ritual out of it. We apply skincare and take supplements habitually. And, while habits are what they are for a reason, if you can convert it into a ritual, it feels more beautiful and empowering every time you engage with it. Don’t make it mandatory; just make it important!
LTP: What are some of your current beauty, healing and/or wellness obsessions (including a favorite product of your own)? What rituals keep you feeling balanced and healthy?
BLB: There are so many—literally too many to list. I think the most important thing is that I remind myself frequently that everything is a ritual if you allow it the space. I find myself most often now, being in Sun Valley, taking my dog for a walk at night and stopping to look up at the stars. The sky here at 5,000 vertical feet—with darkness in every direction—is immaculate. To see the sky, to really see it and feel the expansiveness of looking out into space—people have been saying it for generations, but there is nothing that makes you feel more a piece of something and connected.
And every morning I drink One World Cacao with our Rise or Elevate Vital Oil. So delicious.
LTP: What does happiness look like to you?
BLB: I feel like happiness is allowing yourself space. Because then you have room for opportunity, to explore your curiosities, to engage in a process to actualize your goals or to do nothing, if you want! To be honest, happiness isn’t really something I think about because I feel like it’s just another state of being to be present in.
LTP: What does it mean to you to “Live The Process” and how can we all do that more each day?
BLB: This is the perfect question for me! My personal motto for the last nine years has been to “embrace the process.” Fortunately, it’s now ingrained in my body, mind and soul!
It means being fully present and engaging in every piece. Keeping your eyes and ears and heart wide open to experience everything that makes it all what it is. You can’t truly listen or be informed or engage with the world if you don’t “live in the process.” For Verté, specifically, we’ve gone so far as to say that beauty is in the process. Every step along the way is what makes it beautiful.

Women's Cannabis Business Accelerator 'The Initiative,' Launches In Portland

JAN 22, 2019
Ten female-run cannabis businesses will spend three months at a Portland accelerator sharpening their business skills and getting their products and companies ready to launch nationally. The Initiative, led by Amy Margolis, began on January 7 and will work with women cannabis entrepreneurs and executives to get them ready for demo day in April. That’s when they will present business plans to potential funders... more
HERSOURCE HOLIDAY WISH LIST 
​by COURTNEYB  / NOVEMBER 30, 2018
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The holidays are right around the corner and men all around the world are checking their lists to purchase a gift for that special someone. Are you worried the socks and perfume won’t make her happy this year or just plain stuck on what to give your beloved cherub on her favorite holiday? Look no further, these are the top items our HER Source girls are secretly fawning over at the moment.
Verte Essentials Ensemble Kit
Elevate and refocus with Verte’s Essentials Ensemble Kit which contains a luxe bath soak, spray on body oil, roll-on body oil that you can carry in your bag, and a tincture in your desired experience. Every woman on your list needs this tantalizing kit of comfort.
Relax, relate, release!
www.verteessentials.com
The best CBD gifts for everyone on your list
Help your friends and family stress less, sleep better, and more
​Shelley Levitt | December 13, 2018
The breakout feel-good ingredient of 2018 is CBD. And unlike previous years’ contenders—remember turmeric, goji berries, and acai?—cannabidiol can be found in a vast array of products that are elegant enough for holiday gift giving, from chocolates to bath salts.
Before you order any CBD gifts for friends or family, though, you’ll want to know a few things about the year’s hottest wellness product. A plentiful compound in marijuana and hemp plants, CBD won’t get you stoned. Leave that to tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, for short.
But CBD shows promise in lifting your mood, relieving anxiety, sharpening focus, improving sleep, relieving sore muscles, even giving you clearer skin. This smorgasbord of benefits is possible, experts say, because CBD interacts with cell receptors that are found all over the body.
The omnipresence of these neural messengers—on the surface of your skin, in your gut, in the recesses of your brain—is also why CBD can work through a variety of delivery methods, from balms to vape pens.
Finally, laws around shipping CBD are murky and ever evolving. The bottom line at the moment is that CBD derived from hemp, not weed, is, let’s say, legalish to ship across state lines, enough so that the CBD hemp products below are available in all 50 states...
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The best CBD gift to soak in
One of the most well-studied benefits of CBD is its anti-inflammatory effect. Maybe there’s not enough CBD in the hemp extract that’s one ingredient in Verte Essentials Elevate Luxe Soak to actually trigger an anti-inflammatory response.
But fill the reusable muslin sachet that comes with each 16-ounce bottle of bath salts, drop into a tub of water, allow your body to follow, and you will, without question, emerge more relaxed, and smelling great, too. ($55 at verteessentials.com)

BEAUTY SPOTLIGHT : EXPLAINING HEMP OIL WITH VERTE ESSENTIALS

by molly hogan . / ​ MAY 2, 2018

If you’ve done any shopping in the beauty department recently, you may have noticed that CBD + hemp oil based products are all the rage. Is “all the rage” a term kids these days say or are my 90s roots showing? Anyway, I’ve seen the beauty sector explode with these types of products. And with that, I’ve heard so many misleading or incorrect claims about products containing CBD or hemp oil. With the help of one of my favorite hemp based brands, Verte Essentials, I’m going to drop some knowledge + bring you the facts about these ingredients.
WHAT IS HEMP EXTRACT?
Verte Essentials make all of their products using premium hemp extracts from some of the world’s oldest, organic + sustainable farms. Hemp extract, also known as Cannabi Diol, is an isolated molecule of the cannabis plant (yes, THAT cannabis plant you’ve been hearing so much about).
Hemp is a term used for cannabis strains that contain very low levels of THC [ less than 0.2% to be exact ].
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The cannabis plant produces something called cannabinoids, which are super similar to endocannabinoids that our bodies produce. These endocannabinoids help to regulate our our neurological system, playing a role in pain, emotion, sleep, metabolism, etc. A lack of these regulators have been linked to disease + various medical conditions!
Cannabis contains 80 different cannabinoids, including THC [ which gets you high ] and Cannabi Diol [ which does NOT get you high ]. While THC is psychoactive, Cannabi Diol is actually an antipsychotic!
AM I GETTING HIGH?
The simple answer is NO. Using hemp will not get you high. It’s also in no way illegal. Hemp oil is considered a plant based food product, and there are no restrictions on its sale, production or consumption in the US and most other countries.
There is absolutely no THC in any Verte Essential products! Yet they still have major benefits. Keep reading.
USING VERTE ESSENTIALS
​For a full breakdown of how to use Verte Essentials, click HERE.
Verte Essentials are MTC, or coconut oil, based products that can be used to achieve beauty from the inside out. Combining oils, extracts and botanicals, Verte Essentials are for tons of different topical uses.
  • ELEVATE : relieves inflammation
  • RISE : mood elevating, stress relieving
  • FOCUS : aids in memory retention + alertness
  • FLOW : increases circulation + blood flow
  • RESTORE : relaxation, balance

CANNABIS CURES: The truth about cbd
June 2018

by Ashley ross / cosmopolitan magazine

12 CBD Gifts For the Mindful Mom This Mother’s Day
April 17, 2018 
by THE HERB SOMM

Mother's Day is just around the corner. Instead of purchasing the ordinary present, surprise her with something special that promotes full-body wellness. Some of our favorite gift options include products that contain healing cannabidiol (CBD). If you haven't heard of CBD before, it is a powerful cannabinoid that is derived from hemp and cannabis. Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive and is used to help treat many different ailments as well as soothe the body, mind, and spirit. CBD is also a very important cannabinoid that significantly benefits women's health by reducing inflammation, alleviating aches and pains, relieving cramps, and balancing hormones.
Just in time for the holiday, we've rounded up our favorite CBD items that will help Mom feel radiant on Mother's Day. Keep in mind that a few of these products are available only in states where medicinal and recreational use is legal, but the majority are gifts you can order online. Read on to discover 12 exciting CBD products that are perfect for Mom....
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If your mom loves glowing skin, Verte Essentials Ascent Ampoules ($62) is a perfect find. Made from all-natural ingredients, each ampoule contains omega-3-rich MCT oil, 23K gold leaf, and CBD extract in a vegan gel capsule. The best way to use the ampoules is to use it as a topical or to consume internally. We love to use it as a facial product, creating a spa-like experience at home. To use correctly, holding the ampoule upright, break it open and apply the contents to your face and neck. Massage the gold leaf into the skin in an upward motion, using a circular and gentle touch. Your mom will love her luminous skin! Verte Essentials can ship to all 50 states. Click here to purchase...
VITAMIN cbD
AUGUST 23, 2018

I've talked at length about my obsessive desire (and, realistically, only part-time reality) to eliminate prescription pills from my life. Easier said than done, but hands down, the best solution I've found through my research is a big, fat, classic JOINT TO THE FACE. Indica, sativa, skunky shit from outer boroughs, oregano in a baggie -- there's a type of weed for each of your demons' appetites. 
However, unlike myself, most professionals are not creative freelancers, which means they cannot be high as hell all day and call it part of the “artistic process.” (I don’t envy them.) So, CBD to the rescue! But as I'm sure you've realized by now, this hemp craze has led the market to become oversaturated with products, and it's next to impossible to figure out what's gonna heal your pain, fear, and existential dread, and what's simply going to make it worse. I'm here to help. 
But real quick -- first, once and for all, let's review what CBD EVEN FUCKING IS. 
Simply put, CBD is the component of weed that is not THC, meaning it is non-psychoactive, meaning it will not fuck with your head (unlike your latest crush). What it will do is calm you down like a nibble of Xanax, center you like 30 minutes of meditation, and/or alleviate pain like Advil. There’s no risk of overdosing on CBD, because it acts like a vitamin: the body can only absorb so much. The worst that can happen is nausea — which, don’t get me wrong, sucks, but at least you won’t have to deal with horrendous hospital lighting.
Dosage-wise, if taken orally (oil, gummy, etc.), I’m usually cool with 10-15mg. That said, for those newer to the game, I'd DEFINITELY recommend starting at 5; it can be strong, and so is my tolerance. If used topically (skincare), make sure the bottle contains a couple hundred mg. Otherwise, you're not getting bang for your buck, and you'll quickly discover these products are expensive. Like anything else you'd put in or on your body, it's always best to go organic, and do some research into production practices. 
My recommendations, as of summer 2018:
Lily  (oil)
L'Fleur (lip balm, skin rash cream)
Lovewell Farms (CBD/reiki infused Honey & Lollipops!) 
Verte (everything)
Wildflower (vapes)
Also, I'm so[oooo] proud to announce that I've spearheaded House of Gro's CBD blog! If you're looking for more digestible education about CBD, or just another excuse to hear my unwarranted opinions, check it out. I post a new one a week!
Happy (legal) High, kids. ​
Verté Essentials: Beauty, Health, Sustainability
  
Created from “a philosophy of beauty where it is not just what you see but also what you feel radiating from within,” Verte Essentials offers health and beauty products especially suited to our modern day and age, attracting an incredibly wide customer base from families to professional athletes.
 
VE makes vital oils, soaking bath salts, and topical body oils each designed to guide and enhance an energetic experience ranging from high energy to relaxation, and everything in between. The products embrace ancient traditions from Chinese medicine to Ayurveda, and are all preservative-free, vegan, and organic—in a word, green. The vital oils are their signature product; they can be used internally and topically, and are available in all five botanical experiences: Elevate, Rise, Focus, Flow, and Restore.
 
Blair Lauren Brown is the creative vision and force behind VE, and has built the company by developing products rooted in natural and sustainable considerations. Brown’s personal odyssey “has been a journey to discover that the beauty is in the process.”

The company was founded with the mission of supporting health and wellness. The product line was designed to accentuate the lifestyle of an active, adventurous, and health-conscious community, with great respect for the outdoors and a careful eye toward sustainability. As Brown describes, “We don’t make a business decision without first considering the impact on the land, so our environmentally considerate lifestyles have been adopted into our business ethos.” 
 
VE products are developed around two core ingredients: a powerfully charged premium hemp extract and Omega 3-rich MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil. The hemp extract is an isolated molecule of the cannabis (or hemp) plant called cannabidiol, or CBD. Most people are familiar with the cannabinoid referred to as THC, which is the ingredient in cannabis that gets users high. An important distinction is that, unlike THC, cannabidiol is non-psychoactive and does not cause a high.
 
CBD oil is becoming more and more popular as a highly versatile, natural healing agent and supplement, with effects similar to the body’s own endocannabinoid system—a system all about balance and homeostasis. This system has such a wide-ranging effect on overall body health that research suggests CBD oil can help treat a ridiculously long list of ailments including chronic pain, schizophrenia, and cancer.
 
MCT oil is widely known for its reputation to improve cognition and energy levels, and to decrease appetite and aid weight loss. MCTs can also combat harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. They also contain antioxidant properties and have been used to treat dozens of health problems in folk medicine for centuries.
 
“We come from six generations of medicine on my mothers’ side,” says Brown. “So it seems quite natural sharing the healing properties of plants and earth medicine. We are carrying on our family legacy.” The business is family-owned and a vertically integrated company. The family hemp farm and manufacturing facilities are in the Rogue River Valley of Oregon, and give the Browns full control over their products, from the raw ingredients through manufacturing processes to the final sale. Brown calls this, “Good for business and good for the soul.” 
 
Team USA snowboarder Chase Josey, skier Banks Gilberti, and hockey player Joey Sides are three world-class athletes currently using VE products. Brown says, “These guys are amazing. They have been testing products and helping with research and development for the last six months. They are the lifeblood of what we do at Verte.”  

As far as forthcoming products, Brown says there’s something new in talks every day. The next one to be released is called Mise au Pointe: an all in one micro-polish for balancing and deep cleaning. It’s designed as a skin, scalp, and tooth polish containing tea tree, paolo santo, and ylang ylang. Much more than a simple exfoliant, it’s anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and ph-balancing as well. VE is also working on a pet line called Motis that they hope will be available on the shelves very soon. 
 
The ingredients in Verte Essentials’ collection of beauty and health products are an indispensable part of our modern apothecary. Brown’s goal for her company is to remain on top of the best and most progressive ingredients and manufacturing in order to create the highest quality experience for her customers, so that they can share in the realization that beauty—inside and out—is in the process.
verteessentials.com
 
Box out quotes:
Banks Gilberti
“Pushing my body to the limit is a daily occurrence in the ski world, and taking a beating is part of the job. It's the recovery that can eat away at you, countless hours that take you away from the place you're supposed to be—on the hill. Introducing Verte in my life has dramatically changed that recovery process. I can devote my time to being on my skis, not floating in an ice bath.”
 
Joey Sides
“When I strained my quad, I tried doing ibuprofen, ice, stim units, etc., but the recovery was still slow. Once I added Verte to my routine, the pain and swelling went down significantly and fast, so I was able to get back to training and perform on the ice. Blair is amazing! She is a true healer and it shows in her product