Dragon Hemp Brings Innovation To Supplement Space By Combining CBD With Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Time to read 9 min
This article originally appeared on Forbes.
With the cannabidiol (CBD) market valued at $6.4 billion last year, CBD brands are constantly thinking up new ways to differentiate themselves. One way to do so is to combine CBD with other herbs. As a result, it’s now not uncommon to see a sleep formula that combines CBD with sleep-inducing ingredients, like melatonin, for example. And yet, despite the hyper-competitive CBD market, there remains one area of alternative medicine that remains largely untouched by CBD brands: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Being sourced from a plant (hemp) and highly therapeutic, you might wonder why CBD isn’t already used in TCM. Puzzled by the absence of hemp in his TCM texts, Chinese Medicine Practitioner Kevin Menard, LAc., did some digging and discovered cannabis was in fact recorded as a Chinese herb 1800 years ago. In a recent phone interview, Menard says it even made the shortlist of 50 fundamental Chinese herbs because it was so therapeutic for pain. It was only taken out of the Chinese Medicine books because of the British Opium Wars and subsequent eras of conservatism.
Turns out this overlooked combination is actually a match made in heaven. With CBD regulating the nervous system and lowering inflammation, and Chinese herbs promoting circulation, Menard says the two have a synergistic effect. “The herbs work the CBD by addressing the pain through different pathways, the CBD really activates the herbs” explains Menard. The Chinese Medicine Practitioner says combining the two speeds up results time from a week (if you were only using CBD) to a couple days.
The untapped potential of incorporating CBD into Chinese Medicine formulas inspired Menard to launch Dragon Hemp, a wellness brand of practitioner-formulated tinctures, balms and gummies designed to treat specific conditions. Unlike many wellness brands that appropriate ancient modalities without training in them, Dragon Hemp came after over a decade of Menard running his own acupuncture clinic as a practitioner in Sports Medicine Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Hamptons.
Menard’s path to Chinese Medicine began when he tried acupuncture on a whim following a shoulder injury. The profound physical, emotional and energetic effects of the treatment made him an advocate of acupuncture and curious to learn more about Traditional Chinese Medicine. That curiosity turned into a complete change of profession when the 2008 recession hit, and he decided to leave a successful media career to study acupuncture at Tristate College followed by Sports Medicine Acupuncture at the New England School of Acupuncture. Upon graduating in 2012, he opened his acupuncture clinic in Sag Harbor, where he would incorporate Chinese herbs into his treatments.
Menard wasn’t the first to bring Chinese herbs to the port village on the east end of Long Island. In the late 18th century, Sag Harbor was declared the first official port of entry to the United States, making it a hub for international trade. As a major whaling center, merchants came from as far as China, and with them, came Chinese herbs. Later, in the 1960s, Menard says Sag Harbor became a wellness haven attracting reiki practitioners, yoga teachers and other health-oriented individuals. Sag Harbor’s unique history coupled with Menard’s strong client base from running his clinic for over a decade there, made it the obvious location for Dragon Hemp’s first apothecary.
Menard wanted to replicate the feeling of wonder he would get shopping for Chinese herbs in New York City’s Chinatown so he created a giant wall of jars containing the Chinese herbs in their products, hoping it would both conjure a sense of antiquity and prompt conversations about their formulas. But he also wanted to make it a distinctively “modern apothecary,” so he told his designer—Alfredo Paredes, who previously designed Ralph Lauren Polo shops across the country—that he wanted an “Asian Aesop” (the brand he aspires to the most), and Paredes immediately understood.
With so much choice in the CBD market, it can be overwhelming for anyone interested in trying CBD to know where to start. It’s why Menard intends for the apothecary to serve as a learning place. With many people coming in to the shop not knowing the proper dose or what to take for their specific conditions, he has highly trained staff ready to have these consultative conversations. “We’re not a hemp shop just trying to get customers high and sell our products, we’re there to help them on their wellness journey. They feel safe and heard, there’s a level of trust.” If customers find their products aren’t working for them, they’re encouraged to call the shop to problem solve for the right dose and figure out what’s not working.
A big part of education, for Dragon Hemp, is transparency. With CBD brands releasing products that don’t contain real CBD or have ineffective potencies, Menard has made it a priority to communicate what’s in their products. “People need to know what they’re putting in their bodies, where it’s from,” he says. It’s why all Dragon Hemp products have QR codes that show the certificate of analysis, where it was grown, how it was tested and what exactly is in it. “You know if you’re getting a product with 3800 mg of CBD, you’re actually getting that amount, and that it’s organic,” Menard says.
But above all else, Menard wants to educate people on the basics of CBD: what it does and why it can be a useful supplement in our fast-paced world. “Too much time on our digital devices, too much alcohol, too little sleep–this is pretty much our modern lifestyle,” Menard explains. “Our bodies are designed to self-regulate, but with all these things coming at us, we can’t keep up. CBD helps our body reduce that inflammation, it calms the nervous system.” What Menard describes as a “guiding herb,” CBD helps pull the Chinese herbs into the tissue, making it a highly powerful combination.
One such product that demonstrates this synergy is the ‘Cooling Balm,’ a topical ointment for pain-relief that was inspired by the Chinese Medicine formulas Menard used to see when he practiced martial arts. Chinese herbs that regenerate tissue such as myrrh and Frankincense are combined with red peony root which disperses heat into inflamed tissue and 3600 mg of CBD for reducing inflammation. What Menard says makes the balm so effective is that CBD binds to CB2 receptors in the skin, which then pulls the Chinese herbs into the tissue. This is one of many products that were re-formulated and re-packaged under Dragon Hemp’s rebrand over the past year. Targeting specific needs such as sleep, pain and overall vitality, Menard says the diverse product line is not only now more effective, but tastes better too.
Despite the success of the apothecary and updated product line, Dragon Hemp isn’t resting on their laurels. Witnessing the high performance of their topical formulas due to the CB2 receptors in the skin that bind to CBD, Menard is currently working on a line of body products. Similar to how CBD reduces internal inflammation, Menard says CBD can reduce inflammation in the skin too. The new products will be made with essential oil blends to address not just physical healing, but emotional too.
Between the upcoming body care line, highly consultative nature of the apothecary and existing formulas based on Menard’s own TCM training, it’s clear that Dragon Hemp intends to be more than your typical CBD brand. But what will continue to differentiate them is that TCM remains the foundation of their products. The ever-growing body of research on the therapeutic benefits of CBD excites Menard, but so too does the centuries of Traditional Chinese Medicine that drew Menard to wellness in the first place. In this way, Dragon Hemp is a true embodiment of its name: balancing TCM as expressed through ‘Dragon’ with hemp.
Read the original article on Forbes.
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Our Apothecary.
Our Apothecary in Sag Harbor, New York was conceived as a beacon of rejuvenation and wellness in the Hamptons. Much more than a dispensary, at the core of the Dragon Hemp Apothecary is a commitment to education and understanding the benefits of time-honored herbal remedies synthesized with today’s advancements in cannabinoid research.
Offering an array of products designed to align with the wellness needs of the Hamptons community, the store seeks to bridge the gap between ancient wisdom and modern applications, making herbal medicine more compatible with our lifestyles today. Our unique apothecary in Sag Harbor not only represents a physical space but also embodies Dragon Hemp's ethos of premium, all-natural, effective wellness solutions, drawing from the rich heritage of the Hamptons and the innovative spirit of New York.
Not your conventional dispensary, our first-of-its-kind retail location, harmoniously balances tradition and innovation with an emphasis on experience and education. We invite you to step inside and let our herbal experts guide you on an exploration of the rejuvenating power of cannabinoids and traditional herbs in a setting that feels both timeless and contemporary.
Designed in collaboration with renowned Alfredo Paredes Studio, the apothecary embodies a sophisticated fusion of old-world tradition and contemporary application. Known for his 33-year tenure as Ralph Lauren Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer, Alfredo Paredes, a master of crafting memorable retail experiences, helped transform the space into a shining gem of Sag Harbor. Reflecting the premium, natural, and therapeutic essence of Dragon Hemp, every aspect of the store, including the unique furniture pieces from Paredes' line, contributes to an ambiance of refined tranquility and wellness. The design echoes a classic herbal pharmacy blended with a modern aesthetic, mirroring our brand ethos of contemporizing ancient herbal medicine for today’s applications. Read more about our Apothecary design in Forbes.
Standing out on Main Street in Sag Harbor with the glow of our distinctive neon sign, our unique retail store has become a design destination of its own -- beyond just wellness -- in one of the Hamptons’ most popular villages. Whether you’re looking for potent natural therapeutics to tackle pain & inflammation or legal THC products to enhance mood or improve sleep, our apothecary is your safe haven at 108 Main Street.
Our Products.
Our products are formulated to serve the four crucial daily needs most often seen in Kevin’s practice—Essential Wellbeing for comprehensive health, Rest & Restoration to foster rejuvenation, Aches & Pains for relief from discomfort, and Liniments for body care that enhances both physical and emotional wellbeing.
Available in four versatile forms—swift-absorbing tinctures, targeted balms, discreet gummies, and moisturizers—we ensure a suitable choice for every lifestyle and wellness routine.
Our story.
Dragon Hemp is the practitioner-founded apothecary that produces plant-based therapeutics formulated with a proprietary blend of next-generation botanicals and time honored herbal remedies.
For people seeking treatments that give relief & address the root cause.
Our herbal remedies are innovative and user-friendly, with wellness benefits that are effective & accessible to everyone.
So you can feel like yourself again.
Our Founder.
Kevin Menard, LAc., is the leading practitioner in Sports Medicine Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine on the East End of Long Island, with clientele ranging from business executives and fitness professionals to wellness gurus and weekend warriors.
As he cultivated his practice, Kevin began integrating CBD & other cannabinoids, native botanicals, and herbs into his treatments, addressing conditions like pain, musculoskeletal injuries, insomnia, and more.
Following the promising results from his herbal and CBD-infused treatments, Kevin expanded his work, introducing Dragon Hemp to support patient wellness beyond his clinic's walls.
Our Ingredients.
We carefully select our organically grown ingredients, emphasizing sustainability to protect Earth's biodiversity.
We believe in transparency in all our processes, from ingredient selection to the methods used by our CBD farmers, who lead the sustainable agriculture charge and concentrate on ecosystem restoration and carbon sequestration.
We're not just about products but about nurturing an understanding of traditional herbal practices and helping people make healthy decisions.
With respect, we introduce newcomers to the benefits of age old herbal wisdom.
Our aim is a future where well-being stems from nature, combining timeless knowledge with today's research.
Discover the distinctive characteristics of each herb in our Ingredient Index.
