Cannabis is fast becoming accepted as holistic medicine. People are excited about the scientifically-proven benefits – but exactly what they’re getting from a product and how they’re going to react to it is still something of a mystery. That’s why accurate micro-dosing and patient education has put Mary’s Medicinals out in front.
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Stories of hope and healing can be pretty magical. Head to “Mary’s Chimes” YouTube channel and you’ll find a documentary series about people whose lives have been transformed by the use of cannabis and cannabis-infused products. Like little Leah, who was diagnosed with a rare seizure disorder and a 3mm mass in her brain when she was six. The treatment of prescription medications led to mood swings, nausea and migraines. Her mother and medical team switched Leah’s regimen exclusively to Mary’s Remedy Oil, a CBD-enriched oil created by Mary’s Medicinals, a leading cannabis company from Denver, Colorado.

Mary’s worked with singer-songwriter, filmmaker and cannabis activist John Forté to score and direct the videos. (Prepare your heartstrings to be tugged.) The company also partners with the Realm of Caring Foundation to help families using cannabinoid products, and supports local Humane Societies.

Within a month, Leah was no longer on pharmaceuticals. The convulsions and other symptoms she had experienced all slowly dissipated. “The Leah that we all love so much was making her way back to us,” says Kayla, Leah’s mom. Her daughter went on to learn how to ride her bike without training wheels, and MRI scans have shown her brain mass has shrunk and is no longer a threat.

That’s inspiring for people who are considering cannabis as alternative medicine, and for the team behind Mary’s Medicinals, led by Lynn Honderd, CEO and co-founder.

“It’s the patient stories that keep us doing what we do,” Honderd says. “Leah came to our offices two years ago, she wanted to thank us. It was amazing.”

Indeed, Mary’s has hundreds of emails coming in about how the company’s products are changing lives, she says, like the end prize in what can be a challenging sector. Regulations differ from state to state and are in flux, so staying on top of all the details and being adaptable is key.

“These stories keep us going when we’re dealing with challenges, like the nuances of the space, and with the growing pains of a new and very fast-moving organization,” Honderd says. “We’re trying to fly the plane and build it at the same time.”

Honderd launched the company in 2013 with a core group of five, and has since grown Mary’s to more than 45 employees and production facilities in 11 states and counting. With a focus on patient education and research and development that ensures quality and effectiveness, Mary’s has brand ambassadors that visit dispensaries and distribute primers on cannabis news, views and research. Primers also go out with each dispensary order.

Mary’s products, ranging from medicine for pain relief and sleep to hemp-based nutritionals for massage and skin care, can be found in more than 4,500 dispensaries across the U.S. “One of the main reasons we entered into this industry was because there was a lot of tie-dye and pot leaf – and don’t get me wrong, there is a place for recreational use and I support that – but when we took a look at the market, we found that people were looking for medicine,” she says.

And when it comes to ingredients, CBD and THC are not the only ones to look for. Mary’s was one of the first to market with many other cannabinoid profiles in its products, such as THCa and CBN, which is effective for sleep and anxiety. THCA is the natural non-intoxicating precursor that becomes THC when exposed to heat over a prolonged period of time. With THCA, you get all the benefits without that psychotropic effect.

Mary’s is best known as the developer of the award-winning transdermal cannabis patch, the company’s first product and still No. 1 bestseller that’s billed as “discreet, convenient and reliable.” You can apply it to any venous area of the skin for best results, and it delivers up to 12 hours of systemic relief throughout your body.

“So many people were concerned about consuming cannabis: ‘Do I have to go along for the ride of it, what if I don’t like it, what if the effects bother me?’ Something that was an accurately-dosed, transdermal product allowed for us to do micro-dosing,” Honderd explains.

“You don’t have to take a big huge edible or smokable and just go along for the ride without knowing how you’re going to react and wondering if it’s healthy or not. The patch is a pharmaceutical-grade delivery mechanism; it’s clean delivery, you know exactly how much you’re getting, when you’re getting it, and it’s something that’s long-lasting without any of the side effects that people may not want.”

Next up, Mary’s Medicinals is launching its pet care line in Switzerland, and new products in France and the U.K. Business is brisk – and life is hectic. What keeps Honderd calm and collected? A few things: the drive and passion she has for her business; her pride in leading the charge as a woman in a sector where women are emerging as innovative, successful entrepreneurs; her two Labrador retrievers, Lucy and Lily. In fact, part of the inspiration for Mary’s pet care line was to treat Lily’s arthritis.

To this end, Mary’s worked with veterinarians in Colorado and reformulated the transdermal gel pen for a smaller, 1mg dose that you put on the inside of the pet’s ear. “It’s very easy to use and it started doing wonders for her. I thought, there’s definitely something to this, so we started to expand the pet line,” which includes bacon-flavored CBD drops.

There are also the products, of course, and Honderd stands behind them all.

“I’ve used our patches daily,” she says. “I use one of our tinctures daily as well. Years ago, I used to be on sleep medication and I never use it anymore; I use our CBN products. They are much more effective, much safer for you than a pharmaceutical, and I get great results from it.”

Her vision for the company is simple: staying a leader in the space, and providing education and products to make cannabis a proactive, everyday lifestyle choice. “Our bodies are meant to have cannabis in them. We want to make that use safe and effective on a daily basis.”

One thing’s for sure, she says: the acceptance rate on cannabis is through the roof and undeniable. “The World Health Organization is coming out and talking about the benefits of CBD; research and development studies are coming out. This is changing the conversation. It is a very exciting time to be in the market.”