By Sherry Jackson
It took six years of persuasion from a close friend to encourage Gary Miller to get into the CBD business.
“At first, I thought it was like snake oil,” he says, referring to a well-used term to describe a deceptive marketing gimmick. “But then after researching and using CBD pain cream for a wrist injury, I decided it was worth getting involved in.”
In May 2017, Miller created Bioactive LLC, a company providing medical-grade CBD products to consumers. His background in sales, albeit in a different industry (restaurant marketing), has helped him build the company’s growing customer base.
CBD has been gaining popularity with consumers looking for an alternative pain medicine and as an alternative to opioids.
“Today the therapeutic properties of CBD are being tested and confirmed by scientists and doctors around the world,” says the nonprofit organization, Project CBD, on its website. “A safe, nonaddictive substance, CBD is one of more than 100 ‘phytocannabinoids,’ which are unique to cannabis and endow the plant with its robust therapeutic profile.”
CBD can be incorporated into many different product types. Bioactive sells oils, creams, bath bombs, lip balms, soaps and vaping products. The main use of CBD products is to alleviate pain, anxiety and stress. “It’s so relaxing and so therapeutical,” he says.
There are many other benefits too, Miller says. CBD is not regulated by the FDA, like many supplements, so he’s hesitant to lay claim to specifics, but CBD has been shown to regulate blood pressure and insulin levels, used as an anti-inflammatory and to treat chronic pain.
“Consumer consensus substantiates fantastic health benefits and improvement,” Miller says.
Jay Horner, one of Miller’s customers agrees. Horner was taking up to four prescriptions and over-the-counter medications per day for lower back and spinal pain, a damaged rotator cuff and dislocated shoulder. He started using Bioactive’s tincture’s and pain cream and was a convert.
“It’s literally the only thing that has worked for me,” Horner says. “It’s the way it works. I don’t take any prescription drugs anymore.”
Because CBD is just now finding its footing in the marketplace, there are a lot of misconceptions.
“It’s all brand new in a sense. The most important thing for customers to know is that our CBD products are 100% THC free and won’t get you high,” Miller stresses.
Athletes, doctors, nurses and other professionals who may want to use CBD to alleviate pain and stress can do so knowing no THC will be detected in any blood or urine analysis.
Miller encourages consumers to know what they are buying when it comes to CBD products. “Many hemp-derived CBD products are mislabeled, and they’re not regulated, much like supplements, by the FDA. Others are tainted with toxic solvent residues, corn syrup, artificial flavors and colors, and other contaminants.”
Bioactive tests every shipment of CBD it gets from their farms at a Phoenix-based testing facility, Desert Valley Testing.
All Bioactive products are high quality and come from farms in Oregon and Colorado, Miller says. His friend who suggested he get into the business formulates the company’s products, which are derived from the unfertilized female flower tops of high-resin CBD-rich industrial cannabis/hemp plants. Those plants are much better suited for medicinal oil extraction than low-resin fiber hemp, he says. A CO2-filtered process then extracts out the medicinal CBD only.
Miller sells mainly online through his website, bioactivellc.com, and delivers free to local Valley-area customers. The products can also be found in several local smoke shops. He offers wholesale pricing for resellers and a white label product for those wanting to sell CBD with their own brand.
With a recent cash infusion from an investor, Miller plans to roll out Bioactive’s products to local golf courses, bowling alleys, gyms, martial arts studios and other athletic-centered businesses. He’s also working on presentations for senior living facilities to educate his elderly customers on CBD’s benefits. Miller also plans to offer turnkey distributorships to expand nationally.
Miller cautions potential customers to do their research before buying any CBD product, not only for the authenticity of the product, but also pricing varies widely. Bioactive offers wholesale pricing and is often 50 percent less than competitors.
“It’s more about quality than quantity,” he says. “We offer the finest CBD premium products on the market. We’re a small, family run company that cares about our clients and our products.”
