How CBD Can Help the LGBTQ Community Love Every Day

By Wayne T. Carkeek, Co-founder Out & About CBD

If there is yet one harmony that unites the LGBT community in all of its glory, it is the belief to love—to triumph over hate and oppression in our age-old story. Collectively we are winning the ongoing fight for equality and queer rights…a battle  tempered by illness, grit, and strife throughout these years—but for many of us that battle is also fought within. Our relentless urge to persevere, can leave us with higher levels of anxiety, insomnia, depression, and even lead to suicide. For old and young generations, these decades-old scars of discrimination are at the forefront of our psyche. If left isolated, our mental health becomes our highest risk factor.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, upwards of 60% of all members of the LGBT community suffer from anxiety and depression at some point in their lives; a level that is over twice that of our straight counterparts.  As these numbers are rising, how are we finding the support to protect ourselves against the odds?

For those who identify LGBT, there may be a fresh, natural wellness approach to their anxiety, pain, and insomnia—Cannabidiol or CBD. In 2018, the US farm bill declassified hemp-based CBD as a controlled substance and re-classified it as an agricultural commodity, the same category where rice and corn reside. The FDA, which regulates claims that can be made, have yet to give its full approval, however, 80% of those who have used CBD believe it has a positive effect and half the people who used it, use almost every day.  A recent study of 2,400 CBD users by the Brightfield Group showed that 42% gave up their prescription drugs completely.

The World Health Organization, (WHO), found in their 2018 report, that there is no public health risk in CBD use, or the potential for abuse. (https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/CannabidiolCriticalReview.pdf). Hemp-based CBD, is non-addictive and can contain only miniscule amounts of THC, the element that provides the intoxicating effects in marijuana. Many companies have THC removed from their hemp-based CBD products to better fit daily use.

CBD impacts one’s endocannabinoid system, which serves as our body’s thermostat. The endocannabinoid system can be compromised as we get older or is subjected to stressors, injury, and illness. CBD is a natural, plant-based, anti-inflammatory and regulates things like sleep, pain, mood and appetite. These functions all contribute to “homeostasis” which refers to the stability of your internal environment.

Whether you struggle from social anxiety, work hassles, pain, or if you have trouble sleeping; CBD products like tinctures, mints, and gummies can help ease your tensions. CBD can be used outside these common ailments too, like after an intense workout where your body and mind are left feeling drained or even a water-soluble  lubricant for heightened sexual fulfillment You can check out all these products and others made by my own company at Outandaboutcbd.com. We provide all the information to help you better understand CBD and start your journey. Natural ingredients are our priority, so we ensure all out products are sourced from organic US farms and tested by third party labs.

With the daily life challenges we continue to face, we all deserve a chance at living a more happy and full life. I believe that CBD is one of the most important natural wellness products to come along in many decades and I want to share its benefits with my community.

Out & About CBD Launches Line of Wellness Products Specifically for LGBT Community

Few groups could benefit more from the non-addictive, natural wellness properties of CBD than the LGBT community where anxiety levels are as much as 2.5x higher than their heterosexual counterparts (Mental Health America). That’s the premise of a new Southern California start-up called Out & About CBD with the launch of its new line of CBD products this month.

Out & About CBD has raised more than $1.5 million from almost two dozen angel investors across the country who were attracted by the hyper-growth in the CBD market, a seasoned management team with a track record of success, and Out & About CBD’s differentiated “do good, do well” business model.

The company was founded by long-time brand marketing executive (P&G, Heinz, WPP) Ralph Fascitelli and Wayne Carkeek, a former retail manager at LA-based Alo Yoga. Both principals have links to the LGBT community. Carkeek, grew up in a small town in Montana, and came out shortly after a four-year stint in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Out & About CBD is committed to giving a minimum of 5% of all proceeds back to the LGBT community, a percentage it hopes will generate more than a million dollars in donations within three years. The company is a corporate partner of The Trevor Project the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth. As part of the company’s launch efforts, Out & About CBD will donate 15% of all sales during March and April to The Trevor Project. According to long-time LGBT activist and former Board President of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center, Matt Skallerud: “the gay community is not yet fully up to date on the many benefits of CBD and a well-focused, community-conscious, and committed business like Out & About CBD can be very successful.”

The Out & About CBD product line-up will include several traditional CBD products including:

• Both 10mg and 25mg gummies
• An energy and sports recovery drink mix – a convenient alternative to CBD water
• CBD massage oil with lavender
• CBD dog chews formulated especially for small dogs, 25 pounds and under.

Out and About CBD will sell direct via its own, ecommerce site which will be aggressively promoted in LGBT media and via LGBT influencers and on social media. The company also intends to sell to a variety of retailers in leading LGBT neighborhoods as well as wellness outlets across the U.S.

The CBD market is predicted to grow into a $20 billion dollar category by the year 2022 according to a Brightfield Group study, and has enjoyed stamps of approval from both the World Health Organization, which declared hemp-based CBD to be “a safe product with health benefits,” and the U.S. Government which classified CBD as a legal product in the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp-based CBD which is short for cannabidiol, comes from the same cannabis family as marijuana though hemp CBD contains less than 0.3% of THC, which is the addictive element in marijuana that gets one high. Out & About CBD’s hemp CBD products typically contain zero THC and are organic, vegan, U.S. farmed, and third-party tested.

CBD is at the center of the booming wellness, self-care industry due to its dual mind and body benefits. CBD can have a positive impact on our physiological functions by interacting with our endocannabinoid system (ECS) which is crucial for balancing a healthy stress response, mood and sleep/wake cycles.

The typical CBD user has above average education and higher income levels than the general population, and takes fewer prescription drugs. Growth in the industry has been grassroots driven, with reported efficacy levels over 80% according to CBD user surveys. Studies also indicate almost half of people who use CBD, use it daily.

Visit outandaboutcbd.com for more information.