In his peaceful “Secret Garden”, Christian has been growing perfectly legal hemp, in Changé (Sarthe), near Le Mans. It produces CBD (cannabidiol), a non-narcotic cannabis molecule.
This new cannabis grower exclusively sold its flowers to Bastien Sirrou, the manager of the CBD DispenseHerbe store. Delighted to be able to offer “La Sarthoise” to his customers, the young 24-year-old entrepreneur opened a second store on Place de l’Epron on Thursday May 5, 2022, in the city center of Le Mans.
CBD produced in “the rules of the art”
Christian’s farm is maintained using permaculture, a method he values: “I want to do things according to the rules of the art. For me, it’s a real ecological course“With his companion, they do almost everything themselves, from the harvest to the preparation of the flowers. Bastien Sirrou takes care of the “topping” with his colleague.”This allows you to remove the seeds that sometimes remain. It is convenient.“
– Juliette Bourgault
This local hemp is a real added value for the merchantwhich sells a total of 15 different varieties of CBD flowers, at €7 per gram.
On the market, there are not many of us doing that. I try as much as possible to sell products made in France, so if it’s local, it’s even better.
Inside her new shop, Sophie leafs through the catalog and chooses to taste “La Sarthoise”, for “test“, she smiles. Something to relieve her back pain. “Some customers are a bit skeptical and don’t necessarily believe it. They ask me if it’s legal. I answer them yes, that I myself have been able to see where the CBD grows“, laughs Bastien Sirrou.
The balance of legality
The question arises all the same, since the hemp that Christian harvests resembles cannabis strong in THC, which produces the psychotropic effect and which is illegal in France. To grow CBD, there are strict rules to follow. “Already, you have to be a farmer to have a status. Not everyone can plant like this“, explains Christian.
– Juliette Bourgault
The second condition is to plant only seeds that are in the European catalogue. To have the right to be sold, the CBD flower must not exceed 0.2% THC… Which does not only depend on the cannabis grower.
If they are a little too fattened, if there is a lot of water or a lot of sun, the rates can go up. The later we harvest, the more the rate is likely to rise.
This is how Christian has lost 30% of its first harvest after having tested it in the laboratory: out of 1000 feet, only 300 were below the legal rate.
First attempt
In this case, the law imposes either to throw away the CBD that does not meet the criteria, or to transform it. The owner of “Secret Garden” chose the second option, he manufactures oils and infusions. “This was not planned“, he smiles. The oil is also sold at DispenseHerbe.”We also distribute our products in organic stores or bulk stores, in short circuit, inform Christian. In fact, we are also trying to reach an audience that would not go to CBD stores.“
But even if the couple of cannabis growers have diversified, they have not nothing to pay for this year… “We invested €10,000, with an electric agricultural machine, so we are not yet profitable. But experience has a much greater value. We are much more serene to start this year.” See you in October 2022 for the next harvest.