by Andrew Wigdor

While many observers may not initially associate faith with hemp products, Murfreesboro businessman and pastor Adam Swanson says they can be very closely related.

Swanson, a pastor in Murfreesboro, owns his own hemp farm and CBD product retail store in Murfreesboro. The store bears the name “Gen. 1:29 CBD Oil,” named after the Bible verse Genesis 1:29, and is located on North Thompson Lane.

“It’s actually an expression of my faith,” Swanson said. “How did I come to the conclusion in my heart that CBD oil is actually a gift from God? It’s our namesake: Genesis 1:29. God said, ‘I give you the plants, I give you the trees, I give you the fruit and I give you the seeds in the plants for your food.’”

Swanson said that the health benefits of CBD products are a form of ministry.

“My ministry has been focused primarily on the goodness of God for people to be made whole, first of all spiritually but also mentally and physically,” Swanson said. “Every day of our lives, God desires us to be healthy and well as our soul does well [1 John 3:1] . . . I think people didn’t realize that this plant has [multiple] varieties, and one variety is good for health.”

CBD stands for Cannabidiol, which is one of the chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant. While hemp and marijuana both contain CBD, the chemical compound is non-psychoactive, unlike THC, another chemical compound found in marijuana. In other words, CBD won’t make the user “high.” Properly licensed CBD products that are derived from hemp are now legal to buy and sell in Tennessee, as they are in most states.

Studies have shown that CBD products may be very beneficial in treating certain mental and physical ailments. According to a 2012 study from the Journal of Experimental Medicine, CBD may provide significant pain relief in those who suffer from chronic pain, and a 2015 study from the Current Pharmaceutical Design found that the compound may help treat neurological disorders. Another potential benefit, according to a 2011 study from the Journal of Psychopharmacology, is reduced anxiety.

“In a way, it’s an expression of ministry and healing,” Swanson said. “We believe the scriptures that tell us that God is our healer. So, this is an avenue that is useful in helping people with their pain, with their mind and just an overall balance.”

In January, Swanson Companies, a family of companies in Murfreesboro that include construction and development businesses, leased space to another company that wanted to process hemp plants, which was Swanson’s introduction to the product.

“At the same time, I had a minister friend tell me that he had been taking this oil, and he was able to run up and down the steps,” Swanson said. “His back was better, and the pain was dissipating.”

Swanson said that his grandparents had always encouraged “natural paths to health and healing,” so he decided to educate himself on CBD products after hearing several testimonies.

So he became a part of a multi-level marketing program in Murfreesboro called Hempworx that allows people to sell CBD products. He also spent hours watching medical videos on YouTube, browsing government websites and researching studies related to CBD.

“I wanted to learn more about it, so I jumped in with both feet,” he said. “It seemed like an opportunity to help people, and I’ve never started a retail store before. So I thought, ‘This would be quite an adventure.’”

Swanson began selling CBD primarily online, and after finding success, Swanson decided that he need to set himself apart from the other sellers.

“I thought, ‘Hey, I need to make my own brand that has a message of ministry and opportunity,’” he said.

Gen. 1:29, Swanson’s first retail store, opened in July 2018 and began selling varieties of hemp-based CBD products.

In addition to the hemp store, Swanson now manages a hemp farm just outside Rutherford County. He said that his family company had sold some property in Murfreesboro and used the money to purchase the farm land last year.

“I was looking for a cash crop,” Swanson said.

He then transformed some of the farmland into a hemp farm. While none of the hemp from Swanson’s farm has been used for the products in his retail store yet—since the crops were just planted in June of this year—the 2018 crop is being harvested in October and November and will be processed into oil soon.

In February of this year, over 20 stores in Rutherford County were closed and padlocked for allegedly selling forms of marijuana in candy. The incident has since been referred to as “Operation Candy Crush.” The operation led to 21 people being indicted, but the charges were eventually dropped due to the products simply containing CBD derived from hemp, which is legal to sell in Tennessee.

According to recent reports, a group of the business owners whose stores were shut down due to the incident filed a federal lawsuit against the town of Smyrna, Smyrna Police Chief Kevin Arnold, Rutherford County, District Attorney Jennings Jones, Assistant District Attorney John Zimmerman and Rutherford County Sheriff Mike Fitzhugh.

As a seller of legal CBD products, Swanson said that the Candy Crush concerned him, and wished that the lawsuit was not happening, but that it was another example of the societal misunderstanding of CBD, and shifting public opinion.

“Some of us are still kind of struggling with the idea of is [CBD] good or is it bad,” Swanson said. “I think we’re in a flux of members of our society becoming more aware of the benefits of it and the laws. It’s not illegal now in Tennessee.”

Also, as reported by the Murfreesboro Pulse in August, a city employee, Mai Hamric, was fired for legally taking small amounts of CBD oil in order to alleviate anxiety, resulting in a positive drug test. Hamric has since been calling for the government and other employers to make changes when it comes to their treatment of those who use CBD products.

“I think it will take a little time, but we hope that this will be understood better soon,” Swanson said.

For more information on Gen. 1:29 CBD Oil, to hear many testimonies from customers who say the product has greatly improved their quality of life and to read more of the research of how CBD may help with migraines, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, cancer, pain and more, visit usacbdoil.us.