As a starting point, let’s talk about your background. What are you passionate about? How did you get started in the cannabis industry?
I’ve always had an interest in plant medicine, natural remedies, and alternative medicine – that whole category of products. I was in the military from 2007 to 2012. I was stationed in Hawaii on a submarine. My military experience led me to have some issues with sleeping.
On a submarine, we work 18-hour schedules when we’re on deployment. So instead of a 24-hour day, we basically get up, we stand watch for six hours, we work for six hours, and then go to sleep for six hours and then your day starts over. So, I had issues with my circadian rhythm keeping up with my sleep cycles and telling my body when to sleep.
[Chorus Compliance] can have an immediate and direct effect on potential top-line and bottom-line revenue. I know from the standpoint of owning a business that compliance hurdles can prevent you from expanding and growing your business. It’s the difference between being wrapped up in the day-to-day operations and just staying alive versus expanding.
– Austin Rhodus, Sr. Business Developer, Chorus Compliance
When I was in Hawaii after the military, I began exploring different cannabis products, and discovering what was available on the market at the time. I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for. THC itself wasn’t really doing it for me. CBD by itself wasn’t doing it. For me, CBD and melatonin was a good combination because the CBD would help with going to sleep and then the melatonin would help you stay asleep. This discovery led us to making our own products.
The original product that we created was a CBD and melatonin product. That was in early 2015. We mixed CBD and melatonin and suspended it in a syrup form. You could mix it with a beverage, or you could just take it kind of by the spoonful, similar to…