Hidden Gems: Meet James & Jacque Blanchett of Canna Pham Farm

Today we’d like to introduce you to James & Jacque Blanchett.

Hi James & Jacque, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Our journey with holistic healing started about 14 years ago. Shortly after we were married James was involved in a severe work accident. He was the mechanic for an irrigation company when one day while he was diagnosing a mechanical problem, he was smashed in a hydraulic machine. The accident left him with two fractures in his back and a very long road to healing. We went with the traditional pain medicine road provided by his doctors but it didn’t take us long to realize that James body, mind, and injury received zero benefits from these prescribed medications. So I called a friend who was in medical school at the time and asked for some kind of guidance. I remember him chucking and telling me I was going to think he was insane… but that he truly believed Cannabis was our solution. I returned a very nervous chuckle because we lived in TN and it was 2008 and that information did me zero good. We had several friends who had moved to the west coast so without missing a beat, we got James a plane ticket and he was off to California. Being a builder by trade, he would build grow rooms and spaces for dispensaries and in turn, they taught him how to grow, cultivate, and utilize cannabis on a mass and medicinal scale. In 2018 The Farm Bill was passed making hemp federally legal in all 50 states. We looked at that as our opportunity, called up some friends, and submitted our application for a hemp license with the State of TN and the rest is currently being written!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We spent all of 2019 growing our first outdoor crop, harvesting it, and making contacts to sell it. Little did we know that the hemp market in the entire US was about to crash. When it did, we found ourselves with a little over 1,000 pounds of freshly cured outdoor hemp with nowhere to go with it. We had to rethink everything. So we did and we decided to start creating using our hemp. For us, something as simple as finding a banking institution for our industry was a challenge. We had no idea that even though federally Hemp was legal banks did not see it that way. So we got rejection after rejection until finally a local bank agreed to allow us to bank with them. Then it was finding a card processor who would charge us fairly for transactions.

We also didn’t know that cannabis was, and still is, considered a “high risk” industry. There is only one major card processor in the country that accepts cannabis as a regular business. So we registered and were placed on a nine weeks hold but finally received approval and we were off to the races. Or so we thought, COVID had other plans. About one month after we launched our first few products the first wave of shutdowns took place. Like so many other’s our dreams were temporary placed on hold, but we really tried to use that time to refocus and continue to improve as a farm and a company. Little by little, we have been able to share our products and we are beyond thrilled to be able to really see and show everything the AMAZING power hemp and hemp-derived products have on your mind and body.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a true seed to store hemp farm where we grow, cultivate, and create our products using our harvest. We pride ourselves on being state-licensed and tested as well as additional third-party tested. We are proud in knowing exactly where and what has been around the plants and ultimately the final products.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Our products are a part of our “family” which is why we have a Father (Muscle Freeze), Mother (Whipped Body Butters), Brother (Roll On Muscle Freeze), and Sister (Bath Salts). We also aren’t shy to ask for a collaboration with other local artists and shops. We feel so grateful anytime that we get to not only share our story and brand but other local artisans and store owners too.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.cannapham.farm
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cannaphamfarm/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CannaPhamFarm
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cannaphamfarm