Karen Lillie has long known about the sustainable benefits of the hemp plant. As owner of Weeds (W62 N588 Washington Ave., Cedarburg) and its sister store Lillies, she features fair-traded, eco-friendly goods; hemp products tie in with her ethos. Weeds has hemp T-shirts, socks, pet toys and accessories, as well as cannabidiol (CBD) products.
“Hemp-based clothing is really durable and breathable. The more you wash it, the softer it becomes. It’s the strongest natural fiber on Earth. It’s anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, it prevents bacteria from growing in your socks or your clothes, and it resists odors,” Lillie explains. “It also wicks away moisture.”
While CBD has been getting the most attention lately, hemp has many practical uses. Lillie says that hemp is a good alternative to cotton or other fibers because it’s a more sustainable, environmentally friendly crop that requires less water and needs little to no pesticides, herbicides and fertilizer. Hemp seeds, and the oil produced from them, have many culinary uses and industrial purposes. It grows easily and can be cultivated in diverse climates.
“One acre of hemp will produce as much as two-to-four acres of cotton. It’s also good for paper products and can be used for tissue paper or cardboard,” Lillie continues. “It takes years for trees to grow, whereas hemp can be harvested as soon as 120 days after it is planted.” Weeds has Soul Flower hemp T-Shirts with an array of designs, Weeds sells summer sun hats made in Nepal (hemp has been grown and used in Nepal for many generations), messenger bags, wallets and Kind Hemp Co. socks. For our fur babies, Weeds has Eco-fetcher hemp dog toys such as flying discs and balls.
Weeds also carries bath and body products made with hemp (with no CBD) such as lotions, massage oils, skin butters and shower gels. One can also find Rosemary Mint Hemp Soap, made by Wisconsin-based Good Earth Soap Co. “Hemp is also great for the skin. It restores elasticity, flexibility and overall skin health,” Lillie says.
For those looking for CBD items in the Cedarburg area, Weeds has CBD tinctures, pain-soothing salves and roll-ons by Milwaukee area Canna Infuzions; Elixinol capsules and balm; MedTerra tinctures and capsules, which Lillie says are free from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC); and CBD teas in peppermint or chamomile. They also have some CBD gummies. She notes that many people come in just for information about CBD, and her staff is trained to answer questions.
“So many people are making CBD products, so we’re picky about what we offer and make sure the products we bring in are third-party tested,” Lillie says. “We want to support Wisconsin products, but we’re limited as to what we can bring in because there aren’t many.”
But she’s optimistic that will change. “I think Wisconsin’s hemp industry is going to go gangbusters, now that we can grow it here,” she says. “I think it will be used for all types of products, like clothing. Not only can hemp be used as substitutions for pulp and paper products, it can be used for building materials and so many other applications. It is a strong, fast-growing material and a superior product.”
For more information, visit lilliesweeds.com.
