Weedist Women: Megan Schwarting

Megan & Ben Schwarting

Weedists: Meet Megan Schwarting

“Weedists are the people who are out there fighting the good fight and these are their stories.”

Megan Schwarting and her husband, Ben, started Kush Creams to appeal to a broader audience. Their award-winning success is certainly an indication that they made a good move. They have been written up right here at weedist, too – more than once.

Megan has become a notable cannabusiness woman due to her ability to create a world-class product while keeping it real. She has become a friend over the years, and I am proud to work with her to end cannabis prohibition. She is always ready to help out the movement in any way that she can. Megan donates regularly to local fund-raisers and participates in event panels that discuss the benefits of cannabis-infused topicals. She was one of the keynote speakers at the NORML Women’s Alliance High Tea in September.

Megan Schwarting showed us all that women have a powerful voice in today’s cannabusinesses. She showed us that dreams can come true with a clear vision and hard work. Here, she answers my questions and shares her hopes for the future.

How did Kush Creams come to be? Please tell me your journey to becoming a High Times award winner and activist in the medical cannabis community.

My husband Ben and I started as growers commercially. After we had our three beautiful daughters, we wanted to take our knowledge of healing patients and turn that into something that was safe for people of all ages.

We have scientific plant extraction in our bloodlines. We are the direct descendants of Arthur Schwarting, father of “The Schwarting Approach.” The approach is recognized worldwide in the fields of Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy. It is a method of identifying the exact chemical compound within a plant that provides the sought relief and extracting that compound, to then be concentrated and transformed into an easy to administer and regulate dosage.

We use this very process we isolate and extract the different cannabinoids. This has resulted in the success patients have found with the cream. We are proud to hold the only “non-edible, medically-infused product” trophies from High Times.

I know that you make other ingestible products and extractions, but you are best known for your creams. Why did you choose to specialize in topicals?

We originally made different varieties of concentrates and medical treatments and edibles. More and more, we helped the person who didn’t like to smoke or ingest and struggled with pain. As we learned more about the scientific side of absorption, we were able to prove that our topicals  didn’t alter a urinary analysis. That is why we focused on the cb2 receptors and analgesic localized pain relief. We continually hear amazing stories of Kush Creams opening the line of communication about cannabis, therefore breaking down the stereotypes and prohibition. And honestly we didn’t choose creams; they choose us. Once we began producing them, they became so popular due to the wide variety of ailments our creams can help!

As an advocate for medical cannabis and a provider of top-shelf medicine, is there a special success story or testimonial that you would like to share?

I love hearing testimonials! Just today, I was emailed the success story of a women who had lost her toenails due to neuropathy associated with diabetes. She began applying the cream and has grown back her toenails almost completely. She has now turned her sister onto Kush Creams. She is having the same success. People write in with stories of eczema relief. I have even heard from a person who reported being the only person in their oncology support group to keep their hair, most likely because they used our chemotherapy conditioner. One of my favorite successes to hear about come from the Auntie, who can stop using her cane or quit her prescription pain killers. Kush Creams can touch someone in everyone’s life.

There is a lot of positive change happening in the cannabis movement across the country. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is apologizing for being ignorant, and Attorney General Eric Holder is calling for drug policy reforms. At the same time, medical safe access points along the I-5 corridor in Washington were raided by the DEA at the same time as Holder’s announcement. How do you keep yourself and your business feeling safe with such conflict swirling around the foundation of your organization?

I am concerned for the future of medical cannabis AS WE KNOW IT, especially here in Washington. But, I am not concerned for the future of cannabis as we move towards full legalization. I am ready, and Kush Creams is ready, too.

What are the biggest challenges you have discovered as the owner of a cannabusiness? How have you managed them; what would you like to tell others interested in starting a cannabusiness? How has being a woman helped and hindered?

I have found that the more transparently we operate the less challenges we face. I embraced the movement once it hit the life I was already living with Ben. We are happy to be pioneers and leading by example here at Kush Creams. There has been an uncomfortable flood of opportunists showing up recently. I worry about that and the effect it could have on the bigger picture of this movement. My only advice to aspiring cannapreneurs is remain true to your passion or trade. It is delightful when pride and quality and thought shines through your business. Your customers will appreciate it and value you for your integrity.

In light of the public “a-ha” moments of two of the cannabis movement’s biggest prohibitionists, do you think we are going to start to see real change? How does that look for Kush Creams? What’s the big dream?

We want to see Kush Creams on the shelves in Whole Foods, drug stores,salons, spas and clinics  alike. We love helping people and breaking down the stereotypes all in one. Just think, who would you like to help with Kush Creams and finally break the ice about cannabis?