By Gary SchwartzYou would think as a hip replacement recipient and lifelong athlete, it would be easy for me to find something that provides relief from the pain and mileage of daily life. But Ibuprofen and I just don’t like each other, and Tylenol gives me no relief. I’ve asked my doctors and they suggest more highly addictive pain pills and have no real information about holistic alternatives. I just want to sit at dinner or sleep through the night without pain!For the last few years, CBDs have been promoted to be the cure-all for pain, anxiety, and a host of other conditions, each seller promising miraculous effects. I’ve met vendors at flea markets and other events who sell CBDs. But instead of discussing my medical condition with an experienced doctor or knowledgeable merchant, I feel like the victim of a snake oil salesman.I bought 25 milligram full-spectrum caplets for $30 for a bottle of 25 caplets. I tried them before tennis and I experienced 3 hours of pain relief. The problem was the changing consistency and quality; I did not trust the owner/salesman of the CBDs and decided not to purchase anymore. I did my best to do my research on the internet, to find out the legitimate studies done with CBDs, and talked to anyone who had any understanding. Smart idea, in fact a “Hemp Smart” idea, I met Jason DePietto through a longtime friend.Jason had just opened a store in North Massapequa, New York dedicated to holistic healing with a full line of goods and services to care for the mind and body. Hemp Smarts is a holistic healing studio. Jason focuses only on healthy products and, with the eye of a chef who has 15 years’ experience, he selects only the best quality goods. Jason also had a complete left knee reconstruction and immediately understood my needs.
The most important thing I received from Jason was honest information that was easy to verify. His knowledge of the CBD extraction and manufacturing processes makes him amazing at knowing every ingredient in tinctures, vapes, and other related products. Every time you walk into Hemp Smarts, you are welcomed by a warm smile and an offer of help. There is never pressure to buy anything and Jason stands behind everything he sells. Right now, he is in the process of producing all his own high-quality hemp products all with the Hemp Smarts label. His Vegan Salve and High Alkaline water are popular items, but it’s the studio workshops that really set this business apart.Several nights at week, Jason runs special programs in his store: Reiki circles, CBD massages, guided meditations, Archangel channeling, Tarot card readings, and essential oil workshops. He has truly created a holistic healing studio that radiates positive energy; Jason and all his employees have a love of the holistic and a belief that you tend to others’ needs and do your best to nurture peoples’ souls. That’s not simply hemp smart, but life smart – a good lesson for us all.
—Hemp Smarts Holistic Healing Studio is located at 1097A North Broadway in Massapequa, New York. For more information on products and programs, visit the store’s Facebook page.Stay tuned for the latest news from the hemp community, with sustainability and planetary wellness updates, in our print issue ONE!—Based on Long Island, Gary Schwartz is the owner and creator of the bestselling cannabis-themed game Roll-a-Bong, as well as owner and chief designer of Quantum RPGs-3D Tabletop Gaming. He has over 25 years of experience in the game design industry. Gary is also a writer, comics artist, and science educator. For more information, visit roll-a-bong.com or follow on Instagram at @roll_abong.
