This week’s Best Buds partner spotlight features Brian Hart of Vitam. Brian is a big proponent of people getting out and connecting with each other, so he created a beverage that combines hemp-derived cannabinoids, vitamins, and minerals for a mood-enhancing, non-alcoholic alternative. Read on to find out more about this Texas Hemp visionary and his new product.
What inspired you to enter the cannabis industry, and how has your journey been so far?
Cannabis had a positive impact on my life where I became more introspective, empathetic, and calmer. I’ve had powerful experiences sharing cannabis with people around the world and it developed a passion where I knew this is the industry I want to work in. The journey hasn’t been boring. I’ve grown cannabis, sold it, consulted on it, and am currently launching a hemp beverage infused with vitamins and minerals called Vitam. For better or worse, I’m grateful to work in this industry and the journey has been well-traveled.
What are some key challenges you’ve faced while operating in the cannabis sector, and how have you overcome them?
Regulations are always tricky. In some parts of my career I was paid in cash due to banking restrictions. There is also a stigma from some people that if I work in the industry I am a stoner or incompetent, which in time people see is not true. I think overcoming challenges, whether it is public perception or legal restrictions, has to do with being consistent and working towards accomplishing the goal. I think acting with values helps as well. Showing integrity, being kind, and working hard are tools to overcome challenges.
What has surprised you, in a good way, about the cannabis industry?
How many people are able to relate to you and be kind. I believe cannabis aids people in connecting with one another — it really is something to meet someone for the first time and, through shared experiences and cannabis, have impactful and meaningful conversations and connections.
What sets your cannabis products/services apart from your peers in the industry?
Hemp is federally legal, while marijuana is federally illegal. I do not have the same severe restrictions and regulations that the marijuana industry faces. In addition, my beverage has vitamins and minerals — this is a new category of a hemp beverage that not only is mood enhancing, but has nutritional value. Most competitors do not have this kind of health component, and this is the specialty Vitam focuses on to ultimately make it an easy choice for customers to drink.
How do you prioritize sustainability and social responsibility in your cannabis business practices?
Community is a core tenant of what Vitam is. The Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, came out with a report called the Epidemic of Loneliness in the summer of 2023, which stated that Americans are facing a mental and physical health crisis because of isolation and its negative effects. Vitam is designed for people to spend time together and share to provide not only physical wellness through nutrition, but mental wellness through quality time and connection. Our social responsibility is in our message that we want people to connect with each other. Even if it means Vitam isn’t for everyone, we want people to get out of their homes and spend time with others because we need that on a fundamental basis.
How do you approach building strategic partnerships within the cannabis industry?
There has to be a mutual benefit, but the most important thing is dealing with good people. People who keep their promises, are kind, help others, and have good values. These are the people that make great strategic partnerships because it builds an ecosystem where everyone can prosper.
In what ways do you envision the future of the cannabis industry evolving in the coming year? What big changes are you hoping to see?
Beverages. Cannabis is great and I will always enjoy cannabis flower. But it is socially more acceptable to drink a hemp beverage then to have smoke inside a building. It is socially more acceptable to drink a hemp beverage in front of children or when at an event with many people. So I envision hemp beverages being another mode for people to enjoy cannabis as well as more acceptable to use in a public setting. In addition, Generation Z and Millennials care about functional beverages that have health advantages, so I see people wanting to have a combination of something mood enhancing, social, and a healthier alternative to alcohol.
Anything you’d like to add, but we haven’t asked *just* the right question?
Vitam stands for vitamins, but in Latin it also means life. I want to breathe life into society. I want people to have a healthier alternative to alcohol and I want people to feel they are enjoying their life more through sharing my beverage with one another. Like every business owner, I want people to buy my product, but I also want to encourage people to ask themselves how strong are their social connections. It’s my hope that people spend more time with one another and have a sense of fulfillment through the relationships with people in their community.
