Why We're All Wrong About Hemp (Including Me)

Look, I'll be honest with you right off the bat—I used to think CBD was basically expensive snake oil for yoga moms and wellness influencers.

Then I listened to this podcast about Max Moldaschl, and it kinda broke my brain a little bit.

Here's a guy who went from finance bro to hemp entrepreneur, not because he had some spiritual awakening or wanted to stick it to Big Pharma, but because he was literally falling apart. Tired, stressed, heading straight for burnout city (population: most of us, let's be real).

The Accidental Convert

Max's friends kept pushing CBD on him. And honestly? Same energy as when your mom keeps sending you TikToks about drinking more water. You know it's probably good advice, but also... eye roll.

But here's where it gets interesting. Max didn't just try CBD and call it a day. His experience was so unexpectedly positive that he went full researcher mode. Like, completely nerded out on it. Eventually co-founded NaturalWorks with this mission to "harness the hemp plant's vast untapped potential."

And that phrase—untapped potential—that's what got me thinking.

We're Asking the Wrong Questions

Here's my theory: we've created this weird binary around hemp where it's either a miracle cure-all or complete BS. But what if it's neither? What if it's just... complicated?

Think about it like this. When the internet first became mainstream, people were like "oh cool, electronic mail" and completely missed that we were building the infrastructure for social media, remote work, and cat videos. We were thinking too small AND too big at the same time.

Same thing's happening with hemp, I think.

On one side, you've got people claiming CBD can cure everything from anxiety to ingrown toenails (okay maybe not toenails, but you get it). On the other side, skeptics dismissing the whole thing because some studies are inconclusive or because they're still mentally confusing hemp with getting high.

Both sides are missing the point.

The System vs. The Symptom

Here's what I learned digging deeper into this stuff: hemp isn't really a drug in the traditional sense. It's more like... a biological interface?

Our bodies have this thing called the endocannabinoid system (try saying that five times fast). It's basically this network that helps regulate stuff like sleep, mood, pain, immune response. And compounds in hemp can interact with this system.

But here's the kicker—everyone's system is different. Your genetics, your stress levels, what you had for breakfast, whether Mercury is in retrograde (kidding about that last one... maybe)—all of it affects how these compounds work for you.

So when Max says CBD helped his stress, and your friend says it did nothing for them, you're both probably right. It's not that one of you is lying or delusional. It's that you're essentially running different biological software.

Why the Wellness Industry Gets It Wrong

This is where I get a little ranty, so bear with me.

The wellness industry has this obsession with one-size-fits-all solutions. Take this supplement, follow this routine, buy this product, and all your problems disappear. It's basically the Amazon Prime model applied to human biology.

But that's not how bodies work. That's definitely not how something as complex as the endocannabinoid system works.

Companies like NaturalWorks seem to get this, at least based on what I've seen. They're not promising that their CBD will transform you into some zen master. They're trying to build trust through education and transparency. Novel concept, I know.

The Real Untapped Potential

So what IS hemp's untapped potential then?

I think it's in the research we haven't done yet. The combinations we haven't tried. The personalized approaches we haven't developed.

Like, what if instead of "does CBD work for anxiety?" we asked "which specific cannabinoid ratios work best for which types of stress responses in which populations under what circumstances?"

Bit of a mouthful, but you see what I mean? We're still in the "electronic mail" phase of understanding this plant.

Max's story isn't remarkable because CBD is magic. It's remarkable because he found something that worked with his specific biology at his specific moment in time, and instead of just taking it and moving on, he got curious about why.

The Questions We Should Be Asking

If you're thinking about trying hemp products (and honestly, if you're dealing with stress or sleep issues, why wouldn't you at least consider it?), here are some better questions than "does it work?":

• What am I actually trying to address? Be specific.
• What have I already tried? What worked, what didn't?
• Am I expecting this to be a magic bullet, or am I thinking of it as one tool among many?
• What would "success" actually look like for me?

And maybe most importantly: Am I ready to be patient with the process?

Because here's the thing about biological systems—they're not like apps where you download an update and everything runs smoother. They're more like... learning a new language? You might have breakthrough moments, but mostly it's small, gradual changes that add up over time.

Getting Comfortable with "Maybe"

I know this isn't the definitive "hemp will change your life" or "hemp is overrated" take you might have been expecting. But honestly? I think we need more "maybe" in the wellness conversation.

Maybe hemp has significant therapeutic potential that we're only beginning to understand.

Maybe the current products on the market are just the tip of the iceberg.

Maybe Max's experience says something important about how we approach stress and burnout in general.

Maybe the real revolution isn't in finding the perfect supplement, but in getting better at paying attention to our own bodies and what they actually need.

Your Turn

So here's my challenge for you: whether you're curious about hemp, skeptical about it, or already using it—can you sit with the uncertainty for a bit? Can you resist the urge to put it in either the "miracle cure" or "expensive placebo" box?

Because I have a feeling that the really interesting stuff happens in that space between certainty and dismissal. That's where the actual learning lives.

What's your experience been? Are you a Max—someone who found unexpected benefits? A skeptic who thinks this is all hype? Somewhere in between? Drop a comment and let's figure this out together.

And hey, if you want to check out what Max and NaturalWorks are up to, they're on Instagram @naturalworksofficial. No affiliate link, no commission—just genuinely curious about companies that seem to be approaching this stuff thoughtfully.

The way I see it, we're all just trying to feel a little better in our bodies and a little more capable of handling whatever chaos life throws at us. If hemp can be part of that equation for some people, cool. If not, also cool.

But let's at least be curious about it instead of prematurely closing the book on something we're still learning how to read.