Ohio Medical Marijuana Processor Spotlight: BeneLeaves

Ohio Medical Marijuana Processor Spotlight: BeneLeaves

Cultivators grow cannabis flower and dispensaries sell it, but you might not realize as a patient that the supply chain doesn’t end there. Medical marijuana processors play a big role, too. 

Ohio currently allows 24 legal cannabis companies to serve as processors, but many of them are large, vertically-integrated operations. Columbus-area processor BeneLeaves, on the other hand, is a standalone processor. Processors like BeneLeaves don’t grow cannabis flower themselves. Instead, they work closely with the state’s 24 cultivators to utilize the biomass or trim that would otherwise go unused. They process the raw plant materials into finished products for patients to buy at dispensaries.  

A Personal Connection

BeneLeaves is a family-owned company run by Peg Hollenback and Jeff Hollenback, former Columbus-area chefs. The CEO suffers from rheumatoid arthritis and found that cannabis helped, giving the Hollenbacks a new direction for their careers. The couple decided to leave the food world to lend their culinary expertise to creating pharmaceutical-quality medical marijuana products. 

The Hollenbacks partnered with Bill Williams, who ran the Williams family’s national brand, Glory Foods. Today, the management team at BeneLeaves can call upon decades of experience in restaurants, consulting and commercial food production to create their gourmet-quality medical marijuana products.

BeneLeaves received their operating license in January 2019, just as the Ohio medical marijuana program was beginning. 

Attention to Quality

Beneleaves sources their cannabis strains from Ohio cannabis growers very carefully. “We buy only certified tested plant material from those Ohio growers that we have personally visited, inspected and align with our core values,” says BeneLeaves President Bill WIlliams. 

The Beneleaves team processes cannabis flower using CO2 equipment to extract the oils from the flower to make a variety of cannabis products. Eleven different steps go into the manufacturing process that turns cannabis flowers into extracted oils. Once the oil is extracted, Beneleaves uses the oil to make gummies, vape cartridges, lotions, capsules, tinctures and infused baked goods.  

Because they come from the food industry and quality mattered, BeneLeaves opted for package labeling that met Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines, not just the state’s requirements. 

Every product BeneLeaves produces gets tested by a third-party independent laboratory to make sure they are free of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and heavy metals.

BeneLeaves strives to provide patients with as much information as possible to help them better understand how this medicine is helping. “Knowing what terpenes, what strain, what level of CBG or CBN is in your medicine will help patients better know what is helping provide relief,” WIlliams said. 

Products Processed By BeneLeaves

“We are trying to offer solid options for Ohio,” Williams said about the product selection that BeneLeaves offers to patients. 

Baked Goods: Patients with food allergies and other dietary restrictions can have a difficult time getting the medicine they need. One popular product that BeneLeaves makes is gluten-free cookies for patients with a gluten allergy.  “Our brand new peanut butter chocolate chunk cookie is quickly becoming a patient favorite,” Williams said. “It has 15 mg of THC per cookie. They are soft-baked, chewy and delicious!” Patients might also enjoy their line of chews which come in some exotic flavors: Brown Butter Honey Pistachio, Chocolate Chile Coconut and White Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal.

Vaporization products: Williams also noted that patients with digestive or gastrointestinal problems should consider vaporizing. “Inhalation is the quickest way to get your THC medicine and we have multiple options in vape carts for Ohio patients. Our Hypnos CBG vape cart is a reliable option for anyone.”

Gummies: BeneLeaves offers distillate gummies that are vegan. Patients have noted that these may provide longer-lasting relief for chronic conditions which cause discomfort throughout the day. The company has introduced products with high amounts of CBG and CBN cannabinoids in their recently-expanded gummies line. 

Capsules: Patients who have struggled with accurate cannabis dosing and/or unpredictable effects might consider BeneLeaves capsules. By taking a capsule instead of an edible, patients find more consistent, long-acting relief. The coconut oil base of the capsule assists with absorption through the digestive process. The capsules come in two different types. Hypnos capsules contain indica terpenes to provide relaxation, while Helios capsules have a Sativa terpene blend for uplifting effects.

Strong Community Partnerships

Williams noted that the relationships they’ve built in the Ohio cannabis community have been integral to their success. “We are a small community of growers, processors, and dispensaries and to ensure that we maintain our high quality standards, we have visited and toured with every grower around Ohio. I have established strong relationships with all of these dispensaries that stem from the security guards to the budtenders and store managers.”

“We even have allowed competitive processors to come by and tour our facility and share best practices,” Williams continued. “The rising tide lifts all ships. It is fantastic that we all can work together to share key learnings and produce amazing products all focused on building this Ohio program.”

BeneLeaves products are available in all Ohio dispensaries and they want patient feedback! “I would ask patients in Ohio please continue to share your thoughts on our products. We welcome patient feedback and input. We even welcome patients to schedule a time for a facility tour to see how the medicine is made. We want all to know we can be trusted with providing amazing medicine,” Williams said. 

To learn more about BeneLeaves products, visit their website, Facebook page, or Instagram.

Interested in getting your Ohio medical marijuana card so you can try BeneLeaves products for your condition? Reach out to DocMJ today to schedule your evaluation. 

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Author: 

Gabrielle Dion Visca

Gabrielle has been writing and editing professionally for the medical and wellness industries for more than 20 years. She currently writes articles about medical marijuana for DocMJ and is the founder of the Ohio cannabis journalism non-profit, MedicateOH. 

Aaron Bloom

Aaron Bloom, an experienced healthcare attorney, serves as the CEO, overseeing the mission and growth of DocMJ and Medwell Health and Wellness Centers since 2016. Aaron’s passion for improving patients’ lives comes from his experience in healthcare. For more than 20 years, Aaron has owned, operated, and represented traditional healthcare organizations. This experience created a passion for finding improved ways to relieve suffering. His goal as CEO is to work daily to provide relief to all patients who seek better health and wellness through the medicinal benefits of medical cannabis and evidence-based alternative medicines.