Upstate Aura – A CBD Company with Rustic Roots

(WOODSTOCK, NY) — An organic CBD company is hoping to change the way people deal with stress and their well-being during the pandemic.

Jaqueline Covello entered the burgeoning world of cannabis entrepreneurship after she said that cannabidiol (a chemical in marijuana known as CBD) helped her husband recover from back pain. She now runs Upstate Aura, an environmentally sustainable company that sources its hemp extract directly from a family-owned organic farm in the Catskills. 

“Once we realized the health potential of CBD, we decided to start a company from the ground up,” Covello said. “So we found a 40-acre organic farm to ensure the integrity of our tinctures and creams. We wanted to bring the benefits of CBD to the masses.” 

The company launched in May 2020, and while starting a business during the pandemic was a challenge, Covello said that Upstate Aura has seen an upward revenue trend that has continued since the lockdowns. 

“We shipped to a lot of people during the lockdown when everyone was home and online shopping,” Covello said. “People were realizing they were stressed and needed something to calm their nerves. My customers have used it for anxiety, ADHD, arthritis, chronic pain, and even seizures.” 

While hemp and marijuana both come from the Cannabis sativa plant, hemp is high in CBD and low in THC (a natural compound found in cannabis plants),  whereas marijuana is high in THC and low in CBD. Hemp absorbs both the good and bad nutrients from the soil, so sourcing organic seed is vital for optimal health results.

“I suffer from migraines, and I don’t like to constantly depend on over-the-counter medications,” Stacy Van Gunten, a resident of nearby Rye and an Upstate Aura customer, told The Click. “I heard about Upstate Aura through a friend and decided to give it a try. I find it’s really helpful to use the cream right when I feel a migraine starting. I ended up giving it to all the women in my family for Mother’s Day.” 

The “Farm Bill” legalizes hemp but with strict state and federal guidelines for growth and distribution. It’s heavily regulated in the United States and must be grown by a licensed farmer. 

“The trend is going up as more states come on board with cultivating hemp for fiber and CBD,” Graciela Moreno, executive director of the CBD Industry Association, told The Click. “CBD research is still waiting in the wings to see what the DEA and FDA will ultimately say, but this is a true health and wellness product.” 

According to leading market data company Grand View Research, the global cannabidiol market is valued at $2.8 billion and is expected to have an annual growth of 21.2% over the next seven years. The increased demand for the health and wellness properties of CBD has been a major factor in driving market growth.

“The industry is growing, and people are becoming more educated about the medicinal effects of CBD,” Covello said.