A special grand opening was hosted on Saturday, Dec. 15, as Jim McCoy officially opened the doors of his brand new business, dubbed “All About Hemp,” at 1400 S. Highway 160.
The opening comes after the U.S. Congress passed the final draft of the 2018 Farm Bill, this month which provides for the legalization of the cultivation of industrial hemp across the U.S.
“I thought Saturday’s grand opening was great,” McCoy said. “We had a strong turnout and a nice steady flow of people all the way from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“I think pretty much that everybody who showed up, got a good opportunity to see what we are all about. I thought it went really well. Throughout the course of the day there was nothing negative with the people who were coming in. It was all about good people and good times.”
One such person having a good time was none other than six-year Pahrump resident Ralph Schweitzer, who just happened upon the grand opening, by chance.
Schweitzer, a self-proclaimed “child of the 60s,” was enjoying a cup of hemp tea while witnessing all of the excitement among would-be customers and mere curiosity-seekers.
“I was visiting the business next door to here when noticed the grand opening and I thought I’d just drop by,” Schweitzer said. “I am a Canadian and they have legalized it coast to coast in Canada.
“When I was a stoner, of course it was illegal at the time, and they used to just lock you up, left, right and center for merely possessing it. Now that I’m a little long in the tooth, I do it occasionally. Today I had a couple of cookies and the tea which is great, even though I’m a coffee person.”
Though Schweitzer has cut back on his recreational marijuana use, he sang the praises of CBD (Cannabidiol) infused topical products used for pain relief and a number other ailments.
“I actually have some CBD oil which is great for aches and pains, and it works almost instantaneously,” he said. “I recently injured my thumb and I applied CBD oil on it, and it takes the pain away quite quickly.
“I don’t have anything like arthritis but it’s amazing how quickly the CBD oil works,” he said. “I bought a small container of it, it doesn’t really take much to alleviate the pain. It’s quite amazing.”
Local residents were not the only ones at the grand opening.
Las Vegas resident Joe Traster, a friend of McCoy’s, was also on hand for the event.
“I have worked with Jim in the past, and when I saw the grand opening on Facebook, I thought I’d come out and support him and check out what he has going,” Traster said.
“I don’t use marijuana, but I thought it would become legal in some parts of the country. I’ve never really partaken a lot in it, and I never really saw a real big issue with it. Obviously, I think there are some rules that need to be involved, but for the most part, I don’t really see any problems with it.”
McCoy, meanwhile said he’s anticipating a very bright future in the industry in the Silver State.
“I am looking forward to the home infusion kit that we have, so that people can come in and learn how to make their own medicine, in a cost-effective and practical manner,” he noted. “I think we’re in a great location here on the highway. Everybody sees us well and there’s plenty of parking. We have a lot of room out back where we can park buses if we needed to.”
All about Hemp is at 1400 S. Highway 160.
Store hours are Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 7 pm., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 pm.
For additional information, contact the business at 702-722-0867.
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com, on Twitter: @pvtimes