A brand-new store will debut on Sag Harbor’s Main Street on Memorial Day weekend, and it just might be the East End’s first shop dedicated to CBD hemp and Chinese herbs. Here comes Dragon Hemp Apothecary.
Owner of the apothecary and the Dragon Hemp line of CBD-based formulas, Kevin Menard, LAc. has been based in Sag Harbor for several years now — operating his sports medicine acupuncture clinic there since 2012. As an acupuncturist, he was able to study the medicinal effects of Chinese herbs and share his findings with clients. Unfortunately, despite the researched benefits, the herbs he recommended to clients weren’t always well-received.
“I am a huge fan of Chinese herbs and use them in my practice, but the problem is, even though they’re super effective, the compliance is really low,” Menard says. “They taste horrible, they have a bad smell, they’re brown, they’re gross.”
By 2018, CBD hemp was well on his radar, and he reports finding great results for anxiety and pain, so he began to experiment blending CBD with his Chinese herbs, and discovered a surprising level of synergy.
“Sometimes the CBD hemp will activate the other herbs, and sometimes the other herbs will activate the CBD hemp,” he explains. “It’s like making a cake — you have all these ingredients that work with each other to make something really special.”
Rebranding as Dragon Hemp last year, Menard teamed up with Hudson Hemp to perfect the formulas for his brand’s three…
