"Cannuka is a medically-inspired, all-natural skincare line. What makes us unique is that we use cannabis (CBD) and Manuka honey as our two primary ingredients," says Michael Bumgarner, founder of Cannuka. Cannuka, a line of skincare products, focuses on the use of CBD – derived from industrial hemp – and Manuka honey, cultivated in New Zealand.

Raised on a cattle farm in rural Ohio and witnessing firsthand the devastation of the "family farm" was the impetus for Michael to begin searching for ways to improve the lives of local communities.  This is when Michael found the answer in cannabis (a.k.a industrial hemp). "I really fell in love with CBD because of the anti-inflammatory properties. My wife is in dermatology, so her expertise is really in understanding the root cause of skin issues, and 99 percent of skin issues involve some type of inflammation. We realized that if we could introduce CBD topically and complement that with Manuka honey – which is one of the most powerful anti-bacterial honeys in the world – we could better introduce a cannabis product for what it is a – wellness ingredient."

Michael began the company with his wife, Kelly, who is a  PA-C in dermatology. "We have a small team right now, but we are quickly growing our team. This is very much a family-owned business. We officially took Cannuka to market in 2017, so we’ve been fully realized for about seven months now."

As a company using cannabis in their products, Cannuka inevitably faces a whole host of misconceptions regarding their product.

"One of the reasons we introduced Cannuka is to change the conversation and redefine the word ‘cannabis.’ Cannabis is much more than THC. The mass cultivation of cannabis could drastically improve people’s health, create a cleaner environment and has the potential to spark a new industrial revolution. This is why I am in this space…to make real change. We want to introduce cannabis in a different light and allow people to try cannabis products and see the benefits firsthand. We want to introduce cannabis differently to a much

broader audience."

Bumgarner is an advocate of the anti-inflammatory and healing properties of cannabis, as well as clean, industrial hemp crops and the opportunity this could provide for rural farmers.

"Hemp is a very clean crop to grow. So, if we can increase the demand for these types of products, we will need to cultivate more industrial hemp, which will be better for the environment and create a lot of much needed jobs. There are also a lot of small farmers in rural Ohio that could really benefit from the opportunity to grow industrial hemp," says Bumgarner. "If you can create cannabis-related products and get those products into people’s hands, you’re also going to create a healthier populace."

To learn more about Cannuka products, visit cannuka.com.