Meet the Santa Monica Moms Making THC Suppositories Designed for Women: An Interview with the Founders of Hello Again
Hello Again is a female wellness line that utilizes the powerful cannabinoids of the cannabis plant in their line of all-natural CBD and THC vaginal suppositories. The company was founded by two friends who saw there were few effective, plant-based, all natural solutions to their menopause related symptoms and refused to merely tolerate their new normal. Formulated with the guidance of experienced medical and cannabis experts, Hello Again aspires to help women of all ages feel like themselves again so they can welcome back their vibrance and confidence. Hello Again believes that when women are at their best, there is nothing they can't do. Hello Again products are currently available in dispensaries throughout California and for delivery through helloagainproducts.com.
We interviewed the founders of Hello Again, Carrie Mapes and Patty Pappas about what inspired them to start their suppository line, the growing trend of women being canna-curious, and how they have navigated starting a brand in the male dominated cannabis industry.
High Herstory: What was your “a-ha” moment when you both decided you wanted to start your brand, Hello Again?
Answer: We decided to explore local dispensaries in 2018, as cannabis had just become legal in California and we were curious. Our experience that day made us quickly realize that cannabis was uniquely suited to address many of the discomforts we had been experiencing as women in menopause. For months, we searched for a single product geared to address our discomfort without providing a psychoactive high, but there was nothing to be found. We decided to take matters into our own hands – by formulating the product we were looking for and building our own brand from the ground up. We are proud of what we created: a line of effective, consistent and non-psychoactive suppositories to address the physical, cognitive and emotional challenges that affect women of all ages.
High Herstory: Can you tell us more about the idea behind personalized vaginal support suppositories using a blend of botanicals in tandem with THC and CBD?
A: When your body’s systems are out of balance or not functioning properly, your own endocannabinoid system comes to the rescue. A biological call goes out for your cells to produce endocannabinoids, which are cannabinoids made by your body. When needed, endocannabinoids connect with specialized receptors found head to toe in the human body. When endocannabinoids come in contact with and connect to the proper receptors, the biological result is a return to equilibrium and proper function.
The cannabinoids from cannabis (THC and CBD among others) closely mimic our own and are thus able to utilize the body’s receptors to provide the same balancing effect to the physical, emotional and cognitive systems we depend upon for a healthy life.
A vaginal suppository bypasses the digestive tract and liver, where the metabolic byproduct of THC is psychoactive. Suppositories only depend on body temperature to melt at a specific rate and be absorbed by the surrounding skin. The female reproductive tract is full of cannabinoid receptors which receive and interact with cannabinoids; to utilize the THC without the psychoactivity.
Our formulations also include specific botanicals, chosen for their particular wellness properties.
Oh, and as a bonus, the vaginal suppository contains cocoa butter, avocado oil and vitamin E to moisturize, soothe and lubricate while apple cider vinegar maintains the natural pH balance of your vagina.
“Our company was founded out of our own need for a natural remedy to menopause, but we believe women of all ages should have access to products that effectively relieve the discomfort caused by the various physical, emotional and cognitive challenges we face, and It’s our mission to help women feel their best – no matter what stage of life they are in – and our new products aim to empower this underserved demographic.””
High Herstory: Have you noticed a trend with your consumers in seeking out these types of products now that cannabis has become more accessible?
A: Absolutely. Cannabis use is not only more accessible, but the stigma around cannabis is quickly decreasing. In addition, we have seen an influx of new consumers coming to the market. When we founded Hello Again there were very few wellness products and now there are entire dispensary sections dedicated to wellness products. For Hello Again, education is crucial to our marketing and sales strategy. There is still a lot of education that needs to be done on how cannabis can improve health and wellness.
High Herstory: It’s mind-blowing to us how little information and solutions there are surrounding menopause. We know that your personal experiences helped to inform your products, what would you say is the most common misconception about going through menopause that you have found?
A: The most common misconception about menopause is that your best years are behind you.
We have found the opposite to be true. Midlife should be liberating. As active child-rearing responsibilities come to a close, daily life can be recreated around more selfish priorities. Your relationship with your partner can be deepened and redefined as you rediscover each other under new circumstances. Midlife provides the time and space for a new kind of personal growth.
Menopause and midlife are also accompanied by a new outlook for many women. We become less focused on what others think and less competitive with other women. This change ushers in a wonderful new phase for both old and new friendships.
High Herstory: What is the product you are loving the most right now?
A: We love to support other female founded products in the cannabis industry. Patty loves the Proof face and body serum. Carrie loves Humboldt Apothecary tinctures.
High Herstory: Where can we currently find your products?
A: Hello Again is currently available in dispensaries across California and for delivery via Grassdoor. Order conveniently through our website or check out the list of dispensaries throughout California!
High Herstory: Do you have plans to expand your product line?
A: We’re currently only available in our home state of California, but plan to expand into additional markets across the country imminently.
High Herstory: What is next for Hello Again?
A: Last year we developed Hello Again Period and Hello Again Hangover in response to how younger women were using our original menopause-focused Hello Again Everyday. We now see another use case emerging and are in early talks about a product geared toward that demographic
High Herstory: Do you have any advice for female entrepreneurs looking to start a wellness line in the cannabis space?
A: The cannabis industry is a tough, rapidly changing industry. Go slow until you know.
This is a riff on a saying within the cannabis space about starting with small doses until you know what you can handle. We repurposed and slightly rephrased it as a business reminder. In the beginning, we were too reactive to situations. We learned that when we want to impulsively react in order to solve a problem or act on advice, we need to keep ourselves in check and slow down the decision-making process.