Hemp-Infused Cosmetics: An Interview with Utah Hemp Retailer Cannasmack

A new cannabis-adjacent lifestyle product is hitting shelves and online retailers from a most unlikely origin: Utah. Cannasmack, the brainchild of Suzanne Hoggan, is comprised of a series of hemp-infused lip balms and lotions, and they’re growing fast.

Although interstate commerce is restricted for products that contain cannabis, industrial hemp is fair game and Suzanne Hoggan, along with her business associate Kenia Taylor, are taking full advantage of the relative ease with which they can market their products in various states, as well as with online stores.

I had a chance to chat with Hoggan about the inspiration behind her line of products and whether basing her operations in Utah has created any roadblocks for her.

Cannasmack’s hemp-infused lip balm comes in a variety of strain-inspired flavors such as Mango Kush and Cherry Cough.

Leafly: How did you get started in this business?

Suzanne Hoggan: I’ve been working as an aesthetician and wanted a really good product to work with, and I knew hemp was great. I started creating Cannasmack knowing there are major benefits from hemp – with vitamins A, D, B, and E, it’s a unique and different product.

There’s a lot of misinformation and we didn’t realize just how much negativity there is out there until we started this business, and we wanted to put it in a positive light. A lot of people don’t realize that hemp and cannabis are the same plant! It’s been really interesting to see how many people don’t realize that, even those who use cannabis regularly.

Lots of products use hemp as a filler and don’t really advertise it. When we first started looking into this, it wasn’t really mainstream at the time, and people had a lot of questions for us: ‘Will I pass a drug test?’ ‘Will I get high?’ This has been a really unique opportunity to be able to inform people about the great benefits of hemp and the differences between hemp and cannabis. Honestly, we really didn’t think that we would be educating people.

Have you faced many challenges while working in Utah?

I thought I had gotten the green light, but I started getting pushback in Utah almost immediately. We got pushback from Utah, from California markets, from Facebook. It’s not just Utah. We were actually kind of expecting pushback in Utah, but we weren’t expecting it in California and Washington. Oregon has been the one state that seems to accept and understand our products.

We have tried to make sure that Cannasmack is presented in a fun, positive light, and not hiding anything away. We need to make sure that it’s presented positively so people will want to learn about it, the how and the why, and what the difference is, so we can use that as an outreach.

I went to my chemist that I’ve used for 15 years to create the formulations for this brand. It’s been quality controlled, passed tests, it wouldn’t have adverse reactions, we don’t test on animals, so it’s cruelty-free, made in the USA, not outsourced.

Cannasmack’s hemp-infused hand lotion, “Wild Orange Crush.”

Have you considered moving to a more cannabis-friendly state?

Cannasmack was created in Utah, but we also work out of Washington. We’re a wholesaler and we ship retail orders on Amazon. It’s completely legal and can ship across state lines. That’s the reason we have done it this way. Our hemp-based products, and others like them, are legal in all 50 states, and we believe in the importance of educating consumers on the numerous and outstanding benefits of using hemp both as a wellness enhancing nutritive and a source of sustainable and eco-conscious agriculture.

Testing the Cannasmack Products

At the Leafly HQ, the editorial team gave some Cannasmack items a test run. Both the Day Tripper lotion and lip balm were highly popular, and the minty freshness of the Day Tripper lip balm was punctuated by a distinct sweetness that lasted throughout the day.

The root beer flavored ShinobiNinja lip balm was not only uniquely packaged with intriguing designs, it had the added benefit of slyly transforming the taste of any soda into a root beer flavored beverage. While the strawberry-flavored lip tint in POSH Red Velvet was a cute color, the flavor wasn’t as appealing as the others that I’d tried. I was particularly fond of the peach-flavored Happy Tokes lip balm, whereas my coworker was more fond of the Cherry Cough.

Cannasmack’s lotions were soft, non-greasy, and long-lasting. I noticed that when I used the lotion on particularly dry skin that was cracked from the cold, the lotion did not irritate my skin, instead soothing my parched hand.

When compared to other lip balms on the market, the Cannasmack line offers a funky, unique design, mouthwatering flavors, and conscientious craftsmanship from hemp materials. The benefits of hemp are nigh endless, and not only do these make cute products for your favorite cannabis-friendly lip balm enthusiast in your life, with cheeky names like Maui Wowie and Blue Dream, you’re sure to earn some fun points with these last-minute gift ideas.

Cannasmack products are available for purchase in all 50 states on Amazon.