For Adam and Julia Weets, hemp is a business opportunity that allows them to contribute to their community and support their family.

The Alpha residents have been growing hemp for a couple years as part of their business, Alpha’s Alternatives.

The Weets grow hemp for CBD, which is a non-psychoactive agent used to help with pain, insomnia and a host of other health issues.

“CBD is something your body has natural receptors for,” Adam Weets said.

“When you take it, it doesn’t mask things, but instead helps your body get to where it should be.”

The product, which can be taken as a tincture and as a rollover, is non-addictive and does not produce highs, as its THC content is under the legal limit.

To hear the Weets tell it, production is a lengthy and challenging process, but well worth it in the end.

“We start out in the greenhouse, and after they get past a certain point, we plant them outside by hand,” Weets said of the hemp plants.

“We try to do everything naturally.”

Soil quality is key to a successful crop, Julia Weets said, as the plants tend to absorb pretty much everything in the soil around them.

“Hemp tends to pull in everything from the ground, so you need good soil,” she said.

“If you don’t, everything in the soil will end up in your CBD, which you absolutely don’t want.”

Harvest is also done by hand and the oil is extracted at a different location. Because the equipment for extraction is so expensive, Adam and Julia Weets said, they work with a company in Fergus Falls to get the oil brought out and jarred.

When they first started, quite a few people got into the industry quickly, hoping to make a fast profit. Most didn’t stick around, but they did, and their business has grown ever since.

“We decided to start small to see if it would work out or not,” Julia Weets said.

CBD can be used to treat a number of conditions, but Adam Weets said it’s best to check with a physician before trying it, especially if prescription medications are being taken for other conditions. While side effects are rare, he said, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

“It does help with a lot of things,” Adam Weets said.

“I take it for back pain, and it can help if you struggle with things like arthritis and other forms of chronic pain.”

That can be helpful for those seeking non-opioid pain treatments, Adam Weets said, especially for milder forms of chronic pain.

Adam and Julia Weets sell their products at numerous locations in the area and online.