This Entrepreneur Thinks CBD Is the Answer To Mom Stress

Amanda Goetz is on a mission. Founder and CEO of the personal wellness and CBD brand, House of Wise, she’s a mom of three focused on shifting the public perception of CBD and cannabis use — especially when it comes to what it can do for women and moms.

“After realizing the potential of CBD in my own life, I made it my mission to source, develop and provide products to other women that were reliable, trustworthy, and high-quality. I’m focused on being a leader and advocate to break down the stigmas surrounding CBD as well as the stigmas women, and especially mothers, face in our society today,” she tells Romper. She says her company’s goal is to empower women to take control of their sleep, stress, strength, and sex.

When it comes to self care, there are plenty of activities and products out there to help parents find some zen. Goetz says she understands first-hand why self-care enhanced by CBD can feel like finding a missing piece to the parenting puzzle.

“I know I can be triggered and have my cortisol levels increase when I’m driving my kids to school, so I keep a package of Stress gummies in my car,” she says. She also credits CBD with helping her get enough of that holy grail of parenting: sleep. “As a single mom to three it was really important to me that I could have a natural sleep aid that didn’t impair me,” she says. “When my kids wake me up in the middle of the night I can still be alert and attentive to all their needs. And on the nights they let me sleep through the night, I wake up full of energy and ready to be the best mom I can for them.”

Lastly, she says bluntly: “Parents need sex.”

“I’m a strong believer that we all need more orgasms,” she says, noting that CDB has been shown to boost libido and increase lubrication. “Partners are optional, pleasure is not!”

Though her products aim to help women and moms in all the areas where they need it most, Goetz regularly faces misconceptions and myths about CBD use.

“CBD is not marijuana. It won’t get you high, and it is federally legal,” Goetz says, addressing one of the biggest misconceptions about the substance.

CBD is the abbreviation for cannabidiol, a type of chemical compound that can be extracted from the cannabis plant. But, how is that different from marijuana? “Hemp and marijuana both come from the cannabis plant — the difference is that hemp is defined as a cannabis plant containing 0.3 percent or less THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, while marijuana is also a cannabis plant, but one that contains more than 0.3 percent THC,” Goetz explains. “CBD can be found and derived from both hemp and marijuana plants, but it is only federally legal when derived from hemp.”

The connection between THC and CBD can be confusing, but Goetz wants parents to feel confident in knowing that House of Wise products won’t get you high. “The language and regulations are tricker, even for industry insiders, so it’s easy to get confused,” Goetz notes. “The most important takeaway is this: CBD will not get you high because CBD is a non-psychoactive compound. CBD will provide you with feelings of calm and tranquility as it interacts with our endocannabinoid system to enhance our mood and sleep regulation.”

Not sure where to start? “I encourage everyone new to CBD to try different forms of ingestibles and see what they prefer in terms of flavor and effect,” Goetz says. “For House of Wise, that means giving gummies and tinctures a try. Other brands offer capsules for CBD consumption.”

Goetz calls the gummies a “crowd favorite” thanks to their taste (they worked with a culinary expert to get the best flavors) and ease of use. The gummies can take up to 40 minutes to take effect, so if you’re looking for a more immediate effect (without added sugars) CBD tinctures are another option to explore. Or, you can use both types of products in combination.

With so much misinformation out there in a new and emerging industry, launching a CBD company presented unique challenges. “The CBD industry comes with a lot of red tape, so I’ve made it a point to connect with other founders and thought leaders in the industry and together we can navigate best practices for everything from payment processing to digital advertising,” Goetz says.

It was also important to Goetz to bake social justice into her business plan.

“The cannabis industry has a long history of inequality. Despite cannabis usage rates between whites and non-whites being similar, Black Americans are arrested for cannabis offenses at a rate of nearly 4:1, compared to people who are white, she says, So, House of Wise donates a portion of their monthly sales proceeds to the nonprofit organization, Last Prisoner Project.

“Through our partnership with Last Prisoner Project we have a grant foundation for single mothers and children impacted by incarcerated cannabis prisoners. Grant recipients who are constituents within Last Prisoner Project’s network are each given the complete freedom and autonomy to use grant funds however they need, be it for rent, utility bills, groceries, or school supplies,” Goetz says.