Author: Mitchell Colbert
Hand washing is critical in the fight against Covid-19 and other viruses. If you aren’t familiar with the brand, you probably know Dr. Bronner’s as that soap company with writing ALL over the bottle. What you may not know about Dr. Bronner’s is they have been using hemp in their soap since the late 1990’s and have advocated for cannabis and hemp legalization for over two decades. More recently they have supported psychedelics research and legalization as well. This isn’t just a passing interest, it runs deep. In 2012, CEO David Bronner was arrested for locking himself in a cage in front of the White House with several hemp plants that he processed into hemp oil on the spot [video].
In 2010, Dr. Bronner’s provided much needed funding to California’s Prop 19 campaign, which ignited the modern wave of adult-use cannabis legalization that continues to sweep the nation. Beyond just giving money, they sent in the Yes We Cannabis Fire Truck to tour the state and raise awareness among young voters. Currently, Dr. Bronner’s is one of the forces behind Oregon’s effort to legalize psychedelics. Hopefully Oregon will kick start a nationwide wave of psychedelic legalization like California did with cannabis a decade ago.
Beyond supporting legalization, Dr. Bronner’s is also involved in pushing for organic farming, permaculture, and more sustainability in the cannabis and hemp industries. One way they have done this is through their Sun+Earth Certification, a partnership with the International Cannabis Farmers Association, Cannabis Conservancy, and Certified Kind to create a Regenerative Organic Certification for cannabis and hemp farms. Last year, David Bronner launched his cannabis brand, Brother David’s, and officially established Dr. Bronner’s as a player in the cannabis industry. While many people have gone into cannabis for money, that was not David’s motivation and “All profits from Brother David’s go toward protecting the land, lives, and communities of our cannabis family — promoting small-scale family farms practicing regenerative organic agriculture, and fighting a system that unjustly criminalizes cannabis.”
Aside from drug policy reform, Dr. Bronner’s has taken a vocal role in supporting a fair wage, putting half a million dollars into efforts to raise the minimum wage in the 2016 election cycle. They also put their money where their mouth is and have capped executive wages at no more than five times their lowest hourly wages.
Dr. Bronner’s is not only a stellar corporate citizen, they make incredible soap. It is paraben, phalate, sulfate, and artificial fragrance free. Since your skin is the largest organ in your body and it is your barrier that protects you from everything in the environment, it is worth doing all you can to keep it happy and healthy. A little tip, Dr. Bronner’s liquid soap is concentrated and should be dissolved 1:1. You get twice as much soap out of one bottle! There are several varieties and all can be used for washing both hair and body, even your dishes. So rather than lathering up with bargain soap, consider investing a bit more in your health and the well being of the world and buy Dr. Bronner’s.
Available at Target, drug stores, occasionally Costco, and Amazon. Do not be fooled by imitations such as Trader Joe’s.
