Médoc winegrower tries his hand at CBD

sk 58-year-old winegrower Jérôme Fréville about CBD and he will wax lyrical about it. At the helm of a 9-hectare vineyard in Blaignan-Prignac producing AOC Médoc and Haut Médoc (EARL Malé-Fréville), he now has no qualms about growing hemp to produce cannabidiol. He launched a small experiment in 2021, after his son Cyril, who has a diploma in market gardening, suggested diversifying into CBD following a series of adverse weather events. CBD is a molecule occurring in hemp and cannabis, but does not contain any narcotic substances (tetrahydrocannabinol, THC).

Initially, Jérôme Freville did not jump at the idea. “I was a bit concerned. Many people associate CBD with drugs. I could easily imagine being labelled a drug dealer”, he smiles. The couple's children eventually convinced him of the merits of diversifying into CBD production. At the beginning of 2021, a technician from the chamber of agriculture came to give him some advice. Near the property's garden, in an area covering 100 square metres, about sixty hemp seeds (Dioica sativa, a legal variety used to produce CBD) were sown. The plant does not require any plant protection treatments, it is water-efficient and in just a few months becomes a pretty shrub. Fréville informed the town council and the police of his experiment. In October 2021, he harvested the whole plants, only keeping the 3 kilogrammes of flowers which were then dried for a month.

In November 2021, he established and registered a brand name ‘Verte et rebelle’ or ‘Green and rebellious’. The major issue to be resolved though was how to market the product. Fréville approached CBD shops in the region, but to no avail. This did not discourage him, however, and he then went to grocery shops and tobacconists. But above all, he made a name for himself by selling at local markets. ‘Verte et Rebelle’ is sold for €13 per 7-gram bag as a herbal tea with a relaxing effect. The flower sachet (used as a spice in cooking) costs €20 for 10 grams. And the venture has proven to be extremely profitable.