Nash County hemp product manufacturer sets high standards, advocates for more regulations

Finding hemp or CBD products on the shelf is becoming more common in many states, including North Carolina. Some of those products are being developed right in Nash County at Asterra Labs.

The 10,000 square-foot facility in Nashville has been growing since 2019. Asterra Labs proudly touts itself as North Carolina's first manufacturer of pharmaceutical-grade hemp products, emphasizing high-quality products.

From CBD gummies to hemp pre-rolls, people swear by the products for a variety of conditions, from pain to anxiety, without mind-altering side effects.

Vice President of Business Development Daniel Wadsworth said that, as a company, the team is constantly learning about new uses.

"Every day we hear something new about the products and how it has changed people's lives," he said.

Rep. John Bell, R-Wayne, is the president of Asterra Labs and an outspoken advocate in the state legislature for better hemp industry standards.

"We are in a state that doesn't have regulations in the CBD and hemp space. We wanted to be the gold standard," Bell said.

Bell said many products in the state are manufactured in facilities with little oversight. He aims to meet the highest standards outlined in current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"We want to make sure that the products we develop here are safe, reliable, and quality," Bell said.

WRAL News took a tour of the Nashville facility, going behind the scenes to see how the different products are developed and made to the shelves.

The facility has worked chiefly with wholesalers and other businesses that sell the product under a different label and run its own e-commerce site. Soon, it will ship its first batch of products with its branding to stores in the state. The products are called "Southern Ease." 

"New things are happening every day here. We are passionate about what we do here and growing in this industry together," Bell said.

Not only is the facility shipping thousands of products, but the team advocates for doing things right and becoming a leader in an emerging industry by educating the next generation.

Blake Smith is interning for Asterra Labs.

"I get to do something every day," Smith said.

From working in quality control to understanding the sales side, Smith is getting to try out many different things.

"A lot of my other friends are doing your typical internships. This is different, Smith said.

Bell hopes that Asterra Labs' impact continues to reach beyond Nash County and serve as a model for other businesses.