As we began calling customers to let them know about Virginia’s changing hemp laws, we expected questions. What we did not expect was just how much people had to say. We heard support, personal stories, frustration, and real concern about what these changes could mean for our business and for the products people have made part of their everyday lives.

Those conversations have put even more fire under us to keep going, keep adapting, and keep fighting to survive. We wanted to share a few highlights because they reminded us exactly why this work matters. And if you have a Redfern story of your own, we would truly love to hear it—please reach out and share it with us.

The Customers Behind Redfern’s Fight

For nearly a decade, Redfern has been built around a simple idea: grow honestly, make good products, follow the rules and take care of the people who trust us.

Virginia’s hemp laws have changed significantly, and Redfern is changing with them. We are reformulating and transitioning products so we can remain compliant with the Commonwealth and continue serving our customers. But compliance does not mean silence.

These are ten reasons we keep showing up.

1. Because Adults Deserve to Make Their Own Choices

Ms. Davis knows exactly what she wants—and what she does not. “I can’t do THC. It makes me paranoid,” she told us, explaining that this is why she values products that “don’t mess with my mind.” Over time, she has learned what she is comfortable using and has made those decisions for herself.

That is something we believe responsible policy should respect. Consumers deserve accurate labels, safe products and enough information to make informed decisions. They should also have a meaningful say in what products fit their own lives. That principle is bigger than any single Redfern product, and it is one of the reasons we continue speaking up.

2. Because Trust Is Earned Over Years

Sophia has been using Redfern products for so long that she told us, “Oh my gosh, I don’t know how many years at this point.” Even after moving to New York, she continued ordering from us, saying, “I still purchased from you guys and I had it shipped all the way to New York.”

That kind of loyalty is humbling because customers do not owe us their business. Every repeat order is a choice to trust us again. As our products evolve to comply with Virginia law, we know we have to keep earning that trust. The formulas may change. Packaging may change. Regulations certainly have changed. Our responsibility to be transparent with the people who support us cannot.

“When we were living in New York, I still purchased from you guys and I had it shipped all the way to New York.” – Sophia

3. Because Consumers Should Not Feel Forced to Stock Up Out of Fear

One of the clearest signs of uncertainty has been how many customers immediately began buying extra product. Mr. Barker told us, “I’ll definitely be trying to stock up just in case,” while Judy C. said she had already “stocked up on some of the stuff that I normally get.”

We understand why they did it, but we do not think people should feel that kind of uncertainty about products they have been purchasing responsibly. Good regulation should create confidence and clarity—not a rush to buy several months’ worth of something because no one knows what will still be available. Our responsibility now is to make this transition as clearly as possible while continuing to advocate for rules that give consumers and businesses a reasonable path forward.

4. Because Not Every Hemp Customer Is Looking to Get High

Judy M. put this in the plainest possible language when she said, “It’s not like the body butter is going to make me go crazy or anything.” Her comment gets at something that often gets lost in larger conversations about hemp: not every customer is looking for intoxication.

People come to Redfern for different reasons and seek different kinds of products. Many specifically want options that do not leave them feeling impaired. We believe regulation should be thoughtful enough to recognize that the hemp marketplace is not one single product category serving one single type of consumer. As we reformulate our own products, maintaining clear, responsible choices remains important to us.

5. Because Older Consumers Deserve a Seat at the Table

Ms. Davis recently turned 67 and her husband is 71. Speaking about products that have become important in their household, she told us, “This works for us. And it’s sad that they want to take it away from us.”

Doris is 87. She described herself simply: “I am 87 years old, and I use it mostly on my legs and my knees and my hands.” When she began worrying about future availability, her daughter in another state was already looking for options to make sure she could continue getting something she was comfortable with.

“I am 87 years old, and I use it mostly on my legs and my knees and my hands… it takes away the ache, it works for me.” – Doris

Their experiences are different, but the underlying question is the same: Will I still have access to products I have chosen for myself? Older adults are not an afterthought in this conversation. They are customers, parents, grandparents and voters, and their voices deserve to be heard.

6. Because Availability Matters

Amy G. told us she wants to “keep using it for as long as I can.” Later in the same conversation she said she was “pretty invested in…having this available to myself.”

That word—available—has stayed with us.

Consumer rights do not mean every product must remain unchanged forever. Regulations evolve and responsible businesses adapt. Redfern is doing exactly that. But we believe consumers benefit when compliant businesses are given room to innovate and create lawful alternatives rather than simply disappearing. Our job is to keep finding ways forward while advocating for regulations that allow responsible businesses and informed consumers to coexist.

7. Because There Is a Person Behind Every Order

Mr. Murray’s story reminded us how far families will sometimes go for products they value. He told us his cousin drove down from Sterling, Virginia, to buy more jars for him and some for himself. When explaining why the product mattered in his household, he spoke about his wife, who has ‘MS’, and said that in her experience “it gives her some relief.”

Those are Mr. Murray’s words describing his family’s personal experience—not a medical promise from Redfern. But his story illustrates something we never want to forget: there is a human being on the other side of every order number, receipt and sales report.

A business can get large enough to start seeing units instead of people. We never want Redfern to become that kind of company.

“It gives her some relief.” – Mr. Murray

8. Because Customers Do Not Need to Make Grand Claims for Their Experience to Matter

Lindell was remarkably measured when talking about his own experience. He did not claim that a product solved everything. In fact, he was careful to say it “appears to help” and “don’t get rid of it.” He simply explained that, in his experience, using it before bed “does appear to help ease the pain.”

There is something important about that honesty.

Most customers are not trying to make scientific arguments. They are simply telling us what they notice in their own lives. Sometimes something becomes part of a person’s routine because they value it, and that alone matters to them. We believe consumers should not have to make extraordinary claims to justify wanting continued access to a responsibly made product.

9. Because Small Businesses Are Built on Relationships

Carly S. first encountered Redfern through Graham years ago, but over time that relationship grew beyond a product. When talking about the people she sees at Redfern, she told us, “I love Graham. Yep. And Corey and Whitney, though, have been good to me too when I come in there.”

That means more to us than any sales number ever could.

Redfern grows here. We make products here. We operate a store here. Our customers know our team, our farm and, in many cases, our families. Small businesses survive because of relationships like those.

As our product line changes, we want our customers to know that the values behind Redfern are not changing with the label. We are still going to answer the phone. We are still going to explain what is in our products. We are still going to try to do right by the people who walk through our doors.

10. Because Our Customers Are Speaking Up, and We Owe It to Them to Keep Speaking Too

Perhaps the most meaningful part of this entire experience has been the number of people who have offered to lend their own voices.

Mr. Barker told us he would “be more than happy to…give a testimony.” Ms. Davis said, “I also just signed something yesterday. I tried to put something out there yesterday too.” Christina immediately volunteered to put her experience in writing. Sophia told us, “You have our support. We are supporters of you guys and your products.”

“It literally makes me a calmer and just, I think, a nicer person.” – Christina

And Judy C. gave us one of the simplest messages of all: “Tell Graham I hope that he wins.”

We do not hear words like those and take them lightly. We will comply with Virginia law. We will reformulate. We will create new products. We will make the changes necessary to keep moving forward.

But we are also going to continue asking respectful questions about whether these policies are achieving their intended purpose and whether consumers, farmers and small businesses received enough consideration when the rules changed.

Thank You for Standing With Us

To everyone who has ordered from Redfern once—or over ten times—thank you.

To those who drove to our store, sent a family member to pick something up, ordered from another state, filled out a survey, signed a petition, called a legislator or simply sent us an encouraging message: thank you.

Your loyalty has never been something we take for granted.

Redfern is entering a new chapter. Some products will change. Some formulas will be different. New compliant products will take the place of products we can no longer make under Virginia’s rules. We know change can be frustrating, especially when you have grown comfortable with something you have used for years.

What will not change is the commitment behind the Redfern name: make products responsibly, be honest about what is in them, follow the law, treat our customers with respect and stand up when we believe those customers deserve to be heard.

We will keep adapting. We will keep listening. And, with your steadfast support, we will keep showing up.