When 13-year-old Charlotte Figi passed away in early April, cannabidiol (CBD) company Charlotte’s Web says it lost its “northern star.” The young girl had found relief for her seizures through the Stanley Brothers’ low-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) strain of cannabis, inspiring them to name the strain after her and, eventually, their company, now called Charlotte’s Web.
“We had to say goodbye to our sweet little Charlotte, who we really consider to be our original founder and the founder of this industry,” said Charlotte’s Web Co-Founder and Chair Joel Stanley.
Around the same time of Charlotte’s passing, people had begun reaching out to Charlotte’s Web in need. The spread of COVID-19 was preventing some from buying the CBD they had come to rely on.
After some thought, company executives have devised a solution to both honor Charlotte and help others like her by giving away Charlotte’s Web products to people who need it.
“We know some people are struggling, and we got our heads together, and I’m very thankful to be able to announce that we are able to donate a million dollars’ worth of products to these struggling families,” Joel Stanley said in a video announcing the donation.
The company has teamed up with its charitable partners at the Realm of Caring, Adaptive Training Foundation and High Fives Foundation for the sizable donation.
To receive a free product, people can visit www.charlottesweb.com/2020-cwsupport to fill out a short survey. Once the survey is complete, people will receive a coupon code for either one bottle of the original formula CBD oil, extra strength CBD oil or extra strength powder capsules. The coupon code does not include the shipping cost of $8.99. Surveys are limited to one per applicant and are only available to those in the U.S.
The expanded CBD access made possible by the donation is a tribute to Charlotte and her family, who were early CBD activists after discovering Charlotte’s response to it.
Charlotte had Dravet Syndrome, a rare form of intractable epilepsy that caused her to suffer through up to 300 grand mal seizures each week.
She passed due to complications from an illness.
“The news of Charlotte’s passing has been devastating to our organization,” said CEO Deanie Elsner in the video. “We desperately want to do something to honor the legacy of what Charlotte and Paige Figi [Charlotte’s mother] have done to create access to CBD for all of us.”