Our CBD Story: A Kentucky Family’s Journey With Hemp

A Journey of Hope: How Bluegrass Hemp Oil Was Born

Important note: This story reflects our family’s personal experience and the origin of Bluegrass Hemp Oil. It is not medical advice. Seizure disorders are serious medical conditions and should be managed with a licensed healthcare professional. Bluegrass Hemp Oil products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Kentucky Cannabis Company and Bluegrass Hemp Oil were founded with a purpose that began in January 2009. The Christmas photo below shows Gunner Polyniak, Colten Polyniak, and their new Great Dane pup, Angus. Not long after that picture was taken, our lives changed forever.

Gunner and Colten Polyniak with their Great Dane puppy, Angus, enjoying a Christmas moment together before the challenges that would reshape our family’s path.

On a cold January day in Lexington, Kentucky, the city was shut down by snow and ice. Colten, who was three years old, experienced his first seizure. Gunner and Colten were playing on the stairs while my wife at the time and I were in the kitchen. Suddenly, Gunner ran in and said, “Something is wrong with Colten!”

I rushed to the stairs and found Colten lying face down. I rolled him over into my arms and saw his eyes roll back. We called 911, and even though the roads were dangerous, the EMTs arrived quickly and got him to the University of Kentucky hospital. One question stayed with us: Did the fall cause the seizure, or did the seizure cause the fall?

At first, we did not know whether it would happen again. Then it did, again and again. Our family entered a season of fear, appointments, questions, and uncertainty. That experience changed how we thought about health, product transparency, and the need for better education around hemp and CBD.

From Family Questions to Kentucky-Grown Hemp

Our search for answers eventually led us into the hemp conversation at a time when reliable, transparent hemp products were difficult to find. When Kentucky opened the door for hemp research and cultivation, we became part of that early movement and began working toward products that were consistent, traceable, and rooted in Kentucky agriculture.

Colten Polyniak rides in the back of a pickup with CBD hemp plants in 2014, part of the family’s early work to grow quality Kentucky hemp.

That work became the foundation for Genesis Blend, our flagship full-spectrum hemp oil. For readers who are new to the category, our guide to what CBD oil is explains the basics, while our breakdown of full-spectrum CBD vs. CBD isolate explains why different product types should not be treated as interchangeable.

A New Chapter: Hope, Responsibility, and Transparency

Today, Colten is doing well, and our family’s experience still shapes the way we speak about hemp. It taught us that hope matters, but so does responsibility. Every family’s medical situation is different, and anyone dealing with seizures or another serious health concern should work closely with a qualified healthcare professional before considering hemp-derived products.

Kentucky Cannabis Company and Bluegrass Hemp Oil remain committed to Kentucky-grown hemp, full-spectrum product education, clear labeling, and quality standards customers can understand. Our goal is not to replace medical guidance. Our goal is to help people ask better questions, understand product differences, and choose hemp products more responsibly.

A Mission That Endures

Our journey started with a simple hope: to help our son and understand what options existed. That hope grew into a mission centered on education, transparency, Kentucky agriculture, and full-spectrum hemp products made with care.

You can learn more about the founder behind Bluegrass Hemp Oil on the Bill Polyniak page, or continue learning with our CBD tips for beginners.

Learn More Before You Choose a CBD Product