The Origin of Kentucky Cannabis Company and Bluegrass Hemp Oil

A Family’s Journey Begins – January 2009

In the Christmas photo below, you’ll see Gunner and Colten Polyniak with their new Great Dane pup, Angus. What that picture doesn’t show is how soon everything would change. On a cold January day in Lexington, Kentucky—while the city was shut down due to ice and snow—our son Colten had his first seizure. It was the day everything began.

Gunner and Colten Polyniak with their Great Dane puppy, Angus, enjoying a joyful Christmas moment together, unaware of the challenges that would begin just days later.

Our Story

How One Family’s Fight Against Seizures Sparked a CBD Revolution in Kentucky

At Bluegrass Hemp Oil, our products aren’t inspired by market trends. They’re inspired by something much deeper—our son’s fight for his life. This is our story. A story of hope, healing, and the birth of a movement rooted in family, science, and unwavering faith.

The Day Everything Changed

It was January 2009. Our sons, Gunner and Colten, had just celebrated Christmas with their new Great Dane puppy, Angus. The joy in that holiday photo is palpable—but what it doesn’t show is the life-altering event that would unfold just days later.

On a snowy Lexington morning, while the city was shut down by ice, our youngest son Colten—only three years old—suffered his first grand mal seizure. One moment he was playing on the stairs with his brother, the next, he was face-down on the floor, unresponsive. His eyes were rolled back, and his tiny body convulsing.

The only thing I could do was fall to my knees and beg God not to take my child.

A Diagnosis Without Relief

That seizure wasn’t an isolated event. In the days and weeks that followed, the episodes returned—and escalated. First it was a few seizures a day. Then dozens. Eventually, hundreds each week. Colten experienced nearly every form of epilepsy: Myoclonic, Atonic, Absence, Tonic-Clonic.

Seizures became our new normal. He’d drop face-first into his cereal. He’d slump under bathwater. There were moments of fear, frustration, and exhaustion no parent should ever have to witness—let alone endure.

The Pharmaceutical Struggle

Medications, Combinations, and a Narrow Escape

The first drug prescribed was Keppra—a name we quickly came to dread. Instead of reducing seizures, it introduced a terrifying side effect known as Keppra rage. Our once joyful, sweet boy was suddenly prone to violent outbursts and emotional volatility.

But Keppra was just the beginning.

What followed was a rotating cocktail of anti-epileptic drugs, each one layered on top of the last in desperate attempts to control Colten’s condition. Depakote, Clobazam, Lorazepam, Phenobarbital—the list went on. We were told mixing them was normal protocol. But it felt like blindfolded medicine.

Before long, Colten became lethargic and unresponsive. His energy was gone. He was slipping away from us.

Then the lab results came in: Colten’s organs—especially his liver—were beginning to shut down.
We were told to discontinue all medications immediately.

The truth is, he was hours away from organ failure. That was our breaking point. The very treatments meant to help him were killing him.

A Glimmer of Hope at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Desperate and running out of options, we transferred Colten to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. There, doctors proposed a simpler approach: try a single medication—Topamax. To our relief, the seizures stopped.

But like everything else, Topamax came at a cost. Colten developed neuropathy in his hands and feet. He couldn’t sweat. His cognitive development was impacted. We had control over the seizures—but lost so much else in the process.

A Father’s Search for Something Better

During countless sleepless nights, I buried myself in research. That’s when I stumbled on stories of cannabis being used to help children with seizures. I remember turning to my wife and saying, “What if we just held his nose and blew it in?” We laughed—because sometimes, that’s all you can do. But the idea stuck with me.

Soon I came across a CBD-rich, low-THC cannabis strain called ACDC being used in California—not for a high, but for calm. What these women didn’t realize was that what they were using wasn’t marijuana… it was hemp.

Building Kentucky’s First Full-Spectrum CBD Company

In 2013, Kentucky passed Senate Bill 50, making the state ready to grow hemp as soon as it was federally allowed. The 2014 Farm Bill unlocked that door.

I applied—and was awarded Kentucky’s 5th industrial hemp pilot program license, the only one focused on cannabinoid research.

I traveled to California and brought back 57 high-CBD hemp plants. That same year, we founded Kentucky Cannabis Company, and shortly after, our retail brand—Bluegrass Hemp Oil—was born.

The Birth of Genesis Blend

Back then, the CBD landscape was a mess: low-quality isolates, inconsistent dosing, and snake oil marketing. We knew families needed something better.

We created Genesis Blend, a true full-spectrum CBD oil with dependable, repeatable dosing and maximum bioavailability. Extracted using hydrocarbon (BHO) extraction, Genesis Blend retains the full array of natural cannabinoids, terpenes, and plant fats—just as nature intended.

Unlike isolated CBD, which is often less effective and poorly absorbed, Genesis Blend offers complete therapeutic potential, just like the plant itself.

The Results Spoke for Themselves

We started small, shipping Genesis Blend to a few families. Within a year, we were sending it to all 50 states. While others were stuck behind marijuana laws, we had one major advantage: our CBD came from federally legal hemp.

More importantly:
👉 Colten has remained seizure-free ever since.
👉 He’s in school, has a job, and lives life like any other young adult.
👉 His older brother, Gunner, who once experienced seizures himself after vaping, also made a full recovery after quitting.

Still a Family Business. Still Fighting for Yours.

At Bluegrass Hemp Oil and Kentucky Cannabis Company, we are laser-focused on the mission that started it all:

✔️ To make the highest-quality full-spectrum CBD in the country
✔️ To educate families and physicians about natural alternatives
✔️ To stand up against synthetic and low-quality imposters
✔️ And to put people over profit—every single time

We believe that full-spectrum CBD should be the first thing families try—not the last resort after pharmaceuticals fail.

From Our Family to Yours

Our story began with a seizure and a prayer. It led to a product that has helped thousands—across Kentucky and beyond—find hope, healing, and relief.

We invite you to be part of that story.

— William “Bill” Polyniak
Founder, Kentucky Cannabis Company & Bluegrass Hemp Oil