OUR CBD STORY

A Journey of Hope: How Kentucky Cannabis Company Was Born

Kentucky Cannabis Company and Bluegrass Hemp Oil were founded with a purpose that began in January 2009. The Christmas photo 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 joyful Christmas moment together, unaware of the challenges that would begin just days later.

Our CBD story begins. On a cold January day in Lexington, Kentucky, the city was shut down due to a snow and ice storm. Colten, who was three years old, suffered 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 to find Colten lying face down. I rolled him over into my arms and saw his eyes roll to the back of his head. He was having a grand mal seizure. We called 911, and even though the icy roads were treacherous, the EMTs arrived quickly and saved the day. Colten was taken to the University of Kentucky hospital, where we answered a barrage of questions. One, however, left us stunned: Did the fall cause the seizure, or did the seizure cause the fall?

We didn’t know this could happen again. But it did—again and again. One seizure turned into several a week, and soon, Colten was experiencing hundreds of attacks daily, from myoclonic and absence seizures to generalized tonic-clonic episodes. Life became a nightmare.

Colten Polyniak keeps his spirits high, flashing a Rock N’ Roll face during his first EEG procedure—a moment of lightness amid uncertainty.

The image above is Colten receiving his first EEG and in good spirits. This was before any medications. Gunner and Colten loved playing a game called Rock Band on the Nintendo Wii. Colten is making his Gene Simmons from the band Kiss Rock face.

I vividly remember mornings when Colten’s head would fall into his cereal bowl, or the time his head slipped underwater during a bubble bath. He pulled his head up and exclaimed, “Dammit!” in perfect context—a reaction I couldn’t blame him for after everything he had endured.

The Struggles with Traditional Medicine

Colten was prescribed countless medications. The first, Keppra, turned our sweet boy into a raging, angry child—a phenomenon called “Keppra rage.” Next came a combination of Depakote and Keppra, but the seizures continued. One day, after a blood test, the hospital urgently called to tell us to stop all medications immediately. Colten’s liver was failing.

Desperate for solutions, we transferred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where Colten was placed on Topamax. It stopped the seizures, but it came with severe side effects: neuropathy, an inability to sweat, and cognitive issues. We explored alternative options, including the keto diet, but nothing provided the relief we sought.

The Turning Point: Discovering Hemp and CBD

During this time, I stumbled upon research about marijuana’s potential to help with seizures. In 2012 and 2013, stories began emerging about cannabis strains like ACDC, which provided relief without causing a high. It wasn’t marijuana; it was hemp, but people didn’t realize it yet.

In 2013, Kentucky passed SB50, allowing hemp cultivation if federally approved. When the 2014 Farm Bill passed, I was awarded one of Kentucky’s first hemp pilot program projects, focusing on cannabinoid research. That year, we founded the Kentucky Cannabis Company and began growing hemp to create full-spectrum CBD oil.

The challenges were immense. Quality CBD was nearly impossible to find, and dosing consistently was a significant hurdle. But we persevered, creating the first repeatable-dose, full-spectrum CBD oil: Genesis Blend CBD Oil. It solved the critical issue of consistent dosing and quickly gained recognition for its effectiveness. Within a year, we were shipping to all 50 states.

Colten Polyniak rides in the back of a pickup with CBD hemp plants, contributing to the family’s mission to grow and plant quality hemp for natural relief.

In the image above Colten is seen with some CBD hemp plants heading to the field to be planted in 2014.

A New Chapter: Hope Restored

Today, Colten is seizure-free and thriving. He lives a normal life, working and going to school. His older brother, Gunner, also experienced seizures from vaping, but those stopped once he quit.

Kentucky Cannabis Company and Bluegrass Hemp Oil remains committed to producing the highest-quality CBD products. We understand the life-changing potential of full-spectrum CBD oil and believe it should be the first option for managing seizures before resorting to medications. Our flagship Genesis Blend CBD Oil continues to help families across the nation find natural, effective relief.

A Mission That Endures

Our journey started with a simple hope: to save our son. That hope grew into a mission to help others. Kentucky Cannabis Company is proud to be a pioneer in the hemp industry, and we remain dedicated to improving lives with the power of full-spectrum CBD oil.