New Cannabinoids Apothecary Opens In Sag Harbor

East meets west on Sag Harbor’s Main Street, where Dragon Hemp Apothecary, which seeks to blend the emerging market for CBD therapeutic products with traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has opened its doors in the space formerly occupied by the Corner Closet consignment shop.

Dragon Hemp Apothecary is run by Kevin Menard, who has also run a sports medicine acupuncture practice in the village since 2012. A former sales executive in the city, who has competed in triathlons and practiced martial arts, Menard said he was always open to alternative forms of medicine.

When a friend recommended he try acupuncture for a shoulder injury, the results were both immediate and effective. “The first treatment had a profound effect on me,” he said.

Fast-forward to 2008. When the bottom fell out of the economy, and a deep recession gripped the country, Menard found himself unemployed and burned out. But rather than wait for an opening in his field, he decided to become an acupuncturist himself.

“To pivot like that and go back to school to learn Chinese medicine was a very steep curve,” he said.

After years of training, which included learning about traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Menard planned to open a practice in the city, but a stalled apartment renovation, followed by Superstorm Sandy, forced him to look on the East End, where he and his husband already owned a home.

About four years ago, the growing field of cannabinoid, or CBD, products caught Menard’s attention, and he began incorporating them into his practice.

“CBD is really great at reducing inflammation,” Menard said, “and I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to add Chinese herbs, specific Chinese herbs, to amplify those results?’”

Menard added that traditional Chinese herbs are unappealing to the American palette — “They are really effective, but they taste gross and they smell gross,” he said — so he began combining them with CBD products to create a variety of formulations to address different ailments.

He markets his products under the name Dragon Hemp Apothecary, noting that in Chinese culture the dragon is a symbol of health and wellness. He works with licensed manufacturers to create balms, tinctures and pills to his specifications. He also has an arrangement to purchase CBD products from Hudson Farms upstate.

Some of his products include Rest, which, as the name implies, helps encourage restful sleep, which costs $90 for a month’s supply; Relief, a formulation designed to target pain and inflammation, and costs $75; and Reach, which is designed to promote clarity and focus, and costs $45.

Menard said he hoped the shop would serve an educational function as well, saying he wanted to teach people about the difference between CBD and THC and introduce them to the benefits of Chinese herbal medicine.

Menard said he has always relied on his patients’ feedback and hopes they will continue to weigh in.

He also plans to feature regular programming and events with local practitioners in the healing arts as well demonstrations in herbal formulations.

Menard said he had been looking for a storefront for some time, and was fortunate to find out that the Corner Closet was available. The space has been redesigned, with dark green tile, Chinese lanterns, and large jars of Chinese herbs arrayed like penny candy on one wall, and Dragon Hemp Apothecary products lining the other side.

The store is managed by Korina Antovit, but Menard, who has reduced his acupuncture practice for the time being, is at the store most afternoons.

The shop’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday.