Sisters of the Valley


Sisters of the Valley is a small business that sells cannabidiol tinctures and salves on the craft e-commerce website Etsy. It is based in Merced, California, and its proprietors follow a monastic motif.

History

In 2015, the sales of the Sisters of the Valley's CBD products reached $60,000. Early on the business, the company was banned from advertising on Facebook, and started focusing its communications effort on PR.
In 2017, the sales of the CBD-related products reached $1.1 million.

Description

Following practices of Biodynamic agriculture, workers regulate their operations by the cycles of the moon, starting two-week production intervals upon the new moon, during which time they also practice chastity and vegetarianism.
The owner and "lead Sister" Christine Meeusen, who does not identify with Christianity, considers the production to be a spiritual activity, whose rituals and incorporate New Age practices and environmentalism, "borrowing" from Native American practices. Meeusen also mentions the Beguines to refer to her business' philosophy.
The members wear religious habits and refer to each other as sisters, but claim no affiliation with a religious order.
Business Insider calls the Sisters of the Valley nuns "the most talked-about women in the pot business".