After nine years in Historic Downtown Manassas, District Hemp Botanicals at 9417 Main Street will close its doors for the final time this Saturday, October 17. Founder Barbara Biddle shared the news with customers in a heartfelt letter on Facebook, which we’re sharing in full below.
A note from ManassasNOW
You and your team are going to be missed! I hope things change at some point for the industry, but until then I hope your next journey is as amazing as you are!
Barbara’s letter to the community
Dear District Hemp Botanicals Family,
I’ve started writing this letter a dozen different times, and somehow, none of the words ever feel quite right. How do you say goodbye to something that has been such a meaningful part of your life?
With a heavy heart, I’m sharing that District Hemp Botanicals will officially close its doors for the final time this Saturday.
When I started this journey in 2017, I never could have imagined everything that would come from it. What began with a $2,000 investment and a six-foot folding table grew into something far bigger than a business. It became a community, a mission, and a huge part of who I am.
I didn’t start District Hemp Botanicals simply to sell CBD or cannabis products. I started it because I believed people deserved access to information, education, and alternatives. I wanted to help people understand this incredible plant, feel empowered to make informed decisions about their wellness, and feel comfortable asking questions without judgment. I wanted to take the mystery out of cannabis and help people see the possibilities it could offer.
And you allowed me to do that.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful people, hearing your stories, answering your questions, celebrating your successes, and learning from you along the way. Some of you came in as customers and became familiar faces I looked forward to seeing. Others became friends. Many of you supported us through the uncertainty, the challenges, and the constant changes in this industry. You trusted us with your wellness, your questions, and your business, and I will never take that for granted.
I have genuinely loved this journey. I have loved being an educator, an advocate, a small business owner, and a part of a community that believes in the potential of this plant. Building District Hemp Botanicals has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I will always be proud of what we created together.
Unfortunately, loving something and fighting for it isn’t always enough to keep it alive.
The changing regulatory landscape, the loss of products that our customers relied on, and the growing challenges facing independent hemp businesses have made it increasingly difficult to keep our doors open. Like so many other small business owners in this industry, I have fought hard to adapt, to find a way forward, and to keep serving the people who have supported us. But sometimes, circumstances beyond your control force you to make an incredibly difficult decision.
Closing District Hemp Botanicals is not how I wanted this chapter to end. It is heartbreaking to walk away from something I have poured so much of myself into, especially when I know how much this business has meant to so many of you.
But I don’t want this goodbye to be without hope.
I still believe in this plant. I still believe in the importance of education, access, and consumer choice. And I still believe that small, independent businesses deserve a place in this industry. The people who built this market from the ground up should have an opportunity to participate in its future, rather than be pushed out by policies and regulations that make it nearly impossible for us to compete.
So, while this Saturday may be the end of District Hemp Botanicals as we know it, I sincerely hope it isn’t the end of our story.
Perhaps one day, when the industry creates a fairer path for small businesses to participate and thrive, we will have the opportunity to reopen our doors. I would love nothing more than to welcome you back into a space where we can continue learning, sharing knowledge, and celebrating the many ways this plant can be part of people’s lives.
Until then, please know how deeply grateful I am for every purchase, every conversation, every kind word, every referral, and every moment you chose to support us. When you supported District Hemp Botanicals, you were supporting a small, independently owned business and a mission that meant the world to me.
If you’ve ever walked through our doors, shopped with us online, shared one of our posts, recommended us to a friend, or simply believed in what we were trying to do, thank you. Truly.
I hope that, in some small way, we made a difference in your life. I know you have made a difference in mine.
We still have a few days together, and I would love for you to stop by, say hello, stock up on your favorites, or simply share one last conversation with us before we close on Saturday. I want to spend these final days celebrating what we built, rather than focusing only on what we’re losing.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Thank you for believing in us. And thank you for reminding me that what we created was about so much more than the products on our shelves.
This isn’t the goodbye I ever imagined writing, but it is one I write with an incredibly full heart.
With all my love and gratitude,
Barbara Biddle
Founder, District Hemp BotanicalsUntil we meet again. 💚💚💚
Before you go
- Where: District Hemp Botanicals, 9417 Main Street, Manassas
- Final day: Saturday, October 17
- Closing sale: 50% off everything through Saturday