So you're a dipper. Hold your head high like hemp dawg, Hank Jr.
The Tradition of Dipping
We’re a dip company, so we definitely aren’t dip haters. Just the opposite, in fact. Artisan Grange® was born in North Carolina, aka tobacco country, so we have nothing but respect for the rich tradition of throwing in a chew.
The practice of taking a "dip" of finely ground tobacco dates back centuries, with roots tracing to Indigenous communities who first discovered the pleasures and benefits of this unique form of consumption. There’s a sense of identity, tradition, and community in the ritual of dipping, and none of that is bad in our book.
Loyalty to one's preferred dip brand, the willingness to share a "pinch" with a fellow dipper, and the respect for the culture's unwritten rules - these are the ties that bind. To be a dipper is to be part of something greater, united by a passion for an experience that is uniquely their own.
As former tobacco dippers ourselves, we remember that first dip and how it felt like we were becoming part of something. The downside with tobacco/nicotine – once you start, you’re hooked. As freedom lovers, that’s the problem we worked to solve in creating hemp dip.
Dippers are loyal. It’d be easy to say it’s just because of the nicotine, but it’s more than that. Dippers are loyal to the tradition because there’s more to the ritual than tobacco and nicotine, and that’s where dip alternatives come in.
A good dip alternative is made for the tradition. A great dip alternative is a real one, made for the real ones.
It’s a Struggle Being a Dipper in Today’s World
As a dipper, you’re somehow the target of nagging and shaming from friends and family, strangers, and even signs posted on venue doors.
It’s never a bad idea to cut out substances that are harmful to health, but the judgment can be a little hypocritical at times.
We are, admittedly, a little rebellious at Artisan Grange®, and while we totally get the reasoning behind kicking nicotine and tobacco, we weren’t ready to scrap dipping entirely. You don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater (we’re in North Carolina, remember?).
When we have a few hemp dip pouches in the upper and lower deck and someone says, “um.. excuse me, this is a tobacco-free campus,” we smile and thank them for the reminder, but we’re following the rules.
The founder of Artisan Grange® was hamstringed by his wife because when she told him he needed to quit dipping, he couldn’t win with facts. Mrs. Artisan Grange® suggested dip alternatives to quit nicotine and tobacco, so he tried them.
There are definitely some good options out there. Some feel fake as soon as it hits the lip. Some of them feel real, but taste a little off. Since the alternatives on the market weren’t doing the trick to satisfy the tobacco taste, our founder and a few of his chew-loving buddies decided to give DIY a good college try.
(More CBD-centric products are available, too. The pioneer in the CBD dip space is Cannadips. Not only are the products good, the people are good, too.)
There is a stigma about dipping, but we think it’s misguided. Now that there are quality dip alternatives available, dipping ain’t what it used to be.
The Rise of Tobacco-Free Dip: Exploring the Best Alternatives
One thing to keep in mind about dip alternatives is the sometimes confusing description. We’ve got nicotine-free, tobacco-free, and a combination of them.
If it’s tobacco-free, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s nicotine-free. Depending on your goal in looking for a dip alternative, it’s important to know what is and isn’t in the product you’re looking for.
Nicotine-free, Tobacco-free, or Something In Between
Snus, a Swedish-style tobacco nicotine pouch, has emerged as a popular choice for those seeking a cleaner nicotine experience.
Nicotine pouches are popular in the market right now. Brands like Zyn, on!, and Rogue offer pouches. These pouches are generally a white, powdery substance instead of tobacco in a pouch with a wide range of flavors and nicotine strength levels.
Herbal dip is another new development in dip alternatives. Some, like Black Buffalo, offer nicotine and nicotine-free styles. Grinds is made of coffee and has caffeine. And Cannadips is free of tobacco and nicotine, but has CBD and/or THC (depending on where you live).
Then there’s hemp dip. Not a big surprise here, but we think it checks all the boxes. It is a tobacco-free, nicotine-free plant alternative to tobacco. Our hemp is all grown in America and we make it right here in North Carolina. No matter the alternative, it is important to know what’s in it and where it comes from since the whole point in looking for a dip alternative is to level up.
As the landscape of dipping evolves, the more authentic experience involves real ingredients. For those looking to kick nicotine, dip alternatives offer a promising path forward. By providing the ritual without the negatives of tobacco and nicotine, they give dippers the freedom to make their own choices without the burden of addictive chemicals.
What to look for in a dip alternative
When seeking a dip alternative, it's essential to look beyond just the taste and consider the quality, transparency, and values of the brand. A truly compelling dip should not only satisfy your cravings but also align with your values.
Quality should be the top priority, as it ensures you're putting your money into a product made with care and high-caliber ingredients.
Transparency is a good way to gauge the quality of a product. Seek out dip makers who are upfront about their production, testing, and ingredient information. Check out our third-party tested CoA here.
If the tradition is important to you, check out the brand's values and how they resonate with your own. Are they responsible in how they communicate about the product? Do they make outlandish claims or sound like snake oil salesmen? Do they care about where their product is made and who is making it?
The Future of Chewing Tobacco Substitutes
As the health risks of traditional tobacco products continue to be a big conversation, the demand for nicotine-free and tobacco-free alternatives is on the rise. There’s a problem, and the market is responding with some great ideas for dip alternatives.
Driven by growing consumer awareness and regulatory pressures, the expectations for high-quality alternatives will continue to rise.
As the dip-alternative market gets its footing, it’s going to be more important to make sure products are produced in a responsible way, and regulation is probably (certainly) going to increase.
The FDA is all up in tobacco. Most dip alternatives are not tobacco, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t or won’t be oversight. In our case, we use hemp with CBD already in it, so we expect a double-whammy of regulatory oversight, and we’re ready for it. Since day one, we’ve operated as if the pressure was already on, and it’s not that hard to do if you’re producing a quality product in a responsible way.
Also in our case, we are very big-picture focused because we are sourcing, producing, and selling in America. So we have to make sure hemp dip is adding value from farm to pouch. Making sure the crop is a profitable one for farmers is the first step because the tradition of dipping was all about community. We also make sure we’re adding to our communities in a real way with charitable activities. That’s not just mailing a check once a year and acting all holier than thou about it.
The future of chewing tobacco substitutes is bright, as consumers increasingly demand safer, more responsible alternatives that align with their evolving preferences and lifestyle needs. There is an opportunity for great products to work for dippers and their communities.
Hemp as a Tobacco Substitute for Dippers and Farmers
Hemp is a viable and compelling tobacco substitute for dippers and farmers alike. As a domestically-grown crop, hemp offers numerous benefits that make it an attractive option for those seeking an alternative to traditional tobacco products.
We already know the quality of dip alternative ingredients is the main thing to look for, and hemp delivers on this front. Grown without the use of harsh chemicals or pesticides, hemp grown right here in America supports local economies and reduces reliance on foreign imports.
For farmers, the cultivation of hemp presents an exciting opportunity. This resilient crop requires fewer resources to grow than many other cash crops, making it an economically sensible choice. Hemp farming gives back to the land through its ability to revitalize soil and reduce erosion.
As the demand for tobacco decreases and demand for alternatives continues to rise, hemp stands out as a profitable and responsible option for forward-thinking farmers due to its versatile applications and growing popularity. Hemp offers farmers a chance to diversify their operations, tap into an emerging market, and keep the unmatched coolness of farm tradition alive.
The Real Ones: Hemp Dip and Hemp Dippers
You may have noticed our obsession with “real.” Maybe you saw the features we do on “real ones” who are just people doing great things and being badass while doing them. Dip is a real tradition with real value, and the alternatives available today are exciting.
Hemp is the alternative we chose because of, you guessed it, the realness. We can produce it with a crop that actually helps our neighboring farmers, make it in a factory in small town USA, and provide dippers with a can of something they can be sure of.
Here’s to the real ones – dip ‘em if you got ‘em.
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