Carolina Comeback: A Strain with a Mission

Carolina Comeback is an indica-dominant hybrid created from Banana OG and Cookies & Cream.
Smell: ripe bananas and sweet vanilla, complemented by subtle earthy undertones.
Taste: creamy, dessert-like flavor with hints of tropical fruit and a smooth, nutty finish.
Effects: deeply relaxing, stress-reducing, gently euphoric. Carolina Comeback tests high in Caryophyllene, Linalool, and Limonene.

This strain was named for what we’ve had to do together: come back stronger.

What Happened in Western North Carolina?

When Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina, it wasn’t just a weather event. We witnessed destruction on a scale most of us had never seen when catastrophic flooding hit our communities. More than 2,000 landslides tore through the terrain washing out roads and bridges and in some cases entire communities. Cell service, electricity, and running water disappeared for weeks.

Today, as we set out sites on the year anniversary of Hurricane Helene, the recovery efforts continue all around us. There has been progress and we are proud of the resilience and courage we have seen grow from this catastrophe but the road ahead is long and winding with work to be done.

Why Did This Area Get Hit So Hard?

Western North Carolina is not built for hurricanes. Buncombe County is nearly 300 miles inland and sits over 2,000 feet above sea level. We are used to rain, not hurricanes. But in the days before Helene, the ground was already saturated from earlier bands of the storm so when Helene arrived, the rain had nowhere to go.

Rivers overflowed causing roads, which often run beside those rivers, to turn into fast-moving channels. The mountains funneled the stormwater through valleys and hollers. Trees came down by the thousands. Asheville Watchdog reported that 40 percent of Buncombe County’s trees were lost.

Many residents did not receive evacuation notices until it was too late. For others, evacuation was not an option. In rural Appalachia, poverty and lack of transportation make it difficult to leave, even if you want to.

More than 12,000 people were displaced. At least 220 lives were lost, including 43 in Buncombe County.

How Do Hurricanes Lead to Wildfires?

The storm left behind a massive amount of debris. Uprooted trees, dead brush, and cleared land dried out over time. These materials became fuel. Once the rain stopped and summer heat returned, the risk shifted from flood to fire. Our team watched as flames got within 160 yards of our own facility.

Our Story at WNC CBD

The morning after the storm, we left Asheville and drove our work van to Charlotte, North Carolina  where we had family. It was the first place we could get cell service. As soon as we could, we shut down the website, contacted customers, and began trying to reach our staff.

We loaded up the van with water, gas, food, and anything else we could find, and began running supplies back to Asheville. We did this for several days while also trying to figure out how to get operational again. It took time to reach everyone, but we were relieved to confirm that all of our staff were safe.

Our facility was without power and water for a week and even once we reopened, several team members were still displaced or living without utilities at home. We kept paying our staff throughout the shutdown and we continued to bring them what supplies we could as we personally checked on each person.

The resilience of our team and community during this time is something we will never forget. Everyone pulled together, showing up for each other regardless of their own struggles. We are so proud of our people and honored to be a part of this community.

Today, we are back in operation, but we still live with the impact. Some of our favorite local businesses never reopened. We see the damage every day. A heavy rain or a flicker in the power still puts us on edge. But if there’s one thing we learned through all of this, it is that community is what gets you through. We are stronger because we have each other.

Why We Created Carolina Comeback

We launched this strain as a way to give back. Carolina Comeback is our fundraiser product, and 100 percent of the proceeds go toward disaster relief and rebuilding efforts.

In 2024, thanks to your support, we raised $18,000 and donated it to the Community Housing Coalition of Madison County. These funds went directly to families in need of housing support after the storm. For 2025, proceeds will go to Swannanoa, another rural area that was hit hard and received far less aid than the city of Asheville.

These aren’t random places. They are home to our neighbors, friends, customers and our business. They are the backbone of this region, and they deserve our support.

How You Can Help

When you purchase Carolina Comeback, you are not just buying an incredible strain. You are helping rebuild homes. You are feeding families. You are keeping hope alive in towns that were nearly wiped out.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported this effort. From our community to yours, thank you.