We recently connected with Kara Grady and have shared our conversation below.

Kara, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It all started in our den, not some lab or conference room—just two veterans sitting around, talking trash and dreaming out loud. John came across an ad for a Delta 8 hemp drink and muttered something about how we could do better. I said, “You should make a limoncello version.” He said sure, like it was no big deal. So I said, “Then start a company.” He rolled his eyes and said, “No.”

So I pushed back: “If I do, will you work for me?”

He looked at me, deadpan. “Do I have a choice?”

That was the beginning of Slaphappy Beverage Company.

We didn’t go into this trying to be industry leaders—we were just sick of the garbage being pushed out there and knew we could do better.
What started as a joke between a sailor and her stubborn Seabee became something real. Something we believe in. And honestly? It’s been one hell of a ride.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Kara Grady—sailor, founder of Slaphappy Hemp Company, and someone who’s spent a lifetime moving between chaos and calm, hazardous duty zones and healing spaces. I served in the Navy starting in 1989, with time at Beachmaster Unit One out of San Diego and deployments aboard the USS Tarawa. In October 2000, we were heading into the Persian Gulf when the USS Cole was attacked in Yemen. I later worked with the survivors, and it left a mark on me that never faded. The stories, the weight of chance and choice, the way five minutes could mean life or death—it taught me that if something matters, you move. You don’t wait. You build.

That’s exactly what I did with Slaphappy.

In 2021, John came across an ad for a Delta 8 hemp drink while we were sitting in our den. I looked at him and said, “You should make a limoncello version.” He shrugged and said sure. So I said, “You should start a company.” He said no. So I said, “If I start it… will you work for me?” He gave me the look—every wife knows the one—and said, “Do I have a choice?”

That’s how it started. My baby. I founded Slaphappy Hemp Company not because I wanted to join the hemp industry, but because I wanted to fix what was wrong with it. Too much hype. Too many gimmicks. Not enough honesty, not enough craft. So we started growing hemp. We partnered with trusted extractors. And we began creating products we actually use ourselves—starting with our friends and family as guinea pigs, of course.

From our Mellocello™ (a bold, alcohol-free take on the classic Italian liqueur), to our Dolor tinctures, Felix Folia infused olive oil, and our hard-hitting botanical salves (Pax Centurion and Shield Maiden), we’re about making small-batch hemp products that work. No fluff, no fillers. Everything is third-party tested, and our Certificates of Analysis are always available. If it’s not something I’d give to someone I love—it doesn’t go out.

But the part that means the most to me? A Thousand Ripples. It’s our initiative to give cannabinoid therapies to veterans and cancer patients—no paperwork, no red tape, just help. It’s not a nonprofit. It’s a mission, funded by every sale we make. And every product we ship sends a ripple into someone else’s life.

At the end of the day, I’m not here to be the face of a brand—I’m here to lead a movement. If you’re tired of the profiteers and want something real, something crafted with care and defiance, you’ve found it.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Resilience isn’t a choice for us—it’s the job.

Since we launched Slaphappy in 2022, we’ve been in a nonstop fight—not for shelf space, but for survival. While most businesses focus on growth, we’ve had to defend our right to exist against a state that treats hemp like a crime scene and a marijuana industry with corporate money, lobbyists, and political cover trying to erase us. Technically, they’re still drug dealers under federal law. But somehow we’re the problem.

We’ve spent the past few years walking the marble halls of the Missouri Capitol, standing toe-to-toe with lawmakers pushing bills to criminalize the very products helping veterans and cancer patients. We’ve testified, lobbied, and refused to let them write us out of existence. We’ve watched elected officials ignore science, spin data, and parrot talking points bought and paid for by corporate weed giants.

And last year, the governor—who’s no longer in office—signed an executive order targeting our hemp products . He banned what the federal government allows, torched small businesses, and handed a gift to his marijuana donors. For me, it hit personal—it landed on my birthday.

But we’re still here.

Because Slaphappy isn’t just a business. It’s a mission. We grow craft hemp with intention, we serve our community with integrity, and through A Thousand Ripples, we provide free cannabinoid therapies to veterans and cancer patients—no red tape, just relief.

We’ve been bloodied, but never conquered. Vulneratas Non Victus is more than a family motto—it’s our truth.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

We had to pivot when Delta 8 became a political target—not because it was unsafe or ineffective, but because politicians don’t understand what they’re regulating. And worse, many of them don’t want to.

Delta 8 was working. Our customers loved it. It gave people a safer alternative to alcohol and heavy pharmaceuticals. But lawmakers started painting it as dangerous or synthetic, throwing it into headlines without doing their homework. The marijuana industry jumped on that narrative too—because it served them. Suddenly, it wasn’t about science or safety—it was about eliminating competition.

So we adapted.

We transitioned our beverages and infused products to hemp-derived Delta 9. Still federally legal, still tested, still clean—but now it’s harder for the marijuana lobby to attack, because their products are Delta 9 too. They can’t call the kettle black without burning their own house down.

This wasn’t about changing who we are—it was about playing smart in a rigged system. We stayed true to our mission, and we kept serving the people who count on us. That’s what real resilience looks like in this space.

Or as John says, Semper Gumby—always flexible.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Slaphappyhemp.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slaphappy_hemp?igsh=MWpwYW1vaDMxenhoZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@slaphappy.hemp.co4?_t=ZT-8vmEjhfIjEs&_r=1

Image Credits

My husband John took the photos.