In northern Alabama, Green Acres Organic Pharms is a family owned, licensed grower and processor of hemp products. Using their own organic hemp, Green Acres produces CBD oils, wellness products, and infused consumables.
“We started Green Acres with the belief that healthy soil grows healthy people,” says founder Carmelo Parasiliti. He started the business to use sustainable farming practices to bring innovation to the wellness community.
Digital Payments as a Lifeline
In the highly regulated hemp industry, Carmelo has found digital payments to be essential. “Without digital payments, we couldn’t exist,” he explains, “every sale is tracked, every transaction documented.” The digital records inherent to digital payments allow Green Acres to meet strict regulatory reporting standards. According to Carmelo, cash makes it nearly impossible to manage compliance.
Hemp and CBD businesses also face unique financial barriers, including restrictions from traditional banks and payment processors. The unique tools and resources of digital payments have allowed Green Acres to grow with resources and tools,including easy to navigate compliance documentation, access to business financing, and hemp-friendly merchant processing.
Digital payments have played a core role in customer trust of Green Acres. For many customers, credibility matters as much as quality. “People want to know they’re buying from a real business, not out of someone’s garage,” says Carmelo. Trust has become a defining factor in how people choose where to buy hemp products. “Our customers aren’t just buying CBD—they’re buying peace of mind that it’s safe, organic, and legal.” Secure online ordering helps build this trust, giving customers a clear sign of legitimacy.
A Changing Landscape
A law recently passed in Alabama imposed new licensing requirements and product limits, bans certain product types, and prohibits online direct-to-consumer sales to Alabamians. This uprooted Green Acres’ business model and complicated how they managed existing stock affected by the regulation.
In the face of this major change, Green Acres launched their e-commerce store, which allows them to continue to serve customers across the country. The digital platform helps navigate state-by-state restrictions and shipping, while integrating with their in-person stores, to ensure seamless inventory management. Despite the restriction on shipping within Alabama, Carmelo is still able to connect customers across the country with his local, high quality CBD.
In spite of these challenges, Carmelo sees a bright future for Green Acres. He hopes to scale as both a farm and a wellness brand, with new product lines emphasizing the benefits of a wide range of hemp products. “We donʼt want to be the biggest, we want to be the most trusted,” he emphasizes. Digital payments remain central to that vision: “They donʼt just keep us in business. They let us grow responsibly in one of the toughest industries for small businesses.”
