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Gina Elko, owner of House of Hemp OBX, discovered the power of CBD when a knee injury forced her to retire from her 22-year firefighting career, the last eight of which she was a captain at the Nags Head Fire Department. Originally from Maryland, Gina began her career as a firefighter after successfully passing the physical agility test conducted by the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. At the time, they were actively seeking women who could meet the physical requirements. She worked with the fire department for several years before eventually relocating and becoming the captain in Nags Head. Unfortunately, a torn ACL in 2016, which led to double knee replacement surgery, forced Gina to retire from firefighting.
But during that experience, Gina discovered the healing power of CBD. After her surgery, she began seeking out alternatives to pharmaceutical pain medications. Dissatisfied with typical pain medications’ temporary effects and lack of true healing, she delved into researching CBD. Recognizing the importance of reducing inflammation for pain management, she started using high-milligram CBD products multiple times a day to keep her inflammation levels in check. The results were remarkable, allowing her to recover faster, surpass milestones and resume driving much earlier than anticipated.
Gina felt that pain medications would mask her healing.
“I wanted my knees to heal,” Gina says. “I knew if I could keep the inflammation down on my knees, then my pain wouldn’t be there. Because that’s the whole key to most people’s pain: inflammation. They told me six weeks before I could drive, and I was driving in three weeks.”
One year later Gina opened House of Hemp OBX, carrying CBD and THC products derived from hemp grown in the USA – all-natural, organic and non-GMO. Her mission is to bring organic, hemp-based products to our community, as she believes they fill an important role to people searching for a more natural approach to individual health and wellness.
“If you’re getting sick and getting illnesses, I’m telling you, it’s your cell system,” Gina says. “If you take CBD, even just minimally for general health, you will be shocked at how much healthier you are than the people around you. And that’s because your cells are healthier.”
Emphasizing the importance of customer safety and education, House of Hemp OBX operates similarly to a dispensary. Customers are required to sign a waiver and must be at least 21 years old. The shop carries an extensive range of CBD products including edibles, tinctures, salves and lotions. With a focus on quality and transparency, every product is accompanied by lab reports, and the shop staff personally tests each item. The shop primarily serves an older demographic, with many customers seeking relief from chronic conditions and medication side effects.
In addition to CBD products, House of Hemp also offers hemp-derived THC products, which is state and federally legal. These products contain low levels of THC and offer subtle body or head highs. They are particularly popular among customers seeking sleep aids and pain relief. Gina ensures that they carry an array of THC and CBD products to suit different preferences and individual needs.
While House of Hemp cannot prescribe specific CBD products, they can provide valuable guidance to customers based on their plant/product knowledge and individual customer needs. Recognizing that CBD’s benefits extend beyond specific marketing claims, they emphasize the wide-ranging potential of CBD for autoimmune disorders, neurological conditions, pain management and even psychological well-being. By creating customized regimens and helping customers select suitable administration methods, they aim to optimize the benefits of CBD and promote general wellness.
Gina’s favorite part about running House of Hemp OBX is seeing the positive effects it has on people’s lives.
“It’s awesome when people come back a week later and they’re like, ‘I’m good! It works!’” she says.
Gina’s shop is located at the Seagate North Shopping Center in Kill Devil Hills, and she invites everyone to come out and see them at their booth at Dowdy Park Markets and Soundside Markets in Nags Head throughout the summer and at the Smokin’ Grass Bluegrass & BBQ Festival in Manteo on July 8.
(252) 255-6420
3105 N. Croatan Highway, MP 5.5, Kill Devil Hills
houseofhempobx.com
About the Author Maggie Miles
Maggie Miles is originally from the Outer Banks. She moved to Palm Springs in 2023 to work as an on-call reporter for the New York Times. Her portfolio includes contributions to The Times, BBC, MSN and many other media outlets. During her career, she has focused on a wide range of topics, including workplace corruption, gun violence, social justice, the environment, arts, health and wellness, travel and in-depth profiles of notable people and businesses.
