Cross Country Wellness: An Interview with Jordan “J-Bird” Bergsrud

Jordan Bergsrud, known to friends as J-Bird, spent many years in the local cannabis industry before launching his CBD company, Cross Country Wellness.  I’ve known him since the early days and have had the opportunity to watch him grow as both a person and a business owner.  I recently had the chance to sit down with Jordan to learn more about his product line and all the benefits of CBD.

STEPHANIE SHEHAN: Where are you from and what brought you to Las Vegas?

JORDAN BERGSRUD: In February of 2015, my father was involved in a horrible car accident and suffered 17 broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and a punctured lung.  The timing was coincidental - as I was figuring out how I would take care of my dad, just one week later the job I was working at called me and asked me how quickly I could relocate to Las Vegas.  I purchased a one-way ticket to Vegas and arrived to find my dad in a drug-induced coma.

SS: That’s terrible, was he able to recover?

JB: He was not.  Six months later, he had a heart attack in his sleep and passed away.

SS: I am so sorry.  How did you cope?  Did you stay in Vegas after that?

JB: There I was, 27 years old, without my dad… life really kicked me in the gut.  I moved back home to Memphis, Tennessee and found myself in a really weird space.  I wasn’t sure where I wanted to be or what I wanted to do.

SS: I can’t imagine that was easy for you.  What led you to the cannabis plant?

JB: I was always passionate about cannabis and the healing properties the plant carries.  I decided to move back here to Vegas and a short while later began applying for jobs within the cannabis industry. October 2, 2017, just one day after the shooting at Mandalay Bay, I started a job at a local dispensary.  We had an influx of people coming in, specifically asking for CBD to help alleviate anxiety.  Some patrons had been involved in the shooting and many others were just on edge.  It was just the beginning of my journey into the industry and I found myself researching CBD in order to provide good solid information to people.

I used my time at the dispensary to talk to business owners within the industry and to also educate myself as much as possible about the products and how they worked.  Working with patients (at that time, the industry was medical only) and receiving their feedback on what worked and what didn’t was invaluable to me.  My original motivation was to learn everything I could and then take that information back home to Tennessee if cannabis was ever legalized there.

SS: I met you when you had first started at the dispensary.  It was so refreshing to meet someone who truly cared about the patients.  How did you end up working primarily with CBD?

JB: With the passing of the “farm bill” in 2018, CBD/hemp became legal to sell in all states as long as it contained no more than 0.3 percent THC.  Realizing that under this bill, I myself could actually sell high quality, full spectrum products to people all over the United States really gave me the motivation to start my own company.  This was ideal - people could receive the benefits of the plant without the psychoactive effects.  As I recommended CBD products at the dispensary, I paid close attention to what worked for people and what didn’t.  I eventually used the information to curate the products I would offer from my own company.   

SS: And again, you are educating yourself to the fullest in order to help people - that’s amazing.  When did you start Cross Country Wellness?

JB: August 21, 2020, I started Cross Country Wellness.  It was right in the middle of the pandemic and many people thought I was crazy.  But, I saw the need for exceptional CBD products as most of us were suffering in one way or another.  I was fortunate at the time to be working at Top Notch Dispensary.  Their management allowed me to launch my CBD line at their facility while I was employed by them.  I was quickly becoming much more passionate about CBD than THC. And, seeing people replace their pharmaceuticals with an all natural option really inspired me.  I thought about what could have been different with my own dad had I had the knowledge about the plant when he was involved in his accident.  And, it became my mission to help others keep their family members around just a little bit longer.

SS: It's awesome that you were allowed to launch your company while at Top Notch, they have a great team over there.  Tell me a little bit about your product line.  What you offer, how people choose what to buy, and what full-spectrum means.

JB: Full spectrum, in terms of cannabis, means that the products contain a range of naturally occurring cannabinoids (like THC, CBD, CBG, and CBN).  Full spectrum products typically work better because the cannabinoids together offer a better, more complete effect.  All of my products are lab tested to ensure that the THC is less than 0.3%.

My line includes 6 total products - 5 of them are ingestible and one of them is topical. Some people prefer capsules, some prefer tinctures, and some prefer gummies.  It doesn’t really matter how you ingest the product, it just matters that you are ingesting a therapeutic dose that is right for you.  And for people treating direct pain such as their knee or back, they typically benefit from a topical.

My product line includes a 500mg pain cream which is typically used topically for localized pain relief, a 600mg CBD/CBN Gummy primarily used to promote better sleep and relaxation, a 1,000mg pet tincture which can help with pain management and anxiety in pets, as well as a 750mg capsule, a 1,000mg tincture and a 2,500mg tincture which can all be ingested and used to help manage things like pain, inflammation and anxiety. 

SS: What a nice array of products you’ve developed over the past five years.  Do you offer additional education about CBD?

JB: I offer a wealth of education on my YouTube channel, @abovethecloudswithjbird.  Each of my products also includes a QR code that people can scan to find out how to use that particular product.

SS: How can readers follow what you are doing and order products?

JB: To order products, please visit crosscountrywellness.com.  New customers can use code VW50 for 50% off their first order.  Readers can follow me on Instagram @jbird_ccw and @crosscountrywellness. And, please check out my YouTube channel mentioned above.