Welcome to our hempSMART Review!
I’m guessing, someone you know has approached you to hempSMART’s products, saying they are a great way to become healthier and also earn more money on the side, working from home?
But you’re not entirely convinced that hempSMART is really a legitimate opportunity, or you’re thinking is hempSMART a scam or possibly a pyramid scheme?
First off, it’s great to see that you’re doing your research before buying into any “seemingly good” product.
That is how you avoid scams and make only legitimate ways to make money online!
To be completely transparent with you, we’re not associated with hempSMART in any form. We’re not here to pitch or sell you anything to you.
hempSMART is a legitimate MLM company, but as 99% of MLM members don’t make any money as they have jumped in with both feet, and very little research, I’m really glad you’re here.
This review is going to ensure you get all the facts and details you need to know, so that you can make an informed decision about whether hempSMART is the right decision for you.
hempSMART Review Summary
Product Name: hempSMART
Founder: Donald Steinberg
Product Type: CBD Health and Wellness MLM company
Price: $49 – $129, plus $100/month sales quota
Best For: Experienced Network Marketers
Pros
- Low Startup Costs
- Healthy Products
Cons
- Lacks Income Disclosure
- CBD Market is Oversaturated
- Monthly Autoship
- Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?
Summary: hempSMART is an health and wellness MLM company that sells a range of CBD-based health and nutritional supplements such as drops, oils, capsules, and topicals.
They also offer an opportunity for everyday people to make money from selling these products. But as with most MLMs, the products are expensive and the monthly sales quota will make it harder for you to sell more than you buy yourself. For my money, I wouldn’t recommend this…
Rating: 35/100
Recommended? No
Table of Contents
What is hempSMART?
hempSMART is an MLM or Multi-Level Marketing company and a subsidiary of the Marijuana Company of America or MCOA. It’s a company that is based in Escondido, California.
They sell a range of CBD-based health and wellness nutritional supplements, like drops, oils, capsules, and topicals.
Alongside their products, they also offer Business Development Packs for their members, which they call their affiliates or representatives.
Whilst their HQ is in California, they still sell their products worldwide. It seems their global target market is the UK. They actually have an office in Manchester, England.
It’s kind of a backup, in case their main office gets shutdown as CBD is still not well regulated and affirmed by the government.
Affiliates are able to buy their products at a wholesale price, and then you can sell them to people at retail prices, keeping the difference.
Affiliates are also able to recruit members into their downline to earn more. But we’ll get into that later.
For now, here’s a video about hempSMART…
Let’s now talk about who’s behind hempSMART… Donald Steinberg…
Who’s Donald Steinberg?
Donald Steinberg is the Founder and CEO of hempSMART. He runs the company alongside his friend and associated, Ian Harvey. Harvey serves as their global sales director.
Donald was also the founder of Marijuana Company of America, in 2015.
His ambition is to continue expanding the company oversea, whilst improving the reputation of CBD in general, onto the mainstream market.
Is hempSMART a Pyramid Scheme?
No, hempSMART isn’t a pyramid scheme. It has legit products of which their affiliates are able to sell them on.
However, hempSMART, like most MLM’s, does have many similarities to a pyramid scheme.
So a more prudent question would be, is hempSMART a pyramid scheme in disguise?
What’s a Pyramid Scheme?
A pyramid scheme is a company that pays members to recruit more people into the company instead of selling products or services.
They are illegal in most countries around the world, and this image from Wikipedia gives you the reason why…
Pyramid schemes are completely unsustainable. Recruitment alone isn’t enough to keep a company going.
hempSMART Is a legit MLM, and it does offer legitimate products that have health benefits. But the reason it could be a pyramid scheme in disguise is due to their products being really expensive and the monthly sales quota.
To avoid having to buy products yourself every month to stay qualified, you’ll be encouraged to recruit to pass that burden onto your downline.
And most MLM’s make it nigh-on impossible to make money unless you do heavy recruitment. Making them very close to being a pyramid scheme in disguise.
This 5-minute video will help you spot the signs that an MLM could be a pyramid scheme in disguise…
Success is Rare at hempSMART
That’s not only true with hempSMART, but with most MLM’s.
Did you know that between 72.5% and 99% of all MLM members are losing money?
Studies completed by the FTC have proven that on average 92% of MLM members are losing money.
Take hempSMART, you have to sell $100 worth of product a month. If you don’t, you will still have to have bought that amount. Then you get to the next month, and still have to buy $100 worth of product.
MLM members are stuck with a garage full of stock, with no one to buy the products.
What’s worrying about hempSMART is that they don’t publish an income disclosure statement. This is a document that lets you know how much money their members are making.
By not having a document, we don’t know what the average income is for a hempSMART member and it also shows that the company is hiding something… They clearly feel this will definitely make people think twice before joining their opportunity…
How Does hempSMART Work?
hempSMART is an MLM company that sells a range of CBD-based products.
They also offer an opportunity for everyday people to join up and promote and sell their products.
It sounds like a great deal… however…
Whilst the company saves themselves a fortune through not having to use expensive marketing campaigns.
All the hard work is left down to their members to spread the word about this brand, in a heavily saturated market selling a product that is not yet recognised properly on the market…
Let’s take a look at the product line at hempSMART…
hempSMART Product Line
Before considering if an MLM opportunity is the right one for you, you need to get to know their product line in-depth as these will be the products that you will be selling to people. Ideally, you want to have used them and understand the benefits, etc.
Here’s the rundown of their products:
hempSMART Brain
It hemps improve brain health and functions, which is claimed to help you get smarter (?). It also says that it helps you with your memory, whilst improving your focus.
You can check out this 1-minute video about hempSMART Brain product…
hempSMART Moisturizer
This product aims to reduce inflammation from allergies, as well as hydrate and rejuvenate the skin.
hempSMART Pain Cream
This is another pain reliever, but comes in the form of a cream. It contains CBD, terpenes, and CBG.
Something you should know is that the CBD health and wellness market is already heavily saturated. There are many different companies that all offer a very similar product line. Some of the MLM companies are:
- My Daily Choice
- Touchstone Essentials
- HealX Nutrition
- EMRIS International
- Bocannaco
- Hempworx
- Kannaway
- CTFO
- Zilis
This will make it much harder for you to sell these expensive products as there are lots of companies all try to sell the same thing…
With that in mind, are you able to make money with hempSMART? Let’s talk about that now…
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Can You Make Money with hempSMART?
Yes, it’s possible, but it’s going to be really hard!
You can earn between 10% to 30% commission on anything that you are able to sell. But you need to plan ahead to how many CBD products you are going to be able to sell to your friends and family on a monthly basis, so you don’t end up paying for products just to remain active.
The very few who are able to making money with MLM, and we are usually talking about the top 3%, are those that recruit lots of people and work like a sales manager.
Instead of selling stuff on the side, and they treat it like a full-time job! You’re going to have to aggressively encourage people and train your downline team to be able to sell more.
You really need to ask yourself whether or not, you are an extroverted person who is good at sales, recruiting and coaching people to make more sales…
If you were hoping this is something you can do on the side, as a side gig, then I would not see this being a good way for you to make money…
How to Make Money with hempSMART?
hempSMART is a typical MLM, which brings with it the usual two routes to earn money from their compensation plan:
- Sell hempSMART products
- Recruit people and build a downline team to get bonuses and incentives
Please note, you don’t actually get paid directly for recruiting people. You only earn bonuses based on the sales your downline team are able to make.
This is how MLM companies avoid the pyramid scheme label…
Before we get into their compensation plan, let’s explore how much it costs to get started with hempSMART.
Getting Started with hempSMART
There are three options when joining hempSMART:
- Associate Registration Pack – $49
- Fast Track Registration Pack(250 mg) – $99
- Fast Track Registration Pack (500 mg) – $129
Associate
The Associate Registration Pack, at $49, is the minimum cost to get started with hempSMART.
You’ll gain a 15% discount when buying hempSMART products, which you are then able to sell at retail prices.
It also allows you to start recruiting members to the company within your downline.
You’ll also become qualified to get rewards and compensation for your sales and downline bonuses.
hempSMART also provides you with a replicated website, which is an e-commerce site that you can use for people to order from you.
You also gain access to some free business training and access to the exclusive members only app and resource library, as well as technical support.
But you don’t actually get any products for that price…
To get some products to be able to try them or show people, you will need to buy either of the two fast track packs.
Fast Track 250mg
You get everything in the associate pack, and then a 250 mg Full Spectrum Mint Drops and Full Spectrum Strawberry Drops.
Fast Track 500mg
You get everything within the Associated pakc. They you will get 500 mg bottles of the Full Spectrum Mint Drops and Full Spectrum Strawberry Drops.
P.S. This program enabled us to Create a 4-Figure Monthly Passive Income Stream! It’s FREE to get started and costs only $49 to go full-time!
hempSMART Compensation Plan
MLM compensation plans are always really complicated, and hempSMART’s plan is no different.
We’ll do our best to keep it simple and easy to understand. Basically there are three main ways for you to earn money:
- Retail Sales – 10% to 30% profit
- Downline Commissions
- Bonuses
Retail Profits
With hempSMAT, you can buy products at wholesale prices and then sell them at retail prices. This is a 10% to 30% profit, depending on your rank.
Downline Commissions
You can also earn commissions from your recruited downlines. The amount of commission you get depends on your rank.
Commissions will be determined by how much you are able to sell, and then how many sales you your team ameks too.
You need to maintain those figures for you to remain or upgrade in rank.
You then earn 2% to 7% in downline commissions as the table above shows.
Bonuses
Get a 25% commission bonus when you’ve sold 200 products or PPV’s in a month. You need to buy the $179 registration pack to avail of this bonus.
Get a 25% commission bonus on level 1 downlines and 12.5% commission bonus on any level 2 downlines, when you’ve sold a minimum of 300 products or PPVs in a month.
To earn this second bonus, you’ll need to have bought the $249 registration pack.
You can learn more about their compensation plan, with this 11-minute video…
Is hempSMART a Scam?
No, hempSMART isn’t a scam. They offer a range of legitimate products and they pay their affiliates like they say they do.
But. Aside from selling their products, there is a real emphasis on recruiting more and more people into their downline to earn good money. This makes people question whether the company is really a pyramid scheme in disguise.
A lot of MLM’s are guilty of not doing enough to get away from these rumours, but as most people are losing money, there is a real problem at many of them.
But with expensive products, a monthly sales quota, and a need to recruit, it’s not the best option on the market.
The rest of our hempSMART review will help you get the rest of the important details you need to know…
Just to be completely transparent with you, I’m not a distributor of hempSMART, nor do I endorse hempSMART in any way. I have researched the website, testimonials, and information available on the internet to get the details about what this program genuinely does. I do this, as I have been caught out by a scam in the past, and am trying to help others avoid a similar fate…
Tired of MLMs? Check Out How We Make Money Online!
What We Liked About hempSMART
Here’s what we liked about hempSMART:
#1 Low Startup Costs
hempSMART doesn’t require a huge startup fee to get started with their business opportunity. It ranges from $49 to $129, which is much cheaper than many other MLM’s on the market.
#2 Healthy Products
There are signs that these CBD products can help with peoples health. I think the jury is still out on whether they do all that people claim they do. But still, I think in general there are benefits for certain people who use these products.
The CBD market is definitely growing, with estimates showing that they expect the market to reach $123.2 Billion by 2027. Source globenewswire.com
What We Didn't Like About hempSMART
Here’s what we didn’t like about hempSMART:
#1 No Income Disclosure Statement
This is odd for an MLM company, and shows they may have something to hide. This statement provides prospective members an idea of the earning potential.
This tells me that their members are not earning anything, and they don’t want new people not to join as a result of this. Either way, it’s a red flag for us about hempSMART.
#2 CBD Market is Saturated
Since the easing of restrictions, a new MLM has cropped up selling CBD products. This makes it even harder to make your products stand out, especially when the majority of the products are all the same thing, just in different packaging.
The CBD market is expanding, but it is already saturated with so many different companies all trying to get a piece of the pie. What makes this even harder is that MLM product prices are so much higher than retail products.
#3 Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?
Realistically, the only way you have to making decent money with an MLM opportunity is to recruit and built an effective downline.
Not many are able to earn a decent living just by selling overpriced products. So, when a company requires it’s members to recruit, it makes it look very much like this…
There may be the odd few who are able to make good moeny, but for you to be successful, you’ll need to recruit a lot of people who are all typically going to lose money.
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My hempSMART Review - Final Conclusion
There is no denying, there is a lot of interest in the CBD market. But the harsh reality is that only a select few are able to make the most of the way MLM business’s operate.
Expensive products, a requirement to buy products yourself every month, and then a real need to recruit all are issues when it comes to these types of opportunity.
If you an outgoing person who is able to sell these expensive product, then you might be onto a winner. But for most people, they will end up losing a lot of money and being no closer to achieving their goals of working from home and earning money.
But there is a big emphasis on recruiting here, and that makes them very like a pyramid scheme in disguise?
If you want to see a way of selling CBD products, if that is what you want, but without the restrictions of an MLM, then read on…
How We Make Money Online
We are not fans of MLM, the business model is legit, but the success rate is extremely low (only 1%).
We prefer affiliate marketing, the reasons are simple:
- No need to sell face to face
- No need to recruit other people into your downline
- You are not tied down to one MLM company
- There are endless possibilities
- Affiliate programs are usually free to join
- No monthly quotas
We prefer to help people with their purchasing decisions and not push for sales or go face-to-face, we have found a way of making a passive income online and we would like to help you achieve the same thing.
You can still go with CBD or Hemp Oil as your niche, but with our list of 23 affiliate programs you can join, you can promote products for free and still make money.
If you don’t want to promote CBD, then you can still make money. Why not choose something that you are passionate about, why not find out how you could turn a hobby into a money-making business opportunity.
If you want to make money online or from home, without all the MLM stuff, then we highly recommend you read our Wealthy Affiliate review. Find out how with the right training, you can turn your hobby into a profitable online business.
If you want to learn more, click the button below and read how we did it…
Thanks for checking out our hempSMART review! If you have any questions or comments to add, then please write them in the comments section below. 😉
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hempSMART
$49-$129, plus $100/month sales quota Pros
- Low Startup Costs
- Healthy Products
Cons
- Lacks Income Disclosure
- CBD Market is Oversaturated
- Monthly Autoship
- Negative Reputation of CBD Products
- Pyramid Scheme in Disguise?
Hi, how are you doing today? Thanks for your comprehensive review on hempSmart. It is good to see that you’re providing an unbiased review of this company and analyzing the positive and negative aspects of their affiliate program. I’m personally not a big fan of MLM companies and prefer to learn how to make my own money without depending on recruiting others. My question for you is, do you have any recommendations for alternative CBD affiliate programs?
Hey Gabriel,
thanks for checking out our review! There are some who can benefit from MLM, but for most of us we are not born salespeople or recruiters, and so this is a really hard route. Especially, as not all of the facts are laid down for you straightaway.
We prefer affiliate marketing as it allows you the freedom to go at your own pace and learn the correct way to market products, without having to buy a ton of products that you may or may not sell.
In regards to affiliate programs for CBD products, Amazon is a great option. They have an affiliate program, and you can promote the products they sell – they bring a lot of trust from the consumer into the bargain, and you just need to write helpful stuff and include a link.
But there are many different CBD affiliate programs too – we’re in the middle of updating this guide to include some more as there are many independent affiliate programs on the market. But we have listed 3 so far, you can go and check out, and bookmark it as we will be adding some more shortly…
All the best
John