CBD user: “It’s taking the world by storm”

Cannabidiol (CBD) is poised to make a huge breakthrough in consumer products – that’s if it hasn’t already.

Retailers and shops alike are stacking their shelves with CBD-infused products.

CBD sales in the United States are expected to reach $22 billion by 2022, according to cannabis market research company, the Brightfield Group.

On your next drive around town, you’re destined to see signs in store windows that read: ” CBD sold here. ”

“It’s taking the world by storm, to be honest with you,” said David Murray, Neverlow Glass Gallery owner.

Murray took over the local smoke shop just a year ago. He’s increased the CBD selection in the store since taking ownership.

“I think Arizona will be a leading industry in the hemp field in the next few years,” he added.

The store has an abundance of CBD products. They carry vapes, candy, oils, CBD-infused water, and even CBD for your pets. The most popular CBD product is the tinctures, otherwise known as oral drops.

“Every single day, there’s a new customer coming in here for CBD… and I’m not exaggerating that,” Murray said.

CBD popularity has soared over the past few years. Hemp, from which CBD is extracted, was no longer considered a controlled substance on the federal level. President Donald Trump signed the Farm Bill into law in December 2018.

Imperial County officials applauded the passage of the Farm Bill, citing ” potential positive impacts of industrial hemp and economic research in Imperial County. ”

In Arizona, Governor Doug Ducey signed Senate Bill 1098 on May 14, 2018. The passage of this bill will authorize the Arizona Department of Agriculture to license qualified applicants to grow and process industrial hemp starting summer 2019.

CBD can provide relief for chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, and many other conditions, according to ProjectCBD.org. It relieves the pain without giving you a ” high ” that THC gives.

CBD and THC both derive from cannabis, but CBD has very trace amounts of THC in it, and sometimes not at all.

“So far, we just can’t carry anything with over .3-percent THC and not all CBD products have THC,” Murray reassured.

CBD user and local boxer, Allen ” Kiwi ” Nevarez, has been boxing for 12 years. It’s a sport that runs in his family. Training in the ring on top of a graveyard shift with UPS, Nevarez said it takes a major toll on his body.

“With what I do, I get a lot of stress on my joints and my body is always worn and tired,” Nevarez said.

He used to treat it with a bag of ice, visits to the chiropractor, and sometimes would settle for over-the-counter pain medicine. That is until he found CBD.

“So, CBD, it’s a pain reliever, it’s an anti-inflammatory, so it really helps me in the recovery process,” Nevarez said.

For Murray, using CBD was last resort.

“I actually have a cyst on my brain that causes seizures and nausea and a plethora of things… since I’ve taken [CBD] I haven’t had a seizure since,” said Murray.

But many uncertainties remain about the quality and safety of CBD. Consumers and shops are trying to overcome a ” stoner ” stigma against the product.

Murray echoed the old saying that goes: “D on’t knock it until you try it. ”

” Someone telling you CBD is bad, try it for yourself, read up on it, educate yourself. That’s all I can say. Give it a try, ” he said.