11-12-2021 3:01am

“It’s not going to get you high.” Elev815 members learn about the health benefits of CBD

Elev815 member Chuck Gilbert (R) introduced Chip Staerbell, owner and manager of Your CBD Store at 4900 Hononegah Rd., Staebell gave members a tour of his store, samples of the products, and a tutorial about the benefits of hemp and CBD, on a recent visit to the store.

Once upon a time - actually, only three years ago - it was illegal to purchase or sell products containing hemp. In 2018, hemp was legalized and went mainstream. Now CBD stores are popping up all over the country.

Your CBD Store opened last summer at 4900 Hononegah Road in Roscoe. (It’s in the Schnuck's shopping center, next to Great Clips.) Chip Staebell is owner and manager. The store is described and advertised as an "alternative, holistic health service."

On Nov. 4, elev815 members visited the store and learned about the benefits of CBD and the 130 products and compounds available.

CBD and THC are nearly identical in chemical make-up. But CBD lacks psychoactive properties, meaning CBD won’t give you the high of marijuana, which contains the chemical, THC.

The 2018 Industrial Hemp Act was passed in 2018. The law permits the sale and use of all CBD products sourced from industrial hemp. The hemp variety of the cannabis plant is grown to keep THC levels below 0.3 percent. (We get our word "canvas" from "cannabis," since canvas was originally made from hemp.)

If you take hemp-derived oil, you don’t need to worry about getting high because it contains 0.3 percent or less of THC.

Staebell opened the store in Sycamore two years ago after working for several years as a golf pro and Anytime Fitness Gym owner. “I wanted to try something different. I did a lot of research before pivoting to owning a CBD store after CBD and industrial hemp became legal in 2018.”

Your CBD Store carries a large assortment of products that come in many forms: tinctures, creams and edibles. Staebell said tinctures are the most absorbent.

He recently introduced TRIM – a compound for weight reduction. “TRIM is a hemp-based appetite suppressant that curbs the appetite. It lowers BMI, and the average weight reduction is nine pounds.”

Many elev815 members were interested in the benefits of CBD for their dogs and cats. Staebell said the amount given can be tailored in strength and concentration to the size and needs of their pets. As in humans, CBD can help with sleep disorders, anxiety, pain and digestive problems.

Staebell said buyers should be careful where they purchase CBD. “There is a risk of contaminants and some products have a lesser amount of CBD.”

Many proponents of CBD say it promotes alertness and focus. The biggest claim to fame seems to be “CBD calms my system.”

Elev815 members Toni Brown, Jim Blevins and Sharon Hecox were among members who learned the positive effects of CBD at a recent visit to Your CBD Store, owned by Chip Staebell.