CBD is starting to pop up all over SLO and not just at dispensaries. Is this because of recent laws passed or has this always been the case?
Our main focus for this first entry on CBD integration in SLO was simply identifying what exactly CBD is and how it is being sold in local stores.
The manager of The Neighborhood Juicer said “We have been selling CBD products since back in October. CBD distribution is entirely different than other dispensary legislation.”
Apparently Lassen’s and Whole Foods have both been selling CBD products for close to two years so this actually has nothing to do with new marijuana legislation.
CBD and THC also have entirely different medical benefits which is something we wanted to touch on in this piece as well. So often we see “weed” or “dispensaries” or “legislation” topics over-reported but we never dive deep enough to cover different products being sold.
Something our group struggled with the most was narrowing down our topic into a manageable angle. The topic itself has really not been covered at all on a local or global scale which is why I felt it was so necessary to cover it.
Interactive coordinator Daniel Dempster said “From a multimedia perspective, I could take this in so many different directions. My main concern is that if we don’t narrow down a tight angle, it’s going to be too much for reader consumption.”
CBD is just now starting to become more widely accessible which is why this is the perfect time to get talking about it.
So many people use it as a part of their daily life for so many different purposes including but not limited to mental health disorders, cancer, migraines, and epilepsy.
The reason our group was so excited to report on this topic in particular is because of how unfamiliar it is to the majority of the population.
When we took a random poll, we found that almost half of the people responding did not know what the difference between CBD and THC were. Many people thought that CBD makes a person feel “high” also known as the psychoactive effects that people get from marijuana usage.
These polls really helped us alter our angle from strictly CBD integration to also what it is and why it is being used more and more.
In this first portion of our project we wanted to really explain these differences and provide some new information that the general public might not be aware of.
“It’s fun because this is all new to us too. I’m learning everyday too about how CBD can improve my own life.” ~Leah Qiu
For instance, Elena Wasserman has been afraid of using CBD products for her severe back pain due to the fact that she gets drug tested at work. “I purchased my first CBD product from
The Neighborhood’ the other day. I totally noticed a difference,” Wasserman said.
Moving forward we want to focus on drug testing in athletes as well as employees. CBD is not tested for in drug tests while THC is.
Wasserman reached out to the county police department and got in contact with an officer that focuses entirely on drug use.
As a group we felt that just drug testing alone with regards to CBD would be a good angle. It is interesting that CBD is used for more physical effects while THC is more psychoactive, but then CBD is not tested for in athletes while THC is.
On that same wavelength, why can CBD be sold at health stores but THC products cannot be? Also, why have products containing CBD been sold at stores long before legislation changes?
The rules and regulations behind CBD usage are very unclear. Moving forward, our group wants to provide answers to the questions that the general public has but can’t find the answers to.
Our main problem this week was determining which interviews and content to use because we have so much. We were able to get in contact with a chemist that spoke to the differences between THC and CBD. We also got in contact with an active user who battled cancer as well as an athlete that uses CBD for injuries.
On the other end of the spectrum we interviewed owners of local shops selling CBD products. We are looking forward to continuing our research in the coming two weeks as we have more sources and information than we know what to do with.