Portland, never one to be left behind when it comes to opening new coffee shops, is the proud recipient of its very first CBD cafe.
Grön (pronounced ‘Groon’), which has been making edibles for three years, is now serving hot drinks, caramel sauces and chocolate containing non-cannabis based CBD. Instead, the CBD they use in their products is extracted from citrus peels and the bark of trees in Southeast Asia. That means state regulators have no jurisdiction over their sales.
“We’re able to actually go out to the public with this product because it’s not from cannabis or hemp. We can do public medicated samples and people can try it for themselves,” James Sharinghousen, Gron’s event coordinator, told KATU TV.
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Related Story: Legal Hemp: Coming Soon Nationwide?
It also means they have a good chance of attracting new customers who would otherwise be too afraid of the stigma of pot.
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According to KATU, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission has no plans to try and regulate the cafe, though, according to Grön’s operations manager, Jenna Rice, “That’s not to say somebody couldn’t come in tomorrow and tell us something different. We’re definitely aware that could happen.”
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Most state-regulated shops selling CBD have a 21 and over age restriction, but Grön allows everyone, so says Green Rush Daily, which adds:
And while it’s unclear whether or not Grön’s bark-based CBD contains the exact same clinically-studied effects as regular CBD, owner Christine Smith does claim there is a small difference—she says her CBD has effects similar to aspirin. She feels like it makes her energetic but not sleepy.
As KATU reports, Oregonians could soon see more CBD products as the OLCC is expected to adopt some new rules over the summer pertaining to growing CBD-rich hemp.
