The proof was in the pudding, or CBD rather, for Areli and Tony Bryan of Lakeland. Their personal experiences with CBD impassioned them to open a store in efforts to extend to others the CBD benefits that changed their lives.
“I was dealing with a lot of anxiety and my friend told me about CBD,” said Areli. She did some research and with promising results, decided to give it a try. She said, “It helped me tremendously.” At the time, she was taking one medication for heart palpitations and another for thyroid issues. When she went to the doctor for her 6-month checkup, her thyroid levels had improved, and her anxiety was all but nonexistent. “I’ve been off my medication for a year and three months now. I take CBD every day in the morning and afternoon,” she said.
Her husband, Tony, had three knee surgeries. The resulting pain stopped him from being able to do things he loved like wakeboarding and coaching their son’s baseball team. He began taking the same water-soluble CBD Areli had been using and then a topical CBD cream. The relief he experienced left him feeling whole again and he was back to do those things he’d been missing out on.
Areli thought, “Wow, this helped me. I know it can help others.” They opened their first Your CBD Store in Alabama before moving to Lakeland and opening their store here in November. Tony is originally from Tallahassee, Areli has family in Orlando and friends of theirs opened a CBD store in Bradenton. Looking for a place to settle back in Florida, Tony said, “We found that Lakeland was a big enough city but had a small-town feel.” They fell in love with the area and decided it was a prime location to start anew. “We love the Lakeland community, it’s a great place to be,” said Areli. Since their store opened late last year, the couple says they have been well received.
What is CBD?
CBD or cannabidiol is a natural compound found in the Cannabis plant. Hearing the word “Cannabis” might make you think of marijuana or getting high. The Your CBD Store Lakeland owners urge that this is not the case with CBD. Their line of products contains 0% THC, the compound in Cannabis that produces that psychoactive or “high” feeling. The goal is to give you “health without the high,” says Tony. “It turns on receptors in your body that should be working properly, and it helps our body go into homeostasis. When our body is in homeostasis, it’s functioning as it should. The reason it does that is because we have an endocannabinoid system,” he said. “This product used to be part of our everyday life. It was grown in the fields, it was in medicine cabinets, in the kitchen, people used it to cook with.”
The owners prefaced that CBD does not prevent, treat, or cure, but is a powerful symptom reliever. Avid CBD users proport it to alleviate symptoms for everything from migraines, muscle aches, anxiety, stress, insomnia, arthritis, fibromyalgia, eczema, rosacea, and a seemingly endless list of other ailments. The owners told the story of one customer who had been suffering from fibromyalgia for years and wasn’t able to do even simple tasks like grocery shopping. Tony said, “She started using the product and came in and was very emotional about how much better she was feeling. She was able to do things around her house, she was able to garden, she was able to go grocery shopping and was able to do things that made her feel more whole again.”
The Products
Your CBD Store offers a multitude of products, all from the same product line, SunMed.
“The reason we partnered with that company is because all of their products are third-party independently tested for pesticides, heavy metals, and all the solvents that can be in CBD. We use this product because every bottle has a QR code that you can scan and go directly to a third-party independent lab test,” said Tony. “We know the quality of the product, we know what’s in the product and it just gives us peace of mind that we are selling a product that we know is clean and beneficial and helpful to the consumer.”
Not a one size fits all, the store offers CBD in a form for everyone. The water-soluble CBD which comes in different flavors and strengths can be mixed in your favorite drink. Tinctures are a sublingual product that is dropped under the tongue for 60 seconds with strengths ranging from 250mg to 3000mg according to Areli. They also carry capsules, a line of topical relief and beauty products. The CBD body lotions are useful for eczema, rosacea, and dehydrated skin. They also have different scents of 100mg CBD bath balms along with daytime and nighttime face creams.
Humans aren’t the only ones that can benefit from the natural elixir. Patrons can pick up CBD treats and tinctures for their pets at Your CBD Store. Speaking about our furry friends, Areli said, “They have an endocannabinoid system just like we do. It [CBD] helps them with separation anxiety, thunder, lighting, loud noises.”
Continuing to Grow
The stores that the Bryans own are part of a growing nationwide brand that began with one store, 14 months ago. It has since exploded to 300 stores from coast to coast. Tony said, “The reason we’re growing so fast is because it’s so beneficial and we’re so transparent with the quality of our products, the third-party lab testing, and the experience when you come into a store is very soft and inviting. We’re not here to sell you something just for profit, we want to see you benefit from the product and have a better quality of life.” Tony Bryan describes their store as “a high-end CBD boutique” and encourages the community to stop in and learn about CBD and its uses.
The summer has been very exciting for Your CBD Store, they wrapped up their Veteran’s Initiative in June and will open a new store in Winter Haven this month.
“We can’t wait to be in Winter Haven,” said Areli. Be on the lookout for a grand opening date for the east side of the county!
Your CBD Store Lakeland
3145 S FL Ave., Lakeland
Phone: (863) 937-3195
Photo by Amy Sexson
