If you know Bellaire’s Bill Schmitt Jr., then you know he’s a fierce advocate for marijuana legalization. Given his birth date is on April 20, one could insist he was born into it.
He was the driving force behind the move to decriminalize possessing 200 grams or less of cannabis within the village, resulting in a ballot measure the residents passed in 2016. He’s aided similar efforts in towns big and small across Ohio.
While recreational use statewide isn’t legal, medicinal is. Medical marijuana contains THC. It requires a specialized physician’s prescription and a trip to a dispensary. CBD, though, does not contain THC. It requires a trip to 3048 Belmont Street in town.
There you will find The Holistic Cloud, Schmitt’s CBD shop offering alternative and natural remedies for those looking for a safer way to combat pain and other ailments. Safe to say, the response has been positive thus far.
“It’s gone absolutely amazing,” Schmitt admitted of his first week. “The first day we did $2,200, $1,100 the second day, $724 the third and we haven’t looked back.”
His only advertising thus far has been the store’s Facebook and web pages, along with word of mouth, but when you have credibility in an industry, word travels fast.
“Everyone knows me from all the legalization cannabis work that I’ve done and I have a pretty good following,” Schmitt said. “People know that I pride myself in quality products and they know they can get that here, as opposed to say a gas station or Walmart or online.
“Getting your CBD from a credible source is very important.”
CBD More Readily Available than Medicinal
Medicinal marijuana is legal in 33 states and counting. Eleven of those states also legalized recreational use. Here in the tri-state area, only medicinal has been approved, with Ohio and Pennsylvania already up-and-running while West Virginia is dragging its feet, slow to bring its program from the conceptual to the operational.
Ohio lists 21 diseases and conditions eligible to receive a medical marijuana card. It also requires an in-person evaluation by a physician, and only certain medical professionals across the state can administer such an evaluation. There are none in Belmont County certified to do so according to Ohio’s state medical board, and the closest certified doctors are in Wheeling and Steubenville.
The appointment isn’t free and it isn’t cheap.
If you are approved, you can only receive your product from state-certified medical dispensaries, and there are two in Wintersville. The next closest locations are Coshocton and Marietta so proximity problems limit the options.
But what if you don’t have one of the qualifying conditions but do suffer and would benefit from cannabis-based products? Or, what if you live in West Virginia and are tired of waiting around for the program to get up and running? That’s where CBD can come in.
The main difference between CBD and medical marijuana is the absence of THC in CBD products. THC is the chemical compound that causes the euphoric “high” generally associated with marijuana usage. CBD, therefore, isn’t as tightly regulated and can be found in CBD shops like Schmitt’s, in gas stations, big-box retailers, and even online.
But Schmitt cautions just buying your CBD from “just anywhere.”
“There is such a learning curve when it comes to CBD and THC products and those (other) options can’t really direct you or explain the products as well as a real CBD store,” Schmitt said. “Go and get some valuable information about your medicine.”
A Natural Alternative to Opioids, Both Legal and Illegal
To say that the Ohio Valley has an opioid problem is a severe understatement.
Centers for Disease Control numbers show West Virginia as the statistical leader in drug overdoses nationally at 57.8 per 100,000 residents. Number two is Ohio, at 46.3. Care to guess number three? Yes, it’s Pennsylvania at 44.3 That’s a lot of people overdosing on heroin and prescription pain pills.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, Schmitt insists.
“I want to bring all the various forms of CBD to help the health of this area,” Schmitt said. “Ohio is number two for opioid-related deaths. West Virginia is number one. We need some natural, holistic health. CBD and natural plants are something that can really benefit people.”
Schmitt knows first-hand the healing power of both cannabis and CBD oils and products. He qualified for his medicinal card, suffering from chronic neck and back pain from multiple vehicle accidents. But he never took prescription pain pills but instead chose to walk a more natural—and safer—path for his pain management.
“I never took pills and strictly used cannabis,” Schmitt said. “I’ve watched people around me die and pass away using pills for injuries and I didn’t want to be that guy. I want to be the one to throw the life raft out there to help save people that start going down that opioid or pain pill road.”
Find What Works for You
So, you’re ready to try CBD oil. The first thing you’ll discover is there are A LOT of options available to you. From tinctures and edibles to hemp flowers, drinks, creams, patches, and even vaporized products, where does one begin? Which works best?
The best way to find out is to experiment. Each person’s body will react to CBD products differently and what works best for some may not be as effective for others.
“I encourage everyone to try different brands as well as different forms of CBD,” Schmitt said. “For me, I can do a tincture or edible of a couple of hundred milligrams and I’m good.
“If I used a 50 mg drink it will destroy me. I can take four times as much in a different form, but any drink I have destroys me.”
Schmitt gave the example of someone using a 1,000 mg tincture to treat elbow or shoulder pain. It works and helps the rest of the body, but, that same person could be using a 10 mg patch applied directly to the problem area that would be much cheaper than the 1,000 mg bottle. Again, experimentation is key. Find what works best for you.
“Not everyone knows about the different forms,” Schmitt said. “There are nasal inhalers, hot cocoa, transdermal patches, I have caramel popcorn, breath spray.
“The reality is any product that is out there in the world you can incorporate CBD into it. I want to bring as many various forms to the valley as I can.”
The Holistic Cloud is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. For more information, stop by, check out the store’s Facebook page or visit www.theholisticcloud.com.
