Shop opening doors to sale of cannabis oil
sophie.flowers@reachplc.com
THE reaction to the opening of a cannabis oil shop has has thrilled the people behind it. Goodbody Wellness, thought to be the first cannabis oil-only shop in the county, opened in Cirencester and managing director Chris Jones admitted he was overwhelmed by the response.
He said: “It’s been amazing. There is a real hunger for knowledge surrounding CBD products and the benefits that can be derived from using it.”
Goodbody Wellness stocks more than 50 CBD (cannabidiol which is extracted from cannabis plants) products, including drops, balms, bath bombs, a skincare range and even coffee.
The company launched its first wellness store in Bath in June and it is expected that Clifton in Bristol will follow suit by the end of August.
The Somerset-based company says it has plans to roll out the chain nation
wide through a franchise model.
It has opened up in Brewery Court, The Exchange, in the centre of Cirencester’s shopping district.
Mr Jones said: “Experts are sounding the death knell for the high street up and down the country, but we have taken the decision to bring Goodbody Wellness back into the heartland of the community.
“There is phenomenal interest in CBD but people have told us they are not comfortable buying products online.
“They don’t know what they are getting and say they can’t be sure about the quality of the product.
“In contrast, our fully-trained store staff are available to take customers by the hand and talk them through exactly what CBD Oil is all about.”
Cannabis-derived products are gaining increasing recognition for their beneficial effects and a recent report by the World Health Organisation revealed CBD may help treat symptoms relating to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, pain, anxiety, depression, cancer and diabetic complications.
Crispin Blunt MP, who represents Reigate in Surrey and is a firm supporter of CBD, opened the Bath store.
Mr Jones said: “Crispin’s a great supporter of the work we do and was very impressed.
“He very much liked the clarity of the message we are sending out to customers in three main categories - everything is traceable, tested and balanced.
“The general consensus was that the Cirencester and Bath stores and our strategy will really help people understand more about CBD as there is an enormous amount of interest from the general public, but also an understandable degree of confusion and suspicion.
“But we are determined to bring CBD to the market in a clear and concise manner and we are committed to answering any questions people might have about the product.”
He continued: “The response has been fantastic. Customers thought the store design and layout was of real quality and radically different to anything else they had seen on the high street.
“They were particularly impressed with the variety and range of stock and think the CBD coffee was delicious.
“Everybody could see that we had gone to considerable expense to design a store that created a superb environment in which to shop, everything is clearly labelled, and all the staff are highly trained and knowledgeable about our products.”