Cannabidiol (CBD) is an emerging industry derived from the gradual legalization of marijuana products in the United States. Companies in this space sell nutrition, supplement and recreational products that include edibles, oils, lotion, pills, vaping, and even pet food.

This is possible because many suppliers offer hemp-oil goods without tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a controlled substance found in marijuana that gives users the feeling of being “stoned.”

CBD products are poised to capture a growing share of the alternative-medicine market. 

This is driven by a growing distrust of Big Pharma and the harmful side effects of traditional medication, as well as growing adoption by younger generations. According to Gallup, CBD is most popular among 18-29 year olds with 20% of that demographic regularly using the substance. The second most popular age group is 30-49 with 16% regularly using CBD.

CBD growth in the market

So how big is the industry? The U.S. cannabidiol market is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2022.

“CBD has slowly become a mainstream category that you see in national stores and that’s testament to its usefulness for health and supplement purposes,” says Josh Delaney, CEO of Fab CBD. 

The 3-year old CBD brand has served millions of visitors to their website and offers products like 300-2400mg CBD Oil, CBD Gummies,1000mg-3000mg CBD Salve, even CBD Dog Treats. FAB CBD’s dog treats are made without corn, wheat, soy or dairy. The company says the oat-based snack is made THC-free and is beneficial for your furry friend.

Not surprisingly, the pandemic has significantly boosted online sales. Delaney says the company will soon launch new offerings to better serve customers.

Here are three common health uses of cannabidiol. 

Relaxation

While more research is needed, users report CBD’s ability to treat anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and addictions. It has been credited with therapeutic benefits without the “high” associated with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

According to a 2019 Consumer Reports study, 64 million Americans have tried CBD in the previous 24 months and 22% said it helped them supplement or replace prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Pain killer

Some consumers take CBD in various forms to reduce or eliminate pain, as well as reduce inflammation. For example, people apply oils, cream and lotion to treat chronic pain such as arthritis, muscle and joint pain. 

As mentioned, more research is needed but many companies promote the product as a painkiller. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), hemp-derived products are legal in all 50 states. But they cannot contain more than 0.3% THC.

Sleep aid

While there are various use-cases for hemp oil, many users digest gummies or pills to treat insomnia. While empirical data is needed, there are many testimonials from consumers who say CBD helps them to fall and stay asleep.

Research from 2019 found that 79% of patients reported lower anxiety levels and 67% reported better sleep.

While there are many positive effects, consumers should conduct due diligence into CBD brands because products are often mislabeled or publish unverified claims. Consumers should consult a physician to see if hemp-related products may affect one’s treatment or therapy.

CBD products could be the answer to that extra energy to help us get through particularly busy and hectic days.

However, there are some people who find themselves struggling to keep energy levels up on a regular basis, and this can make it difficult to get on with daily life and to be productive at work or at home.

If you find yourself in need of a helping hand when it comes to energy levels, there are various things you can do. This includes eating the right food, getting plenty of rest, and improving your general lifestyle.

There are also products that you can use including CBD products, and these can help to boost your energy levels in a variety of ways. You can buy CBD online and there are many products you can choose from, so finding the ideal one for your needs should not be a problem.

How CBD can help provide improved energy levels

There are various ways in which CBD can help when it comes to improving and maintain higher energy levels throughout the day. Some of the key ways in which it can do this include:

Ensuring Better Sleep

One of the ways in which CBD can help to increase your energy levels is by ensuring you get a proper night’s sleep. If you fail to get proper sleep on a regular basis, it can play havoc with your energy levels.

You will find that you wake up tired, irritable, unfocused, grouchy, and exhausted. This does not bode well if you have a busy day ahead of you and you need lots of energy! When you take CBD, it can regulate your sleeping patterns, and this means you get a proper night’s rest. You will then wake up with more energy and raring to go.

Relaxing Body and Mind

In order to benefit from improved energy levels, you need to be able to rest both your body and your mind. Being unable to switch off and relax can be incredibly exhausting and it can zap you of your energy.

However, a lot of people do struggle when it comes to relaxation, and they find themselves constantly worrying and stressing about things. CBD can help to restore calmness and can make you feel far more relaxed. You should find it easier to switch off, and this means that you can rest your mind as well as your body.

Natural Energy Boost

One other thing to keep in mind is that CBD can provide you with a natural energy boost – all you need to do is use it in small doses throughout the day in order to enjoy these benefits.

This will enable you to enjoy an extra burst of energy each day, and this can prove invaluable for those who have hectic schedules, take part in sports and fitness, or need to get a lot done on a daily basis.

These are some of the ways that CBD can help to improve energy levels.  

Green Roads CBD does not discriminate between why different people need its wellness products. Its mission is simply to help make a healthier you.

I open up their box. It is forest green, compact, and inviting.

The inside of the box states: “For us, it’s personal. Green Roads‘ mission is to help every person find the healthiest version of themselves through the power of plants.”

I can see what they mean. The morning after I used a Green Roads product I came to a visceral realization: That was the best sleep I had gotten in months.

Sleepy Z Gummies

Specifically, I chewed down on a Sleepy Z gummy, with 25 mg of CBD per each. The blackberry flavoring made it savory, enjoyable, but not to the point where I wanted to munch on these things like a snack… No artificial colors, flavors, or sugar. 100% vegan.

Listed as moderate, the Sleepy Z’s don’t pack a hazy punch. With the serving size of one gummy, I wasn’t stumbling around my room at night like a college freshman after their first frat party.

Rather, my worries dissipated. My mind went to a calm, happy place. Like Adam Sandler‘s in Happy Gilmore, except no slot machines and grandmas throwing coins into the air.

My mind was not castrated, my thoughts were not listless. But my body knew it needed to rest. And so, in short time, my mind did too.

CBD Capsules and more

That was not all the Green Roads care package delivered me. Along with the Sleepy Z gummies, lay CBD capsules, also containing 25 mg of CBD each, but this time with an added 5 mg of melatonin. Suffice it to say I fell asleep much quicker with these guys.

Some other products of Green Roads include CBD and CBN oil, CBD chocolate bars, and Sweet Tooth Series CBD gummies. Oh, and hemp flower coffee… yeah.

Also, Green Roads has products for muscle and joint relief. While largely focused on providing good sleep, the brand encapsulates all wellness into its strategy.

Green Roads CBD

None of Green Roads’ products contain THC. And with its CBD products, Green Roads has been named the Winner for Best CBD Products at the Cannabis Business Awards in 2018 and 2019.

“Better nights lead to better days,” reads the Green Roads online site.

I don’t take good sleep for granted anymore.

When it comes to America’s racist history cannabis and the stigmas surrounding the drug should head your heated debate.

As of 2020, twelve states have legalized the use of marijuana, thirty have either decriminalized it or allowed its use for medical purposes. Only eight still hold it illegal.

The war on drugs appears to have come to an end, but in all reality, it has not. More and more information about the benefits of legalization floods the internet, yet little do we know about its precautions.

The question is not “if” marijuana should be legal, but “how” to legalize it.

Another racist tale

Marijuana use dates way back to 2,737 BC. The first recorded use of the plant was from emperor Sheng Neg of China, who prescribed marihuana tea to treat malaria, gout problems and, poor memory!

On American land, the first reported legalization of cannabis was in 1619. That same exact year a ship full of human cargo arrived at what would become Virginia. During that time King James had required all American colonists to grow Indian Hemp in to export to from (now) Jamestown to England.

History has taught us about slaves planting, cultivating and harvesting cotton, tobacco, sugar chain, etc. What they forgot to mention was that pot was also a major product of the Atlantic Slave Trade and part of the exploitation of slave labor.

Later, in the early 1900s Mexicans immigrated to the United States in the wake of the Mexican Revolution. With them, they brought their customs, cultures, and traditions; smoking “marijuana” as medicine and relaxant.

During that time, social anxieties began to spread. Media played with the public’s fear, using these Mexican customs to falsely spread claims about “disruptive Mexicans.”

And in the 1930s we started to hear claims about marijuana causing people of color to behave violently and solicit sex from white women.

Federal Bureau of Narcos Commissioner was quoted “reefers make darkies think they are as good as white men.” -Harry J. Anslinger, a very confused white racist

Finally, Nixon officially began the war on drugs (allegedly to criminalize black people and hippies).

Stats and stories of today

Today, as more information about the benefits [and economics] of cannabis spreads through the world, people and policies are begging to “shift away” from its long-standing stereotypes. The system, on the other hand, has not.

Research relying on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program shows that in 2010, 33% of marijuana users were white American and 28% were black. However, 200 arrests were white, and more than 700 were black.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDzUb_VFC0c/

By 2018, almost 26 states had decriminalized or legalized weed. Still, there were almost 700,00 marijuana arrests, all of which account for more than 48% of all drug arrests. This same year, the police made more marijuana arrests than for all violent crimes combined.

More than 6.1 million people have been reported for marijuana-related charges over the last 10 years; nine out of 10 arrests were only for possession.  Although black and white people consume marijuana at relatively the same rate, black people are four times more likely to get arrested.

More frustrating is the fact that today, black people make only 13% of America, but 40% of people imprisoned for drug crimes.

And the harm?

The harm goes far beyond a fine or prison. Drug charges haunt people as their background comes back more often than not. Some would never be able to get a job, or the life they wanted.

Marijuana money 101

Before the coronavirus, the legal weed industry was estimated to have an estimated worth of 19 billion dollars and 23 billion by the end of 2023.

And for years, government officials have backed their policies regarding marihuana claiming that legalization would benefit the minority groups for these same reasons; possibly increasing jobs and decreasing social injustices and racial inequality.

But who is actually benefiting from the legal weed industry?

Currently, the weed business if runs with licenses.  When California legalized recreational weed in 2016, policymakers imposed a one-acre limit to incentivize small businesses to rein over big companies. But then, in 2018 one of the big marijuana companies bought 200 permits, 46 acres.

Big businesses have been stacking close to 100 one-acre cultivation permits. Soon, the cannabis industry mirrored a High School hallway: the Big guys bullying little ones to get their lunch!

According to a study conducted by the Marijuana Business Daily, 4.3% of marijuana business owners are black, 5.7% are Hispanic and 81% are white men.

“I wanna take every Chardonay mom to replace Chardonay with Pot” – Adam Bierman, co-founder of Med Men.

And, as decriminalization and legalization happened around the country, states have built systems that support giant weed companies and hurt small-running weed business.

Florida, for example, gives very few operating licenses, making things complicated for small farms and very easy for big ones; one license was sold for over 55 million dollars.

As if things were not already complicated, Florida is one of the 11 states that require vertical integration to qualify for a license. This means that not only do they have to farm, grow and harvest the marijuana, but process it, distribute it and operate the stores that sell it.

Something that only companies with deep pockets are able to do.

The future of cannabis?

So, the answer to the above question is still: White men. White Men. White men.

At least that is what Wanda James, the first African American woman to own a weed dispensary in Colorado.

But, again, the question is not whether we should legalize weed or not. It does in fact bring social and medical benefits and it has proved to decrease (not stop) unfair arrest and drug charges.

However, it is yet another proof of how the system is making working under racial and economic inequalities hard by ignoring the true victims of the war on drugs.

Last year, New York delayed its democratization process because of these same reasons. This is a good step back to learn how the process works, who it works for and hopefully learn how to democratize the entire industry in order to enjoy its true benefits.

Are you someone with immense interest in cannabis and gardening? Do you know that you can combine both of them? Yes, you read that right. With the recent changes in the law, growing cannabis has become legal in many parts of the world. These laws are helping cannabis lovers grow their plants and consume the high-quality organic herb.

If you have been planning to try your hands at growing cannabis in your garden, you’ve reached the right place. Read on to know everything about cultivating cannabis at home.

Can you grow cannabis in your garden?

When it comes to cultivating the cannabis plant, the first and the most important thing to know is whether you are allowed to grow the plant or not. The laws governing cannabis cultivation vary greatly. Even today, growing cannabis is illegal in many countries and comes with a hefty penalty.

But on the other hand, plenty of countries have allowed their people to grow and use cannabis freely, whether it is for medicinal reasons or recreational. While Canada, Uruguay, and Africa have legalized the cultivation of cannabis by their people, there are only a few states in the US where it is allowed. If you reside in states like Alaska, California, Colorado, Michigan, Oregon, and Washington, you can grow cannabis at home.  

Before you begin with your plans for growing cannabis, it is wise to go through the laws governing your country or state. The rules will determine if and how many plants you can cultivate in your garden at home.

How can you grow cannabis?

Growing cannabis plants can sound like a daunting task, especially if you are trying it for the first time. Here are a few easy steps that can help you in the process:

1. Choose the right time:

For your cannabis plants to grow healthy, it is imperative to choose the right time for sowing the seeds. Moreover, when you decide to grow the plants in the open, nature can play a significant role in your harvest’s quality and quantity. You need the ideal temperature and humidity level and an abundance of sunlight to grow potent and dense buds.

You must carefully choose the growing season if you don’t want excess rainfall or high temperature to ruin your harvest. Ideally, the spring season offers suitable conditions for your cannabis plants.  

2. Pick the seeds:

The next step is selecting the right seeds for your little cannabis farm. The type of seeds you pick will ultimately decide the yield and how you can enjoy the plant. When it comes to choosing the seeds for cultivation, the choice is staggering. You can choose between the species of the plant – Sativa, Indica, and Reduralis. The hybrids are also quite popular with cannabis users today.

You must keep in mind your needs when picking cannabis seeds. There are specific seeds that can help you get the desired results. If you are looking forward to enjoying a euphoric high, you can go for trusted autoflower seeds. But, for those seeking medicinal benefits like anxiety or pain must go for seeds abundant with CBD.  

3. Select a suitable spot:

Once you have the right seeds to plant, the next thing you must consider is a suitable spot in your garden. Some cannabis plants can go up to a height of 15 feet and need ample space to grow. You must select a site that also receives sufficient light and air.

If you live in a hot and humid area with air rich in carbon dioxide, it can be advantageous to the cannabis plants. The spot must also be free of insects and pests to keep the plants safe.

4. Ready the soil:

Before planting the seeds, it is necessary to prep the soil. If you are a beginner, you can use the standard soil used in your garden. For high-quality and potent yield, you might want to use soil that is rich in organic matter and has good drainage.

Clay or sandy soil can be an option for cannabis plants, but only if you add nutrients and manure to it. According to experts, silty soil can prove an excellent choice. If you don’t realize the make-up of your soil, you can get a test kit to know the pH level.  

5. Take care of plants:

In the blooming stage, you must take care of the plants. Ensure the cannabis plants are getting sufficient light and water to grow properly. You can also add organic fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen regularly after three weeks. It is also crucial to prune the plants to ensure you get more buds.

It would help if you watered the plants regularly when the top inch of the soil gets dry. It can also help maintain the pH level of the soil.

6. Harvest the produce:

When the buds of the cannabis plant change colour from white to red or brown, it is a sign that the plants are ready for harvest. The flower clusters will double in size and might appear as they have turned inside out. Start harvesting the plant by cutting the flower with 5-6 inches of stem still attached to it.  

Let the flowers hang in a dry and dark place for two weeks. You can store the yield in a glass jar after that, but remember to open the jar daily for two weeks initially and once a week after that.  

Final Thoughts  

Much like gardening, growing cannabis will require patience and practice. It can take you some time to perfect the art of cultivating cannabis right in your garden. If you are wondering about how to get a high-quality, potent yield, you must follow the steps mentioned above carefully. It will help you keep all the details in mind while you are getting your hands ‘green.’

For those looking forward to enjoying the effects of organic and potent cannabis, it is best to grow it yourself. Take out your gardening equipment and get ready to grow your cannabis farm.   

“We don’t think that wellness and feeling good is something that should be a privilege,” ardently expresses Peter Rosenstein, co-founder of Stream Wellbeing. “It should be a right.”

That is what Stream Wellbeing, a CBD company, in essence, is. The products that Stream cultivates are about promoting the health and the wellbeing of those who use them. And so why would the altruism stop there.

Stream Wellbeing is headquartered inside Chicago, a city whose gun violence and discrepancies between the rich and the poor is well-documented.

The brand has partnered with initiatives to give back to the community and promote wellness to individuals that don’t often get the opportunity to take part in certain activities like yoga, breathing exercises, and gardening.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Rosenstein. He was adamant about Stream Wellbeing being more than a CBD company. It is a wellness brand, one that doesn’t turn a blind-eye to societal issues or racial disparities.

What follows is an exploration into a cannabis brand with a clear focus on social and environmental consciousness. And what efforts like that of Stream’s can mean for the cannabis industry and business in general moving forward.

Stream Wellbeing’s push for CBD wellness

“It really got started on my end, as a user,” says Rosenstein.

“I had a shoulder injury cause I trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I’d been trying everything to get rid of this inflammation in my shoulder…”

He was an investor in a THC and CBD extraction company in Colorado at the time. After trying other healing methods for almost 18 months, he was convinced to start trying CBD. 

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We 💚 Dads! Happy Father’s Day from the Stream Team. We are grateful for you! #feelgooddogood #streamwellbeing #fathersday

A post shared by Stream – Organic CBD Products (@streamwellbeing) on Jun 21, 2020 at 5:15pm PDT

Peter got on “the regime” and started feeling really good after about three weeks of taking CBD. He started going around telling everyone about it, “preaching it like gospel… this stuff was sort of magic juice for healing.”

Sometime later, Peter and his two partners in Stream, Alex and Cody, were out in CO for their yearly guy’s trip. They looked at the cannabis space and decided that there were some different things they could bring to the market.

There’s a reason that there’s all that fuss now considering CBD as the ultimate natural health vitamin from which everybody can truly benefit. What’s amazing about CBD is that it can work in synergy with other essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals to provide an overall feeling of well-being.

• Pain Relief. Studies have shown that CBD from reputable sources like Learning CBD Oil can help reduce pain and inflammation. In fact, many people with arthritis use CBD as a natural remedy for their pain due to the fact that it is effective at reducing joint inflammation and pain located in the arthritic region. Some studies have also shown an increase in collagen production in the skin of test subjects who have used this powerful natural remedy. The increase in collagen content helps reduce the signs of aging, such as wrinkles and fine lines.
  
• Reduce Anxiety. Like arthritis, an increase in inflammation in the body leads to anxiety. CBD works to alleviate the symptoms associated with anxiety. The substance has been scientifically proven to reduce both the intensity and frequency of anxiety attacks without causing any side effects. Some people who use CBD hemp oil as an alternative form of treatment for chronic anxiety also claim to experience less tension, improved mood, and a decrease in fatigue.

• A wellness Routine. Aside from getting your CBD oil topical application or in a vaporizer, you should also incorporate a wellness routine into your daily routine. Whether you walk, jog, swim, or bike every day, you can help yourself by improving your mental and physical well-being while you incorporate CBD products into your daily life.

A three-pronged approach

Cleaner extraction

Organic ingredients

Giving back

“To put it simply, we have a three-pronged approach here. We have a cleaner extraction than our competitors. We have targeted organic ingredients in most of our skews. And we’ve partnered with a community on the south side of Chicago through a group called I Grow.”

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Our friends over @igrowchicago do incredible work in their community and are saving lives amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We are SO excited to support their efforts. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Now through May 20th, we’ll donate $5 for each product sold, which will be matched by their donors with an additional $100!! Yes, that means 1 Bottle of Stream CBD = $105 directly to @igrowchicago. Click the link in our bio to shop now! #nolifeisexpendable #feelgooddogood #StreamLOVE⁠⠀

A post shared by Stream – Organic CBD Products (@streamwellbeing) on May 1, 2020 at 11:07am PDT

Cleaner extraction

In order to turn a hemp plant into an oil tincture, one must extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material leaving them with concentrated oil. But in order for that extraction to take place, there needs to be a solvent.

One of the most common ways by which the CBD is extracted from the plants is through cold processing and heating. The main advantage of this kind of process is that there is no need to worry about the quality because the plants are dead when they are heated. Only the active part is being changed and that is the CBD that is extracted.

The second process is by cold press method. In this method, cold water is pushed into the condensed liquid matter using a pressing device. After the water has been pressed, it is drained and then it is dried under pressure. The dried matter is again compressed until it becomes very dry.

Too often companies try to cut costs and cut corners, resulting in residual solvents. This means the product is less safe for the consumer, as well as for the environment.

Stream does things differently.

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When we say FULL spectrum CBD, we mean it. All Stream CBD products are extracted using only heated air and not a single chemical solvent. In just two seconds, the full profile of CBD and beneficial compounds are pulled from the plant material, leaving behind all the chlorophyll which causes bitterness. Simply put, our CBD is cleaner + tastes better. #feelgooddogood #streamwellbeing

A post shared by Stream – Organic CBD Products (@streamwellbeing) on Jun 23, 2020 at 7:01am PDT

Stream doesn’t use any solvent. It uses a patented process whereby heated air is the only thing that comes into contact with the plant material.  The hemp is extracted, activated and refined in a matter of seconds, producing a terpene-rich, USDA Organic certified hemp extract.

“In our book, less is more,” Rosenstein says.

“We kind of view ourselves as like the wild-caught salmon or the grass-fed beef of the industry. It’s just a cleaner process with less ingredients.”

Organic Ingredients

Stream CBD has three products: Rest, Recovery, and Natural.

The Rest CBD oil contains organic MCT oil, organic hemp-derived CBD, organic lemon balm oil, organic holy basil oil, and organic chamomile oil.

The tranquil properties of the Rest product allows for a soothing healing feeling.

The Recovery CBD contains organic MCT oil, organic hemp-derived CBD, organic turmeric extract, organic cordyceps mushroom extract, and organic ginger oil.

The Recovery concoction is all about restoration.

Finally, the Natural oil contains only organic MCT oil and organic hemp-derived CBD.

While Stream still takes flavor into account, the organic properties that make up its products are what is most important. Through a stringent research and development process, everything is considered, but naturalness and safety for the environment and consumer supersedes all.

And it’s the honesty and vetting in Stream’s products that separate it from other brands. You truly know what you’re putting into your body, and for purposes of healing, nothing is more important than that.

Community give-back

In addition to environmental awareness, Stream is socially conscious of the company’s position and how it can give back to communities in need.

In partnership with I Grow Chicago, a community program focused on helping residents in need, Stream wellbeing wants to help provide communal solutions and opportunities to live safely and freely.

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Wholeness leads to wellness. When we have the whole of our world connected, without borders, cages, chains, or stigmas, we will have wellness. We will know peace. Our neighbors deserve a life of wellness and wholeness because that is all of our birthright. All of us deserve it, the children deserve to grow up whole, the grandmothers who have shouldered the neighborhood deserve rest without worry. Imagine the world we could have, all of us free, a world that is well.

A post shared by If in doubt, LOVE (@igrowchicago) on Jul 15, 2020 at 12:40pm PDT

Specifically, Stream sponsors some of I Grow’s yoga, mindfulness and wellness programs. The young Yogi’s program is as much about teaching people about proper mindful yoga practices as it is about teaching them how to teach others.

“We’re teaching the residents of the community a skill that they can then go and have beyond this program. And they teach them expression through movement, breathing practices, and their one breath,” says Peter.

He explained that the “one breath” theory is that in a crucial moment, the ability to take a deep breath and make a rational decision can make all the difference, sometimes even between life and death.

Speaking of the Yogi’s program, Peter says,

“It’s also just fun for them. It’s such a break from a lot of the traumas they have going on in their life. I’ve been down to a bunch of these yoga classes… these kids are having so much fun.”

When COVID struck the U.S. hard, the Yogi’s program had to pivot. Stream had to look for other ways to give back to the community.

“Initially we went straight to supporting frontline COVID workers that, this community in particular, were devastated by COVID. I mean, 80% of the deaths in the Chicago area came out of these communities and were [largely] black deaths,” says Peter.

He remarked how in some ways, Stream has been focused on Black Lives Matter before it became a trendy thing. Chicago is a city well-known for its racist systems and segregation between white and black communities. Trying to combat centuries worth of economic, social and political inequity is a lofty aspiration. But everyone doing their part makes a difference.

“So, you know, look, we realized that yoga isn’t healing the systemic problem in the hood, but it’s just… I know how good I feel when I’ve done a yoga class. And we don’t think that wellness and feeling good is something that should be a privilege. It should be a right and so we chose to sponsor this specific area of the I Grow program.”

COVID striking wasn’t just about a virus that doesn’t discriminate; it was another example of how, through the systems that make up the city, black people are worse off and more prone to danger than white people are.

“This is just part of who we are as people, and we believe that stream is a wellness product. It’s hard for underprivileged people to afford but we wanted to take a piece of those proceeds and make sure we were giving back and promoting wellness to communities that maybe couldn’t afford to do it themselves,” says Peter.

Another effort Stream has connected with I Grow Chicago on is the Peace Garden. It’s done every year, and it’s about providing nature and gardening opportunities to people without those chances.

Neighborhoods in Chicago like Englewood can be extremely desolate. They don’t see much green, they don’t see much nature.

“This garden brings a lot of light to the area and it teaches the community where your food comes from and about organic food practices,” says Peter.

Stream employed one of the residents who tends to the garden for the month of June. The garden has recently been harvested for eggs, tomatoes, zucchinis, cucumbers, eggplants, etc.

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Your #wellnesswednesday reminder to eat the rainbow 🍎🥦🥕🥑🍅. We are really grateful for our friends @igrowchicago, who work tirelessly to provide their community with fresh produce and healthy meals. Typically, they do this with their peace garden and community kitchen, but in light of covid, they’re purchasing and delivering healthy food to their neighbors. In Englewood, the most accessible groceries are at a corner store, and it’s just not possible to make healthy decisions without healthy options. You can support @igrowchicago’s efforts by clicking the link in our bio! Through May 20th, every purchase initiates a $105 donation to their covid-19 response. #feelgooddogood #streamwellbeing #streamWELLNESS

A post shared by Stream – Organic CBD Products (@streamwellbeing) on May 13, 2020 at 5:15am PDT

“It’s just kind of this little beacon of light in what can otherwise be a kind of a rough and tough neighborhood.”

Stream hopes to help out more communities across Chicago and across the entire country. There is little satisfaction in helping out a small group. While it is pleasant and clearly worthwhile, there is more to be done, and I Grow Chicago helps Stream renew its determination.

Stream doesn’t just preach sustainability and ethical practices. The company backs it up. Tested, safe creation methods, transparent, organic ingredients, and a focus on helping out people who need it most. That’s what you get when you get involved with Stream.

“We’ve taken the approach that we’re not going to compromise anything when it comes to our ingredients. This is a product that we take every day and we want it trusted by all of our customers the way we trust it. And I think that is going to set us apart.”

The cannabis industry is blossoming right now, but depending on city, state, and country, certain regulations and loopholes could change the entire trajectory of a business. Not all brands standing on two feet right now are going to be doing the same five years from now.

Who do you trust to help you get and stay well? 

A brand where you know what you’re getting. A brand that looks out for everyone.

Stream’s focus is as much on sustainability and community wellness as it is on the betterment of its products. Ultimately, everything is intertwined, and the wellness of CBD users is only part of the effort.

Do marginalized members of the community have access to wellness opportunities? Do they have access to the same treatment that more privileged people do?

The efforts of Stream are to promote wellness, kindness and compassion. It’s about more than cannabis, and Stream shows us that there is more to life.