CBD American Shaman, at 135 Baltimore St. Gettysburg, had its grand opening on January 3. “Our current hours are 11 to 5 on Saturday and Sunday. Until we make our presence known we’ll just do weekends. That will probably change in the spring,” said store co-owner Jay Whittle.
Gettysburg CBD American Shaman
The shop sells products that contain cannabidiol (CBD), an extract from plants including hemp, which is used by millions of people as a health supplement. The American Shaman products, all made from hemp plants, include concentrates, tinctures, creams, salves, capsules, and other forms of CBD.
CBD is used to reduce pain, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, and for a variety of other benefits.
The store is one of a chain of over 600 stores across the nation.
It’s changed my life,” said store employee Rose Firestone. “I haven’t had a migraine in over three years and I’ve improved my tinnitus.” “Everybody needs a different regime. Our goal is to change people’s quality of life,” said Firestone.
Whittle said the product could start working for people in as little as 10 minutes. “A gentleman from Ohio walked in to the store. He tried some of our product and walked around the rest of the day. He came back later and bought some because it worked so well,” said Whittle.
Customers must be 21 years of age to make purchases. Although CBD is a cannabinoid, the products do not have psychoactive properties. By federal law the products all contain less than .3 percent of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
Firestone prepares a tincture
“We want to be as transparent as possible. We work with the FDA to create standards,” said Firestone. “Every farm has a certificate of analysis which is tested by a third party source,” said Whittle.
“CBD in general is unregulated. A lot is imported from China and India,” said Whittle. “All our products are grown and processed by this company. There are no imports or outsourcing. We have farms in Colorado, Montana, and Kentucky.”
“We also have some inventory that is grown locally,” he said.
“You see CBD sold everywhere. It’s a fatty oil like a fish oil. Our products are water soluble that get close to 100 percent absorption in the body,” said Whittle. “That’s a game changer.”
According to the American Shaman website, hemp products have been permanently removed from the Federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Hemp is now deemed an agricultural commodity, and no longer classified as a controlled substance. “Our products are legal in all 50 states and are safe to take when you travel. They have been officially removed from TSA-prohibited items,” said Whittle.
American Shaman participates in the Compassionate Care Program which helps people find affordable medications. “We don’t want anyone living in pain or unable to use the product because they can’t afford it. If you’re in the program you get a 30 percent discount,” said Whittle.
American Shaman is owned by Whittle and his partners Ron Haskell and Ron Gross.