Stevie & The Moon Educate Customers About CBD

By REBECCA HAZEN
News Editor

When customers shop at Stevie & the Moon, owned by Dorinda Moon and Steven Ellis, they will be coming away with various CBD products, and a wealth of knowledge to go along with it.

Stevie & the Moon has been open for almost three years in Trenton, and will be at their newest location, 12058 South Main Street, a year this August.

CBD is one of the many cannabinoids found in the hemp plant, or the cannabis plant.

“A lot of people have the misconception that CBD is a marijuana product, but it is not. It is a hemp based product,” Moon said.

CBD and THC are the most well known cannabinoids from the plant. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the one that gets people “high.”

Moon is a retired school teacher. She taught at North Sand Mountain for 26 years.

“I knew I was getting ready to retire, so I wanted something to do after retirement. I have always been interested in health and wellness,” Moon said.

When CBD (cannabidiol) came on the market, Moon was very interested, so she started researching and buying books on the subject.

As a nod to her teaching background, Moon is always wanting to learn more.

Moon found out that the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy was starting a two–year master’s program for medical cannabis science and therapeutics, the first degree of its kind in the U.S.

Moon applied, and she was one out of 150 that were accepted for the program. She just recently graduated with a 4.0 GPA last month. The students represented 30 states and some foreign countries as well.

“It’s one of the top ranked schools for pharmacy in the United States,” Moon said. “When all was said and done, 132 people graduated. I am one of 132 people with the first ever degree in medical cannabis science and therapeutics.”

Medical knowledge runs deep in Moon’s family. Her great grandfather was a medical doctor in the 1940s.

“At the time they used a lot of natural remedies because they did not have a lot of pharmaceuticals to work with,” Moon said. “His knowledge was passed on to his son, my grandpa.”

Moon grew up watching her grandpa dig roots and use different herbs and plants for medicine.

“He never went to the doctor. He always treated himself with herbal remedies. That was always in the back of my mind. I followed suit instead of running to the doctor all the time,” Moon said.

CBD is good for treating inflammation, anxiety, depression and more.

“What it does is it puts our body in a state of balance. I tell people that they should look at it as a supplement. Even if nothing is wrong, people can still benefit from it,” Moon said.

Ellis has become knowledgeable about CBD as well.

“I have listened to all of her lectures,” Ellis said with a laugh.

“He is just as knowledgeable as me, and one of us is always here to help people,” Moon said.

Another big misconception is that people cannot use CBD and pass a drug test. That is not true, according to Moon.

“Anyone can use CBD. Animals can use it, and little children. I have treated my great nieces and nephews for various reasons. My 89–year–old grandmother takes CBD. The whole family uses CBD. It is good for so many different things,” Moon said.

“A couple of people have come in and thought that you had to have a medical card for CBD, and that’s not true. You do not have to have any type of special anything,” Ellis said.

Stevie & the Moon carries an assortment of CBD products, as well as many other health and wellness items.

You can find essential oils, vitamins, soap, elderberry syrup, fire cider, incense, diffusers, jewelry, and even soft serve ice cream at the shop.

CBD can be found in most any form or fashion at the shop, including tinctures, gummies, and raw flower. They also sell Willie’s Remedy, Willie Nelson’s line of hemp-infused coffee and tea.

Customers have to be 18 to purchase CBD, but Moon reiterates that she thinks it is good for all ages.

“Whatever reason they are wanting to use it, I can guide them,” Moon said. “I would like to try to reverse the stigma.”

When Stevie & the Moon first opened up, there was a stigma. Moon said that people were leery at first, because they associated it with marijuana.

“Now I like to put out a lot of things on our Facebook page, and my personal page, educating people. I feel like that’s what I need to do with my degree, is educate people,” Moon said.

Moon thought that there would mostly be a younger customer base, but they get a lot of elderly customers, some of which were recommended to come by their doctors.

“In the beginning pain management doctors were not allowing their patients to use CBD at all, and now, probably once a day we have someone come in and their pain management doctor suggested CBD,” Ellis said.

“This really makes my heart happy when they tell me that their doctor has recommended CBD. People are realizing it is a helpful product,” Moon said.

Moon continued, “I have nothing but good things to say about CBD.”

Stevie & the Moon is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Friday and Saturday the shop is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, call (706) 657-2535, or follow them on Facebook.