CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS: A clarification has been added to this story to identify the state's first medical marijuana dispensary.

The new Ceres Natural Remedies store on College Street has the feel of an upscale spa, with a seductively curving counter and vibrant green light illuminating the wall. Touches of granite from Barre and burnt wood in a Japanese style complete the soothing effect.

Dressed in a Hawaiian shirt on a frigid Vermont afternoon, Chris Copley, a retail consultant for Ceres, explains what's going on at the store named after the Roman goddess of agriculture.

Ceres offers 57 lines of CBD-based products, which Copley says offer a wide range of beneficial health effects. Ceres claims to have one of the largest selections of CBD products in the country.

The offerings add to the growing CBD oil product market in Vermont, which includes truffles at Burlington bakery Monarch & the Milkweed, health products at local groceries and cocktails and beer made with CBD.

"We are starting to do our own product lines because Vermont is one of 18 states that can cultivate hemp," Copley said. "Hemp being cultivated in Vermont is going to become an increasingly big part of the agricultural economy."

Shayne Lynn is executive director of Ceres as well as Champlain Valley Dispensary, Vermont's first medical marijuana dispensary, which opened on Steele Street in Burlington in 2013. Both entities are currently nonprofits.

Lynn said CBD is derived from hemp plants and is non-intoxicating, unlike THC in cannabis, which produces a high. Both hemp and cannabis plants are of the same genus and species.

The World Health Organization issued a statement on Dec. 13 saying an initial review of CBD shows it is not likely to be abused or create a dependence on other cannabinoids, such as THC. A more thorough review of CBD is planned for May, the organization said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not studied or approved the use of CBD in any drug product for any indication. On Nov. 1, the agency sent warning letters to four companies making claims to treat or cure cancer.

"Selling these unapproved products with unsubstantiated claims is not only a violation of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, but also can put patients at risk as these products have not been proven to be safe or effective," the FDA said in a statement regarding the cancer claims.

Copley is well aware of the boundaries Ceres must recognize, but says he has witnessed many beneficial effects of CBD.

The main thing it does, according to Copley, is bring your body into a state of "homeostasis," which he describes as the feeling you have after hiking Camel's Hump, or getting a great massage.

"You're calm and centered, not frazzled," Copley said.

Copley says the CBD products Ceres sells also offer pain relief and anti-oxidants. Lynn adds a disclaimer.

"When people come into Ceres to purchase CBD we don't make claims as to its therapeutic value," Lynn said. "Any time you're going to ingest a plant-based product you should check with your physician to ensure there's nothing contra-indicated, even if you have allergies. People should exercise caution any time they're using something new."

Ceres began in a 300-square-foot space in the same building as Champlain Valley Dispensary in July 2016. To meet demand, Ceres moved to the new space on College Street and opened last week. .

Word of mouth drives medical pot business

"We opened Ceres because some folks didn't want to consume cannabis and were looking for another alternative for symptom relief," Lynn said. "CBD being non-intoxicating allowed them to do that."

Ceres is currently a cash-only business because of its origins in the medical marijuana dispensary. Dispensaries across the country are cash-only because federal law prohibits banks and credit unions from taking money derived from the sale of marijuana. Copley believes Ceres will eventually be able to accept credit cards.

You also must be at least 18 years old to shop at Ceres. Copley said the business doesn't want to open itself up to problems with parents who might not want their children to use CBD products, but says he has customers who are parents buying for their children.

Copley came to the CBD business by a circuitous route. He spent 20 years working in sales and marketing for Burton Snowboards, traveling to more than 100 countries "doing snowboarding and films." It was in his job with Burton that Copley first met Shayne Lynn, who was photographing a ski shoot for an industry magazine.

After he left Burton in 2009, Copley went to work for Select Designs in Burlington, becoming involved in a project to build a boutique hotel in Taiwan utilizing recycled materials. He also spent time in Japan, where he developed an appreciation for the minimalist aesthetic that is reflected in Ceres.

Then, Lynn came calling.

He told Copley he was planning to open the first medical marijuana dispensary in Vermont and asked if he wanted to invest. It turned out Monique McHenry opened the state's first dispensary, Vermont Patients Alliance, in Montpelier, on June 18, 2013, according to the Vermont Department of Public Safety. Lynn's Champlain Valley Dispensary opened one week later, on June 25.

Lynn is planning to add more Ceres stores this year in New England. He's also gotten interest from investors in Boston, Martha's Vineyard, Portland, Maine, Montreal and Vancouver, British Columbia.

"CBD is coming out of the shadows of THC and being recognized for its own symptom relief qualities," Lynn said. "We're really excited to be a part of that and engage with other folks in Vermont making CBD products."

Ceres is online at https://ceresremedies.com.

Contact Dan D’Ambrosio at 660-1841 or ddambrosio@freepressmedia.com.



Upcoming CBD oil event

CBD 101: Cannabidiol for Winter Sports Athletes and Weekend Warriors

Cannabis news and advocacy organization Heady Vermont is sponsoring an event at Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center on Jan. 20, calling it "part member ski day, part farmers market" to support hemp education and understanding. For more information, contact Eli Harrington, 802-424-7642, eli@headyvermont.com