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WEBVTT A DOSE OF CBD, AN INGREDIENTOFTEN CONFUSED WITH POT.THIS DIGITAL DISPLAY ALONG I-71SOUTH JUST BEFORE THE NEW MLKINTERCHANGE RAISES A HOST OFQUESTIONS.>> IS THIS MARIJUANA?WHAT IS CBD?IS THIS ILLEGAL?REPORTER: NICHOLAS BALZER, CEOOF QUEEN CITY HEMP, IS BEHINDTHIS BILLBOARD.HE SAYS THE NEW DRINK HE'SADVERTISING IS NOT LACED WITHMARIJUANA.>> IT'S CANNABIDIOL.IT'S ONE OF THE COMPOUNDSCOMMONLY FOUND IN CANNABIS.IT'S NON-PSYCHOACTIVE.REPORTER: CALLED CBD FOR SHORT,CANNABIDIOL COMES FROM HEMPPLANTS, WHICH ARE BEING GROWN INSEVERAL STATES, INCLUDINGKENTUCKY.AFTER CREATING OILS WITH CBD,BALZER AND HIS PARTNER FIGUREDOUT A WAY TO ADD THE OIL TOSELTZER WATE>> NO CALORIES, NO SUGAR, NOSODIUM.SO, REALLY, IT'S A GUILT-FREECBD PRODUCT.AND IT WILL HYDRATE YOU, AS WELLAS GIVE YOU THE BENEFITS.REPORTER: WHILE NOT MAKINGMEDICAL CLAIMS, BALZER SAYSBECAUSE CBD HASANTI-INFLAMMATORY QUALITIES, ITSBENEFITS MAY HELP PEOPLESUFFERING FROM MIGRAINES, ACHYJOINTS AND STOMACH BUGAND HE SAYS IT'S A GOODALTERNATIVE TO DRINKS LOADEDWITH CAFFEINE.>> I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS ACALMING ENERGY.REPORTER: MARY HAAG LEADSPREVENTIONFIRST, A DRUGPREVENTION ORGANIZATION.>> I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TOSTILL BE CAUTIOUS, TO DO THEIRHOMEWORK.REPORTER: SHE SAYS SHE'LL REMAINLEARY OF PRODUCTS INFUSED WITHCBD UNTIL THEY'RE REVIEWED BYTHE FDA.BALZER KNOWS HIS BILLBOARD ANDHIS BEVERAGE WON'T BE FOREVERYONE, BUT HE'S CONFIDENT ITFITS IN TODAY'S CHANGINGMARKETPLACE.>> THIS IS A REALLY GOODPLANT-BASED VEGAN ALTERNATIVETHAT TASTES GOOD.REPORTER: SINCE PRODUCTSCONTAINING CBD STILL HAVE A WAYSTO GO BEFORE THEY'RE CONSIDEREDMAINSTREAM, THE TEAM BEHINDTHESE DRINKS SUPPORT RIGOROUSTESTING TO MAKE SURE CUSTOMERSGET WHAT THEY'RE PAYING FOR.IN CLIFTON, TODD DYKES, WLWT

Advertisement Billboard featuring hemp leaf raises questions about new beverage for sale in Cincinnati Billboard featuring hemp leaf raises questions about new beverage for sale in Cincinnati

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Drive south on I-71 through Cincinnati and you might do a double-take when you see one particular billboard.The sign advertises a new drink and features what looks like a marijuana leaf.The drink, made by Queen City Hemp, is selzter water infused with CBD, an ingredient often confused with pot.Nicholas Balzer, CEO of Queen City Hemp, is behind the digital display next to the interstate, just before the new MLK interchange.He said the new drink he's advertising is not laced with marijuana."It's cannabidiol," Balzer said. "It's one of the compounds commonly found in cannabis. It's non-psychoactive, but it has a majority of the medicinal benefits."Called CBD for short, cannabidiol comes from hemp plants, which are now being grown in several states, including Kentucky.After creating oils with CBD, Balzer and his business partner figured out a way to add the oil to seltzer water."No calories, no sugar, no sodium," Balzer said. "It's a guilt-free CBD product. And it will hydrate you, as well as give you the benefits."While not making medical claims, Balzer said because CBD has anti-inflammatory qualities, its benefits may help people suffering from migraines, achy joints and stomach bugs. And he said it's a good alternative to drinks loaded with caffeine."I like to think of it as a calming energy," he said.Mary Haag leads PreventionFirst!, a drug prevention organization. "I would encourage people to still be cautious, to do their homework, to make sure that they are educated," Haag said. "And that they're are not swayed by what could be myths."She said she'll remain leary of products infused with CBD unless they're reviewed by the FDA.Balzer knows his billboard and his beverage won't be for everyone, but he's confident the drink fits in today's changing marketplace."This is a really good plant-based vegan alternative that tastes good," Balzer said, who supports rigorous testing to make sure customers get what they're paying for.Anyone interested in buying a can of Queen City Hemp's new drink has to be at least 18.Right now, a 6-pack costs $30 at Clifton Natural Foods.Balzer said the price for a six-pack will drop to $20 in October, since the company's initial batch sold better than expected."We're a small company, and that was a very small batch that we did," he said. "We're growing with our retailers and our consumers. ... It was really well received, a lot better than I anticipated, which is really exciting for us and for Cincinnati."