Want to know what’s happening in the Eastern Idaho business scene? We’ve got you covered. Here’s a roundup of this week’s business news across the Valley.
BIZ BUZZ
IDAHO FALLS
New CBD store opens in Idaho Falls
IDAHO FALLS: Sean Crystal was introduced to CBD products as a 13-year-old boy. He has continued to research the industry over the years and is now a CBD retailer in Idaho Falls.
The 35-year-old Ammon man launched 710 Spectrum as a mobile operation in September 2022. In April, it became a permanent store at 1582 North Holmes Avenue.
Crystal tells EastIdahoNews.com that the public response to her business over the past 20 months has been “phenomenal.”
The business sells a range of products from topicals and tinctures to lotions, body creams and cooling gels. There are alternative products for smokers and tobacco users, as well as edible products such as suction cups, gummies and honey sticks.
“We’re the first store dedicated to full-spectrum, full-spectrum cannabis products derived from hemp. Eighty percent of our line you won’t find anywhere else in the state,” says Crystal. “We are the first distributor in Idaho of our line of cannadips (a tobacco alternative) and we are the first distributor of Delta CBD extracts and RAD (organic seed products for sale).”
His wife, Chelsie Olsen, also sells bracelets, earrings, pens and other products at the store.
Although the sale of CBD products is legal in Idaho, Crystal says the law requires the content of Delta 9 THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis plants known to get people high, to be less than 0.3 percent. That’s the case with all his products, he says, which are over-the-counter and available to anyone.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a compound found in marijuana,” according to the Centers for Disease Control. “CBD is not harming, meaning it does not cause a ‘high’.”
Crystal started using CBD products out of curiosity. Over the years, he has noticed personal health benefits from using them and learned of others who have also benefited. This led him to become an advocate and open a retail store.
Although Idaho is the only state that has not legalized the use of medical marijuana, Crystal — a legislative candidate in the upcoming Republican primary — is a strong supporter and would like to see it implemented.
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“Over the last decade, Idaho has voted 68 to 74 percent in favor of medical marijuana, and our state legislators haven’t listened to us one bit on that. We’ve had two governors in a row say this is not it’s going to come under his guard,” says Crystal.
During a City Council meeting in December, 33rd District Sen. Dave Lent explained that the pattern he’s seen in other states is that legalizing medical marijuana ultimately leads to an increase in drug use and addiction, putting “another burden on our society”.
Rep. Marco Erickson, who has worked with substance abuse patients for more than 30 years, agreed, saying he will block all attempts to advance such legislation while in office.
“I’ve seen too much to ever be okay with Idaho going in that direction,” Erickson said. “I’m very proud when we go to national events and Idaho comes up as (the only one holding out on this issue).”
As Crystal continues its campaign, it wants to implement a legal framework for what is largely a “self-regulated industry.” He is working on a bill hoping to create some licensing and age requirements for the CBD and hemp industry.
“No real retail license is required outside of having processor and handler permits. We don’t want our products in (everyone’s) hands. We want kids to be restricted from our vaping and tobacco products,” he says Crystal.
He also favors a 3% user tax, with half going to infrastructure and the other half to education.
The store in Idaho Falls is small, and Crystal hopes the business will continue to grow. He hopes it will eventually become a “flagship location” for other stores around the state.
710 Spectrum is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Visit the website or Facebook page for more information.
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