What many on the West Coast take for granted is the availability and legality of alternative wellness options derived from healing plants like the wildly versatile cannabis. As popularity booms, so does the research and scientific evidence supporting claims made by purveyors and supporters of the powerful plant. Indiana is the latest state to be hit by the green rush, and one man – Brandon Howard – has made it his mission to ensure that the same products that are available to the west are available to his community in the midwest.
“What those out of state may not realize is the Indiana cannabis community is very strong; we try our best to do our part,” Brandon explains to L.A. Weekly in an exclusive interview. “We’ve landed national news articles, we’ve leased commercial billboards and are very consistent with social media marketing.”
In addition to cannabis community leadership and political reform advocacy, Brandon owns the Higher Life CBD Dispensary. His dispensary offers a product line of high-grade CBD and Hemp products that are formulated for the user to experience a full sweep of healthy benefits, while providing a feeling of complete relaxation. They work with some of the country’s best CBD companies that use high purity CBD and other natural botanical extracts. Their goal is to find attractive, effective, and healthful products that encourage optimal mind and body function. While they love their current product line, they hope to expand and get more cannabis companies into Indiana.
In addition to distributing some of the best CBD on the market today, Higher Life also produces their own top-notch product line.
“We’re very innovative and we love switching things up so customers don’t get bored with our product,” shares Brandon. “We’re constantly thinking out of the box, releasing different Higher Life products once or twice a month. From packaging to awesome new flavors of our products and even to new trendy general merchandise.”
The goal of the Higher Life brand and dispensary is simple: to have the best CBD products on the market using premium ingredients, to offer excellent customer service, and to give back to the community via charity and community education. All-in-all, they strive to deliver the best cannabis dispensary experience possible.
“We’ve impacted our community tremendously by offering high-quality products as a second alternative at an affordable price,” explains the young healer and entrepreneur. “Helping and sharing knowledge about our products to our customers is our main focus in our community. As a local business we take pride in keeping our people informed, we check to see how our products are benefitting them and we help customers make changes if needed.”
Being informed about affordable alternative wellness options is something that is of vital importance to Brandon, as this need is what led him to discover CBD for himself. After sustaining a debilitating neck injury from a motorcycle accident, he found the traditional route of prescription medications to be more harmful than helpful, and was seeking something better for not only his recovery, but for his whole body wellness overall.
“The normal traditional treatment options if a person is suffering from pain or inflammation involve some sort of prescribed pharmaceutical drug by a doctor,” describes Brandon of his journey to recovery. “I’m absolutely not a big fan of physical and psychological reliance on medications that can potentially harm you more than help you over a period of time.”
A close friend recommended he try CBD, and the rest is history.
“I felt really comfortable with trying CBD because I was a cannabis user in my younger days,” says Brandon. “Learning about the health benefits and the non-psychoactive options really intrigued me.”
“Don’t get me wrong THC has a lot of beneficial wellness properties as well,” he continues. “However, as a busy entrepreneur, I like to be clear-minded without the psychoactive effects.”
A lot of people can relate, which is why expanding the CBD market in the Midwest has been such a passion project for Brandon.
Higher Life CBD Dispensary carries a vast array of products – from tinctures, topicals and tea to edibles, capsules, and vapes. One of their most popular products is their CBD hemp flower, that was until Indiana banned it this past August.
There is a lot of speculation and arguments being made regarding the ban of CBD flower, we asked Brandon his thoughts regarding the issue, and how he sees it developing.
“I’m glad you brought this question up,” he responds enthusiastically. “CBD flower is absolutely harmless. All CBD flowers have only 0.3% total THC – which will have absolutely no psychoactive effects. CBD flower looks and smells like marijuana, but it’s just the female plant of cannabis…with a lot of benefits. Smoking is just another convenient way that some people prefer to get their cannabinoids. Some people prefer a topical, some prefer a sublingual, others prefer edibles, etc… The working community and the people who don’t like that crazy high absolutely love CBD flower. We’re hoping the negative stigma fades away so those who need flower can get it.”
It’s clear that Brandon’s passion goes beyond entrepreneurship, as he speaks with an advocate’s heart. The Higher Life CBD Dispensary hopes to expand its offerings and fellowship within the Indiana cannabis community in the near future, with the opening of the Higher Life Cereal Cafe.
“The Higher Life Cereal Cafe is a fun, vibrant place where you can fulfill all of your sweet tooth cravings,” describes Brandon. “We offer over a 100 different branded cereals, 14 different toppings and 5 different types of milks. It’s a place adults can feel like a kid again! You can mix all of your favorite cereals in one bowl. We also offer CBD infused cereal for adults aged 18+. Our plan in the future is to have our CBD/cannabis dispensary and cereal cafe under one roof when marijuana legalization happens. This concept will be a stoner’s dream!”
To learn more about the Higher Life, where to purchase products, or how to get your products featured in Indiana, visit their website at www.higherlifecbddispensary.com
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