"People are looking for a natural route" First exclusively C.B.D. store opens in Lexington

COLUMBIA, S.C. — C.B.D. oil is growing in popularity. It's a natural alternative to traditional medicine. More and more people are learning about what it is, now that a new store opened in Lexington Tuesday morning. The C.B.D. Store is the only store in the Midlands to exclusively sell C.B.D., offering the oil in the form of candy, cream and even dog treats.

Experts say C.B.D. comes from a chemical compound in the cannabis plant, but unlike the plant that produces marijuana, it does not get people high. It's essentially an anti-inflammatory.

"The THC is extracted from our product so there's no THC, it's not going to show up in a drug test," said Store Manager Victoria Smiley. "It also helps with balancing out our mental state, helping with insomnia, anxiety depression, addiction, A.D.H.D."

Peggy Powell-Chason has been fighting Crohn's disease for fifteen years but has been using C.B.D. oil from a vitamin shop for four months. She came to learn more and stock up Tuesday.

"I'm very excited about this," said Powell-Chason. "A lot of autoimmune diseases carry pain with them so that's why I'm using it. Of course I'm doing my regular treatment, but also added this for my body."

Some say C.B.D. oil is on the rise and could be the future of alternative medicine. The store owners plan to expand to Columbia, Greenville and Charleston very soon.

"In the wake of the opioid epidemic, people are just looking for a more natural route to go. Not everyone is super open to taking pharmaceuticals," said Smiley.