The CBD market is forecast to reach at least $20 billion within the next few years. Annie Sais would like to take capture even a small percentage of that green.
If you’ve been in the smoke shop industry for more than a day, it’s likely you’ve heard of, and possibly even sell, Organabus CBD products — that’s Annie’s company, that she founded in 2010 after graduating from the University of New Mexico. Her commitment to quality and helping others discover the health benefits of natural remedies has propelled the brand into one of the leading CBD lines on the market — among their product are CBD vape liquid, tinctures, gummies, dab wax and even CBD pet treats; an off-shoot of the brand is Hempbody, which includes CBD bath bombs and body butter.
Now, Annie is branching out with her own retail store — Raw Greens, in her home city of Albuquerque. You might think that opening a store — which Annie refers to as a “Hemp House & CBD Lounge,” would simply be an outlet for Organabus, which has its headquarters and manufacturing facility right next door, but that’s not it at all. Sure, customers can find Organabus and hempbody at Raw Greens, and Annie also utilizes the store to test market her new products, but her goal is to give people options for top-quality, reputable CBD products.
“We’re very selective about the brands and products that we carry in the store because we truly care that people are using CBD for its medicinal properties,” Annie says. “We only carry brands that we personal trust and believe in.”
There are more than 20 brands from which to choose, hand-picked by Annie from companies that she knows personally and that have verifiable lab results. Koi, Heady Harvest, Hemp Rollz and Miracle Nutritional Products are just a few. However a person would like to use CBD, whether topical, edible, vapable or even infused into tea, coffee, water or energy drinks, Raw Greens has a product for that option. Raw Greens is also home to ABQ’s only CBD Oxygen Bar that delivers a therapeutic dose of CBD along with pure oxygen for a clean, calming, energy boost.
Annie and husband Nick, who manages Raw Greens while she concentrates on running the CBD company, spent six months remodeling the 6,000 square foot retail space. The idea was to create an inviting environment filled with natural light and modern amenities that would be as far removed as possible from the old school smoke shop. In other words, a place where everyone and anyone would feel at ease.
“We get grandparents who suffer from arthritis and young people who deal with anxiety, and then everyone else who just want to see what CBD is all about,” Annie says.
“I would like everybody to buy something, of course,” Annie adds. But an even bigger goal is simply educating customers about CBD — with mainstream retailers, such as Walgreens and Walmart, not to mention countless anonymous internet stores, now selling CBD, Annie felt an obligation to share the knowledge she’s aquirred and make Raw Greens a trusted resource. Eventually the plan is to host in-house seminars on the subject.
Raw Greens does not stop with CBD. They also carry a large assortment of hemp-based products and alternative gifts. Many of the popular brands you already know: Kush Terpene Infused Candles, Dime Bags backpacks, STR8 Brand protective cases, Wildberry Incense, Chiefton Supply Co. (hemp apparel and accessories), and RYOT rolling trays and smoking accessories.
Because Annie is so closely connected to the industry and attends all of the major trade shows, she’s also able to scope out new and innovative products to introduce to customers. Purple Rose, which gained attention at the most recent CHAMPS show, with their innovative cannagar molds, is a perfect example.
“Being able to bring new products to our customers is awesome, and it also helps to support our industry,” Annie says, “that’s a big part of why we wanted to carry other products besides our own brands. We want to have a large inventory so that people have options.”
“CBD is here to stay. The market is going to evolve and Raw Greens will evolve with it,” Annie adds. “So many people come in with questions and it’s great to be able to give them products that we are confident in, and that they can trust.”
