HOUSTON – A new coffee shop in Houston’s Spring Branch neighborhood offering drinks and food made with cannabidiol opened Saturday to a steady stream of excited customers.
People lined the parking lot of The Smoking Pot, located at 8510 Long Point Road, waiting to get their hands on not just coffee, but also everything from topical ointments to bread to popsicles infused with CBD oil.
"It’s been nonstop," said Angela Walling, who works at the shop. "Before the doors were open, we already had a line."
CBD is derived from the hemp plant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the chemical does not make the consumer high because it acts on different parts of the nervous system than THC, the compound that gives marijuana its high.
Walling said some people report many benefits, such as pain relief, reduction of anxiety and help with sleeplessness.
Blake McCray said he and his wife have noticed the benefits, and he’s glad to see the enthusiasm about the shop.
"I thought it was going to be long," McCray said as he waited in line. "I didn’t think it was going to be quite this long."
A woman who would only identify herself as "Miss Pudgy" said she was feeling adventurous.
"Me and my friend, we love coffee," she said. "So, why not come try something new?"
The shop will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.
Another CBD coffee shop is expected to open in east downtown Houston this summer, according to Houston Eater.
An Army veteran opened CBD MED in Baytown in March.