Meet Darius West of Wise Way CBD

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darius West.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Darius. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Thanks for the opportunity! I’m a Denver native born and raised in NE Park Hill. I am a proud graduate of Denver East High School, Howard University, and Western State University. I own and operate WiseWayCBD.com an online CBD store specializing in high-quality Hemp and CBD products.

Cannabis has been prevalent in my family and community for generations. I have great uncles who worked hemp farms in North Carolina in the 1940’s during WWII. Everything else between then and now was largely done illegally. I was attracted to cannabis before I even knew about this lineage. As I was coming of age in Denver, medical marijuana was a prominent topic and cannabis was always around. My early interest was in growing and policy. Now my understanding of cannabis expands to business, education, advocacy, agriculture and science. I have seen first hand how disproportionately affected the black community is by unjust drug laws. Early on I became determined to have involvement in the legal cannabis industry as long as there is one. Even before it was legal I worked on campaigns which pushed laws to expand reform measures.

I took every opportunity to incorporate cannabis into my academic coursework. As an undergrad I got my first legal opportunity in the cannabis industry – an internship at the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Legislation (NORML). This organization was the first of its kind lobbying for cannabis reform bills. Here I helped fundraise and execute campaigns for cannabis reform laws in 12 different states including Amendment 64 in Colorado. I was able to learn about the laws across the nation and continued to sharpen my legal and scientific knowledge around cannabis.

After making my way back to Colorado, I was excited to work in a legal dispensary. I started encouraging people of color to get into the industry, starting with my own family. There are people who work in the industry to this day who attribute their initial interest to me. People still approach me with questions on how to tap in, and I love sharing this information. My experience in dispensaries over four years allowed me to continuously expand my knowledge on cannabis while completing a Master’s degree in Environmental Management.

I developed the idea for an online CBD store while working in a dispensary and going to school. I had a solid understanding of the laws, products and customers’ needs. There are many types of opportunities like these blooming not only in the United States, but also internationally. I love to share knowledge on the cannabis plant and cannabis industry, and have led many families, friends and direct references to products, points of contact or other needed information regarding cannabis. I recently added this to my offerings at WiseWayCBD.com. Those who are interested can schedule a time to discuss Cannabusiness opportunities with me. I have been advocating for this plant for years, and it is great to be able to control the intent and direction of my business, while representing my community in an industry that needs more advocacy.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely been tricky. Nothing is truly “easy” in the cannabis industry, everything takes determination and contingency plans. Even though CBD businesses are 100% legal based on federal laws, 90% of banks will not accept you. You will be charged higher rates than other businesses, and many ad opportunities will be blocked as well. I ran into all of these roadblocks as soon as my site went live. In retrospect these experiences have added priceless value to my understanding of the industry and my ability to help others.

I find motivation in knowing that I am in a unique space. There are people imprisoned for things I do legally, this is the dream of many people I know. This is why it was easy to dedicate myself to establishing an independent business that can educate the community and advocate on a larger scale.

Please tell us about Wise Way CBD.
We specialize in connecting people across the world to reliable and legal CBD products. There are thousands of CBD products available today, even gas stations are selling it, but not all products are made the same. Many consumers find themselves unsure what works and what doesn’t. Our online store educates newcomers and provides access to CBD from the best companies for a great price. We provide the most up to date science based information to reassure our customers that this form of cannabis is safe and effective. We abide by compliance regulations to ensure the safety of our packages and information is updated on the site monthly. We have a customer service line that can answer any questions that customers have about products.

We also offer a consulting service for individuals and businesses interested in different opportunities within the cannabis industry. Whether it is a business start-up idea, developing a product, or learning where to go for information on your state’s laws. I answer the questions which can be barriers for people to get involved in the industry. We believe cannabis is medicine, the proudest moments of being in this business is seeing someone’s recovery and having them attribute CBD as a major contributor. My very first customer was a friend in New Jersey recovering from a car accident that caused a traumatic brain injury. She attributes her reduction in body pain and ability to sleep better to CBD. A few months later, another friend had a traumatic injury. I visited this person in the hospital, and after using CBD once, they never used morphine or Vicodin again. These are a few of my proudest moments in business so far, and I look forward to more in the future.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is playing basketball and riding bikes with my siblings or friends. These are both things which have maintained its lustre over the years and I still get excited to do both to this day.

Pricing:

CBD Products (visit website for full selection)

• Salves (starting at $25)
• Oils (starting at $15)
• Sleep Capsules ($40)
• Gummies ($25)
• Patches ($15)
• Bath Bombs ($27)
• And More!

Cannabusiness Consultation

• 15 minute Consultation (Free)
• 30 Minute Consultation ($25)
• 60 Minute Consultation ($50)

Contact Info:

• Website: WiseWayCBD.com
• Phone: 607.542.9778
• Email: darius.west@wisewaycbd.com
• Instagram: wiseway_cbd
• Facebook: Wisewayllc

Image Credit:
Personal Photo: Taran Shea Crawford / All Others: WiseWayLLC

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