During a sunny Saturday morning at the South Shore Farmers Market, customers formed a steady crowd around Rise & Grind Café’s vendor tent. Some people wanted food or beverages, but a banner advertising cannabidiol (CBD) coffee and tea drew many curious people. Nikeisha Riseling, Rise & Grind’s administrative flow assistant, answered questions and served CBD coffee and tea to customers, some of whom were trying a CBD product for the first time.
Rise & Grind Café (2737 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive), owned by Baboonie Tatum, has been open since August 2016. It moved to the former Growing Power Café & Market space on North Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in February 2017. Adding CBD-infused beverages to its menu of breakfast items, sandwiches, salads, wraps and smoothies ties in with a desire to bring healthy options to the community.
“We are a community hub, and we want to offer the community healthy options. America’s health, in general, is deteriorating. We want to be a conduit for health and wellness by educating the community and offering resources and workshops,” Riseling says. “We sell coffee and tea, so we thought it would be a good idea to have a healthy option for our customers. There are many CBD distributors, but there aren’t many that have CBD coffee and tea.”
Rise & Grind Café carries the Oxzgen brand’s CBD coffee and tea line, which launched in New Orleans, La., in February. According to the company’s website, THC-free, hemp-derived CBD is added to the coffee beans right after the roasting process is completed. The teas are infused with their signature blend of MCT oil (an extraction of coconut oil) and ramón seeds, along with CBD. As former professional basketball player and Michigan Wolverines head coach, Juwan Howard, a spokesman for Oxzgen, states in a press release: “Coffee and tea are convenient and comfortable ways for an entirely new audience to experience the impact of this essential dietary compound that our bodies need.”
Satisfying Curiosity and Desires for Healthy Options
The coffee has a rich flavor without the earthy, grassy aftertaste CBD is known for. Some might question if it’s counterproductive to have the “upper” of caffeine and the relaxing effects of CBD in the same cup. But CBD in coffee can tamp down the jittery effect sometimes experienced with caffeinated coffee consumption, while still promoting relaxation. Oxzgen coffee and tea contain 15 milligrams of hemp-derived CBD.
The CBD coffee and tea are available at the Café, and Riseling says they will also add it to their catering packages in the near future. So far, the CBD coffee and tea has been well received.
“Customers are very curious about CBD and the recent buzz. I find that people are looking for healthier options, especially those who take medications for pain. Most are surprised to see it in coffee and tea. Customers are saying that CBD works, and many have reported that it helps with anxiety.”
Rise & Grind Café hosted a CBD informational session on Wednesday, Sept.18, with more events planned for the future. “We want to let people know the awesome benefits of CBD,” Riseling concludes.
For more information about Rise & Grind Café and their future events, visit riseandgringcafecatering.com.
