BUSINESS FEATURE Bandof BrothersBotanicals Veteran opens CBD shop to help others K en Ray put in 20 years with the U.S. Army, rst as a medic and later a nurse, “It was just that one little bottle,” Ray said. “I didn’t notice a di erence, but my wife did. I was calmer. Things that made me mad before didn’t anymore.” And his limp is now gone. Ray
BY TRICIA SCHWENNESEN
treating cancer patients and burn victims. His service included time with Operation Enduring Freedom and a stint in Japan with the group of men that, along with a 2001 minise- ries, inspired his store’s name, Band of Brothers Botanicals. Originally fromMississippi, Ray’s last Army job was treating patients as part of the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. He was not quite sure what he wanted to do once he retired in 2017, but eventually took up real estate, which he still dabbles in, he said. However, in marijuana to help veterans experi- encing post-trau- matic stress disorder, or PTSD, as well as his own work treating patients with synthetic marijuana, in particular his rst cancer patient, a Stage 4 pancreatic cancer patient he treated with marinol, Ray said. About a year ago, he opened Band of Brothers Botanicals, a bou- tique-style shop in Cibolo specializ- ing in cannabidiol, or CBD, and hemp products. According to Harvard University, CBD is the “second most prevalent active ingredient” in cannabis, and is an essential component of medical marijuana, derived directly from the hemp plant. the back of his mind he said he kept thinking about more recent treatments using medical “We opened the day Texas shut down [due to the COVID-19 pan- demic],” Ray said. “I made $13 that day.” Now retired from the Army, Ray said, he experienced knee pain after two surgeries, walked with a limp for 15 years, and had anxiety and some PTSD. He did his own research and decided to try CBD oil himself. For $60 he purchased 300 milligrams of CBD oil and began taking it.
said after that he decided he wanted to help make CBD accessible and a ordable to as many people as possible, but he acknowledges there is a certain stigma that comes both with selling and taking CBD. Ray co-owns the business with his wife, Alexia Ray, but he is the primary shopkeeper, giving his cus- tomers one-on-one care and making sure to listen to their needs and make recommenda- tions accordingly. Ray said the biggest reason people come into
Band of Brothers Botanicals owner Ken Ray stands outside his Cibolo shop. (Photos by Tricia Schwennesen/Community Impact Newspaper)
“WE’VE BEENHERE ABOUT AYEAR, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF VETERANSWHO
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the store is to nd a solution to sleep issues such as falling asleep, staying asleep, and sleep quantity and quality. Ray said he
COME HERE. THEY’RE COMFORTABLE HERE BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE AHEAD SHOP.” KEN RAY, OWNER
Edible treats come packaged for small, medium and large dogs.
Band of Brother Botanicals owner Ken Ray holds a bottle of CBD tincture.
TOP SELLERS Products o ered at Band of Brothers Botanicals 1 CBD dog treats $25-$35 2 Band of Brothers Botanicals Delta 8 Tincture $52 3 Meta Delta 9 CBD Gummies $30 4 CBD Infused Bath Bombs $9-$11 5 CBD Lollipops $5
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listens and then recommends the product he believes will o er the relief being sought. He carries hemp and CBD products in a variety of options including edible gummies and lollipops, tinctures, creams and salves, smokable or vaping products, infused honey and even treats for dogs of all sizes. “You know what’s funny is that they buy for their pets before they buy for themselves,” Ray said. For those who are skeptical of CBD’s bene ts, Ray said there is plenty of research into its use as a treatment to help alleviate anxiety, PTSD and sleep issues, and science indicates how di erent concentra- tions of CBD and di erent combina- tions with legal levels of THC a ect the mind and body. He said he is also happy to talk through individual issues. “We’ve been here about a year, and we have a lot of veterans who come here,” Ray said. “They’re comfortable here because it doesn’t feel like a head shop.”
Band of Brothers Botanicals o ers a variety of CBD gummies.
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CBD lollipops are new to the store.
Ray also sells CBD-infused bath bombs.
BandofBrothersBotanicals 4470 Green Valley Road, Ste. 157, Cibolo 210-257-0322
3009
http://bando rotherscbd.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., closed Sun.
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NORTHEAST SAN ANTONIO METROCOM EDITION • JANUARY 2022
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