“From Church Director to Cannabis Queen”
The Well – Owner, Debbie Spear
She looks like a friendly neighborhood soccer mom, but Debbie Spear’s mission to help Columbus with CBD makes her anything but ordinary.
After serving nearly 20 years in education and ministry, Debbie read a blog post that would change her life. The post, which was about the benefits of CBD, intrigued her immediately, since her husband Eddie had been dealing with chronic pain. A natural, alternative way to deal seemed like a good thing, and she began learning more about CBD and the cannabis plant in general.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a legal compound derived from the cannabis plant which has been found to have a multitude of benefits. From helping with anxiety, sleeplessness, and depression, to offering pain relief without the risk of addiction, CBD is a substance with endless potential. As science continues to better understand this compound, new benefits are identified, and its specific properties are isolated to help with specific concerns.
The human body contains an endocannabinoid system, designed to receive and interact with the compounds of the cannabis plant. “There is this compound, and our bodies are primed to receive it,” she explains in fascination. “It’s a God-given compound for a God-given system.”
It wasn’t long before Debbie’s fascination with CBD turned into a desire to share this wonder chemical with her community. “I knew it was a leap, but I felt so strongly about it that I was going to do it one way or another.”
When dealing with a substance that can be controversial, often due to people’s lack of accurate information about it, one of the biggest barriers can be getting people to have an open mind. Debbie was faced with several rejections when looking for a location to launch her idea of a local CBD shop selling high-quality products. “We were like, ‘It’s not going to be a head shop, we’re talking quality medicinal merchandise here,” she laughs. “When I first started looking for a location to open my shop, people didn’t know what CBD was, so I had to explain.”
After having five locations turn her down, a location finally became available, and it wasn’t just any location. A spot that Debbie and her husband had admired for years opened up, and she knew this was a sign she was on the right path.
Much care and consideration went into the design and layout of the new CBD shop, The Well. With a vision not just for a retail shop selling CBD products, but a lifestyle boutique complete with an inviting sitting area, local art, and handcrafted products. It was important that the shop feel welcoming, as she intentionally created it to be a safe space for her to work one on one with customers to help them find the right product to meet their needs. “This is an important element to what we do,” Debbie says, “We genuinely want to help.” And the work is rewarding. “I’ve had clients tell me, ‘My life has changed because of this.”
While Debbie traded in her church director role for the role of your local CBD dealer, she feels that she is still running a ministry. “We’re helping people get off traditional prescription medicines with negative side effects and get great results with no side effects using CBD,” she says. In some cases, CBD has helped people escape long-term addictions and find alternative methods of dealing with chronic pain.
While Debbie’s welcoming and caring approach to helping her customers sets her apart, her dedication to operating her business with integrity goes even deeper. It’s crucial to her that people know they can trust her and are willing to take her advice and try a product that has great potential to help them. While CBD can be found almost anywhere these days, including at gas stations, a lack of federal regulation on the substance means there can be huge variations in the quality. Debbie carefully vets every company she purchases from, asking the important questions about how the plants are grown and harvested, and checking to make sure the companies operate with the same integrity she promises her customers.
Protecting the planet and giving the customer an affordable product also come into play at The Well. One company Debbie gets some of her products from, Sustainable CBD, is a locally owned company, and she offers a reduced rate to clients who use this CBD oil when they bring their bottle back in for a refill.
In spite of CBD products becoming more mainstream, there are still some common misconceptions about them. Debbie explains that CBD will not get you high, but rather can offer a calm focus. As long as THC levels in cannabinoid products remain below .3%, it is completely legal nationwide. CBD with no THC is also available at The Well to customers who want to avoid the chemical altogether.
Looking back over the past several years, Debbie muses, “It’s funny how life takes you on journeys. I never saw myself becoming the Cannabis Queen.” And yet her role as Columbus’ cannabinoid expert has provided an opportunity for our community to learn, heal, explore, and grow together, and her willingness to rise to the occasion is making a difference in our city.
For Debbie Spear, it’s about the mission, not the buck. “That one little plant holds so much for us,” she says. The support of the community is invaluable to her, and watching individuals become healthier is satisfying.
If you’re feeling curious about how CBD might be able to help you, Debbie invites you to visit her at The Well and talk about it.
The Well is located at 1205 1st Avenue in Columbus. Hours of operation are Mondays – Fridays 11am – 6 pm, and Saturdays 10 am – 3 pm.
By Natalie Downey