14 OCTOBER 19, 2017 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Glendale’s 4/20 chef launches CBD-infused coff ee company
BY ANTHONY GIUDICE
AGIUDICE@RIDGEWOODTIMES.COM
@A_GIUDICEREPORT
A chef from Glendale known
for educating people on the
benefi ts of Cannabidiol (CDB)
is giving people in the neighborhood
a taste of his CBD-infused coff ees as
he recently launched his very own
company: Flower Power Coff ee Co.
Chef Leighton Knowles, who
brought New York its very first
CBD-infused dinner in Ridgewood
on April 20 — better known as 4/20 —
has teamed up with his wife Beth, Dr.
Craig Leivent, world-renowned master
chocolatier Damion Badalamenti, and
business consultant Terry N. Bouvier
to create Flower Power Coff ee Co. with
the goals of not only teaching people
about CBD, but off ering delicious coffee
and sweets, too.
CBD is a non-psychoactive component
of marijuana which gives the
plant many of its medicinal properties
including pain and anxiety relief,
helping to ease seizures, and a host of
other health benefi ts, while avoiding
the high associated with smoking it.
“In general, it’s neuro-protective,
it’s anti-carcinogenic, it’s protecting
against Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s
disease, and other neuropathic
diseases,” Leivent said of CBD. “It’s
being proactive instead of reactive
with your health. Ever since the advent
of medicine we have extended
our life. But, the quality of life is also
very important. So, if you can consume
CBD to off set some of the side eff ects or
promote some of the benefi ts of other
pharmaceuticals, that’s great.”
Although marijuana has varying
levels of legality across the country,
CBD is completely legal in all 50 states,
which makes the products that Flower
Power Coff ee Co. sell fully legal and
safe to use. The products should also
not make an individual fail a drug test
for THC, however, if you are worried
about a drug test, Knowles suggests not
ingesting any of their products 72 hours
before a drug test.
Flower Power Coff ee Co. will off er
three blends of CBD-infused coff ees
such as Jamaican Blue Mountain, Costa
Rican and New York House Blend Signature.
Knowles and his team are also
selling non-infused coff ee, infused
skin and beauty products, infused
chocolates and candies, clothing, accessories
and more.
Knowles recently brought his “fl ower
power” to the Ridgewood Market at
The Footlight in Ridgewood where he
sold some of his coff ees and gave interested
members of the community
information on his company and the
benefi ts of CBD.
“We’re doing events in and around
the city to bring awareness to CBD and
who we are as a company,” Knowles
said. “And what we are as a brand and
a lifestyle. We’re all about education.
We want to be viewed as a lifestyle
brand where people can get educated
and get help through our website and
through our social media hubs.”
Knowles originally planned to
partner with a business on Myrtle
Avenue to bring local residents his
infused beverages, but those plans
fell through, Knowles said. Now, he
is operating out of his Glendale home
and is taking orders on his website
fl owerpower.coff ee.
To stay up to date on everything
Flower Power Coff ee Co., visit their
Facebook page.
Photo via Facebook/Flower Power Coff ee Co.
Chef Leighton Knowles recently launched Flower Power Coff ee Co. to
educate people on the benefi ts of CBD.
Tech-savvy Queens kids can enter this app-design contest
BY SUZANNE MONTEVERDI
SMONTEVERDI@QNS.COM / @SMONT76
Are you a Queens student
with an idea for the next
great app?
Middle and high schools students
in New York’s 6th Congressional
District are invited to enter the
House’s app competition until Nov.
1, Congresswoman Grace Meng
announced. The contest is a great
opportunity for kids looking to
advance their academic and professional
careers.
Students may participate by creating
a unique application for mobile,
tablet or computer devices on a platform
of their choosing. Each student
must submit a video of their app and
explain what they’ve learned from
the competition process. All entries
must be original in concept, design
and execution.
Participants may compete
individually or in teams of up to
four students. Kids can register
for the contest and submit their
entries www.congressionalappchallenge.
us.
Entries will be considered by a special
panel of local judges in the academic,
soft ware and entrepreneurial
fi elds. Winners will be announced by
the end of the year and have their app
featured on the U.S. House of Representatives’
website and displayed in
a special exhibit at the U.S. Capitol in
Washington, D.C.
All students who participate will
receive a certifi cate of Congressional
recognition.
Queens Congress members Tom
Suozzi and Carolyn Maloney — who
represent Districts 3 and 12, respectively
— are also participating in
the challenge. Click here to view all
participating districts.
“This contest is a great opportunity
for Queens students to highlight
their technological skills and show
the rest of the country how much
tech talent exists right here in
our borough,” Meng said. “I look
forward to seeing all the entries and
wish the best of luck to each student
who participates.”
Submission are due no later than
noon Eastern Time on Nov. 1. Participants
can register and fi ll out their
Photo via oleschwander/Shutterstock.com
submission forms at www.congressionalappchallenge.
us.
In its fi rst two years, the Congressional
app contest yielded 1,150 apps
created by nearly 4,000 students in
33 states.
