32 THE QUEENS COURIER • QUEENS BUSINESS • JULY 12, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
queens business
Whitestone’s CBD Superstore off ers natural
alternative for pain relief and prescription medication
BY EMILY DAVENPORT
edavenport@qns.com / @QNS
With more research coming out about
the benefi ts of cannabidiol (CBD) —
an extract of the marijuana plant — for
human and animal consumption, a local
shop is looking to help patients get the
care they need while breaking the stigma
behind the products.
CBD Superstore, located at 150-51B
14th Ave. in Whitestone, has been selling
CBD products to those who are looking
for a legal, natural alternative to prescription
medication for the past two years.
“It’s important to follow the trends
and needs of the consumer,” said Nick
Aragonesi, owner of CBD Superstore.
“Patients want the medical benefi t without
any type of intoxication. Th ey want to
be able to go to work and to function on
a normal daily basis, and that’s what we
provide here.”
CBD Superstore carries full-spectrum
products made from the industrial hemp
plant, a sister plant of the marijuana plant,
grown in the United States. Th e CBD they
sell comes in three forms: sublingual tinctures,
oral syringes and phytocannabinoid
rich gel capsules.
Th e store also sells supplemental products
ranging from CBD-infused anti-aging
skin toners, dog treats, vaping cartridges
and edibles such as popcorn,
gummy bears and honey sticks.
Each product they carry is backed by a
pharmacological lab report that is available
to customers upon request.
“We have a pharmacology lab report
for any product we carry,” said Alex
Rodriguez, CBD Superstore manager.
“Anyone can see what’s in each product
and can call up the lab if they wish
to. Nobody else is carrying their lab
reports on hand for customers to be able
to look at.”
What sets CBD Superstore apart from
your average pharmacy or vitamin store is
their extensive knowledge on CBD products
and fair pricing. While some stores
may carry CBD products, they may not
know much about what they’re carrying
because CBD products are still relatively
new.
“When we fi rst started, there was a huge
learning curve for us. Little by little we did
our own research, reaching out to people
and diff erent businesses,” Rodriguez said.
“We were lucky enough to speak to with
some high-level individuals in the industry
to be able to educate us and help us
understand what we were selling. Th at’s
one of the biggest ways we were able to
separate us from everyone else.”
CBD Superstore gets customers from
the city and from overseas coming in
to seek a natural alternative treatment
for many ailments, including pain, anxiety
and depression. Th ey also have customers
Photo by Emily Davenport
coming in to treat side eff ects
from Parkinson’s Disease, multiple sclerosis
and fi bromyalgia, and they even have
cancer patients coming in looking to take
CBD in conjunction with their chemotherapy
treatments.
“We have a gentleman that comes in
with severe Parkinson’s Disease. He’ll
come in and he’ll buy a concentrated oral
syringe, take his dosage, sit down on our
couch for 10 minutes and then get up and
walk out like nothing happened,” said
Aragonesi. “Aft erwards, he’s like a perfectly
functioning human being for 24
hours without shaking. Th at’s proof in our
self that the product is working and we’re
proud to sell that type of product.”
While CBD oils and products may alleviate
symptoms of chronic illness, CBD
Superstore recognizes that it is by no
means a cure for a patient’s condition.
“CBD is not a cure; it’s a relief,”
Aragonesi said. “It’s to get you to function
normally without a prescription drug. If
we can get you off of your prescription
and you can function normally with the
CBD, that’s the most important thing. It’s
not a cure, but it is a natural alternative for
prescription medicines.”
Despite the good that CBD can do for
the human body, the store has faced a lot
of the stigma in regards to the products
they carry. CBD Superstore is oft en mistaken
for a medical marijuana dispensary
and the community has been worried that
they are selling illegal drugs.
“Th ere is a stigma behind it in the neighborhood
here. We used to have a sign that
had the leaf of a cannabis plant on it, and
people took the misconception that we’re
a marijuana store, that we’re selling drugs
to kids or that we’re looking to get people
high and that’s the farthest thing on our
minds,” Aragonesi said. “Everything we
sell is non-psychoactive, completely legal
and nothing to be stigmatized.”
However, despite the neighborhood’s
resistance, CBD Superstore is looking to
make the community comfortable with
their products.
“Times are changing. As medical marijuana
becomes more prevalent in the
states and is legalized and as states recreationalize
it, people are going to fi nd that
that it’s not going anywhere,” Aragonesi
said. “Th e fact of the matter is if it can help
somebody live a normal life, there’s nothing
wrong with CBD itself.”
So what does the future hold for CBD
Superstore?
“We would like to eventually evolve into
more of a therapeutic studio/spa setting,
where people can come in and try more
of the products,” Aragonesi said. “Th at
way, clients would be able to sit down and
experience this in a relaxing setting than a
retail setting.”
For more information about CBD
Superstore, call 347-779-0575.
Foodie Card founder says that the service is a ‘win for everybody’
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/ @jenna_bagcal
Th e creation of the Foodie Card happened
organically for Neil Foster and his
wife Emma.
What started out as a Facebook group
to share “the good, the bad and the ugly”
of everyday dining experiences, in the
words of Foster, turned into a service that
gives people restaurant discounts while
providing meals through a local charity.
Nearly three years ago in 2015,
Foster and his wife founded the Tri-
State Restaurant Club (TSRC), a closed
Facebook group which he compared to
a “real-time Zagat.” Th e concept is simple:
group members can give restaurant
recommendations, leave reviews or post
food photos from anywhere in the world.
In the beginning, the East Hills, Long
Island resident said that the group had a
few hundred people, but has since grown
to over 61,000 food enthusiasts who
regale each other with their varied experiences.
“Th e interaction is tremendous,” Foster
said.
He adds that the group is closed to
the public and each member must be
approved by him. His reasons for a closed
group are to keep out advertisements
or self promotions, and also to ensure
that members of the group are from the
United States.
Aft er two years of running the Facebook
group, Foster wanted more. He said that
in October 2017 he woke up and realized
that the TSRC was taking up much
of his time with zero return. He thought
about ways to give back to charity that
would be a win for both the restaurants
and the customers. So in January 2018,
the Fosters launched the service and the
Foodie Card was born.
For $29.99 a year, customers can purchase
a Foodie Card, which takes 10 percent
off the dine-in bill at any of the participating
restaurants listed on their website.
Foster said that it does not cost
restaurants anything to participate in
the Foodie Card program and restaurant
owners who are interested can email him
to be added to their ever-growing list.
With every purchase of a Foodie Card,
Island Harvest and City Harvest donate
one full day of meals to a person in need.
Foster estimates that for every $1000
made, 3000 meals are donated by the
organizations.
“It’s a win for everybody,” Foster said.
In addition to founding the Foodie
Card, Foster was also one of the tastemakers
for the April World’s Fare in Flushing,
which showcased the cuisine from over
100 countries around the globe. Th e event
was created by Joshua Schneps, founder
of the LIC Flea & Food and Astoria Flea
and Food markets, as an homage to the
1964 World’s Fair.
As a lead up to the 2019 World’s Fare,
the organizers will host the World’s Fare
Passport Series starting in August. Th ose
interested can get a taste of Th e Americas
(Aug. 11-12), Europe (Sept. 8-9) and Asia
(Oct. 20-21). Th e events all take place at
525 46th Ave. on the Long Island City
waterfront.
In the future, Foster has plans to
expand the Foodie Card’s reach, but is
content with where the service is for the
time being.
“Our goal is to knock it out of the park
in Long Island and New York City,”
Foster said. He added that once the
Foodie Card’s reputation has been solidifi
ed, they will expand to other areas.
Photo courtesy of Neil Foster
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