CBD American Shaman Opens in Carmel
July 2019
Writer // Janelle Morrison Photography // Laura Arick
You’ve most likely read articles and have seen advertisements for CBD stores opening throughout Central Indiana. Like most people, you may be curious about cannabidiol (CBD) and how to use the variety of products that are legal in the state of Indiana and nationwide.
Many medical professionals experience positive results with CBD for pain, anxiety and sleep disorders among their patients. But where do you go to purchase quality CBD oil and other related hemp products? What specific products should you be using for your specific ailments? How much should you take? Ask the knowledgeable team at CBD American Shaman in Carmel, who are eager to assist you.
Kerry Hinkle, district manager at CBD American Shaman Indy, opened their second location in Carmel last month. Hinkle shared that their popular Broad Ripple location was bringing in a lot of northsiders. Combined with the vast population of Carmel and its surrounding communities, which typically include a higher-educated and health/fitness-centric population, Hinkle said it only made sense to open their second location there.
“For me, personally, I want to be involved in something that is good for people and makes a difference in the quality of their lives,” Kerry shared. “Regarding our philosophy and business practices, our focus is on making people knowledgeable about the products and how they may help to improve their lives.”
What Differentiates CBD American Shaman from Others?
“We are not pressuring people to purchase products when they come in. We let them sample the products and focus on educating them,” Hinkle said. “We are about the residual business rather than making a quick buck.”
American Shaman’s water-soluble products are what separates them from other CBD and hemp product stores and brands. Hinkle emphasized that at this point in time, water-soluble products are not available in most other area stores, making their stores unique in the local market and leaders in CBD product development and offerings.
“Our water-soluble products have CBD oil in them, but the CBD is based in water rather than the traditional oil carriers,” Hinkle explained. “I went to a CBD expo a couple of months ago and heard a panel speak on water solubility and why it’s a better delivery method. That strengthened my conviction even more on why I think our [water-soluble] products are better. They break down in the body better than traditional tincture oils and have better bioavailability.”
Hinkle added, “That’s our biggest selling point—we have much more effective products where you do not have to intake as much product because the product is more bioavailable.”
Another selling point specific to water-soluble CBD products is that they are more palatable for those who do not prefer the taste of natural CBD.
While one cannot make honest claims that CBD “cures” any ailments or symptoms, Hinkle tells his customers, “CBD is just another tool in the toolkit aimed at alleviating symptoms.”
CBD American Shaman in Carmel—The Store
The store is set up much like a wellness center, meant to educate with well-organized display cases and educational materials on the walls. Hinkle also has a trusty sidekick—Lady, the therapy dog—who affectionately greets customers.
“Lady is our certified therapy dog who ‘works’ here with us in the store,” Hinkle said. “Lady is also a consumer of CBD, which helps with her arthritis.”
American Shaman in Carmel offers a large variety of CBD products in addition to the CBD tincture oils, CBD caplets, CBD oil topical products and beauty and health care products that CBD users have come to expect in a CBD and hemp product shop.
“If you can think of it, they’ve probably found a way to put CBD in it,” Hinkle said. “And if it’s a quality product, we will likely carry it.”
He showed us the CBD nasal sprays that are used primarily to relieve allergy symptoms that were actually developed by doctors and are one of their many THC-free products.
While using a full-spectrum CBD product is more beneficial than using THC-free products, Hinkle stressed, “I have customer with medical licenses, truck drivers and government workers who cannot use the full-spectrum products, so I will always tell anyone whose occupation requires the zero-THC products, I don’t want them to lose their job over a $60 bottle. We offer both THC [full-spectrum] and THC-free for the same price.”
CBD American Shaman—The Brand
CBD American Shaman, a franchise, was started out of Kansas, and its products are grown in Kentucky, processed and manufactured in Kansas and distributed throughout the U.S. The products are made of 100% organic non-GMO hemp and are third-party tested for purity and insecticides. The company uses carbon dioxide oil-extraction technology. The primary reason is to create a pure, clean, quality oil that is safe to produce with little to no post-processing, unlike toxic solvents that may require many hours to purge the solvent trapped in the oil.
“Another aspect about us that makes us different is that we oversee our product from seed to shelf,” Hinkle said. “We process and manufacture our own products. The brands that we do carry that are not our own are highly vetted and are on our shelves because those products are currently not a part of our product line.”
CBD and Hemp Beauty and Health Care Products
CBD American Shaman’s beauty and health care line includes hydrating lotions, face cream, serums, lip balms, bath bombs and sugars with an array of calming and exhilarating fragrances. CBD and hemp products are popular and natural treatments, known for their rejuvenating and anti-inflammatory qualities.
“While it may not make your pimples go away, it will help the redness and the irritation around them for those suffering from acne,” Hinkle said. “We’ve had success with a lot of construction workers using our lotion to soothe their cracked and dry skin from working outside, and our lip balms are popular for promoting lip health.”
One product that caught my attention is CBD massage oil. Kerry explained that it is best used for general relaxation as well as for sore joints and muscles.
It comes in four scents (lavender, tea tree, palo santo, and natural) and has all-natural ingredients (Sweet Almond Oil, Hemp Extract, Apricot Oil, MCT, CBD Oil, Essential Oils).
You can Buy it online cbdamericanshaman.com/cbd-massage-oil.
Buying from CBD American Shaman versus Big Box Stores
“One of the issues with buying CBD products from big boxes is that you are buying it off the shelf and may not have the education about the product, the strengths and uses,” Hinkle stated. “We take a knowledgeable approach because there are so many variables with the products that are in the market, and that is why education is needed. That’s where we come in and why it’s beneficial to make relationships with our customers who choose to learn from and support our exclusively CBD store.”
CBD Edibles—To Chew or Not to Chew?
Just as CBD capsules might not be as fast acting as CBD water-soluble products, the same is true with CBD gummies, albeit they are fun to taste and are easy to carry around for moments when anxiety or stress become overbearing.
“CBD gummies and most edibles are not as effective because they have to be digested and lose some of their potency through that process,” Hinkle explained. “We carry these products, though, because they are a preferred delivery method for some of our customers. Some people are diligent about taking pills and supplements, orally, every morning, and we want to be able to offer them the CBD capsules as part of their daily regimen.”
Hinkle shared that they sell a lot of gummies at the Broad Ripple store during finals week to college students who are looking for legal, healthy and natural ways to alleviate stress.
“We have our own brand of gummies, and we sell the PUURE brand—a brand that we’ve had a relationship with since American Shaman was first started,” Hinkle said. “I recommend that people start out eating half of one just to kind of see how it affects them. Our goal here is to get people in here to learn about the products and then leave with the least amount of money spent and with the most effectiveness from their product(s).”
What Are the Benefits of CBD Water, Teas and Coffee
“We sell CBD Living Water, an alkaline water processed by way of nanotechnology,” Hinkle said. “Nanotechnology is a process in which CBD is extracted. It breaks down the CBD molecules so incredibly small so that it increases bioavailability. This process makes the hemp oil concentrate more potent, as well as a quicker delivery time to your cells. We have a couple who are customers that run in half-marathons and they buy it [CBD Living Water] by the case. They use it pre- and post-workouts.”
CBD American Shaman Carmel also sells pre-ground CBD coffee and loose-leaf teas. They also carry CBD-infused honey sticks with 10 mg of CBD to stir with the teas.
“I like to say about our coffee that it provides the kick of caffeine without the jitters,” Hinkle said. “We also have a canned unsweetened tea that we started carrying last month.”
A Compassionate CBD Company
CBD American Shaman is dedicated to bringing wellness to the world through ultraconcentrated terpene-rich hemp oil derived from all-natural, high-quality industrial hemp. But it is more than a CBD company. It is represented by individuals who strive to provide credible education about its product lines and CBD in general and who wish to improve the quality of life for their customers. This is why CBD American Shaman offers its Compassionate Care Program at all of its franchises, nationwide, for customers battling terminal illnesses.
“Compassionate Care Program offers 30% discount to such customers,” Hinkle shared. “It is our goal to help these customers by providing quality products that will hopefully alleviate the side effects brought on by their illness and/or treatments and assist them by offsetting some of the cost of their purchases.”
Hinkle is proud to announce that their franchise is growing. They will be opening a new location in Avon, Indiana, soon. Their Carmel and Broad Ripple locations are open seven days a week, and their hours are posted online at cbdamericanshamanindy.com. Follow CBD American Shaman Carmel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for product announcements, specials and other CBD-related updates.
CBD American Shaman offers a 100% money-back guarantee on any of the products sold at their locations because they are confident that you will have satisfactory results.
Come in and talk with Kerry Hinkle about your specific issues and feel free to ask him any questions about CBD and hemp products. Visit CBD American Shaman Indy store in Carmel: 482 E. Carmel Drive, Carmel, IN 46032. Call (317) 798-2942.