In many ways, Brady and Danielle Houdashelt are a model of modern self-made business owners. The couple once worked in the construction industry before starting a small online retail business. They grew their business, and this month celebrated the grand opening of a storefront at the Shoppes at Warrenton mall.Part of their success is the unconventional products sold at the Houdashelts’ store, which are part of a growing trend. The Houdashelts are owners of Hemp CBD Superstore, an outlet for products made with a substance found in hemp plants. Hemp is a strain of cannabis plant that lacks the psychoactive qualities necessary for marijuana.“The best way I describe it is ‘all the healthy without the high,’ ” explained Brady Houdashelt. “It’s all the compounds (in cannabis) minus the one that causes intoxication.”While marijuana remains legally restricted, hemp and its derivatives have largely been deregulated in recent years, allowing the growth of a new industry.Danielle Houdashelt said the store sells oils, tinctures, edible goods and other products, all containing the chemical CBD (cannabidiol), which is derived from hemp. The store markets CBD products as a natural supplement.Because the products sold at the Hemp CBD Superstore are not approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration, the store isn’t able to make any claims of health benefits from CBD. However, the FDA has identified sleepiness or sedation as a common effect of CBD, along with other possible side effects, in a study of a CBD-based treatment for forms of epilepsy.Brady said their business began by organizing online shipping from various CBD product brands, and educating stores about the differences between hemp and marijuana so they could sell to consumers. CBD started becoming more well known, and eventually, the Houdashelts opened their own retail facility, which had a soft opening earlier this year. Working directly with customers and with others in the industry has been rewarding for them.“It’s the fastest-growing industry in the world right now, and it’s really fun to be a part of that,” Brady commented.“Everybody’s so passionate,” Danielle added. “They really care about what they’re doing. It’s really neat.”The Houdashelts are also preparing to open a distribution warehouse in Wright City, with a future possibility of some manufacturing. The Hemp CBD Superstore employs eight full-time staff members, with more to be added at the Wright City facility once it opens.Representatives from the city of Warrenton and the Warrenton Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed Hemp CBD Superstore to town at the business’s grand opening celebration April 13.“We’re always happy to have new businesses come into the Warrenton area. We are looking forward to seeing continued growth for their business,” commented Chamber Director Jan Olearnick. “They’ve gone from no employees in January to eight employees, so they are certainly showing a strong start.”

Business owners Danielle and Brady Houdashelt, with their daughter Ava, celebrated the opening of Hemp CBD Superstore at the Shoppes at Warrenton Mall April 13. 

Record photo/Adam Rollins

Hemp CBD Superstore hosted a grand opening event and ribbon cutting at its new store in the Shoppes at Warrenton mall, after a soft opening earlier this year. The store sells products made from hemp, a strain of the cannabis plant cultivated to lack the psychoactive chemical THC. Proprietors Brady and Danielle Houdashelt started as distributors for products made with CBD, a hemp derivative chemical that forms the basis of a growing product industry.

Record photo/Adam Rollins