CBD For Life: Created To Treat Scoliosis Pain, Now Helping Millions Across The Country

CBD for Life, a subsidiary of iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. IANITHUF, is one of the original wellness and self-care brands that helped launch the wildly popular CBD movement, which prompted the New York Times in 2018, to ask (and answer) "Why Is CBD Everywhere?"

Shortly before CBD began appearing on the shelves of pharmacies, Convenience stores and gas stations, CBD for Life launched its products that helped propel the CBD movement. 

"We launched the brand in February 2015, knowing the extraordinary benefits and massive potential of this powerful cannabinoid," said Mollie Twining, a founding partner and director of sales at CBD for Life, which is based in Red Bank, New Jersey.

A Bit Of Back Pain And A Lot Of Intuition: That’s exactly what prompted CBD for Life's original co-founder Beth Stavola, who suffered from chronic pain as a result of scoliosis, to get serious about CBD. Her experience in the cannabis space convinced her that CBD was her best and probably only non-intoxicating alternative to relieve her constant discomfort.

Scoliosis, an abnormal curvature and rotation of the spine, is a complex disorder that impacts the entire nervous system and has no particular treatment except for the use of a brace. The pain can be constant.

Working with a chemist, Stavola and her sister Julie set about creating a CBD rub made from organically farmed hemp sourced in Colorado. They anticipated applying the rub daily in the hope of immediate relief for Beth. And it worked.

According to a study recently cited by Harvard professor Dr. Peter Grispoon, "an animal study from the European Journal of Pain suggests CBD could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis when applied to skin. Other research identifies how CBD may inhibit inflammatory and neuropathic pain, which are difficult to treat."

Thus the company’s Original Rub became the first CBD For Life product and continues to be the most popular.

In 2020, Stavola moved on to other projects and Twining took over the company, though Twining is quick to clarify that "Beth is truly the brains behind the idea and the real first founder. Those brought in at the very beginning to bring the idea to fruition were also named co-founders."

By the time Twining took over last year, the company was trading on the stock market and selling its award-winning CBD products in such retail hotspots as Urban Outfitters, Dillard's DDS, the Hallmark Store and Wegman's as well as over 2,600 retail stores throughout the county.

The company also began a limited rollout of products with UNFI Distribution UNFI, the largest natural foods distribution company in the U.S. and Canada with over 43,000 customers including natural foods grocers, health food markets and superstores.

Strict Independent Lab Testing Still Ongoing: Twining told Benzinga CBD for Life’s testing is done by independent ISO/IEC accredited third-party labs that test for potency, microbials, heavy metals and pesticides; the results can be accessed from the batch number stamped on every jar or tube.

"What started as a mission to alleviate Beth’s back pain resulted in a product line that people rely on every single day to help improve their quality of life," Twining said.

Photo: courtesy of CBD for Life