NEW BRITAIN – The Canna Bio Group, a new CBD company owned by New Britain native Antonio Gonzalez, has planted its roots downtown.
“I am one of the first minority-owned CBD companies in the area,” said Gonzalez, CEO and founder of The Canna Bio Group. “And obviously I wanted to be in New Britain because that’s my hometown, and that’s where I want to create change and build first.”
With her passion for education, activism and community philanthropy, she knew she wanted the storefront to be somewhere downtown.
“I felt that this area right here, as you can see with all the drug abuse and homelessness, was the perfect place to start, especially with the ideas I have to combat some of these things,” Gonzalez said .
Gonzalez signed the lease for 77 West Main St on June 1, 2021.
“So this month officially turned a year,” Gonzalez said in June of this year. “I had some friends help with the remodeling, as well as my friend and employee Marc Anthony (Santana), his girlfriend and his sister.”
When you enter you will see all of the company’s branded products and clothing displayed on wooden shelves, metal racks and in glass cases.
“We’re still decorating, so in the next few weeks we’ll finish putting more plants around adding more of the jungle theme. We’ve got an artist painting murals all over the place and we’ll be putting up TVs and stuff like that.”
Due to the pandemic and the fact that Gonzalez was a young entrepreneur doing everything on his own, there were some setbacks, but he wanted to make sure everything was fine before the official opening.
“This is all new, uncharted territory and I’m learning as I go along, but it’s caught on really quickly,” Gonzalez said. “I was very calculated about how I was going to launch. I had to be tired because the laws have been changing so quickly and the way local politics are, I realized that there is a lot of behind-the-scenes politics in the cannabis industry, and that even there are only so many people of color. they will be allowed to participate.”
The Canna Bio Group said it offers high-quality, vegan-friendly, lab-tested CBD products that will not only help you, but also nourish you. All products are processed using their patented Nano Emulsion technology, which is a three-step process. The company says it’s about quality over quantity, so all products are small-batch production.
Their product lines cater to both humans and animals.
“We have tinctures (morning and night), CBD chews, bath bombs, massage oil, energy aids, sports balm, pre-workout mix for athletes, CBD pet tinctures, dog treats, shampoo and more Gonzalez said. “Our most popular products right now are our pet line, sleeping tinctures, sleeping gummies, honey, menthol pain rub, and our beer is really taking off.”
The Canna Bio Group has just launched its own line of infused beer.
“Right now it’s in the assembly hall in draft, My wife didn’t cook in tins, Tom’s Bar in Newington, and I’ll find it in Elmer’s very soon,” he said. “And we’ll have a kegerator (in the store) to give out free samples.”
When you visit the store, the staff will walk you through the different options to make sure you’re comfortable with the products and that the products you choose meet your specific needs.
The business will be looking to hire local residents from the community, particularly those who were convicted of drug offenses to help give them a second chance.
“Just experiencing what I experienced growing up, a lot of our people were affected by the war on drugs and cannabis, especially during the 80s and 90s,” Gonzalez said. “It affected many families and generations from then until now and I saw how alcohol and drugs really affect communities so close to home.”
Gonzalez started The Canna Bio Group in 2016. He has spent the past six years working with patients in the cannabis industry and is the lead consultant providing cannabis education to patients and caregivers. Gonzalez trained extensively at The New England Grassroot, a medical cannabis school in Brookline, Massachusetts in 2013. He also received his Pharmacy Technician Certificate from Tunxis in Farmington in 2015.
The Canna Bio Group is open from Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. They can be reached by phone at 860-310-8600 and online at thecannabiogroup.com.
Ciara Hooks can be reached at 860-801-5082 or chooks@centralctcommunications.com
Posted in New Britain Herald, New Britain on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at 10:46 am. Updated: Tuesday, July 19, 2022 10:49 AM.