SALISBURY — After opening his first store with his mother in 2015, owner Ronnie Hornaday has brought a new version, 704 Hemp, to 2218 Statesville Blvd.

For those interested in the natural benefits of cannabidiol, or CBD, Hornaday’s shop has you covered and also includes hemp.

Hornaday was diagnosed with Lyme disease when he was 13 and had to take medication daily to treat the lasting effects. After trying CBD, he was able to decrease his pills with the addition of  natural treatments after his diagnosis.

He has expanded his business from the one store in Mooresville that he opened with his mother, Lindy Hornaday. He has  hopes of opening three more by the end of the year, all within 20 miles of his home in Iredell County.

After laying out the store in 30 days, 704 Hemp opened and has seen growth every month since then as people come in with curiosity about the array of products on the shelves. Topicals, oils, cartridges, edibles and pet treats are among the items available and staff members can consult on what could be the best fit for each customer.

Additionally, Hornaday says all the  products in the store are tested by employees to ensure quality. Customers are usually offered a low dosage to start out.

“Since CBD is fairly new and not federally regulated, a lot of the problem is online you’re going to see a lot of information that counteracts and contradicts each other,” said Viktoria Lane,  Hornaday’s niece.

She floats between locations and works behind the scenes in addition to being the manager of the Moorseville location. “When we first opened, we all took courses and got certified in CBD online. The place where we received our certification, they made our training platform for our employees,” she said.

Each new hire spends 30 days in CBD education training before being brought out to assist and inform customers. After that, they receive an additional 30 days of training in conjunction with customer service.

“We’ve hired people who have used themselves or don’t have any prior knowledge,” Hornaday said. “We’ll take them in and make sure they’re trained and educated.”

Koi CBD was the brand 704 Hemp stocked for hemp before manufacturing its own products in 2018. According to Hornaday, there are always opportunities with the business and even more to share and educate. He said with his career, he likes that he is able to make money and help others at the same time.

He also shared that while business with selling CBD has been a slow and gradual process, the COVID-19 pandemic and more information over the last couple years has led more people to try it.

On 704 Hemp’s website, testimonies and products can be found but no online purchasing options are available yet.

The business also offers a loyalty program and has military, senior and EMS discounts.