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San Clemente Journal

Erba, Offering Something New

Mar 01, 2019 11:31AM ● By Nina Welch

Lisa Yates, owner, is in her 17th year of business on Del Mar, shown with her mom, Mary Jo.

by Nina Welch

Erba on Del Mar is a great shop for purchasing European jewelry, unique bath and body products, clothing, accessories, and now CBD. 
Lisa Yates, owner, is in her 17th year of business on Del Mar, and while Erba was originally an aromatic-apothecary store selling essential oils, it has evolved into more of a jewelry and gift shop because there wasn’t consumer awareness about essential oils available at that time. Maintaining the natural products, Lisa shifted away from the apothecary to offer jewelry and fun items instead. She laughs about the quirky cards in her store. She says the cards represent her sarcastic sense of humor. 
Why CBD? 

Lisa’s interest in CBD piqued last summer when her mother, Mary Jo, had knee replacement surgery and the recovery was rough. Lisa’s sister, Diana, is a nurse and her special-needs daughter was having minor but consistent seizures. Both Lisa and Diana researched the unfamiliar product, and when a Charlotte’s Web rep walked into Lisa’s store offering the product, she purchased a small amount. And after using CBD for 30 days, her mom and sister wanted more. 

Upon housing the CBD product in a tiny corner of the store, people started buying it. The demand was huge and Lisa bought more. One completely satisfied customer was a friend of Mary Jo’s visiting from Pacific Grove. She told Lisa about her extensive back pain and Lisa recommended gummies called Relieve CBD. These 250 mg edibles made a considerable difference.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 80 chemical compounds found in the cannabis plant called cannabinoids. Cannabinoids bind to receptors in the brain and body, is non-psychoactive, and non-addictive, and is legal in all 50 states. Along with the edibles, Lisa sells topicals, oils, tinctures, and capsules containing the product for health purposes. From a tiny corner in the back to two large cabinets in the front, Erba is currently expanding the product to seven cabinets and will soon include skin care products. 
According to Lisa, there is still a marijuana stigma with CBD. “There is no THC and it doesn’t get you high,” says Lisa. In her wildest dreams, she never thought she’d be selling CBD. When asked what Erba means, Lisa responds, “Ironically, it means ‘grass’ in Italian.” 
Lisa has lived in San Clemente since 1980 and graduated from San Clemente High School. She has three grown sons, Dilan, Forrest, and Dominic. 

For detailed information about CBD, log onto www.cbdsanclemente.com