Neurologist Albert Marano
with business co-owners Chris
Morgan and Matt Resnick.
o this day, Chris Morgan still doesn’t know if a chance bump to the head, a high fever the next
day, or some combination of both caused his daughter, Jaylin, to begin experiencing seizures at two
years old. But he does know, according to his podcast, JASA Talks, that when she refused to wake
Tfrom what he and his wife perceived to be a night terror, it “was the worst day of [his] life.”
The young parents were quick to drive Jaylin
to the hospital and, after numerous tests,
Jaylin’s doctors put her on traditional medicines.
Two months later, however, Morgan’s
second worst day came when Jaylin had
another episode.
That’s when they started talking CBD.
For the unfamiliar, CBD is the abbreviation
for cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive, nonintoxicating
compound derived from cannabis
plants (read: not pot). Many CBD products are
derived from hemp plants, and though hemp
is classified as Cannabis Sativa L, the species
carries high amounts of CBD and very low
amounts (.3 percent or less) of THC; its “cousin,”
marijuana, carries the opposite. However,
like THC, CBD has been thought, and in some
cases proven, to hold remedial properties. In
fact, in the United States, the FDA has approved
CBD-infused Epidiolex as a treatment
for two forms of childhood epilepsy: Dravet’s
Syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.
When discussing options with their daughter’s
pediatric neurologist, the Morgans knew CBD
wouldn’t replace Jaylin’s traditional meds, but
all parties involved agreed that it might be
beneficial to introduce it to her daily regimen.
Jaylin has been seizure-free for almost three
years now and no longer takes conventional
seizure medicines — just CBD.
But that wasn’t the only silver lining: Morgan
also discovered a newfound purpose. He
partnered with longtime friend Matt Resnick
and the two opened the CBD Center of RI in
March 2019.
“I had a background in the cannabis side
of things already, so when hemp became federally
legal in 2018, it was an easy decision for
us to pivot and move right into this space,”
Morgan says. “It’s all about health and wellness
and helping people at this point; breaking down
these walls and stigmas. Letting everyone know
it’s an all-inclusive club and it’s such a low risk
for a high reward. Who better to bring CBD
to the masses than people who are personally
invested in it?”
The two have also created their own line of
CBD products under the name JASA. Each
letter represents the first initial of the owners’
respective daughters: J and S for Morgan’s
daughters, Jaylin and Sophia, and two As for
Resnick’s daughters, Aria and Ava. They
created the line with the intent of providing
customers with the best of the best.
“We go above and beyond as far as testing
is concerned. Our products are put through
rigorous testing protocols and have to meet a
68 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l SEPTEMBER 2020