GRANVILLE All it took for Rick Bauer to know what he wanted to do in retirement was seeing the improved movement in an aging dog with arthritis and interest from former Ohio State and NFL star Chris Spielman.

Bauer, retired after 35 years in the pharmaceutical industry, opened CBD Health Collection on Thursday in downtown Granville. Joining Bauer in the online distributor of CBD-infused products are his son, Jon Bauer, and his daughter, Ashley Bauer Marienau,

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is an essential component of medical marijuana, derived from the hemp plant. By itself, it does not cause a “high” and has been credited with easing pain.

More than a year ago, Bauer saw the impact of CBD on his son’s dog, a female pit bull about 16 years old.

“The dog, she couldn’t navigate the stairs at all,” Rick Bauer said. “He had to carry her up stairs. Now she can get up on her own and navigate the stairs, somewhat slowly.

“I could see the results. I was very impressed by CBD. It made a difference. It made a difference in her life. With animals, there’s no placebo effect. The dog had no idea.”

Bauer’s friendship with Spielman goes back to the late 1990s. He knew Spielman had battled pain from his playing days.

“I reached out to Chris because I knew he had a lot of painful episodes and I wanted to know what he was using,” Bauer said. “I contacted his agent.”

At the same time Bauer wanted Spielman’s input, the former Detroit Lions player was searching for an Ohio manufacturer of CBD.

“Chris had heard a lot of good things about CBD and called his agent to find an Ohio manufacturer,” Bauer said. “The timing was incredible.”

Spielman, a partner in the new business, attended the grand opening on Thursday. One of the products, a roll-on, is marketed under the name Spielman. The NFL announcer said he had been taking 15 to 20 over-the-counter pills a day as a pain reducer.

“This is something I really believe in,” Spielman said. “I’m a user of it. I know for pain, it’s been a winner for me. If it didn’t work, I wouldn’t be here. It might not take all your pain away, but it takes the edge off.

“I was introduced to the product through my colleagues at FOX Sports after I complained of nagging pain from injuries experienced in my NFL career.”

Bauer’s son and daughter, Jon and Ashley, each endured their own painful injuries, requiring pain medication.

Jon Bauer, a veteran of CBD extraction and processing, suffered two crushed vertebrate in a rollerblading accident and also injured his arm in a car accident six years ago on his first Father’s Day.

“It’s very exciting, a jump off to a new, interesting phase in our lives,” Jon Bauer said of the new business. “We debated (retail). We decided to have a physical presence in our neighborhood.”

Ashley, a member of the U.S. National and Ohio State rowing teams, the Ohio State female athlete of the year in 2015, and a three-time national champion, injured her ankle in 2014, but delayed surgery until after the season. She said she took 16 Advil tablets a day.

“It really would have been nice to have CBD as an option,” she said. “It’s really exciting. We really feel the public needs to be educated about CBD. There’s a lot of stigma and misinformation.”

Rick Bauer said the company’s product is grown on eight farms in Colorado, North Carolina and Nevada, with a manufacturing plant in Nevada. The manufacturing facility sends the seeds to the farmers.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8545

Twitter: @kmallett1958