Area venture aims to bring sparkling CBD water to consumers

Since Matt Cornelius started drinking CBD sparkling water Aquarian Sky in place of beer, he says he’s lost about 40 pounds and has slept a lot better. “Part of the reason I get geeked about selling this product is it’s made my life a whole lot better,” he says. “You have to believe in anything you’re selling to some extent if you’re going to do it the right way.”

Cornelius is proprietor, executive of development and CEO of Aquarian Sky, a Bradenton-based venture to produce and distribute CBD sparkling water. Aquarian Sky seeks to gain traction in the CBD products space, an industry on a roll: Everything from gels and gummies to extracts and supplements with CBD has been competing for shelf space in recent years. CBD, or cannabidiol, and THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, are natural compounds derived from the cannabis plant. The core difference is THC has a psychoactive part.