Leslynn Odoms, owner of CBD Waukesha Wellness (901 Meadowbrook Road, Suite 5), first heard from a friend about cannabidiol (CBD), the non-psychoactive cannabinoid known to relieve pain and anxiety. When Odoms’ grandmother had a stroke and was diagnosed with stomach cancer, she was eventually sent home under hospice care and received morphine to relieve pain.
“If you’ve ever seen what morphine does to a person, it’s horrible,” Odoms says. “It caused my grandmother to hallucinate. She thought she was holding a baby, or she thought she was smoking a cigarette. She was not herself at all.” Odoms and her family decided to try giving her CBD instead to ease her pain. Odoms states her grandmother soon became more like her old self and had a decent quality of life until she died. That made Odoms realize she had to help get CBD to others who also could benefit from it.
Because CBD as an industry is still in its infancy and largely unregulated, Odoms faced obstacles while opening CBD Waukesha Wellness; she had difficulty getting a business loan because banks viewed it as a risky venture. Fortunately her uncles, retired U.S. Marines, helped her finance the store. Advertising options are also limited; some social media outlets do not permit legal cannabis advertising. “We also can’t mail fliers through the U.S. Postal Service,” Odoms says. “But we can advertise in newspapers, and we distribute fliers the old-fashioned way: walking door-to-door and putting them in people’s newspaper boxes.”
Odoms opened CBD Waukesha Wellness this past February, and she says there is a large customer education component involved with operating a CBD store. She often explains what CBD is, how it can naturally help relieve pain and anxiety and the differences within the genus cannabis. She offers free product samples and provides lab reports of all the items in the store, showing how they were manufactured. She carries peppermint, lemon or blood orange-flavored CBD oil from Green Crown Extracts of Dousman, Wis., a company which Odoms says also makes a smaller, 15-ml. trial size (about a two-week supply) for her.
Odoms also carries Sweet Red Fish CBD gummies and Blue Moon gummies with CBD and melatonin to aid sleep; Buddha CBD tea in chamomile, ginger and peppermint; Select CBD topicals; lotions, muscle rubs, lip balm, dog treats, energy drinks, water and locally made bakery with CBD.
New CBD businesses are opening through the Milwaukee area at a rapid pace, but Odoms cautions to do careful research before purchasing products. “It’s not regulated, and now you can get CBD at big box stores, gas stations and liquor stores. That’s scary to me, because you don’t know what you’re getting.” She emphasizes that CBD Waukesha Wellness is not just a CBD store but also a wellness resource. “People can come in, and even if they don’t buy CBD from here, I’ll still answer questions. I also have a 30-day money back guarantee.”
Odoms appeared on WTMJ-Channel 4’s “The Morning Blend” to talk about CBD, and she attends wellness fairs to further educate people and dispel misconceptions about CBD. She’ll be at the MINI Wellness Fair on Sunday, Aug. 4, taking place at 2314 N. Granview Blvd. in Pewaukee, Wis. Because her store opened during a stretch of particularly inclement weather in February, Odoms will host a six-month “Re-Grand Opening” ribbon-cutting ceremony at CBD Waukesha Wellness on Friday, July 12.
For more information, visit cbdwaukeshawellness.com. Any health claims in this article are intended for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for medical advice. Consult with a health care professional before starting any treatment.
