As a salesperson in the pet products industry, Brian Tuchalski, co-owner of Joint Venture CBD Shoppe (200 S. Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc) had first learned about how cannabidiol (CBD) can be beneficial to dogs and cats. “Then I started researching how CBD benefits humans,” he says. “I became intrigued, because I personally suffer from migraines and anxiety, so I thought I’d give it a shot to see how it worked for myself. I really liked the results.”
Tuchalski noticed that every day there seem to be more and more CBD products coming out, particularly geared toward health and beauty. He thought a small boutique, especially one in a high-end area, could really thrive. On Saturday, May 4, he opened Joint Venture CBD Shoppe, specializing in beauty care and cosmetic products such as facial cleansers and eye toner infused with CBD.
“We wanted to go after a different clientele than your smoke shop-glass pipe-type store,” he remarks. Tuchalski says they strive to educate themselves and also give customers the experience that they walked out educated about CBD, even if they don’t purchase anything. “We want to educate the public that CBD isn’t drugs; it isn’t marijuana. There’s still that perception out there. This is an alternative to traditional drugs like aspirin. With the opioid crisis, there are alternatives to seek.”
‘We’re Not Selling Drugs’
Like many CBD retailers, Tuchalski says he has also experienced challenges with merchant processors and advertising through social media sites. “We’re not selling drugs,” he emphasizes. “CBD is an extraction of a plant material that’s been used for thousands of years and that was deemed illegal in the United States for a very long time. Now, with more people understanding the benefits of CBD and that this is something beneficial to your body, another challenge is that this is kind of a craze, with shops popping up left and right. We want to set ourselves apart with a boutique ambiance and the good service you’ll receive.”
In addition to beauty care products, they carry tinctures, gummies, pet items, some smokable flower, pain creams and CBD-infused water. Joint Venture carries the Naysa brand exclusively. Tuchalski says he was impressed not just by the company’s quality and knowledge, but that they’re evolving and frequently bringing new products to market. He’s also looking to private-label a Joint Venture brand.
Tuchalski emphasizes the difference between marijuana and CBD. “If you look at the properties in the marijuana plant itself, there’s no CBD, but with hemp, that’s where the CBD is being extracted from. I tell people that CBD is for use in a daily regimen, like a multi-vitamin, whereas marijuana is for situational use.”
For people who do need marijuana to help relieve pain or other ailments, Tuchalski sees problems with it staying underground. “We hope and wonder; the surrounding states around us are going toward the legal side of things. I would like to at least see medical marijuana passed, because it could be beneficial to a lot of people, but it would also help curb things like underground vaping with THC cartridges that have been tainted with vitamin E and other things.
“It’s just like Prohibition with alcohol,” he continues. “It’s going to be around, but when you’re doing things that aren’t regulated, there are going to be issues. People will be cutting it wrong and producing it wrong, and that’s why you have misconceptions like, ‘This stuff is dangerous, and it’s hurting you.’ That’s all due to the underground production of the stuff.”
For more information, visit jointventurecbd.com.
