Photo by Timothy Czerniakowski
Kind Oasis
Kind Oasis
As part of a family that has been creating and managing Milwaukee businesses for more than 100 years, John Kashou knows that “good business” is, well, good business. But he also knows that some businesses can be better for their customers than others. And it was that line of thinking that led to the creation of Kind Oasis, a cannabis products business on the city’s East Side.
Located at 2169 N. Farwell Ave., Kind Oasis occupies 12,000 square feet of a building his grandfather George Kashou built in 1920 as the home of the George Kashou Carpet Company. The company was passed down through three generations until Kashou’s brother Robert closed the operation down but kept the building in the family. Today, it’s home to one of the state’s largest cannabis stores, with 2,000 square feet of retail sales space, another 1,000 square feet dedicated to providing meeting space for various community groups and nonprofits. The remaining 10,000 square feet has yet to be used, Kashou says.
In reality, the Kind Oasis building already was an area landmark even before he opened his store. Along one exterior wall is a large painted mural of a leopard with a tear coming from its eye. Passers-by routinely have their picture taken with the leopard, including the occasional wedding party. Kashou hopes this kind of recognition will help not only his business, but all other cannabis-based enterprises to succeed as well.
Good for Customers
“I got into this business because I thought cannabis was a good-for-you type product,” says Kashou, who with his brother George used to operate Kangaroo Brands, a food company that specialized in pita bread and chips and ready-made sandwiches. His experience researching food and additives, as well as conversations with medical personnel, cemented his belief that cannabis and its derivatives were something good for his customers.
In fact, Kashou conducted some pretty significant research, drawing on his experiences in the plant-based food industry to examine common elements found in cannabis. He studied Eastern medicine and its applications and visited other cannabis operations in Wisconsin, as well as California and Colorado, to see what levels of professionalism characterized other cannabis retailers. What he learned led to the design and execution of Kind Oasis and how it treats its customers.
“John is pretty humble about his efforts, but he dug very deep in terms of research,” says Jason Handal, the company’s CEO, a lawyer, and Kashou’s nephew who spent 23 years in the executive offices of Northwestern Mutual before going to work for his uncle.
“I came out of retirement to start this business six years ago and haven’t looked back,” Kashou says.
Cannabis Reform Coalition
These days much of Kashou’s efforts are focused on the Wisconsin Coalition for Cannabis Reform (WCCR), a trade association he helped found dedicated to advancing evidence-based cannabis policy that prioritizes public health, economic opportunity and criminal justice reform. The group, currently headquartered at Kind Oasis, was brought into being eight months ago due to a growing number of legislative initiatives that surfaced last year at the State Capitol in Madison. The most heinous of these, he says, involved the state’s alcohol beverage industry and the Tavern League of Wisconsin and their efforts trying to draw the hemp industry under its wing.
“We started collaborating with alcohol distributors to handle logistical delivery of hemp-infused drinks to various stores and bars,” Kashou said. “Their answer to that collaboration was an attempt to rewrite the laws and include hemp in their legislation.”
Kashou and his colleagues began efforts to organize hemp famers, product manufacturers, retail outlets, and other small enterprises into an alliance strong enough to face the strength of Tavern League and its members.
Taking on Alcohol
“We knew how big and entrenched the alcohol industry is, and the Tavern League is one of the largest and best-funded associations in Wisconsin,” Kashou explained. “The alcohol industry is a well-established, well-oiled machine that has the help of the state legislature. This is really a David-vs.-Goliath story.”
What Kashou would most like to get is support from consumers and cannabis customers. WCCR already has more than 100 members, and it’s going to need a whole lot more to ultimately achieve its goals.
“It’s fascinating to see the quality and professionalism of the cannabis entrepreneurs, farmers, and advocates across the state,” says Handal, “and the amount of blood, sweat and tears that go into building these businesses. The industry is growing and, from a societal standpoint, it’s here to stay. Customers are stepping forward.”
Kashou, who has stepped away from Kind Oasis management to concentrate on lobbying and legislative work, has a message for those interested in seeing the cannabis industry survive and thrive.
“What I would love to see is a much greater consumer engagement in this process,” Kashou explains. “We are here because of consumers supporting these products. More consumer engagement on the legislative side is critical to success. Tell legislators, who only listen to the loudest voices and respond to greatest amounts of donations coming in, to give us a fighting chance.
“Look us up at joinwccr.com,” he adds. “That will create a greater chance that David may finally kick Goliath’s ass, in so many words.”
Michael Muckian was the banking and finance writer for the Milwaukee Business Journal and is the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Financing and Accounting and The One-Day MBA in Finance and Accounting.
