Photo Courtesy of Ostaveeya Tye
Before opening TruCannaBliss (8311 W. Brown Deer Road) in February 2019, Ostaveeya Tye entered the hemp industry on the growing and processing side before venturing into retail. Tye, along with some partners, obtained grower and processor licenses from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for the state’s inaugural 2018 hemp pilot program. They experimented in a small greenhouse in Milwaukee.
“We didn’t have a goal to mass produce or sell it. In this new industry, we wanted to see the process and experiment to find the best way to do things,” Tye says, adding that there are now more resources available to assist those in the emerging hemp industry, such as Facebook groups to get advice and learn from others. “We tweaked the process, and this year, we actually had some plants to harvest. We sell our flower at TruCannaBliss.”
Tye’s background in finance and health care provided her with a foundation for hemp entrepreneurship. But unlike the financial industry, where there are firm guidelines and strict regulations in place, cannabinoids are uncharted territory. “With the cannabidiol (CBD) industry, it’s all over the place and ever-changing, with not a lot of regulations or just one right way to do things,” she notes.
At 2,000 square feet, TruCannaBliss has plenty of room for tinctures, gummies—including a vegan variety—topical creams, pain salves and vapes. The TruCannaBliss full-spectrum tincture is made with CBD flower grown at their greenhouse and processed by an out-of-state lab. They have their own line of salves and lotion. Other CBD brands they carry include Endoca, Charlotte’s Web, Hemp for Health, MedHemp and Hemp for Fitness.
“We try to carry unique products in addition to the typical oils and salves,” Tye explains. “We offer a CBD-infused breast balm for people who have had breast cancer, and we try to carry different cannabinoids like cannabigerol (CBG) and cannabichromene (CBC), which can work better for people with severe conditions or inflammatory problems like neuropathy.”
TruCannaBliss carries approximately 35 different strains of smokable CBD flower, some of which are grown in their greenhouse. The rest are sourced from California, Colorado and Oregon. Their staff, as well as some of their regular customers, sample the flower and provide a synopsis as to how it worked for them. The staff also provides samples of other CBD products to customers and encourages them to give thorough feedback so they can keep the best products on the shelves. There are educational tools such as charts in the store so employees can further assist customers who may not be familiar with the beneficial, non-psychoactive cannabinoids of hemp.
“There are many CBD stores out there, and we want to provide great service and let people try samples because it’s a big commitment for people to buy something they don’t know much about,” Tye emphasizes, adding that CBD products can also be expensive, so they never pressure people into purchasing something they’re unsure about.
Regarding the future of cannabis in Wisconsin, Tye foresees more regulation coming on vaping products. She’s hopeful that medical marijuana will move forward but doesn’t see recreational marijuana becoming legal for a while. “It seems that it’s still too taboo, but there’s pressure (to legalize), especially with Illinois’ new recreational marijuana law—and Milwaukee’s a short drive away.”
For more information, visit trucannabliss.com.
