Courtesy of Dr. Feel Good Health & Wellness
Thomas McCreary had always enjoyed playing sports, but the weekend warrior athlete endured his share of aches and pains over the years. Instead of prescription pharmaceuticals, he sought out natural remedies and found that cannabidiol (CBD) provided pain relief. His sons, Ryan McCreary and Antonio Wilkerson, were already familiar with the medicinal effects from cannabis when they lived in Michigan, where medical marijuana has been legal since 2008 (the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2018).
When Wisconsin legalized industrial hemp in 2017, the sons encouraged their father to join them in a business venture to offer CBD products to the community. They opened Dr. Feel Good Health & Wellness (7340 W Greenfield Ave, West Allis) in May 2019. They remodeled a former staffing agency to create a warm, inviting space where customers can learn about the benefits of hemp. “Our number one focus is customer service,” Thomas emphasizes. “We never focus on sales—just the customer’s needs and developing a relationship.”
Ryan boasts that his personal mantra is “everybody wants to feel good, but everybody doesn’t want to get high,” which he believes is the appeal behind CBD’s popularity, since the products contain the beneficial cannabinoids of the cannabis plant without the psychoactive high of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). He came up with the name “Dr. Feel Good,” but Thomas added “health and wellness” to reflect their emphasis on healthy living through natural, non-hallucinogenic CBD.
Antonio says they prioritize carrying natural and vegan products they have personally researched and tested. Their inventory includes broad spectrum—CBD extracted from the cannabis plant along with terpenes, essential oils and other cannabinoids except for THC—and isolate, which is just the CBD cannabinoid. They carry tinctures, balms, capsules, topical patches, pet treats and topicals, lotion, bath bombs, pain roll-on, tea, coffee, smokable flower and shatter, a cannabis concentrate that's produced through a combination of plant materials and solvents.
Wisconsin-based lines include CBD-infused honey, soaps and scrubs from Sarah’s Garden; Vance Global CBD cigarettes; and Michigan-based Urban Roots Hemp Co.’s lotions, pet supplements and capsules. “We want to be different and carry some products other people don’t have,” Thomas says. “We carry Kozmic Gardens CBD sorbet push pops, CBD water and Swiss Cannabis Gum.”
They keep at least four different strains of CBD smokable flower in stock; in early June, choices included special sauce, space candy, Hawaiian haze and strawberry. In addition, they carry cannabigerol (CBG) flower. CBG is one of 120 cannabinoid compounds from the cannabis plant and known to help reduce inflammation.
“We make sure we test each product, give out samples and stock items based on customer feedback, because we want to make sure it’s very accurate and actually going to work. We also make sure we have third-party lab results for everything we carry,” Antonio says.
Retooling for Post-pandemic Commerce
Dr. Feel Good Health & Wellness reopened the store to walk-in customers on Friday, June 5, after closing in March due to the pandemic. They are taking precautions such as providing masks and gloves for customers, and social distancing. During the temporary closure, Thomas says they found online sales and social media an effective tool to educate customers about CBD and still get products to customers. They’ll continue to offer delivery and contactless pickup and will later hold classes, book clubs and live music.
They’re looking forward to face-to-face customer interaction again to further their mission of educating customers. They still hear misconceptions about CBD such as “will it get me high?” or “does it really work?”
When THC does become legalized in Wisconsin, Ryan and Antonio believe people will be more educated about the plant’s medicinal benefits and not focus on just its psychedelic effect. They predict CBD will remain a strong choice to help issues like pain, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
For more information, visit facebook.com/DFGcbd.
