Store offers CBD, hemp products
By James Card
The new shop Alternative Edge on Main Street has something for everyone to feel better, including dogs.
The store specializes in products containing legal compounds derived from cannabis and they have treats that are useful to help dogs mellow out. The dog snacks contain CBD, a compound that helps reduce anxiety and stress and therefore it is handy to give to dogs that are frightened by thunderstorms, loud fireworks or visitors.
CBD stands for cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis plants. In 2017, Wisconsin Act 100 legalized the selling and consumption of CBD products derived from hemp that has 0.3% or less THC.
THC is tetrahydrocannabinol and is better known as the substance in marijuana that gets people high. The products have trace amounts of this substance – enough for therapeutic use but not enough for recreational use.
This is an important distinction for owners Eric and Erin Petzold, said their daughter Megan Petzold as she was setting up Christmas decorations in their Waupaca shop at 203 N. Main St.
They own another shop on Peach Street in Wisconsin Rapids and when they decided to get into the CBD market, the wanted to differentiate themselves from other retail outlets where CBD was sold, namely tobacco and vape shops.
“We don’t like to be associated with nicotine and tobacco because that’s bad for you but CBD is not bad for you. It helps with a huge range of things. There are a lot of diverse customers from teachers to police officers. There are all sorts of people that use it,” said Petzold.
Alternative Edge is positioned as a wellness and healthful living shop. Their goal is to provide alternative medicine that helps people feel better naturally and to reduce their dependence on lab-created pharmaceuticals.
CBD hasn’t been approved by the FDA so CBD companies are not allowed to make claims on how they work. Petzold said many of her customers use it for chronic pain, anxiety and depression and other simple things like headaches.
“All of these products have been slowly coming out and we’ve been learning about them. My parents especially have been to so many conventions, out of state and out of town, to learn about this stuff. Each product is different in their own way and affects each individual in their own way,” said Petzold.
CBD and similar hemp derivatives can be taken in various ways and the most popular are gummies. There are tinctures taken under the tongue and there are also drink and tea mixtures and honey sticks loaded with CBD. There are other edibles like candies and chocolates and Mike Bites, fruit flavored gummies produced by former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. The brand’s logo is a human ear with bite marks – a reference to his 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield where Tyson bit off a part of Holyfield’s ear.
Other products in the store are derived from hemp or are of eco-friendly origin. There are various creams, body lotions, balms, bug sprays, shampoos and soaps. One standout is the Trace of the Past brand of soaps and lotions that are made here in central Wisconsin by Petzold’s aunt, Tracy Stratton.
Alternative Edge is closed on Sundays and is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.