



WEST ALLIS -- The owners of one of the first CBD-only dispensaries to open in Milwaukee County said sales are already through the roof. In May, Attorney General Brad Schimel OK'd the production of the oil, which comes from hemp plants.



CBD can be extracted from both hemp and marijuana plants, but when taken from hemp, it doesn't produce a "high." Instead, hemp-derived CBD can be used to treat medical ailments.











Matthew Wetzel





"It's been so rewarding," said Matthew Wetzel, owner of Laughing Grass Hemp.



Wetzel said sales have already exceeded $8,000, after the shop opened on Sept. 19.



"We have our CBD rolled joints. We have our CBD hemp flower," said Wetzel.



CBD, an active chemical found in hemp, can be used to treat everything from anxiety to chronic pain. Wetzel says it saved his son's life.



"My son was diagnosed with a deadly form of epilepsy, and he was pretty much sent home to die. We just couldn't accept that, so we went out to Colorado. We worked with different growers and farmers and scientists," said Wetzel.



Wetzel came back to Wisconsin with new knowledge, and began advocating for the legalization of hemp-derived CBD production and distribution. At the end of 2017, farmers were given the green light to grow industrial hemp, but AG Schimel put limits on who could possess it. Wetzel and others in the industry objected, and in May, the DOJ reversed its previous statement, allowing people who are able to obtain a license to sell CBD.



"It's such a relief," said Angel Rivera.



Rivera suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes muscle spasms.



"It's done things that Western medicine and the opiates that seemed to have been the only thing that doctors were able to offer me, couldn't touch," said Rivera.



Rivera said he used to barely be able to walk, and now, his pain is completely manageable. He said he hopes others in need will try CBD for themselves.



"I see it as, going to be a fundamental change in our country once this becomes more mainstream," said Rivera.



Wetzel said Laughing Grass Hemp also offers a relaxation consultation to help customers determine which product would be most beneficial to them based on their specific health concerns.