CBD store opens in Troy
Nature Vibez Wellness is second location for owner, city resident Allison Joseph
— After countless emergency room visits and medical appointments, Troy resident Allison Joseph believed her struggle with chronic pain would be lifelong and irremediable.
That is until she said she was introduced to CBD or cannabidiol, an extract of the cannabis plant said to reduce pain, calm anxiety, aid sleep and provide relief for inflammation, nausea and other ailments.
Now, the 53-year-old is the proud owner of Nature Vibez Wellness, which opened in downtown Troy earlier this month.
The small business sells cannabinoid hemp products in a variety of forms to promote health and wellness.
Years ago, when Joseph, riddled with medical issues, was recommended to try CBD to help manage her pain, she said her immediate reaction was fear.
“Coming from the background that I’m coming from, it still had that stigma that’s connected to cannabis,” said Joseph, who was born in Guyana before moving to Troy at the age of 18. “I’ve been so conditioned since childhood against cannabis that it scared me so much, even though I knew there were health benefits, I was just too afraid.”
After researching the chemical found in marijuana and learning that it doesn’t elicit a high, Joseph said she became less fearful and decided to try it. “It’s been life-changing,” she said, adding that it has helped her walk better, reduced her trips to the doctor and reduced her anxiety.
Enthralled by the product’s impact on her health, Joseph decided she wanted to get her foot into the growing New York industry and set forth on a journey of education: learning about the active ingredient derived from the hemp plant and its medicinal properties.
In 2022, with the encouragement of her father, Joseph opened her first store in Brooklyn and regularly traveled to and from the city to run the business.
“What I realized in Brooklyn is that everyone who came in mostly was curious. Hardly did anyone come in and say, ‘I want this product’ or really knew anything about it. When people walked in and I realized how curious they were but afraid of it, I always found myself in a position of educating others,” she said.
After a year of growing the brand’s presence downstate, Joseph decided to bring the business closer to home and make CBD more accessible to her Troy community. The new store at 336 CONTROY gress St. carries flavored tinctures, ingestible gummies and topical products including body butter, lotion, sugar scrubs and roll-on gel.
“Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of people coming in to get help with their seizures,” she said. “Of course, even though more doctors are recommending it to their patients these days, I still recommend people talk to their doctors because you never know what conditions they may have.”
The business also sells a selection of CBD products for pets, from salmonflavored tinctures for cats to steak treats for dogs, which Joseph said can help with behavioral issues and anxiety,
among other ailments. Joseph also recommends talking to a veterinarian before beginning treatment.
Hemp is defined by state lawmakers as cannabis containing 0.3 percent or less of THC. Under New York’s cannabis legalization bill passed last March, hemp grown for CBD is under the purview of the Office of Cannabis Management along with adult-use cannabis and medical cannabis.
New regulations became effective last April, requiring stricter packaging, labeling and testing standards for cannabinoid hemp processors.
Joseph said each of her products is carefully curated, tested by a third-party lab and made in the U.S.
While CBD products can be found locally at some gas stations and vape shops, Joseph urges consumers to purchase from more reputable and trustworthy sources to best reap the drug ’s benefits.
“The difference is you can track what you’re getting,” she said. “If you come to me, you’re going to get somebody that is knowledgeable, you’re going to know where your products are coming from, you can guarantee that you’re getting products without any added things that you don’t need in your body, and you also can make sure you’re getting the right dosage.”