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Biz Buzz shares business tidbits from the tri-states. In addition to this update from Dubuque, we will have additional developments in Tuesday’s edition.
An herbal hemp business has moved into a new Dubuque location and soon will open an additional store in southwest Wisconsin.
Botanicanna opened a storefront in the Kennedy Mall in the first week of November. The business previously operated at 3430 Dodge St. and closed that location just days earlier.
Co-owner Ashlee Bainbridge believes the move will benefit both the mall and her business.
“They have been trying to bring in more small businesses and revamp the mall,” she said. “We were trying to find a space that is more visible, and I think we’ve done that. We instantly noticed that there is high foot traffic here.”
The Dubuque store sells cannabidiol — or CBD — in edible and topical forms, as well as a liquid form known as tinctures. The location also sells hemp apparel and glass accessories.
The origins of Botanicanna date back to 2018, when Bainbridge and her husband, Jake, started a hemp farm in Darlington, Wis. They launched their first storefront in Galena, Ill., in 2019.
Today, the company is on the cusp of establishing a presence in three states.
Bainbridge said a third Botanicanna facility will open later this week in Platteville, Wis. This location, at 305 E. Business U.S. 151, will serve as both a retail store and manufacturing facility, where employees will produce a wide variety of hemp products.
“Especially with all the college students, we always thought Platteville would be a great town to be in,” she said. “There are a lot of cities in the (southwest Wisconsin) area without access to what we provide.”
Botanicanna employs 15 workers and aims to hire more, Bainbridge said.
Because Iowa has stricter laws concerning CBD, the Dubuque store operates under certain restrictions that the other ones do not.
Stores in Illinois and Wisconsin can sell products with higher levels of THC, while products in Iowa can contain only trace amounts. Iowa stores also are forbidden from selling CBD products for pets or products that can be smoked or vaped.
The Kennedy Mall store is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The store can be reached at 563-239-9210.
The Platteville store will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days per week and can be reached at 608-348-2332.