It all sort of happened organically. Since opening in Fort Worth last year, Rawsome has now spread to Austin.
The Race Street retailer of cannabidiol (CBD), a controversial in-demand hemp extract related to marijuana but that won’t get you high, is jumping on an offer too good to refuse.
Though Austin police have confiscated some CBD products in the past, Rawsome co-owner Lori Thomson isn’t scared. She said her store’s supply comes from a Colorado grower who’s certified organic, federally regulated, and state licensed. Plants that contain fewer than 0.3 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, a.k.a. the stuff that gets you high, are considered industrial hemp and legal, according to the Texas Hemp Industries Association.
“I run with scissors and eat paste,” Thomson joked. “I just point the scissors down so nobody gets hurt.”
Thomson’s friend of 43 years Gina Andre lives in Austin and had seen the positive effects of CBD from a relative who was using it. She did some research online before dropping into Rawsome while in Fort Worth during Christmas.
“She walks in and says, ‘OK we’re ready to move Rawsome to Austin,’ ” Thomson said.
It helped that Andre’s fiancé had some commercial property there.
“I’ve got this silver platter handed to me with everything in place,” Thomson said. “We have a building that has a nutritionist and a chiropractor in it.”
Located at 1210 Rosewood Ave. in East Austin, the store opened last weekend.
Rawsome’s oils are infused with high amounts of CBD. However, Rawsome.com offers a disclaimer saying that CBD is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Potential customers are also instructed to see a doctor before using the supplements.
Co-owner Andrew Clarkson, Thomson’s son, said he likes to keep things simple and consistent, and every bottle of Rawsome’s CBD oil is mixed by hand. Fresh from the South by Southwest Wellness Expo, Clarkson – who ran a vegan, CBD-infused chocolate truffle business for several years – said he’s excited about expanding the brand into Austin.
“It’s a place that’s ready for us,” he said.
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