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Power in the Flower

Alternative Wellness Takes Root at The Holistic Connection

Article by William Harwood

Photography by Ali Miller

Originally published in Brentwood Lifestyle

A father in Madison has a young child with epilepsy and regularly gets into his car to make the long drive to Brentwood, passing dozens of places that sell, or at least purport to sell, CBD, a naturally occurring compound found in the leaves and flowers of the hemp plant. The holistic medicine—deemed a safe, affordable, effective and naturally free of the psychoactive properties of THC—greatly reduces the number and the severity of his child’s seizures. 

But why drive all the way to Brentwood?

Because here is where Jake and Kate Ducey are as the husband and wife team who founded The Holistic Connection, the place for alternative and natural wellness solutions. In partnership with their longtime friend Michael Solomon, founder of Tri-Star Medical, Middle Tennessee’s leading medicinal hemp company, Jake and Kate are able to provide not only the highest-quality CBD and hemp-derived products for their patrons’ health and peace of mind, but also intangible qualities that are equally as valuable: their expertise and their compassion.

It's intentional that The Holistic Connection has the vibe of a high-end spa, soothing from the first step through the door. They want guests to take their time, asking questions about various products on the shelves: the capsules and creams, the tinctures and smokable flowers, the teas and vape cartridges. After reviewing the products, customers can relax on comfortable chairs and share health concerns and wellness goals. Jake and Kate want to take the time to get to know each customer and provide them with the best available advice to help meet their needs.  

“We want to be viewed as a consultative partner for our customers,” Jake says. “A place where they can hang out and talk. Helping others is deeply rewarding and a big motivation.”

Kate agrees.

“People often come in with lots of questions,” she says. “And we’re happy to share our knowledge and expertise and help people figure out what’s right for them.”    

The Duceys say the products they provide are the best of the best. In the burgeoning yet largely unregulated hemp industry, one which can attract uninformed or even unscrupulous "green-rushers," many believe The Holistic Connection stands out as industry exemplars. 

“We control everything from seed to shelf,” Jake says. “From planting, to growing, to harvesting, to extracting, to packaging, to delivery—we are vertically integrated. We make clean, safe, pure and potent products that are 100% what we say they are.”  

Kate and Jake are not required to exceed industry standards each step of the way, but they do. For them, quality is everything.

To source their highest quality products, Tri-Star Medical consults with select local farmers, each of whom must meet stringent criteria for quality control, including the absence of pesticides and stringent lab testing to prove that their soil is indeed contaminant-free. Tri-Star Medical provides the farmers with the desired strains and consults with the growers each step of the way, from planting the seeds to acquiring the certificates of analysis.

In addition, Tri-Star teams have begun growing their own strains at the company's indoor facility in Nashville. It is a process deeply rooted in science with each strain having its own distinct cannabinoid and terpene profile, values that determine everything from a strain’s medicinal effects to its color, smell and flavor. This fall, Tri-Star managers say they will select seven smokable flowers from the 21 strains currently undergoing testing. Jake and Kate at The Holistic Connection will be the only place to offer them, or even deliver them. 

Find out more at The Holistic Connection TN, or better yet, stop in and say hello to discuss health and wellness goals with Jake and Kate.

The Holistic Connection offers the highest-quality tinctures, capsules, flowers and creams, as well as a free cup of CBD-infused coffee. Stop by on the first Saturday of each month between 9 a.m. and noon to hear a guest speaker, cultivate community and enjoy a complimentary CBD beverage.