To some, unwinding at the end of the week ends up being a recipe for disaster — made up mostly of alcohol. Rad Dad, a store with hemp-derived products, functional beverages and more, might just be the answer some Baton Rougeans may be looking for when it comes to alcohol alternatives.

Co-owner Margaret Wilkinson opened the store with her husband Paul Claxton after their youngest daughter started kindergarten. As Wilkinson looked toward reentering the workforce, she saw a good opportunity to fill a gap in the market caused by a lack of alternatives to alcohol.

“We noticed our friends were just drinking less and trying to find ways to manage stress and kids,” Claxton said. “These products provided a really good avenue; the more I talked to people, the more people were using it, and we thought, ‘Well, I could certainly do a good job of bringing a space to market.’”

With over three decades of retail experience under Claxton’s belt, the couple decided to dive into the world of plant-based wellness products, including hemp, mushrooms and kava.

At Rad Dad, customers can shop from an assortment of items, such as beverages, gummies and tinctures. Cannabinoids include THC, which often creates a high, and CBD, which is not intoxicating. Functional mushrooms are usually used to create focus, generate energy or ease stress, while kava is typically used for relaxation.

When consuming such products, it’s important to be aware of legal age restrictions. In Louisiana, hemp-derived THC products are restricted to those 21 and older. Though kava and functional mushrooms are not regulated in the same way, products in stores are marketed toward adult consumers.

Concerning focus-based products, Claxton pointed to functional mushroom tinctures like lion’s mane and cordyceps, which typically are used to stimulate mental clarity and energy. Products like these, which are not age restricted, can be helpful to students who want extra studying support.

A 2024 study found that Americans have been consuming cannabis at higher daily rates than alcohol. Claxton feels that the ebb and flow between alcohol and other substances doesn’t demand any outsider influence.

“It’s not like we’re battling the drinking culture,” Claxton said. “I think the drinking culture is pushing people to us because they’re tired of it — it’s expensive and it’s bad for you.”

As it comes to functional beverages, he believes that the macronutrients combined with the buzz are far better than alcohol.

“The alternative to high sugar drinks, to high caffeine drinks, to alcohol drinks — I mean, you are coming out way ahead and, a lot of times, for less money,” Claxton said.

Claxton shared that most customers come in for one of four reasons: sleep assistance, anxiety relief, ache or pain support and cutting back on alcohol. Rad Dad was intentionally built to be learning-centered, with highly experienced staff ready to help customers find the right product for them.

“We lead with education,” Claxton said. “Most of our staff is either certified by the Louisiana Cannabis Program or have worked in the industry.”

Though expertise is an important requirement for the staff, Rad Dad is not meant to feel like a sterile pharmacy or a grungy liquor store. Instead, each location takes on a unique aesthetic to help make customers feel welcome and comfortable.

The original Mid City location on Government Street was the first to open in November 2023, with a retro dreamscape vibe. Conversely, the Jefferson Highway location, which opened in January of this year, carries a more refined vintage feel, which Claxton described as being reminiscent of Don Draper from “Mad Men.”

Though the latter location opened just two months ago, the future of Rad Dad, and other cannabinoid retailers in Louisiana, is currently up in the air.

Hemp has been a hot topic in recent years, with Louisiana’s dosage caps and packaging rules having been tightened in 2024. Originally, the restriction was intended to ban all THC products.

“Anybody that I can think of [in the industry] wants reasonable rules,” Claxton said. “They want testing, not selling to children — all these things that make sense.”

At the federal level, potential changes to hemp regulations could impact the industry further, with a bill set to take effect on Nov. 12 this year that would ban products with more than 0.4% THC. Industry groups like the U.S. Hemp Roundtable have advocated for more consistent and clear regulations instead of total bans.

For now, though, Rad Dad is focusing on what is in their control.

As beverages with hemp and mushrooms become more mainstream, businesses like grocery stores have slowly become direct competitors.

“We just have to find different ways to provide value to customers — to get them to come back and shop with us,” Claxton said. “You can buy every can as a single in there and bundle them for four packs and six packs. You can’t really get that experience at a Rouses.”

Rad Dad’s identity is centered around customization and connection, allowing customers to ask questions, compare products and create a better understanding of what they are looking at before purchasing.

Over the past few years, functional beverages have consistently seen growth, something that Claxton is excited to see more of in the future.

“Just like fine wine pairings when they talk about the terpenes and the flavor profiles — all of those have a reaction to every person’s body as well,” Claxton said. “There’s a whole layer of hemp, cannabinoids, terpenes, all of that that hasn’t even been explored yet. I think that terpene science is something that’s going to continue to kind of come with that.”

As the industry continues to evolve, Claxton believes consumer curiosity will only grow alongside it. For the time being, Rad Dad remains committed to their mission of being both a storefront and educational space.