“You can smoke weed and still be professional — you can have it all,” says Judie Vegh, co-founder of The Girls’ Joint — a new femme-forward cannabis lifestyle boutique in Gordon Square.

Clevelanders showed their anticipation for the grand opening of the shop, standing outside in the cold waiting for their chance to peruse the cannabis-friendly goods on a Saturday morning.

“We opened up at 11 [a.m.] and we were in here getting the giveaway bags ready – then all of a sudden, five or seven people were standing outside,” Vegh said. “It was a steady stream of people.”

At the register in the retro-colored, 70s throwback-vibe establishment, co-founder Mandi Cavano‘s brother gave her two shocks in one day — a surprise visit from New Orleans during The Girl Joints’ grand opening weekend, and a fresh tattoo of The Girls’ Joint logo on his arm.

Photo captions: Mandi Cavano (left) and her brother Lucas Smith, who came to visit her from New Orleans during The Girls’ Joint’s grand opening weekend. Smith stopped by Grim Heart Tattoo in Gordon Square to get his fresh The Girls’ Joint tattoo, much to his sister’s surprise!

The fact that Cavano is here today, laughing with her brother and standing next to Vegh in their store offering artsy cannabis accessories and tools — it’s not something any of them could have imagined would happen in less than a year.

Cavano and Vegh met in 2018 while working together at a background screening company in Cleveland. After they both left the company and went their separate ways, they remained friends. Looking around and pointing at the items in the shop, Cavano says she and Vegh already own copies of most of the products in the store.

“At some point, we figured out we both were stoners,” Cavano says. ”We’ve always had that mutual appreciation. We like the same kind of things.”

Constantly sharing the latest cannabis accessories they got, a text thread between the two eventually led to the question, “Wouldn’t it be cool if we just had a store where all this was in one place, and it was for women or femme-identifying individuals? We could have art pop-ups and community events, and just have fun with it?”

“And, here we are,” Vegh says.

“About three and a half years ago, I almost died — legitimately. My brain hemorrhaged,” Cavano says.

Cavano says she was alone when the life-threatening event occurred, and was only able to recognize her symptoms due to her past career as a 911 dispatcher (and her ex-husband’s experience in CAT scans).

“Only 18 percent of people come out of a stroke like the kind that she had, and then only 1 percent are not vegetables after the fact — if they survive it,” Vegh says.

Cavano lost her ability to use her dominant hand (her left), and had to relearn how to walk, eat, write and speak. It took 10 months of intensive, daily therapies to recover.

“I had to go through three different kinds of therapies, three times a day,” Cavano says. “I said I’m never gonna work for anyone ever again. And I’m certainly not going to work in corporate America again. I took time to heal, mourn who I was, and figure out who I’m going to be. I feel like a completely different person.”

Vegh agrees that working in corporate America was not ideal for her either — she sees herself as a creative. Vegh says what was a pipe dream (pun-intended), is now a reality.

“I finally feel like this place is my path – like this is what I’m meant to be doing,” Vegh says. ”I’m really happy with being able to be a part of this, to be a part of Cleveland, and to give back and make people happy.”

What do you see when you walk into The Girls’ Joint? Bongs decorated to look like delicate vases holding flowers and other decorations. A soft color palette brightens the floor, walls and shelves with a retro feel, playing with purples, yellows, oranges, and — of course — greens. Witty mugs and pens, books on weed for women, posters with scientific facts about the effects of cannabis, and elegant purse-sized accessories bring The Girls’ Joint together as a special place for women and anyone with a love of ganja.

Brigid Gallagher, a customer from Cleveland Heights, is excited about The Girls’ Joint opening in Cleveland.

“It’s an awesome addition to the neighborhood and to the whole city really,” Gallagher says. “We’re excited to see more things and what they have in store.”

Vegh said she and Cavano offer products from several of their favorite brands — including Canna Style, MJ Arsenal and NWTN. Though most of the products are from creators outside of Cleveland, Cavano says The Girls’ Joint presents an opportunity for the unique brands to get in front of a new audience.

“It’s really our biggest driving force. You don’t find these kinds of things in stores around here,” Cavano says. “Generally, the vape shops and smoke shops are all carrying the same kind of thing.”

The boutique showcases local artists’ work, and is looking to start more collaborations. Some of the pieces currently displayed in the store are Brooke Figer’s hand-painted artwork and Happy Harvey aka Riley Cirino’s handmade items.

According to Ideastream, the 2023 report, “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in the Cannabis Industry” by Marijuana Business Daily says women account for less than 40 percent of marijuana executives. Vegh says a goal for The Girls’ Joint is to serve women or femme-identifying individuals since most head shops and cannabis accessory stores in the area carry male-oriented products and are not always welcoming. Others goals: Build community, lift up the art scene, and remove the stigma around cannabis use.

“We want to be a safe and welcoming place for everybody to feel like they can ask questions,” Vegh says.

In five years, Vegh hopes she can say she and Cavano have a second location open in Greater Cleveland.

“I would love to be a woman in the cannabis industry that made it work. We busted through that grass ceiling, right? It’s not a glass ceiling, it’s a grass ceiling,” Vegh says. ”It would be great to go to events and be recognized as a leader in the cannabis industry — and that we’re de-stigmatizing cannabis use.”

The Girls’ Joint, located at 6505 Detroit Avenue, has several community events coming up including “Surviving The Holidaze: Infused Butter and Gummie 101” on November 26 at 6:00 PM and “Munchie Still Life Paint Night“ on December 3 at 6:30 PM.

Local artists and businesses interested in collaborating with The Girls’ Joint should email hello@girlsjoint.com for more information.

Learn more about The Girls’ Joint atgirlsjoint.com or follow @girlsjointco on Instagram.