The Hamlet Diner in Chittenango has a new name for its bakery: The Feel Good Bakery. Bakers infuse pastries with a hemp extract called cannabidol, also known as CBD oil.
Owner Alexandria Ciotti said it’s crazy to think about how the oil has been such a hit.
“We go through forty bottles every five to six days,” Ciotti said. “We’re ordering it once a week.”
CBD does not get you high. It’s non-pyscho active and found in marijuana’s cousin, hemp.
Ciotti believes the oil helps ease her aches and pains.
“My migranes are so much better than they were before,” Ciotti said. “I was on a bunch of different medicines for them and I haven’t taken any of it.”
Little research has been done on the health benefits of CBD, such as confined animal studies and small studies using humans. No big clinical trials have been reported yet.
Even with these known facts, it hasn’t stopped believers, and the sales of the pastries continue to rise.
Some customer favorites are blueberry cupcakes and white Russian cupcakes. One customer, Collin Brushell, is happy to know other customers can get the same pain relief he had been searching for all along.
Brushell said the first night he tried the oil, he had the best sleep he’s gotten in 5 years. He suffered from back pain and had numerous back surgeries. This resulted in him being on painkillers such as oxycodone.
“I had to take myself off of those,” Brushell said. “So I started taking the CBD and stuck with it.”
Ciotti said the cupcakes are the bakery’s biggest seller.
Although the science of health benefits in CBD is uncertain, Ciotti is certain the oil provides many benefits.
“I would one hundred percent recommend it,” Ciotto said. “I’m gonna take it until I can’t take it anymore.”
Ciotti was diagnosed with POF, Primary Ovarian Failure, a year ago. Ciotti explained how her levels were high, and after taking CBD oil for three months straight, they dropped really low. This leads her to believe the oil is also helping with her hormone imbalance.
Researchers continue to try and nail down CBD’s effects. As Ciotti continues to see and hear positive results, it looks like the oil will be sticking around The Hamlet.
“Seeing our customers come in here that have Parkinson’s and they can actually drink their drink and eat their food because they’ve been taking it,” Ciotti said. “It’s amazing.”
