While cannabidiol, or CBD oil, being sold in the village is not anything new, The Cup is the first business one to sell the oil with their beverages.
The Cup, which has been selling the oil that derives from a cannabis plant for about two weeks, decided to start selling Ananda brand CBD oil after hearing about coffee shops on the east and west coast infusing it in drinks.
“It seems like for a small-town coffee shop in Indiana, at least this early in the CBD oil game, it may be a jump. But when you think about it, it’s not that far out of the bane of what we are doing here already,” said Kyle Raines, general manager of The Cup. “This isn’t a hamburger and fries place.”
Ananda Apothecary said on its website that the oil contains a high concentration of CBD, which is said to help users reduce anxiety, fight cancer and ease pain, as well as trace amounts of CBN and THC — the chemical in marijuana that gives its users a high.
The Cup began selling the CBD oil the week of fall break. Both Raines and Martin George, owner of The Cup, said they were surprised about who was coming in to buy the products.
During the first week alone, they said everyone from nurses to professors to parents were coming in to buy beverages or the oil.
You can add the oils to any drink for $4 a shot, however, The Cup recommends staying away from cold drinks when using the oil.
“It will thicken in a cold situation if there is no other fats in the drink, it makes it more difficult,” George said. “So a milk based drink has fats in it and so [the CBD oil] does very well in lattes, cappuccinos, things like that.”
Wild Side Smoke Shop in the village also began carrying the product, but stopped when the laws surrounding the oil began to get more strict.
Even with the passing of bills like House Bill 1148, which established a cannabidiol registry for certain individuals, Indiana Excise police began issuing citations and raiding some businesses that were selling the CBD oil.
The Daily News reached out to the Indiana Excise Police for a comment on CBD oil. However, Heather Lynch, the public information officer for the agency told the Daily News in an email, “We respectfully decline your interview request at this time.”
With the excise police unwilling to comment on the case, businesses that sell the oil are left to question the unknown.
Despite the citations and raids, Wild Side started selling the products again less than a month ago. Another store, The Smoke Shop, which opened in the Village two weeks ago, started carrying the product last week.
While Raines is excited to carry the oil, he wants people to do their own research on the products instead of looking to them for information.
“We tell our customers we are excited about this product, its helped us personally," Raines said. "Go home, do your research, figure out your own where you weigh in on it and if you’re interested, come back and we will walk you through what we already know."
Contact Andrew Smith with comments at ajsmith15@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @AndrewSmithNews.