Jesse Villars is a testament to the healing power of cannabis as well as CBD and the industry’s ability to pay it forward to those suffering. She has a business with her partner called Baked by the River in Lambertville, which specializes in infused desserts as CBD bakers.
I started as a patient in medical marijuana for five years. There have been many benefits. I started making my own edibles, and people liked it. And then I got involved in a store,” Villars said regarding her own experience.
She now has a CBD catering business called Baked by the River with her boyfriend Cord Schlobohm, which specializes in infused desserts as CBD bakers including a wide variety of cakes, cookies, pies, pastries, and muffins. Villars is planning to get into cannabis infusion when the market becomes legal. When baking, Villars often uses coconut oil, olive oil, and butter to make meals for patients, a CBD dinner, or a dessert, which is her specialty. As a CBD baker, she said she likes three-tier lemon coconut cake the best, along with devil’s food chocolate cake with peanut butter mousse filling and chocolate ganache.
“I’ve always loved baking, as a coping mechanism. It’s been incredibly beneficial,” Villars said. She noted that under the law, she cannot make adult-use edibles. She does, however, make medical marijuana infusion tutorials and baked edibles for patients using their prescription mixed into coconut, butter or olive oil. Coconut is best when baking strong THC edibles because it has a high saturated fat content and absorbs more than butter.
Villars is sensitive to those with dietary restrictions, saying “we work with Gluten-Free, sugar-free, pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan cookies.” She added that she uses rice flour and almond flour gluten-free alternatives.
Lambertville Bakers
They have been together four years and work together as well as CBD bakers at Baked by the River.
Villars said they work well together because she has a mild disability, so heavy lifting and chopping are more difficult for her.
“We’ love it. Unless I leave dirty dishes in the sinks. But there’s edibles so it’s all good in the end,” she joked.
When they met, “We were both opioid addicts and getting sober at the same time. So we were the only two trying to stay away, clean on our own terms. We helped each other in that first year.”
“It was a perfect time to find each other because we needed to lean on each other and Medical Marijuana prescription to stay clean,” she noted.
Villars and Schlovohm moved from Chatham to Lambertville two years ago to a place near the Delaware River on whose banks the town sits. She said they have fallen in love with the area. They have made strong connections in the local business community and often cross-promote. And that she buys chocolate locally for her cakes and CBD from a store in town.
They both work on Main Street in New Hope, PA across the river from Lambertville. Together the two towns are a lovely center of a regional arts community that prides itself on diversity. She added the weekends in the area are very busy since it is a great tourist area with an active nightlife.
Villars believes that edibles are the healthiest method of consumption, especially for those seeking to avoid inhaling smoke.
I’d like to work with medicine dispensaries to get referrals for alternative options for medicine,” she said.
Villars recently did her first presentation as a CBD baker at North of Normal. She is planning to do more CBD education courses since the demand for it is so high. Villars is especially interested in treating specific ailments such as cancer with cannabis and making topical creams.
