Holly Harris isn’t just the owner of Windy Hill CBD Oil (windyhillcbdoil.com). She’s also a client. “I was working out on a regular basis in 2018 and had thrown my back out,” she says. “A few months later, I started using CBD oil and within a week, my back pain was gone.” Cue the life-altering epiphany. The CBD even had a bonus positive side effect: She found that taking it helped level out her mood at her highly stressful day job. The more she researched CBD and discovered its healing properties, the more she wanted to help spread the gospel.
So, in 2019, Harris founded Windy Hill in a “little shack” in her front yard and soon after, graduated to a retail storefront in Greenwich. (You can also order online, or for curbside pick-up or delivery.) Of course, like many small businesses in the Capital Region, the pandemic presented a challenge, but only for a short while. “I was able to come back last year, and the business has grown from there,” she says. Customers can now not only purchase CBD oil and flower from Windy Hill, but also CBD-infused products such as bath bombs, lip balm, and hand/body lotion. And that’s just for her human customers. Harris’ products are also great for pets—and she’s seen some pretty miraculous results. “One of our dogs was diagnosed with cancer, and the veterinarian told us she had two weeks to live,” Harris says of her Mastiff, whom she treated with a mixture of CBD flower and oil. “We were able to extend her life by 12 months. And she wasn’t in pain.”
Whether she’s working with human or canine customers, Harris says she loves sharing her passion—and the wealth—with them. “I take a personal approach to my business,” says Harris. “Every customer that comes in is greeted by me, the owner, and I don’t forget you. I’m considered the ‘Sample Queen,’ because I want customers to see how these products work before they spend their money.”
Count yourself among the CBD skeptics? Harris feels your pain. “I explain to people all the time that CBD isn’t THC—it’s not going to get you stoned,” she says. “They are two totally different cannabis products; they’re like tangerines and oranges.” What sets CBD apart from THC is its anti-inflammatory and medicinal qualities; it has no psychoactive ingredients in it. Knowing what you’re putting in your body is really what it’s all about for Harris. She loves helping people get healthy, just like she did. “I love my store,” she says. “And I love helping people.”
