HAIR-RAISING RESULTS

The hype with CBD hair care

By Theresa Tanner EVERCANNABIS WRITER

Is everyone feeling extra self-conscious about their hair these days?

When stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19 came around in early spring, people wondered when they would be able to visit their salon or barbershop again. As the weeks rolled into months, we chuckled together at “home haircut fails” and other attempts to appear presentable for our co-workers on video conference calls.

Salons re-opened as Washington counties entered Phase 2, but some remain apprehensive to venture out into communal spaces or worry that spiking cases could lead to a second round of lockdown.

So, for now, the least we can do is pamper ourselves a bit with some at

home treatments that will keep our locks healthy between haircuts. And nothing says luxury like CBD, right?

The beauty industry has been incorporating hemp-derived CBD oil, the non-intoxicating component of cannabis plants, into its skin care products for awhile, so hair care products were inevitably next. But what does CBD actually do to your hair?

“CBD oil has two general benefits for the skin, scalp, and hair,” Dr. Joshua Zeichner, Director of Cosmetic and Clinical Research in the Department of Dermatology at The Mount Sinai Hospital, said in an interview with fashion website Fashionista earlier this year. “It is rich in natural oils that provide emollient benefits. It helps hydrate, protect, and soften the skin and hair. The molecule CBD itself

has anti-inflammatory effects, and has been shown to improve conditions like itchy skin, eczema and psoriasis.”

So your scalp is likely to be the primary beneficiary of CBD treatments, but improving scalp health can lead to improved hair growth.

Also, take note if hair products contain hemp-derived CBD oil or hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil is extracted from industrial hemp seeds, which contain almost no CBD content. CBD oil is extracted from the flowers and leaves of cannabis plants, including hemp. Because hemp seed oil contains fiber, protein, vitamin E, and omega fatty acids, it has been used in beauty products for years, but it’s important to know what you’re paying for: if you want CBD, hemp seed oil isn’t it. Ready to treat yourself to a long, relaxing scalp massage to improve your hair health? Here are a few CBD products that you can try.

Prose Pre-Shampoo Scalp Mask, $38, 8.5 fl oz prose.com/products/customscalp-mask

Talk about pampering! After completing a brief survey about your “unique hair needs and goals,” this custom hair care company will specifically formulate products to you; they even put your name on the label. One ingredient available and recommended for scalp soothing: CBD, obvs.

Emera Nourishing CBD Scalp Therapy, $30, 2 fl oz emerahaircare.com/product/emera-nourishing-cbd-scalp-therapy

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Aug. 13

The Cannabis Alliance, Seat

tle. Monthly meeting of growers, retailers and other supporters of Washington’s cannabis system. The Alliance is also scheduling virtual happy hours for social interaction for members each Tuesday at 5 p.m. thecannabisalliance.us

Aug. 23

The Dope Show, Spokane. Comedians perform before and after partaking oflocally purchased cannabis products at the Spokane Comedy Club. The crowd often loves it. www.spokanecomedyclub. com/events/24962

HAIR

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Great for anyone with an irritated, itchy scalp, this treatment soothes and calms, and it has a nice minty scent. There’s even a scalp massage tutorial video on the website (intended for professional stylists, but your partner or roommate could probably get the job done).

Steam High Healing Hair & Scalp Oil, $ 38, 2 fl oz steamproducts.myshopify.com/

products/high-healing-hair-scalp

oil

The Los Angeles-based beauty brand

Sept. 8-9

Interchange, Renton. Organized by Marijuana Ventures, growers and retailers can connect at this formal business networking event at the Renton Pavilion. Spokane Interchange has been rescheduled for Oct. 27-28. marijuanaventure.com/interchange/

Sept. 18-19

Bowl In One, Quincy. Trade association WACA’s annual golf tourney includes a barbecue lunch, 18 holes, cart rental and entertainment. wacannabusiness.org

Due to health concerns, some events may be canceled, postponedor moved online. Please check

with event organizers to verify prior to attending. recommends a pre-shampoo or overnight treatment with this scalp oil to heal your hair at the roots, decongest hair follicles and reduce frizz. Another highlight: Steam publishes certificate of analysis testing results for each product on their website under “Transparency.”

Outré “Re-Up & Rescue” Duo, $66 usemehair.com/products/re-uprescue

Combo includes two CBD-infused products – Instant Repair Mask (4 fl oz) and Hair Oil (2 fl oz) – for a double dose of TLC to restore damaged hair. And while your hair de-stresses for 30 minutes each week, you can take time to meditate or unplug to refresh your body and spirit as well.

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oddsmakers are hedging their bets whether a full or partial season will truly kick off as scheduled on Sept. 10.

When or if players do report back, plan to see health restrictions on individual teams.

DeMaurice Fitzgerald Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, said player health and safety is guiding the league, rather than team revenue or fan demands.

“Our priority is always going to be the health and safety” he said in May. “There is a long list of hurdles we have to get over and things we have to watch and check. We just continually seek out information to be informed.”

COVID-19 protocols, however, aren’t the only new thing that the NFL will be addressing this season, assuming a season happens.

On March 15, the league and the players union ratified a 10-year labor agreement that also included a change in cannabis policies.

According to the New York Times, NFL players who test positive for marijuana “will no longer be suspended.” Testing will be limited to the first two weeks of training camp, and the level of THC required to achieve a positive test “will be raised fourfold.”

In relaxing its rule on cannabis usage, the NFL both reflected changes already instituted by professional baseball and basketball leagues and adheres to a larger cultural acceptance of cannabis as a recreational drug and medical aid.

According to the Times, Major League Baseball in December relegated marijuana to the same category as alcohol.

The National Hockey League requires no punishment for a positive test. National Basketball Association players face the harshest requirements: They are required to take four tests during the season, one positive leads to a drug program, second involves a $25,000 fine and a third can lead to a five-game suspension.

Regarding the NFL’s new policy, Paul Haagen, co-director of the Center for Sports Law and Policy at Duke University, told the Times, “There is a generalized sense that the fans don’t care about the issue, so it’s possible to appear progressive.”

This isn’t to say that the league has approved all use of cannabis. Depending on the number of positive tests, players can be fined several weeks of salary. And some teams – the Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans – operate in states where cannabis use is still deemed illegal.

Both the league and the players association will continue to study the effects of marijuana, which some experts have said is a suitable substitute for prescription opioids, the use of which in a number of cases have led to dangerous addictions.

As Seattle Times columnist Larry Stone wrote in late 2019, “The recuperative benefits of marijuana aren’t definitive, but there are certainly strong indications that it helps the body deal with pain – and pro football players are in constant pain. It’s certainly a much better route to go than opioids, the prevalent means of pain management in the NFL. One need look no longer than the national opioid epidemic to see the dangers therein.”

Which, to finish the argument, is something to which 10-year NFL veteran Jake Plummer can attest. The Boise native who now lives in Sandpoint discovered the benefits of cannabis, especially CBD, when he played for the Denver Broncos between 2003 and 2006.

In a May interview with Fannbuzz. com, “The inflammation in my joints that stiffened up in the cold winter months was gone. The random headaches that would throb behind my eyes to the beat of my heart? Gone. I still eat gluten and sugar, I still enjoy a cold brew or two. The only thing different? CBD.”