Cannavist 6

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Behind the

Scenes

The Editor Róisín Delaney

Assistant Editor Gordon Stribling

Journalist Caroline Barry

Head of Design Hayley Parker

Lead Graphic Designer Connor Dimberline

Creative Director James Parnell

Junior Graphic Designer Ayaz Arshad

Junior Graphic Designer Lewis Eyre

Junior Graphic Designer Aaron Rana

Design Support Lucy Booth

Marketing Manager Katie Loomes

Senior Web Developer Aadil Popat

Junior Web Developer Kain Alden

Marketing Executive Carrie Strouther Photographer Josh Tysoe

Finance Director Joanne Stubley

Accountant Kris Worton

Finance Executive Anna Difusco

Finance Executive Mollie Smith

International Business Development Manager Abida Razaque

Sales Manager Steve Culf Sales Supervisor Tom Slack Sales Executive Jason Bacon Sales Executive Baz Bassra Sales Executive Peter Masters Sales Executive Carl Mayes

Director Pom Kaila

Director David Turner Managing Director Paul Caplin

This publication and the products shown herein are intended for an 18+ audience. The comments and opinions given by contributors to this publication are not the views of the editor or magazine, unless otherwise stated. The products featured in this magazine are not sponsored, were included at the decision of the editor / publisher and were not seen or altered by the suppliers in any way prior to publication. While every effort is made to respect editorial and advertising standards, The CANNAVIST cannot accept liability for issues raised or comments made by those featured in this magazine. Should you have a query about the content in this publication, email the editor: roisin@cannavistmag.com

WFrom a stream of grim weather to the fear of the unknown with coronavirus, 2020 has not been too kind to us so far.

At least it’s given us something else to talk about instead of Brexit. We’re staying positive in the hopes that we’ll get a smashing spring-summer as the calendar of events recovers from a season of postponements and cancellations.

I myself felt the impact of Covid-19 personally as it prevented me from travelling to the place in which I’m due to be married in a few short months. But I’m not panicking (yet). Thankfully, no one at The CANNAVIST has succumbed to the virus. Professionally, we were forced to ground our team, enforcing a

internationally to attend events, why not bring events to the people. Starting from July 1 and running for 365 days, you’ll be able to kick back on the couch or man your exhibitor stand or even host a live seminar from the comfort of your office or home. For more about VOXPO, flick to page 96.

We have a wonderful food-themed issue in store for you. From sweets to drinks to roast potatoes and carrot cake, we’re embracing all things CBD in food!

Róisín Delaney | The Editor

The CANNAVIST is published by Yellow Monday Media Ltd in Derby, United Kingdom.

The CANNAVIST is printed and distributed by Warners Group Publications in the UK.

The CANNAVIST is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation. We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and we are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism.

If you think such a standard has not been met in this issue of the magazine, and you would like to make a complaint, email the editor at editorial@cannavistmag.com. We will endeavour to respond to your complaint as soon as possible, or within five working days. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about the IPSO Editors’ Code, go to ipso.co.uk. The CANNAVIST (print) ISSN: 2633-4097. The CANNAVIST is a registered trademark. For all advertising enquiries email: advertising@cannavistmag.com. For event enquiries, email: events@cannavistmag.com. Got an editorial opportunity or work in PR? Email the editorial team: editorial@cannavistmag.com. For more information about this magazine, go to Cannavistmag.com or call the head office on +44 (0) 1332 650 239.

Office hours are Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.

Guest Contributors

Our experts discuss the latest innovations in CBD and the must-try products coming to a store near you.

Dr Richard Cunningham

Dr Richard Cunningham has a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast, where he also worked as a post-doctoral researcher. Dr Cunningham has also worked as a research instructor at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Cancer Institute. Among his areas of expertise are organic synthesis, nucleosides, nucleotides, cellular biology, vitamins, aminoglycosides, drug delivery, phosphorous chemistry and chemical analysis.

Lisa Blake

Journalist turned communications consultant, Lisa Blake, hails from Ireland, where she studied at the University of Limerick. Living in London, Lisa maintains a healthy work-life balance with a passion for CBD.

Benedict Jones

Benedict ‘Ned’ Jones is an experienced third-party product reviewer. Ned has a lot of experience to offer, particularly where niche products are concerned. Here, Ned gives us his honest take on the newest products to hit the high street, so that you can make an informed purchase.

T H E O R I G I N A L

T & FA S T- A C T I N G

The

EXTRACT

Things are getting mint-eresting

You probably have a Colgate toothbrush or mouthwash in your bathroom. The minty fresh household name is set to acquire Hello Products, an American range of CBD-infused oral products.

Hemptation

Hastings welcomes new vegan restaurant, The Hempist! The seafront bar and restaurant is owned by established reggae DJ Dan Wiltshire and offers a Jamaican twist on comfort food classics. Hemp seeds are considered a superfood, high in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. The bar will also offer an extensive drinks list including CBD sangria, hemp mead, CBD cocktails and the option to add additional shots of CBD.

Going south

Deep in the heart of Texas, an MS patient who had been told to take CBD by her doctor has lost her job after failing a drug test. According to the Texas Standard, Melanie Farr, a drug counsellor in San Antonio, has filed a lawsuit against her former employer under the Americans with Disabilities Act. She argues that since her employer refused to let her take CBD, she wasn’t given a reasonable accommodation for her condition.

High Beauty

French beauty retailer Sephora has announced standards for CBD products as they add a fourth line of topicals to stores across Europe and America. These standards include complying to the ‘clean Sephora’ rules which ban ingredients such as parabens, mineral oils and possible toxins. The CBD ingredients must be

Shroom for optimism?

The University of Miami has received $1.624 million in funding from a psychedelic research company to explore whether CBD combined with the active ingredient in ‘magic’ mushrooms can treat symptoms of PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Up to 40% of people with mTBI also suffer from PTSD. The condition is even more common in US military members.

FDA issues update on CBD

The US Food and Drug Administration has announced new steps to protect market health and provide clarity on CBD products. The agency is exploring potential pathways for the regulation of products ranging from edibles and teas to cosmetics and pet food. It is continuing to take a proportionate approach to

Medical cannabis by post in UK first

UK medical cannabis patients can now receive their medicine without stepping foot in a pharmacy. Independent cannabis company EMMAC Life Sciences Group has launched Medican, which operates as a distance pharmacy, allowing patients to submit their prescriptions electronically to be delivered by post.

Ed McDermott from EMMAC UK said: “We believe our MHRAapproved medical cannabis manufacturing facility, combined with our experienced team of on-site pharmacists and health care professionals will provide an important service for the growing number of patients requiring medical cannabis.”

enforcement, targeting companies that are making unfounded medical claims.

Speaking to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, FDA commissioner, Dr Stephen Hahn reassured brands and customers: “We’re not going to be able to say, ‘You can’t use these products.’ It’s a fool’s errand to even approach that. But we want to get them the right information to make the right decisions.”

Why are phone networks blocking access to legal cannabis sites?

Event and news sites which feature CBD content are being blocked by some of the UK and Ireland’s biggest mobile phone providers.

Words by Róisín Delaney

Mobile phone networks such as O ₂ , Vodafone and Three are each taking a different approach to allowing or denying users access to legal CBD websites.

The problem occurs when using data such as 4G and can usually be corrected by connecting to Wi-Fi. The CANNAVIST found that certain sites, which do not appear to be selling or marketing illegal cannabis products, are being blocked when access is attempted using only data.

We tested this by selecting a handful of sites, one being cannavistmag.com, the others including functional skincare range Ohana CBD and self-care cosmetics range CUBID CBD. We also tried the site of the largest legal cannabis expo and conference in the UK and Ireland, europecannaexpo.com. All of these websites abide by government guidelines on THC and refrain from

making any health or medical claims.

All were denied on O ₂ UK, with a server error message appearing on screen. The answer was the same on Tesco Mobile, which uses the O ₂ network as its carrier in the UK.

Three was hit and miss, with some phones blocking one site and granting access to a couple of others. Vodafone was the most open, granting access to almost all.

We asked each network to explain their approach towards websites which feature CBD.

A Three spokesperson told The CANNAVIST:

“We recognise that CBD websites are not promoting illegal drugs and have been removing them from

the blocked filter on a case-by-case basis. We encourage people to get in touch if they feel their site is unfairly blocked - if it falls into the BBFC’s guidelines, we’ll take action to unblock it. Anyone over 18 can remove the filter at any time and access the site as normal.”

O ₂ also responded, taking the angle of restricting content in a bid to protect minors. A spokesperson for the UK’s second most popular phone network (according to Which?) said:

“O ₂ does not restrict CBD and hemp product sites to under 18s as long as the site is only selling products without THC (i.e. below 0.2%) and does not promote marijuana use. These sites also need to comply with both the Medicines Act and Food Standards Agency regulations. We believe that protecting children who use the web via their mobile matters so we filter and block sites that are categorised by the BBFC as being suitable for those aged over 18 (including drugs category) by default for all customers until they easily verify they’re over 18.”

“Some CBD sites may be caught in this filter, but if highlighted can be reviewed and have the filter removed.”

There was no response from the Vodafone press office by the time this publication was sent to press. The British mobile phone industry

is self-regulated and in July 2013, mobile network operators appointed the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to provide the classification framework they use to self-regulate commercial website content accessed via mobile internet networks.

According to OfCom, the UK’s communications services regulator, 38% of British households own at least two mobile phones.

Figures from research published in 2017 by consumer data specialists Statista shows there are now more phones than people in the UK. Three years ago, the population sat at just over 66 million people. At that time there were 79 million mobile network subscriptions in the UK, most of those being smartphone users. The market research resource suggests the penetration rate of smartphones is expected to reach 77.21% this year.

In Ireland, a mobile consumer experience survey from 2019 shows the use of data rather than Wi-Fi has become more frequent across all locations since 2017.

O₂

Owned by Spanish telecoms company Telefonica, O₂ is the second most popular network provider in the UK and Ireland with around 24 million customers. In Ireland, Three has acquired O₂

Vodafone

The third most frequented mobile network in the UK today is multinational Vodafone. The network’s global operations base is in London and as of 2018, it was reportedly the chosen network of 313 million customers around the world. In Ireland, Vodafone holds the largest number of mobile phone customers, according to Comreg data.

Three

Launched in the UK in 2003, this is the youngest major phone network on the market in the UK. Three is owned by a Hong Kong based conglomerate and is estimated to have around 10 million British customers. Three acquired O₂ operations in Ireland in 2015.

THE OUTBREAK BREAK DOWN

With travel bans, trade restrictions and quarantine measures put in place, we examine what COVID-19 means for CBD events and business.

Words by Caroline Barry

On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 as a pandemic.

The annual global cost of a pandemic could be £440 billion, according to the World Bank. Another pandemic, SARS, infected 8,000, causing $50 billion in damages. Figures for COVID-19 could be higher given that we are more heavily reliant on Chinese imports than 17 years ago. Now, transmission fears have forced the postponement or cancellation of cannabis events around the globe.

The Swiss government has banned gatherings of over 1000 people and the Louvre closed its doors citing Coronavirus fears. Expos provide valuable networking for

the industry but with thousands shaking hands and exchanging cards, it’s easy for viral infections to spread.

Steven Bell, CEO of Rasb Media which is organising The CBD Show explained the precautions it would be putting in place.

“Although the risk of COVID-19 is extremely low, we are taking the following precautionary steps: FevIR scanner, compulsory hand sanitisers, yellow bins for tissue disposal, disposable gloves for staff or attendees and disinfectant for surfaces.”

Further to this, The CBD Show has updated its ‘Important Information and Travel Advice’ on its site to include that “Those who are travelling from high risk areas should not travel and will unfortunately not be allowed entry or tickets to our event.” However, visitors to the site are not asked

to clarify their recent travel movements.

Rose Wu from Shenzhen Deep Union Technology, a China-based cannabis vaporizer company, said they are working with event companies.

“In order to protect our staff, we are negotiating with expos to exchange our credit for future events in the second half of 2020.

“In Guangdong Province, where most cannabis enterprises are located, businesses are now restarting their operations.”

CBD exhibitors taking part in the Vegan Life Live expo at Alexandra Palace in London have been asked to sign a ‘self-declaration’ that they do not knowingly have Coronavirus nor have they travelled to an affected country.

“We require all clients operating events at Alexandra Palace to

confirm that staff working on site for the event undertake a self declaration regarding their own personal movements for assurance purposes.”

Kristina Spionjak, marketing director of Europe Canna Expo said the event will take place with the following recommendations.

“Europe Canna Expo events are proceeding as planned.

“The WHO’s recommendation is that travellers practice usual precautions, and we are increasing our efforts to prevent the spread of disease. We will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates as necessary.

“We are recommending using Hygiene Face Mask FFP2 while traveling, placing reminder signs in bathrooms for people to wash their hands and portable disinfectant stands. Attendees will be able to buy tickets insurance.”

The CBD expo at ExCEL London has been cancelled citing ‘unforeseen circumstances’ and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). “One of the key factors in this was the uncertainty introduced by the UK’s FSA. While the basic guidelines allow existing products to be sold, no new brands can be released on the market nor is there a certainty that existing brands won’t be subject to removal on the show floor.”

Maria stated that Covid-19 was consideration.

“Covid-19 was definitely a concern and one of the reasons that we made the decision to cancel the 2020 event.”

On March 12, Interntional Cannabis Businesses Conference (ICBC) Barcelona and Spannabis were cancelled following the announcement of the US-Europe travel ban.

ICBC Berlin has been rescueduled from April to July.

ICBC Barcelona said: “Due to this unfortunate occurrence, many of our exhibitors and attendees are currently scrambling for flights back to the US and other respective travel destinations.

“The health and safety of our patrons and their families are of the utmost importance. More information will be forthcoming. We are very sorry for this inconvenience.

“Everybody, please stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you at the next ICBC under better circumstances.”

With no treatment available and infection rates climbing, it’s unclear how many expos will go ahead this year.

“We are taking precautionary steps with a FevIR scanner, compulsory hand sanitisers, yellow bins for tissue disposal, disposable gloves for staff or attendees and disinfectant for surfaces.”

ALL THE BENEFITS OF AN EXHIBITION, AT A FRACTION OF THE COST

New study GIVES HOPE TO FIBROMYALGIA SUFFERERS

CBD and medical cannabis have been touted as potential fibromyalgia treatments. A recent Italian study demonstrated that cannabinoids could be an ally in the fight against pain, sleep problems and anxiety.

Words by Caroline Barry

Cannabis can improve the effectiveness of standard pain treatments in patients with fibromyalgia, according to a new Italian study.

Just under half of the participants felt able to reduce their standard pain relief regimen or even quit it completely after being treated with medical cannabis.

One third of the participants reported improvements in sleep and fibromyalgia symptoms and half reported a reduction in depression and anxiety.

The researchers concluded: “Medical cannabis offers a possible clinical advantage in FM [fibromyalgia] patients, especially in those with sleep dysfunctions.

“The retention rate and changes in concomitant analgesic therapy reflect MCT efficacy of the improved quality of life of patients.”

Fibromyalgia is a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body.

The NHS estimates that 1 in 20 people suffer from the condition and women are seven times more likely than men to develop it.

In the study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology, 102 patients were given access to Bedrocan, a cannabis oil that has a THC content of 22% and less than 1% CBD, and

Bediol oil, which contains 6.3% THC and 8% CBD.

Participants were encouraged to take the oil for six months while decreasing or quitting their existing medication if they felt they could.

Prior studies have shown that medical cannabis is an effective alternative medication, but this is the first study to suggest that it is beneficial to take alongside pain medication.

The exact cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but it is thought to be linked to abnormal levels of certain chemicals in the brain and changes to the way that the central nervous system transmits pain messages around the body.

There is currently no cure, with sufferers reduced to taking over-the-counter pain medication to treat symptoms such as joint pain, fatigue, anxiety, depression and sleep disturbances.

Some sufferers also report tension headaches and irritable bowel syndrome.

A Fibromyalgia UK spokesperson said in a statement that the UK has a long way to go in terms of access, but that the new study is cause for celebration.

“We would have to echo the sentiments of Health Secretary Matt Hancock that this is a "tremendous step forward.

“However, due to the lack of research in respect of chronic pain and cannabis and specifically fibromyalgia we will continue to have people being pushed to break the law in order to access a treatment that can potentially help them.”

UK GOVERNMENT EASES MEDICAL CANNABIS IMPORT RESTRICTIONS

Medical cannabis patients rely on imports from countries like Canada and the Netherlands to obtain their medicine. The UK government says that it will now take days, rather than months, for patients to access it.

Words by Gordon Stribling

Medical cannabis patients will now only have to wait a matter of days to receive their medicine from abroad.

The UK government has eased import restrictions, which allow licensed wholesalers to import larger quantities of medical cannabis and hold supplies for future use.

Most medical cannabis is imported from abroad and export restrictions mean it can take months for patients to obtain their medicine. In Canada, it can take as long as eight weeks to obtain an export certificate.

Additional safeguards against addiction and drug misuse require that specialist doctors review prescriptions every 30 days, so treatment can be delayed significantly.

The government hopes the new regulations will make it easier for patients to access medical cannabis sooner.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “I have taken swift action to allow specialist doctors to issue prescriptions for cannabis-based medicinal products, when they consider their patients would benefit from this treatment.

“This will allow patients and

their families with challenging conditions to access them more easily, when appropriate, to ensure they can be treated in days, not months.”

The new measures are being implemented by the Home Office and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The government has also said that it will continue to work with

the industry to reduce costs and encourage more research into cannabis for medical use.

It is hoped that more clinical trials will eventually lead to cannabis being prescribed for a wider range of conditions.

There are currently only two cannabis-based medicines available on the NHS, prescribed for multiple sclerosis and two hard-totreat forms of epilepsy.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Every time I meet the families of young people dealing so bravely with childhood epilepsy, I am reminded of just how much they

have been through.

“The changes made today are a tremendous step towards improving the supply of cannabisbased medicinal products by helping to ensure quicker and more reliable access for patients.

“But we still have a long way to go. We need more research into the quality and safety of these medicines, and to do all we can to cut down the costs and remove barriers so that, when appropriate, patients can access it, including on the NHS.”

On February 24, independent scientific body Drug Science announced that it was working

with the government to ‘develop cost-saving mechanisms for patients and work out solutions to regulatory delays.’

The Project Twenty21 team is in discussions with the Department for Health, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, the MHRA and NHS England.

Project Twenty21 aims to recruit 20,000 patients by the end of 2021 to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, anxiety disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, PTSD and substance use disorder.

Photo of Matt Hancock by Department of Energy and Climate Change

TIME TO SUIT UP.

We’re spoilt for choice these days with a vast array of CBD products available online and on the high street. But how often do you check what’s really in the product you’re putting into your body? Tailored Wellbeing separates the men from the boys with classic style and a quality guarantee.

Words by Róisín Delaney

When it comes to getting suited and booted, it’s never been easier to walk into your nearest shopping centre and get a decently priced suit off the rack last minute. But for those who want to go the extra mile and leave a lasting impression, tailor made suits are having a bit of a comeback in Britain.

British gentlemen are known worldwide for their classic polished style. Just look at a series like Peaky Blinders or the ultimate in style, 007 himself.

This country has a long history with successful men leading by design, literally, from fictional on-screen characters to prime ministers and kings since the height of the British Empire. Now that sense of durability and exclusivity is undergoing a renaissance, weaving its fibres into CBD.

Editor Róisín Delaney talks all things bespoke with Tom Smith, director at Tailored Wellbeing, the man behind the CBD range inspired by a

Tom and his Bradford based team believe a custom suit is “the modern-day suit of armour.” It’s timeless and world-famous. It’s hard to argue against that when you look at the level of detail and the layers of work that go into custom made garments. Tom says this is just one element of inspiration that has gone into creating Tailored CBD.

passion for fine tailoring. “We have always worn tailored suits for business as we believe these are the modern day suit of armour. They are authentic, timeless and you can wear one to pretty much any occasion and they just seem to fit. It was for these very reasons why we’ve always worn tailored suits, and not just suits off a peg. A tailored suit is a true reflection of one’s unique personality and character and these traits are what we have tried to encapsulate in all of our products,” Tom says.

It might not be the outer fabric that makes a suit unique. If you were to put a high street bargain next to a custom made three-piece, you could see the obvious differences. But Tom believes that when you combine the lining, the pocket angles, the colour of the buttons and all of the things which make a tailored suit unique, the same terminology can be applied to creating a brand:

“That’s what we’ve done with our CBD range. The packaging, flavours and terpene profile, we’ve made everything the way we would a tailored suit. Every single bottle that leaves our facility is unique.”

Tailored CBD was almost a different kind of company, as the name dates back to a previous brand idea at

Tailored Wellbeing photographed at Michelsberg Tailoring, Leeds.

and this gave us the passion to create world class CBD products to improve the lives of people.”

The ethos coupled with a true-to-life tale has led to Tom working with JJB Consultants and their Michelin star trained flavour and formulation artist, James. Together, these men in suits have made a unique formula that, like a good suit, will stand the tests of time.

“I’ve known James for a long time, we’ve worked with JJB Consultants closely on everything in the liquid formulation,” and that has proven to be perhaps Tom’s most important partnership, as he explains to me the significance of the terpene profile in Tailored’s products. “Our oral drops are made with the finest quality CBD distillate, world class flavours and a specific blend of terpenes for added benefits to each individual flavour.

“We have created five bespoke terpene formulations and coupled these with the five corresponding flavours. The Tropical Daze flavour and terpene blend denotes a calming sense of relaxation, the Cherry Drops is

the flirtatious one due to the aphrodisiac properties in that tailored terpene mix. At the other end of the scale is Berry Bliss for sleep, Alpine Mint for those days when it feels like you’re facing an uphill battle, and Electric Lemon, which Tom says “has a caffeine style feel. The terpene formulation matched with the flavour gives you an uplifting feeling, it just gives you that boost.”

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ROYAL HIGH-NESS Her

Cannabis farms are not normally associated with the British Monarchy. We examine the links between Meghan Markle and CBD.

Words by Caroline Barry

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are one of the most instantly recognisable couples in the world, thanks to intense public interest, their dedication to charitable causes and a touch of Hollywood glamour. But a less well known fact about Meghan is the family ties she apparently has to CBD.

Prior to her days at Windsor, the budding actress wed film director Trevor Engelson in a beach wedding held in Jamaica in 2011. It’s widely reported that guests received gift bags containing cannabis at the wedding. Cannabis was illegal in Jamaica during this time, but the law has since changed making small amounts a misdemeanour rather than an offence.

Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle told the tabloids: “It’s illegal, but it’s no big deal in Jamaica. It’s almost customary down there.” He clarified: “I don’t smoke weed and to the best of my knowledge nor does Meghan.”

Markle and Engelson went on to divorce in 2013 and Meghan married Prince Harry in a £32 million fairytale wedding at Windsor Castle in May 2018.

Family ties

The treatment of the now duchess by the British tabloids has been heavily criticised in recent months, culminating in the now famous ‘Megxit’. Whether you read into the tabloid press or not, there is a family connection to CBD.

Tyler Dooley is understood to be the son of the duchess’ half-brother Tom Markle Jr.

Dooley owns a 1,000-acre hemp farm in Oregon where his company, Blue Line Hemp, grows hemp for the

production of CBD. Last year he told reporters:

“CBD products are where the future lies. We are selling our product to several of the leading importers into the UK. We’re planning to flood the market. People have labelled Meghan’s American family as hillbillies and a freak show but I’m building a business the oldfashioned way with hard work and lots of sweat.”

Photo credit: @tylerscottdooley

Dooley’s side of the family were not at the royal wedding in 2018.

The high life

Earlier this year, the couple announced they would be stepping back from royal duties and would be splitting their time between the UK and Canada. They are understood to have rented an $18 million home on Vancouver Island on Canada’s west coast, which is reported to be in an area populated by hemp farms. The waterfront property is said to boast eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms and has access to the beach.

Due to changes in the law surrounding recreational cannabis in Canada in October 2018, British Columbia’s Saanich District has introduced bylaws and has been welcoming entrepreneurs who are cultivating and selling non-medical cannabis. It’s a developing industry which could contribute billions to the Canadian economy.

According to maps of the Agricultural Land Reserve, among the areas given the green light for such production is Vancouver Island, where Meghan and Harry have been based since the Christmas period.

The royal we-ed

It’s not just Meghan that has a tie to cannabis but Prince Harry is also said to have tried cannabis while attending a Highgrove party in 2002. In a Netflix documentary, royal correspondent, Jenny Bond said: “I think Prince Charles was shocked to find Prince Harry was smoking weed.” A senior official for the palace said at the time:

“We acknowledge that on several occasions last summer, Prince Harry experimented with cannabis. It is not that he had or has a serious problem, but he did take the drug. Prince Harry did attend to Featherstone Lodge for a day to learn about the possible consequences of starting to take cannabis.”

“The Prince of Wales thought it would be educational and shocking for him to attend.”

I’ve been doing this before she met Harry, I’m not trying to embarrass her. I’m thrilled to be in such a hot industry

“ “

Photo credit: @sussexroyal

Photo credit: premier.shutterstock

Chemical structure of CBG

In each issue, we ask our go-to science columnist Dr Richard Cunningham a complex question only the scientifically minded could answer. Here, Dr Cunningham looks at developments with CBG, the minor cannabinoid that looks set to sweep the UK’s cannabis market.

CBG stands for Cannabigerol

It is one of the numerous plant cannabinoids found in the genus Cannabis.

Among THC and CBD, the cannabinoids that most people will be familiar with, and several others, the phytocannabinoid cannabigerolic acid (CBGa) acts as a parent molecule.

CBGa in the presence of specific enzymes transforms this molecule to its acidic precursors – such as tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa) or cannabidiolic acid (CBDa).

Over time, with heat, the acidic precursor formed will lose a molecule of CO₂ in a process called decarboxylation to yield THC, CBD and CBG.

Can you get ‘high’ from CBG?

Like CBD, CBG will not get you high. It has no mind altering effects.

The CBG content in most plants is generally very low, with levels reported as being less than 1% on average. However, some hemp growers have managed to selectively cultivate some varieties with much higher CBG content levels.

While there have been no clinical studies to assess the effects of CBG in humans, current and ongoing laboratory research is under way to determine its pharmacological properties.

How does CBG compare to CBD?

Comparatively to CBD, there is significantly fewer research available on CBG. But if it piques your interest, we have listed below some examples of what has been discovered about this teenage cannabinoid so far:

In 2013, researchers concluded that CBG may have a positive effect on patients with irritable bowel disease (IBD). In this case, Colitis was induced using a murine model.

In pre-clinical studies, a pharmaceutical company recently announced their preliminary studies have shown an antitumour effect on the human stomach and bone cancer cell lines, using CBG.

Little is known about the circumstances of this trial. According to McMaster University in Canada, CBG could be vital in the fight against the development of antibiotic resistant super strains of common infections, also known as ‘superbugs’.

In the study, which was not published in full before this issue went to print, researchers screened five cannabis compounds for their antibiotic properties in the fight to combat the rise of antibiotic resistance. Out of the five compounds, CBG was proven as successful

in treating Methicillin-Resistant-Staphylococcus – Aureus (MRSA) as Vancomycin, which is widely regarded as one of the last drugs left in the treatment of antibiotic resistance. It’s not clear what the other four cannabis compounds were.

The cannabinoid appeared to successfully kill common MRSA microbes and cells which drive repeat infections. It also removed hard to clear biofilms of MRSA that form on skin and implants.

Eric Brown, a microbiologist who led the work at McMaster University in Ontario, said that cannabinoids were “clearly great drug-like compounds” but noted the compounds would need to be assessed for use in clinics.

“There is much work to do to explore the potential of cannabinoids as antibiotics from the safety standpoint,” he said.

Elsewhere, a study where CBG was tested for appetite stimulation effects in mice, the feed rate was found to have significantly increased, which may prove useful as a for treatment in eating disorders in years to come.

Dr Richard’s bio:

a PhD in medicinal chemistry from Queen’s University Belfast, where he also worked as a post-doctoral researcher. Dr Cunningham

Dr Richard Cunningham

a research instructor at the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell Cancer Institute. Among his areas of expertise are organic synthesis, nucleosides, nucleotides, cellular biology, vitamins, aminoglycosides, drug delivery, phosphorous chemistry and chemical analysis.

has

has also worked as

As the only European company who harvest their unique strain of plant, the tea has a beautiful fresh flavour, packed full of CBD goodness. They are hands on with every stage of production from seed selection on their certified organic farms to producing and packing tea for over 500 stockists across the UK, guaranteening quality and support. The tea is available in loose leaf and individually bagged, which now comes in peppermint flavour.

MINOR CANNABINOID, MAJOR POTENTIAL?

Cannabigerol, or CBG, is finally making its way onto UK shelves after establishing itself in the US as one to watch. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry is exploring its potential as a breakthrough medical treatment in fighting superbugs like MRSA. We ask if CBG could become bigger than CBD.

Words by Gordon Stribling

The legal cannabis world moves at a rapid pace, with innovations driven by consumer demand and medical research barriers being overcome. While 2019 was all about CBD, this year could see CBG take centre stage.

Cannabigerol is often referred to as the ‘stem cell’ cannabinoid and has received high praise from the science field already this year for fighting the superbug MRSA at a research level. The US market is leading the way with CBG. HighCBG raw hemp flower is increasingly popular and the cannabinoid is finding its way into tinctures and edibles too. Now, the UK market is starting to take notice. Laurence Brown launched Brown’s CBD a year ago. He had used CBD and recommended it to friends and family after seeing the benefits and wanting to make it available to everyone for a reasonable price. Then CBG caught his attention.

“I’m constantly reading up about what’s happening in the USA. CBG is really big over there and I knew it was going to be a big trend here too. My current supplier was developing it for a long period of time and he finally managed to produce it.

“After sampling it myself I realised

that it’s such an excellent product that I had to supply it.”

CBG levels in a plant are no greater than 1% of the total weight, so significantly more raw materials are required to make a high-CBG oil, Laurence explained. This makes it much more expensive to produce. However, Laurence has found that with CBG, you get more bang for your buck than with CBD products on the high street.

“The feedback so far has been unbelievable. The oil we sell is 3% 1:1 CBG/CBD. People have been getting similar results with this as they are with much higher strength CBD oils. They’re amazed by it. People who were previously spending £70 on a 20% oil have now switched to this paying £24 and are very happy.”

Brown’s CBG Hemp Oil has become one of the more popular products since it launched in January and Laurence will be keeping an eye on developments with other cannabinoids such as Cannabichromene (CBC).

CBD-rich epilepsy drug Epidyolex has been available on the NHS since January. The same drug was approved by the FDA under the name Epidiolex in 2018 in the US. It’s the success of this alternative medicine which has demonstrated the significant potential for cannabis to help with treatment-resistant conditions, even where significant regulatory barriers are in place.

Emerald Health Pharmaceuticals (EHP) is one company tuned in on this. The Californiabased pharma group is developing synthetic cannabinoid-based medicines for the treatment of diseases where there is an unmet medical need. In January, CBG-based EHP-102 was granted what’s known as an orphan designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of Huntington’s disease, raising the question as to when we may see the likes of such a product in British pharmacies. For context, orphan status is given to drugs designed to treat, prevent or diagnose life-threatening or chronically debilitating illnesses that affect fewer than 10,000 people in the EU.

“People who were previously spending £70 on a 20% oil have now switched to this paying £24 and are very happy”

Huntington’s is a degenerative illness that stops the brain working overtime. Symptoms include personality changes, difficulty concentrating, stumbling, involuntary movements and difficulty breathing. The condition is usually fatal 15 to 20 years after symptoms start. The EHP-102 drug is also being developed for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Commenting on both illnesses, and the potential for CBG, Emerald Health president and chief executive officer, Jim DeMesa, says:

“There is nothing on the market that changes the course of Huntington’s. The jerky movements that are caused by the disease can be suppressed with certain drugs, but these drugs have serious side-effects. Some people use anti-psychotics offlabel to help with some of the issues, but all of these drugs are for symptomatic relief and also come with side-effects.” Studies have demonstrated neuroprotective properties in CBG too. It is also a strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. According to Jim, EHP-102 enhances these effects by also targeting receptors outside of the endocannabinoid system: “CBG works primarily on the endocannabinoid system but does not affect to any significant degree some of the targets that we’ve been able to create in our molecule that are specific targets for neurodegenerative diseases. EHP-102 does everything that CBG does as well on the endocannabinoid system.

“We loosely term it ‘CBG on steroids’ because it’s so much more potent.” Jim adds that they have essentially created the entourage effect in a single molecule. There are other drugs

that target some of the same receptors, but they don’t affect other things that are important to treating Huntington’s.

EHP aims to create medicines that offer far greater benefits than naturally-derived cannabinoids can do.

“One person said it’s like the conversion of cannabinoids, science and biology. If we can potentially reverse the progression of these diseases that have no cure, then we have a winner.”

EHP-102 offers other advantages over working with naturallyderived cannabis medicines. It is a novel patented entity that contains no traces of cannabis compounds and is therefore not controlled under drugs regulations, removing barriers to conduct clinical trials and to import and export.

“We’re currently in the formulation and manufacturing stage, which is the first step before the clinical enabling studies that are in animals to make sure that the toxicity is low and the pharmacokinetics are appropriate for use in humans. Then we will go to the various regulatory authorities to apply for human studies.”

EHP’s CBD-derived multiple sclerosis drug EHP-101 has completed a Phase 1 human study and has now moved into Phase 2. The timeline from pre-clinical research to commercialisation can take as long as 10 years. However, as Huntington’s is incurable and there’s nothing better on the market, the orphan designation could speed up the process for EHP-102 by a few years.

“We’re being contacted all the time [by] patients who would like to be in the clinical trials. That’s one thing we would certainly employ as our plan to help people with Huntington’s.”

No one understands humans’ connection with nature more than the Hawaiians. For them Huna means living with optimal health in harmony with nature. We’ve taken the spirit of Huna and created a powerful range of 10 0 % na t ural CBD products.

Whether you’re looking for calming 6 % CBD drops to help you snooze or a botanical powerhouse balm infused with CBD to relieve tight muscles, Huna has a product you ’ l l love.

Lady Business

A NEW DAYE

With no innovation since 1940, the global tampon industry is due a period of reinvention. Meet Valentina Milanova who secured £5.5 million in capital at 24, after explaining tampons to ill-informed men in suits.

Words by Caroline Barry

In their own words, the Daye team aims to ‘leave an impact but not a trace’ on the environment and with their new line of CBD tampons, they have done just that. In an industry that is notorious for waste – the average woman uses 2,640 sanitary pads or tampons every decade – that is no easy task.

This CBD tampon, which at a glance looks like your typical mainsteam product, was invented by Valentina Milanova at just 22 after years of suffering painful periods.

“I’ve had painful periods since I was nine-years-old. I used to read medical research papers on gynaecological health in my spare time. I discovered research on hemp, which has very absorbent fibres and flowers that have analgesic properties and thought to myself, why has no one tried to make a hemp tampon that’s infused with CBD?”

Daye’s business model is impressive. Every part of the process is on display online from the cost per tampon to clinical testing and the supply chain. Admirably, the language is open, honest and designed to be easily understood. The tampon industry isn’t exactly known for transparency and the law doesn’t require brands to reveal any ingredients. This makes for a refreshing change and it’s working. The brand’s pre-launch wait list this year was 20,000 strong suggesting women are embracing the change.

monopolised and entirely run by men. I’m yet to meet a woman in charge within tampon manufacturing. On top of that, I had to pitch to almost 200 investors, all of them male. They simply didn’t see the product differentiation and didn’t think period pain was a relevant enough cause to invest in.” How informed are tech-bros about heavy flows or period pain?

“Not very informed! They would ask me questions like, “why do your tampons have strings?” or “why are there 18 tampons in a box?” I don’t know anyone who has 18-day periods!”

Just 22% of health business founders are female

Some venture firms did understand the potential as Daye managed to secure £5.5 million funding at the age of 24. Unfortunately, gender balance in funding is a feminist issue with just 22% of health founders identifying as female in 2019, according to the Atomico State of European Tech report. It shows that of the funding received for start-ups, just 0.4% went to female businesses while men received 91.6%. The menstrual health industry was estimated at £9 billion in 2019, with a 6.5% growth expected for female hygiene products

“Our main goal is to bridge the gender gap in medical research and innovation, starting with female pain. Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 people with periods and it takes on average 7.5 years to diagnose. One of our first clinical trials is tackling this debilitating condition, which has been overlooked by the medical community.”

directly on this issue by Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, in recent years. Girls rights charity, Plan International UK estimates that 10% of British girls have resorted to using rags, newspaper and toilet paper as they are unable to afford period products.

“Any effort to make periods accessible to everyone is a good initiative. Menstrual products are a right, not a privilege.”

The problem with tampons is…

- Manufacturers do not legally have to disclose what is in their products

- Most pads contain polyethylene plastic adhesive which is environmentally harmful

- Periods generate 200,000 tonnes of waste per year

- Tampons can contain rayon, chlorine and dioxin which are dangerous chemicals that are absorbed by the earth in landfills and then released

By Caroline Barry

Originally from Bulgaria, Valentina set up a team of 20 in London to take on roles in start-up finance and tech. Even with this experience, she still struggled with pitching a female hygiene product to a mainly male audience.

“The tampon industry is completely

An NHS consultant in a North London hospital has introduced Valentina’s products to be studied, to investigate the effects of CBD tampons on endometriosis pain with results due at the end of August.

The movement for ending period pain and waste has gained mainstream attention with a spotlight pointed

With a 20,000 person wait list, we had to see if Daye was worth the wait. My period pain relief has always been the following: Take two Ibuprofen with a strong hot chocolate, one carefully-applied hot water bottle and a double dose of Netflix on the couch. I’m open to anything that allows me to keep calm and carry on during that time of the month. The Daye tampon works incredibly well, delivering a dose of 30% CBD concentrate without it feeling any different from a regular tampon. I’m not surprised to hear that the tampons have been chosen to partner with a hospital to be tested on endometriosis pain. Packaging waste can be an issue but the level of sustainability that Daye have gone to is impressive. The paper wrappers are water soluble and even the re-fill pouch is compostable. The applicator is also made from bio-based sugar cane. Ordinary tampons have their Daye-s numbered.

“You shouldn’t need a medical degree to understand your own body.”

A DAT E T O R em e mb e r

Words by Caroline Ba rr y

T h e d eadli n e h as been s e t by t h e UK ’ s Foo d S ta n d a rds A ge n c y f o r b r a nd s to h a ve t h eir C B D p rodu c ts e va lu a ted a n d a pp roved f or s ale B u t c l a r i t y a ro u n d regul at i o n i s st ill la c k ing We l ook at t h e t imeli n e o f t h e C B D in f o o d a n d d r in ks de b a te

M a y 15, 19 9 7

A n ovel food or ing redien t i s defi n ed a s on e th at doe s no t h ave a signifi can t hi stor y of con su mpti on in th e EU be fo re this d ate. “ If a fo od busi n e ss c an n o t sh ow th at the re i s a hi stor y of being eaten be fore that da te, th en the fo od o r n ovel u se of an ing redien t in a food ha s to g o th rough a fo od safe ty as sessment co n du c ted by t h e Eu rop ean Food Sa fe ty Aut h o ri ty a n d be auth orised by the Eu rop ean Com mi ssion ”

19 9 8

Hemp fl ower i s re cogni sed by th e Eu rop ean Com missi on to p rodu ce bee r

J u n e 2 0 1 8

The World H ealth Org aniz ation (WHO ) rep or t s th at CBD h as a g ood safe ty p rofile a n d th at pe ople can con tinue to ta ke i t , sta ti n g : “Rep or ted ad ve rse ef fe c t s may be as a re su lt of d rug d rug in te ra c ti ons be tween C BD an d patien ts’ exis ti n g medi cati on s. To da te , the re i s no eviden ce of rec reati onal use of C BD or any public h ea lth- rela ted p roble ms asso cia ted wi th th e u se of pu re C BD ”

Octob e r 2 0 1 8

Rum ou rs ci rcula te th at C BD could be con side red a n ovel food and th at legisl ati on will sta r t to be d raf ted

J a n ua ry 2 0 1 9

CBD de cla red a n ovel food by th e Eu rop ean Commi ssi on The chang e may af fe c t h ow C BD i s s old requi rin g mo re aut h ori sati on an d evalua ti on of p rodu c ts. A n ovel food mu st “ n ot dif fe r in a way th at t h e con sump tion of th e n ove l fo od would be nu tri ti onall y di sad vantage ous for th e con sume r ”

A u g u s t 2 0 1 9

The Home Offi ce defi n e s cri te ria for g ran ti n g li cen ce s for pl an t cu lti vati on , sayi n g: “ The re n eed s to be a define d comme rci al e n d u se and th e H om e Offi ce only i ssue s li ce n ce s for cu lti vati on of pl an ts f rom app roved see d type s wi th a T HC con ten t n ot exceeding 0 2 % ” On C BD : “For a C BD a n d oth e r cannabi n oid p rodu c t to be l awfull y avail able fo r hu man consu mp ti on it n eed s to ei th e r mee t th e Exemp ted Produ c t C ri te ri a in Regul ati on 2 of t h e MDR 20 01 or th e defini ti on of a CB PM in S ch edule 2 to th e MD R 20 01 for i ts po sse ssi on to be l awful ”

Marc h 5 , 2 0 2 0

T h e Ge rm an Fede ral Gove rnment ba cktra cks on t h e d evel op m ent s of De cembe r, sidi n g wi th the Eu rop ean In du stri al He mp Associ ati on (E IHA ) stati n g th at food cont aini n g par ts of the h emp pl ant are n o t n ovel “Fo od stuffs con taini n g par ts of th e he mp pl an t are in p ri n ciple n ot ‘ n ovel ’ fo od s wi thin th e m eani n g of regul ati on (E U 2015/228 3) ”

J a n u ar y 1, 2 0 21

No ve mbe r 2 0 1 9

Ru m ou rs sta r t ci rcul ating ab ou t C BD regul ati on s a t GCI Eu rope , a two d ay cann abi s con fe ren ce in Lo n d on C BD companies star t to ask ques ti ons of h ealth care , food an d C BD sp eake rs ab out wh at th e regula ti ons or p roce ss i s li kel y to be

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e cembe r 2 0 1 9

Foll owing a cou r t case , Ge rman au th oritie s confi rm th ey vi ew C BD as p res crip ti on m edi ci n e or a n ovel food

Februar y 2 0 2 0

The UK ’ s FSA ann oun ce s a d eadli n e for C BD companies to compl y wi th te sting , l abellin g an d the Novel Food s Ac t Af te r this d ate , t h e lo cal au tho ri tie s will en force th e legi sl ati on Vulne rable pe ople sh oul d avoid C BD an d th ose wh o take i t sh ould n ot t ake m ore th an 70mg daily

T h e re comme n ded sub mi ssi on sta r t d ate to all ow for any ques ti on s to be directed at the FSA. “ We can th en gi ve bu si n e sse s guid an ce and an swe r a ny que rie s th ey may h ave , in orde r to en su re th ey p rog re ss at pa ce th rough ou r UK au th ori sati on p rocess f rom Janu ar y 1 202 1 ”

Marc h 31, 2 0 21

T h e fin al d ea dli n e to sub mi t food p rodu c ts for te sti n g Produ c t s can n ot be on th e shel ve s unle ss th ey a re cl earl y l abelled , tran sparen t ab ou t i n g redien ts an d carr y au th ori sati on f rom th e FSA “A n ov

o t dif

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c o nsu m p t ion o f t h e n ovel f o o d wo ul d be nu t r i t i o n a ll y di s a d van t age o u s f or t he c on s ume r .

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UP TO STANDARD

The UK’s Food Standards Agency has given CBD companies a year to apply for their products to be authorised. Who do the regulations apply to and what regulatory hoops will businesses have to jump through? The ultimate goal? Safe CBD for you and me.

Words by Gordon Stribling

The legal cannabis market has exploded over the past year in this country, with seemingly every industry wanting a slice of the CBD infused pie. But the proliferation of cannabis products has inevitably led to increased scrutiny from regulators, including the European Commission (EC) and the relevant food safety authorities.

The EC confirmed the novel food status of CBD at the start of last year and a year later, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced that businesses would be required to apply for novel food authorisation for their products to continue to be sold on the high street.

The FSA has now issued guidance for CBD businesses that intend to continue to trade in the lucrative industry, amidst a year of limbo.

Novel foods are foods that had not been widely consumed within the EU prior to May 1997. The European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) has argued that cannabinoid-rich hemp foods and hemp extracts containing CBD have been consumed across Europe for many years and therefore low-concentration CBD products should not be considered novel. The FSA disagrees.

that have been made about foods and food supplements. The list confirms that CBD extracts and isolates are classified as novel foods. There are currently no authorised CBD supplements on the market, though a number of applications have been made across Europe.

Which products require authorisation?

All CBD supplements, edibles, drinks and tinctures, what the FSA considers to be an ‘ingestible’. Vape and cosmetic products do not fall within the scope of the regulation.

The European Commission Novel Food Catalogue records the decisions made about the novel food status of products of animal and plant origin and other substances. It is a non exhaustive list that guides industries on whether a product requires authorisation under the regulations. The catalogue does not have legal status, so it’s not technically law. Rather it shows the legal decisions

Food businesses are required to submit a dossier of information via the European Commission’s e-submission

I have a small self-run CBD business. What is a Novel Food?

What is the Novel Food Catalogue. Is it legally binding?

I’m going to put my products through this process. How will products be authorised?

portal. This can either be the manufacturer itself or a trade body or other representative.

The European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) will conduct a risk assessment and offer its opinion within nine months if no further information is required. Once the EFSA publishes a positive opinion, the EC has seven months to draft an act authorising the placing of the novel food product on the market.

An authorisation applies to products made with the same production methods for the same uses using the same evidence base. However, an authorised product can be branded in different ways, so it can, for example, be white labelled by other companies. But variations of the finished product must be authorised and used in the same way.

How will the regulation be enforced?

Local authorities are responsible for enforcing food law, so it remains to be seen what action will be taken by Trading Standards against companies selling non-compliant products after the application deadline.

How much will this set my business back?

This will depend on the intended use of a product and whether or not the EFSA requests any animal or toxicology studies. Cost estimates range from £30,000 to £200,000 for a single application.

When is the deadline?

Businesses are required to submit fully a validated application by March 31, 2021. Only products that have followed this procedure will be allowed to remain on the market after this date. Businesses are permitted to continue to sell non-approved products in the meantime.

This applies to England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Novel foods in Scotland are regulated by Food Standards Scotland.

Have you ever worked with or been friends with someone who seems so put together? A person who seems to have attained a balance in life that we all strive to achieve. How does one get to that point? We interviewed Ronnie D from Miami Florida. He is one of our most loyal subscriptionbased customers. We sat down with him to ask him a few candid questions about his daily routine and how our products assist in his process to find that equilibrium.

1-DER- Hi Ronnie, thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to our brand?

Ronnie- Thank you for having me. I am a small business owner in Miami Florida. I oversee a team of 15 employees. We are still in the start up phase so you can imagine the demands not only physically, but mentally and spiritually. I’m a young guy, I’m only 27 years old, however we all have our limits. The only way for me to be able to work 12-hour days is to have a routine and have balance.

1-DER- We are relatively new and still going through growing pains as well, so what you’re saying resonates with us. Tell us about what attracted you to our products and how you incorporate them into your routine.

Ronnie- It started with some online research about CBD and all positive benefits attributed to the consumption of it. I stumbled across your brand at a Vape expo. Prior to that moment, I had never seen a brand that had been able to create so many different nutritional products that incorporate CBD. A littleknown fact about me is that I suffer from anxiety. CBD has helped me control it in ways that I can’t even describe. I live an active lifestyle, I’m into weight training, outdoor activities that include biking, and kayaking. When I saw that you guys not only make coffee and sugar with CBD, you make protein powders, BCAAs, vegetable and collagen powders. I was sold.

1-DER- That is awesome! We have so many clients that work as hard as you do and need the proper nutrition and supplements to give them the energy and recovery that our supplements combined with CBD are able to provide. Can you quickly tell us what products you use on a typical work day?

Ronnie- I wake up around 6am. I throw on a pot of your 1-DER Colombian Coffee. Once its ready I use your sweetener and coffee creamer which both have CBD in them as well. I then make a protein shake with your Vegan Lemon Cake protein mixed with your Everyday Greens and Collagen powders. That’s my breakfast. I walk my dog, then I head out to work a long productive day. If I’m not able to get out of the office to grab an actual meal, I use your meal replacement shakes to hold me over.

IS IT EVEN FOOD THOUGH?

Did you recently buy an oral or edible CBD product? If yes, then you need to know about the novel food debacle. As food safety regulators move to weed out dangerous products, we look at two words having an expensive impact on manufacturers, that could in turn lead to higher price points.

Words by Róisín Delaney

Novel foods. Two words we are hearing more about as the CBD realms edge closer to regulation this year.

But what does the term really mean? For businesses and consumers alike, these 10 letters mean a whole lot of hoop jumping and box ticking.

What is a novel food?

Anything in the food chain now which was not widely consumed by people in the European Union before May 15, 1997. This means novel foods don’t have a ‘history of consumption’, or in other words, were late to the plate. Food, ingredients, additives, flavourings and supplements are all under the microscope of the Novel Foods Act. None more so this year than CBD.

In January 2019, the European Commission added CBD to the Novel Food Catalogue creating sheer panic among budding CBD businesses and high street retailers who had just introduced the cannabis extract to their shelves. The catalogue is comprised of a long list of food components deemed to be new, poorly researched and (you guessed it) novel. You see, when something like CBD comes along, the powers-that-be need to see proof that no harm is going to come to someone who buys a product in store or online. Equally as significant is the investigation to evaluate the presence of any health benefits. So this process, as frustrating and costly as it may be for the people making the products, is essential if we want to keep buying better end products.

While this catalogue entry needed to be taken seriously by regulators and manufacturers, it’s not legally binding.

Shortly after the Commission’s announcement last year, the Food Standards Agency in the UK (FSA) confirmed that it would follow the lead of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in designating food and drinks containing CBD as novel.

This meant that any ‘ingestibles’ containing CBD – from gummies to tinctures – would require extensive safety testing in order to gain premarket authorisation to be sold in the UK.

In January this year, the FSA said that it was looking to ensure that CBD products already on the market ‘move towards compliance,’ but said it was not, at that time, launching enforcement action. That all changed in February, when the FSA announced a deadline of 2021 by which every brand making CBD food or drink items for sale in the UK has to submit an application for validation.

Now, we wait. One thing is certain, CBD is a novel food in the eyes of UK authorities, and products have to pass a standard before they’re safe for consumption, just like any other type of food. beverages or herbal remedy.

CBD isn’t the only novel food out there. You might even have a few in your cupboard.

CHIA SEEDS

Thanks to Instagram-worthy overnight oats, the chia seed industry has been a booming business since 2016. But these tiny little seeds, rich in the B vitamins, thiamin and niacin plus many essential minerals, were only approved for sale by the EU in 2009.

CREATINE

Used by athletes and heavy lifters. Creatine helps muscles to produce energy during heavy lifting or high intensity exercise.

ECHINACEA

According to the authorities, this herbal remedy for the common cold or flu can only be used in supplement form. So you won’t be seeing echinacea-flavoured cereal anytime soon.

BRITISH PUBLIC SUPPORTS CBD REGULATION

The UK’s CBD industry will likely look a lot different in a year’s time thanks (or no thanks) to new FSA rules. But according to a recent YouGov poll, consumers feel regulations are long overdue.

Words by Gordon Stribling

The announcement that CBD would be regulated as a novel food was met with mixed reactions from the legal cannabis industry. Some welcomed the move, believing that the authorisation process would give the market a much-needed clean-up, others argued that it would destroy small businesses and only leave room for the major players with the capital to play ball.

But a recent survey from the Association for the Cannabinoid Industry (ACI) has revealed that the British public is largely in favour of FSA regulation. The poll found that the UK public is very familiar with CBD in 2020. 71% of respondents were aware of CBD and 16% had purchased a CBD product. The YouGov and ACI survey presented the 2,056 respondents with a summary of the FSA’s recent guidance and a short explanation of the novel food deadline.

The recent guidance states that there may be adverse effects in vulnerable groups from consuming CBD and advises healthy adults to limit their intake to 70mg a day. The advice to pregnant women is not to use CBD products. When asked whether they agreed with the FSA’s decision to regulate CBD products, 74% of respondents expressed a positive reaction and only

8% opposed the regulation. The report revealed a lack of consumer confidence in the unregulated CBD products currently on sale in the UK.

Less than a third were confident in the information on CBD product labels and believed that they were properly tested by a regulatory authority. 45% did not trust this.

ACI pharmacy lead Dr Andy Yates, said: “This new poll demonstrates that the public have a clear view regarding regulation of CBD; they want more of it and the FSA can be assured that they have overwhelming support for the new measures they have introduced.”

“The FSA can be assured that they have overwhelming support for the new measures they have introduced”

THE LINE Endo

Endometriosis is a debilitating disease that causes chronic pain, yet with no reliable pain relief solutions, more sufferers are turning to alternative methods.

Words by Caroline Barry

Endometriosis is a condition that affects 1 in 10 women in the UK and Ireland. This inflammatory disease affects 176 million people worldwide, causing chronic pain, infertility and exhaustion combined with depression. Endometriosis UK estimates that the condition costs the economy about £8.2bn per year in loss of work, healthcare and treatment.

is Endometriosis and who suffers?

Endometriosis happens when cells like the ones found in the lining of the uterus end up elsewhere in the body. These cells react the same way to those in the womb by building up before breaking down and bleeding. However, the blood has no way to escape the body so instead it forms as scar tissue resulting in a lot of pain. Current recommended treatment is hormonal (contraceptives) or surgery (laparoscopy) with no prospect of a cure. Surgery comes with a success rate of just 62.4% which drops to 55% a year later as the endometriosis tissue reforms.

Campaigner, Aimee Brown is currently taking a drug normally prescribed to terminal cancer patients post-surgery. “I’m on 23 prescription tablets daily. One is

called Palexia. This is a controlled drug that’s normally prescribed to cancer patients.”

She says it helped initially, before noticing a decline. “I was prescribed 150mg which helped at first. I had my post-op appointment and the team decided to treble my dose to 450mg daily. Palexia made my nausea so much worse.”

She adds that she would welcome access to medicinal cannabis for endometriosis patients, saying, “My consultants are happy to give me opioids but not sign off on medicinal cannabis.”

Scientists are currently exploring the success of THC on patients like Aimee. A recent study into the benefits of THC on mice has prompted clinical trials in Barcelona.

Researchers observed that female mice implanted with endometrial tissue that developed mechanical hypersensitivity in the abdomen showed anxiety-like behaviour that has been noted in people with the condition. While the THC showed no effect on the anxiety, it did stop the growth

of new tissue, alleviated pain and restored cognitive function, including improved memory function.

Alejandra Escudero-Lara, a PhD candidate at the University Pompeo Fabra and author of the study, said: “Together our findings show that THC limits the development and symptoms of endometriosis in an experiment model and highlight the interest of conducting further research to ensure the safety and beneficial effects of this treatment in women with endometriosis.”

Author Lara Parker has written extensively on her journey with endometriosis and her medication with cannabis in LA. “Cannabis is my medicine, full stop. I cannot imagine my life without it, and I don’t want to,” she says. “A life without cannabis is a very scary thought to me. I wouldn’t be able to eat many meals, I wouldn’t be able to orgasm without pain, I would live a life filled with much more pain.”

Parker is based in California where accessing medicinal cannabis is not as restricted as it is this side of the Atlantic. “I’m lucky that, living in California as a white woman, most of the people in my life understand and don’t blink an eye at my daily use.” The reality for women in the UK and Ireland can be quite different. The pain-relief property of cannabinoids is the reason why we are seeing more period pain and hygiene companies exploring CBD products alongside moon cups and pain relief patches.

At the Indie Beauty Expo in London, British brand BeYou displayed CBD drops, sprays and balms prominently.

Kat Tyndall of BeYou told us the reaction to their range has been unprecedented.

“We were overwhelmed with requests for a high quality and trustworthy CBD range. We’ve had great feedback from our community, some

As women, we’ve all had painful periods that have had us reaching for the hot water bottle at some point. But imagine the pain you feel from your period was so bad you missed days of school, university or work? A sensation so bad that it left you in constant chronic pain with little or no options for relief.

What

“My consultants are happy to give me opioids but not sign off on medicinal cannabis.”

have told us that after three months of regular usage, it has helped reduce their base level of pain.”

Female entrepreneurs are poised to make big changes in the menstrual market, from period pants to CBD lubricants. Daye, a London-based start-up, produces CBD-infused tampons that offer a fast acting, 100mg full spectrum CBD hit with a high potency concentration. They say the idea works because the vagina is one of the areas of the body with a high concentration of endocannabinoid receptors.

This particular brand has been selected to partner with a North London NHS hospital to run trials into how CBD tampons might help women cope with bad menstrual pains. Resident doctor, Katie Baker explains, “We’re currently in the final stages of a blinded randomised controlled trial with 80 women in Europe. This is looking at whether the Daye CBD tampon is useful for period cramp relief. User feedback for the CBD tampons so far has shown that relief kicks in quicker than normal analgesia and that

they can be used as an effective cramp reliever. There have been no adverse effects documented through the participants or via the gynaecologists supervising the trial, including no adverse impact on the vaginal microbiome.”

Alex, 37, has been suffering with endometriosis since she was twelve although the pain increased when she came off contraceptives.

“I have suffered with endometriosis since I had my first period. The contraceptive seemed to mask the symptoms along either of my pregnancies. When I came off the pill three years ago, the pain hit me like a truck. I was officially diagnosed last year after lengthy tests and a laparoscopy.”

Alex adds that her symptoms leave her with, “agonising cramps like labour pains, pains where my ovaries are, down my legs, extreme fatigue and sickness.

I take up to about 15 drops of super strength CBD a day. It helps to dull the pain. It doesn’t completely eradicate it but allows me to get on with my day-to-day jobs and life.”

Endometriosis In Numbers

1 IN 10 10%

women suffer from endometriosis in the UK

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of women worldwide have the condition

the average number of years it can take to be diagnosed

a year in lost wages, work and healthcare

of women with infertility also have endometriosis

In June 2019, the government announced its intention to reduce greenhouse gas contributions to net zero by 2050 and for the UK become the first major country to introduce zero emissions. However, the United Nations predicts that 68% of the world’s projected population will live in urban areas also by 2050. Is it time to start thinking outside the cement box?

Cement is one of the world’s mostconsumed resources after water of which it takes a lot to make. It provides 8% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions which is why architects and builders are turning to alternatives.

Practise Architecture built a sustainable three-bedroom home in Cambridgeshire with the aim of addressing the vital issue of the energy consumed and carbon produced by buildings. They used a mixture of hemp and lime called hempcrete, which is poured into timber frame cassettes which

become insulating when dry. The exterior is covered in corrugated panels made of fibres from the outer coating of the hemp stalks combined with resin taken from agricultural waste. This is all produced by Margent Farm where the home is located. Hempcrete is a carbon negative material, meaning more carbon is removed from the atmosphere by the growth of the plant through the development of the thick wooden stems than produced by it. The hemp can grow up to 4.5 metres in four months. It is the stalk that is chopped up to construct the concrete alternative.

As well as the low carbon benefits, hemp is naturally pest and weed resistant, which means there’s no need for harsh chemicals. It also requires less energy to heat the homes, meaning a reduction in energy bills.

Improvements in the building industry due to the energy efficiency of plants and the process of burning new waste material instead of traditional fossil

fuels have helped reduce the average CO₂ emissions per tonne of output by 18%.

But how great is the growth of this plant-based industry? We meet the makers that help make hemp into a home.

The Alternative Architect

Winkens Architecture in Wexford, Ireland, designed one of the first hemp houses in 2012. The two-story residential property is situated in County Longford. Owner of the practice, Zeno Winkens, said:

“I was very happy working with hempcrete in this project. It is very forgiving in Ireland’s climate unlike straw bale which I have also worked with.

“It takes in moisture but can release it again. A good lime render will help with this.”

Zeno noted that while demand for hempcrete is ‘as good as none’ in Ireland, common Irish household

issues with mould and damp, which could be a result of the damper climate, could be lessened with the use of hempcrete.

This is due to its ability to absorb and release moisture vapour. This can help to passively regulate internal humidity, preventing condensation and damp which leads to black mould growth. “Hempcrete is breathable,” according to Zeno.

“The only limitation for it is that it is not structural and needs a timber frame structure to support it.”

The house won a national Green Award in 2012 for being the greenest residential building in Ireland.

The Hemp Homeowner

James Byrne is a web designer from Abbeyshrule in County Longford.

James lives in the hemp house designed by Winkens Architecture with his wife and three children. He started building the garage in 2010 before moving into the home in 2011.

James incorporated eco-friendly modifications which helped to increase the energy efficiency.

“The roof uses a parallel-chord cathedral truss and it’s filled with pumped cellulose.

“The foundation is a thermal bridge free slab with 300mm polystyrene insulation and 40% GGBS concrete.”

James warns that the detailing of the house needs to be secure to stop moisture coming in and causing

mould. He has had issues with some of the windows due to poor detailing and finishing on the windward side.

“The house is on a hill and is exposed on one side, so mechanical ventilation is a must as it eliminates any issues with mould.

“You just need to make sure that the external detailing is up to standard.” Would James recommend hempcrete as a building material?

“Not if you were going to cast walls on-site as it’s expensive and subject to the weather,” he said.

“I think the best hempcrete system for housing is the closed-panel system. It has great potential due to its low carbon credentials, but it needs more work to incorporate it into a workable and cost-effect build system.”

The Final Furnishings

It’s not just houses being created from hemp. Atlas Maitland, a commercial flooring manufacturer in Alabama, is creating a carpet infused with CBD oil.

Sales and operation planning manager, Heath Kyser, explained: “Our yarn vendor, Universal Fibres, are the ones who are applying the CBD. We are applying it as the actual fibre is extruded. The CBD will be a part of the yarn the carpet is made with. This is the first time we have ever done it, and the first time Universal has done it as well. Our customer is a company that produces CBD in the US and it will be going in their corporate offices. They are providing the CBD, and it is their idea.”

After considering several different methods, the team decided to try baking the mixture into the carpet as the final coating is added. They will also apply a topical solution that acts a stain preventer to prevent any oily residue.

“Hempcrete is very forgiving in Ireland’s climate. It takes in moisture but can release it again”

The

TheGREEN RACE

The race for the White House has officially begun with nominees hoping to become the official candidates but where do they stand on medical cannabis and legalisation?

Words by Caroline Barry

Legalisation and access to cannabis is a big issue in the US. This year looks set to be one of the most profitable for the American born industry so far, with full legalisation in 11 states and legalised medical marijuana in 33. Among Democratic nominees, legalising cannabis has become a common stance, but surprisingly, Republican nominees are also on board. We examine the hopeful nominees ahead of potential big changes for the cannabis industry as the 2020 Presidential Race heats up.

Joe Biden, Pennsylvania, Democrat

“With regard to the total legalisation of it, there are some in the medical community who say it needs to be made a Schedule II drug so there can be research studies, as not whether it is a gateway drug but whether or not it, when used in other combinations, may have a negative impact on people overcoming other problems, including in fact on young people in terms of brain development—a whole range of things that are beyond my expertise.”

Biden told the media in November that he believes cannabis to be a ‘gateway drug.’ His views may stem from his involvement in the War on Drugs during the Regan and Bush administrations that saw zero tolerance for possession. He has attempted to distance himself from his past involvement as studies show 76% of Democrats are in favour of legalisation.

Donald Trump, New York, Republican

Gabbard has been involved in fighting for decriminalisation for years and she is currently on the House cannabis caucus. She has introduced two bipartisan marijuana bills. “Our archaic marijuana policies – based on stigma and outdated myths – have been used to wage a failed War on Drugs. Families have been torn apart, communities left fractured, and over-criminalisation and mass incarceration have become the norm.” She said. “In 2017 alone, our country arrested 600,000 people just for possession of marijuana. Our bipartisan legislation takes a step toward ending the failed war on drugs, ending the federal prohibition on marijuana, and ensuring that our policies are guided by facts and the truth.”

Bernie Sanders, Vermont, Democrat

Bernie Sanders has one of the most ambitious plans for legalisation, announcing his detailed plan at precisely 4:20pm. He proposes to legalise within his first 100 days of office by removing the controlled substance classification and legalising at a federal level which would allow companies to operate more easily and remove restrictions. He wants to see cannabis investment in communities that have been hit the hardest by the war on drugs with a $20bn grant for entrepreneurs in these areas. “Entrepreneurs of colour who continue to face discrimination in access to capital,” he said. “There are at least 51% owned or controlled by those in disproportionately impacted areas or individuals who have been arrested for or convicted of marijuana offenses.” He is also openly critical of Big Tobacco and wants to block their entry into the cannabis market.

The current POTUS remains silent about the prospect of legalising cannabis at a federal level but believes that legalisation should be a state issue.

“We’re going to see what’s going on. It’s a very big subject and right now we are allowing states to make that decision.”

Trump signed the Farm Bill in 2018 which made hemp an ordinary agricultural commodity allowing it to be legally farmed. Will the current US president stick to this stance though? He has backtracked on a vape ban after vaping voters threatened to not support him if legislation passed. Given that 51% of Republicans are pro-legalisation, opting for a state-by-state option could mean he doesn’t have to move to legalise and potentially lose voters.

Bill Weld, New York, Republican

Weld has a vested interest in legalisation as he sits on the board of directors at Acreage Holdings, one of America’s largest cannabis operators. Weld’s website does not state his Acreage involvement but does note he has been pro-legalisation since 1992.

Tulsa Gabbard, Hawaii, Democrat

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Pride

LGBT+ activists fought for medical cannabis access at the height of the Aids crisis. We examine the community’s history of canna-activism.

Cannabis activism has a long history intertwined with the LGBT+ community.

While access has improved, so too has interest from pharmaceutical companies. This in turn threatens to erase the contributions made by the community who fought for access, legislation and helped to draft laws. As the Aids crisis of the 1980s worsened, gay men demanded access to medicinal cannabis as they watched people pass away from the disease. The first diagnosis of what was then referred to as Gay Related Immune Deficiency Disease (GRIDS) came in 1981 as healthcare workers began to see more cases of rare diseases in young gay men. Human Immunodeficiency Disease (HIV) is a virus that attacks the cells that help the body fight infection.

This makes the person vulnerable to disease or infection. It is spread through the bodily fluids of person with HIV through unprotected sex, blood or sharing needles. A person living with HIV is considered to have Aids if their CD4 cell count falls below 200 per cubic millimetre of blood, or if they develop an opportunistic infection despite a good CD4 count. Azidothymidine (AZT) an anti-retroviral drug was one of the only medications available in 1987. It was originally developed for cancer treatment in the 1960s but failed to work during tests. It was controversially rushed through Food and Drug Administration (FDA) testing in the US and was made available in under two years. Costing $8,000 a year at the time, ($17,000 in today’s money) AZT was out of reach to most US patients, especially those without insurance. The side effects could be intense, with reports of skin peeling, nausea, severe intestinal issues and

extreme tiredness. Aids patients suffered from different opportunistic diseases which meant no one could be sure if AZT was working. The community turned to cannabis to help deal with the symptoms and side effects of AZT such as neuropathic pain which is where the exterior sheath covering nerve cells is stripped away exposing nerve endings, causing intense pain. It helped ease mental health distress such as depression and anxiety brought on by the diagnosis.

Denis Peron opened the first medicinal cannabis dispensary after his partner, Jonathan West was diagnosed. Peron was arrested following a raid at his home in San Francisco but was later released after West testified on his behalf. Jonathan passed away from the disease in 1990. “Jonathan was taking many prescribed drugs,” Dennis recalls. “There were severe side effects, including nausea and loss of appetite. Marijuana was the only drug that eased his pain, restored his appetite and gave him some moments of dignity in that last year. I had hundreds of friends with Aids who relied on marijuana for the same

reasons: appetite, relief from nausea, relief from pain, to be able to sleep.”

Following the raid, Peron went on to set up the Cannabis Buyers Club where he sold cannabis to HIV/Aids sufferers to ease their symptoms.

Buyers clubs were originally set up to provide prescription drugs to patients that were not approved by the FDA. They provided as many as 112 different chemicals that slowed the progression, killed cells and helped with liver damage caused by medication. The club proved to be so successful that it moved to a warehouse in 1995 to accommodate 11,000 patients – half of which were suffering with Aids. To gain entry you needed to have an ID and a doctor’s note to confirm your illness, but Peron gave away marijuana to the poor and cancer, glaucoma or arthritis patients.

The club offered a range of smokables, tinctures, topicals and edibles but refused to offer a delivery service. “Sick people tend to withdraw and

that’s the worst thing they can do.”

Peron explains. “We don’t have a delivery service, because we want them to get out of the house.”

The buyers club was raided in 1996 and shut down.

Peron went on to draft and organise support for California proposition 215 which exempts medical marijuana users and carers from

Another campaigner, Mary Rathbun was often described as the Florence Nightingale of medicinal cannabis. She was nicknamed ‘Brownie Mary’ as she made brownies for Aids patients that she saw during her time as a volunteer at San Francisco General Hospital. She made little money as she used any profits to buy ingredients.

She was arrested three times and by 1984 was baking up to 600 brownies a day. Mary referred to the Aids patients that she cared for as ‘her kids.’

“When and if they legalise it, I’ll sell my brownie recipe to Betty Crocker

or Duncan Hines,” she said. “And take the profits and buy an old Victorian for my kids with Aids.”

Today with increasing acceptance of medical cannabis and marriage equality, it can be tempting to think activism is no longer needed. A study by The Trevor Project, an LGBT+ suicide prevention group, has revealed members of the community are four times more likely to attempt suicide. As cannabis continues to go mainstream, how long will marginalised groups be able to stake a claim?

Scotland: no novel food deadline

Food

Standards Scotland (FSS), the body responsible for regulating

CBD and novel foods in the country, has not followe d its counterpart in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland in setting a deadline by which companies should have submitte d a novel food application.

Earlier this year, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) said it was giving companies until 31st March 2021 to apply for novel foods status, otherwise their product would be taken off the shelves

However, the FSA’s Scottish counterpart was not so quick to set a date. The FSS’s chief executive, Geoff Ogle, said that CBD food manufacturers should apply to the Commission for novel foods authorisa tion, but that it would not set a date for removal of non compliant items from the market

He added: “While more evidence is needed to deter mine the safety of CBD food products in Scotland, which the authorisation process will assess, there has not been any significant increase in incidents in relation to this ingredient ”

About CBD-Intel

Meanwhile the equivalent body for the Republic of Ireland, the Food Standards Agency of Ireland (FSAI), told CBD Intel that unauthorised novel foods should not be on the market at all

The agency recently performed its own survey of food and food supplements containing hemp or derivatives available on the Irish market It said that 34% of the items it surveyed required novel food authorisation and thus should not be on the market

The survey also found a variety of other issues including 41% having CBD levels differing from declared content by 50% or more including some that contained only trace levels of CBD despite declaring significant levels on the label, and 50% making unpermitted claims. “These claims included unauthorised nutrition or health claims, possible medicinal claims and misleading lactose free, gluten free and non GMO claims,” the FSAI said.

It also found that 84% of the products contained THC to some level or another, with 37% containing levels of THC that if consumed at the maxi mum stated dosage could significantly exceed the European Food Safety Authority’s safe limit of 1µg per kg of body weight per day

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SHROOM BOOM The

From Gwyneth Paltrow’s Netflix series to legalisation, mushrooms are spreading their spores. We ask if these psychedelics could be the next CBD. Words by Caroline Barry

FLIPPING THE Script

Medical cannabis was legalised in England in 2018 but only a fortunate few have been able to access it on the NHS. We visited The Medical Cannabis Clinics Harley St centre to see how private prescriptions work and discuss the ongoing debate about cannabis medicines and mental health. Words by Gordon Stribling

It’s a grim Wednesday afternoon in central London. Horizontal wind whips rain around with umbrella inverting intensity. Hooded patients dash from car doors into Harley Street’s many famous clinics. Nestled among them is the flagship Medical Cannabis Clinics site. It is one of seven such medical centres in the UK, spearheaded by clinical director and prominent medical cannabis advocate, Professor Mike Barnes. I’m here to meet consultant psychiatrist Dr Anup Mathew who’s kindly agreed to talk to me on his first day in the role.

“I’ve always had a holistic approach with looking at alternatives to standard pharmacological medications,” he says.

“I started looking into cannabis and the leader of this is the Medical Cannabis Clinics. I contacted them, went on a training programme, spoke to the team and here I am.”

Cannabis interacts with the endocannabinoid system, which we are only now developing an understanding of despite a long history of cannabis-use. We currently know of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, but there may be more and, potentially, more applications for medical cannabis.

“It’s looking like it affects multiple pathways. It works exceptionally well for pain and nausea,” Dr Mathew says. “They have potentially identified another receptor, CB3, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”

Unlike the NHS where medical cannabis is only prescribed for a handful of conditions, doctors at the Medical Cannabis Clinics prescribe for everything from stress and anxiety to MS and motor neurone disease. Patients needn’t have exhausted all the standard medications in order to access it, but Dr Mathew says that some will have tried illicit forms of cannabis that were either ineffective or tempered by side-effects. Attitudes to cannabis among the medical community are changing, albeit slowly. However, it remains a highly contentious issue in the psychiatric field despite the huge demand for new drugs. Patients are crying out for

medications that do not come with a high addiction potential like opiates or benzodiazepines such as Valium, Dr Mathew adds.

He believes that the conflict with cannabis within the psychiatric community is due to a lack of understanding.

“We have always been taught that cannabis causes psychosis and there’s not an understanding of where that comes from. As a trainee you’re left with that knowledge, but it’s not explored any further,” he says.

“But when you dive into the research and look at receptors and pharmacological reactions, you understand that there is a use for this medication.

“If there’s any history of psychosis, schizophrenia or bi-polar, you have to be very careful.

“We’re not currently seeing patients with that history. Not to say that they

wouldn’t benefit from it, but we don’t want to cause any issues before we can even show the benefits.” Dr Mathew follows what he calls a ‘start low, go slow’ approach to prescribing, starting with CBDonly at the beginning, with the concentration depending on the condition, the patient’s past experience and the severity of symptoms. In most cases, patients just require CBD, but a smaller ratio of THC can be added later. But this all happens only after patients have undergone a thorough assessment process. Doctors will have detailed patient history, letters from GPs and medical records to work with. They then talk through the options with the patient in a consultation and submit a plan to clinical governance. Only once this is given the green light will the medication be ordered.

But if CBD is so widely available and far cheaper to obtain, why not simply obtain it on the high street?

Dr Mathew explains that it’s a matter of safety and consistency that you only get with a medicinal product. “No one actually knows what’s in high street CBD. I’m seeing patients saying, ‘this one has given me a stomach ulcer’ and that rings alarm bells. Who knows what’s in it?

“If a patient has an allergy to a certain kind of oil, we know and can give a prescription that doesn’t have that oil in it.”

Medical cannabis remains difficult to physically obtain, even outside the confines of the NHS. The clinic’s pharmacist has to pick up the medication from Amsterdam. It is then delivered to the patient within a few weeks.

The clinic recommends that patients prescribed raw flower vape it for maximum bioavailability. If they are unsure how to use a vape, they are given a demonstration and recommend a device.

After that, it’s a matter of trialling the prescription for one-to-three months, booking a follow-up appointment to confirm that the medication is working and then being discharged and continue to get their prescription from the pharmacy.

Dr Mathew hopes that it will be easier for doctors and patients to access medical cannabis as more evidence of its efficacy and safety comes to light.

He notes that public perceptions are changing, not just due to high-profile cases in the UK but also increased awareness of models in countries that have more well-established medical cannabis programmes.

“In Canada, they have opened shops where you can pick a unique formula of taste, flavour and so on. It will get to that stage, but the UK has had such bad press that it will take a while to change.

“People have been using cannabis off-license without a prescription, so we have a huge database and the studies have been done from using it on the street, so we don’t need the

typical clinical trial process. But we do need exact science of what we’re getting and what we’re prescribing.”

Medical Cannabis Clinics Patient, Male, 26.*

“My original diagnosis was low mood and anxiety/depression. I came in today because I’ve not been able to deal with it myself or manage things lately. Luckily, I got a new diagnosis of emotionally unstable personality disorder, which has helped clear up a lot of things.”

“I went through a bad episode of negative things happening while at uni. My friend recommended that I try cannabis and I did a bunch of research before I tried it and I found that it helped, at least whenever I was able to find the right version of it on the street. CBD helped me a lot with managing the extremes of emotion.

“My parents found out at that I’d been using cannabis, had a proper sit-down, and I told them it had essentially been a miracle because I hadn’t found any other treatment or

any other support that would work majorly. Therapy at uni did help but once that stopped, all the progress that I’d made got reversed. Cannabis didn’t cure everything, but it helped stabilise it. My parents wanted me to go through the legal avenues, so my dad got things sorted with the clinic and it’s been exceptionally good. I’ve actually been able to address things that I hadn’t been able to talk about for more or less a decade now.”

“I came here today and the doctor didn’t just immediately give me the medication. He went through the full diagnosis process, finding out the symptoms and past drug and alcohol use. I found that with some GPs, they just throw medication at you. But the doctor suggested a combination of talking therapy/CBT as well as mood stabilisers. It wasn’t just jumping straight into ‘shall we use cannabis as the cure for everything and fix it?’, but ‘what will actually work to address the broader issue.’’’

*In the interest of doctor-patient confidentiality, this gentleman’s name cannot be published.

“When you dive into the research and look at receptors and pharmacological reactions, you understand that there is a use for this medication.”

CBD, SLEEP, REPEAT.

If you have run out of sheep to count, some say micro-dosing on CBD throughout the night could be the secret to a good slumber.

Words by Caroline Barry

There’s nothing worse than a bad night’s sleep. Poor sleep can influence your concentration levels, happiness and motivation. It can also have long term effects on your weight, sex drive and immune system. While there are many reasons for lack of sleep, the main cause can be stress and anxiety, according to the UK Sleep Council.

“Whether it’s a jam-packed pressurised work schedule or worrying about finances, stress causes the heart rate to go up and in turn the mind starts to ‘race.’ This causes the brain to become too alert and stimulated to sleep. Bad habits also play a huge part – from not eating well, not exercising enough, alcohol and caffeine consumption,

irregular sleep schedules and overusing technology in the hours before bed.”

Anyone who has taken prescription drugs such as Xanax or Zopiclone know that the effects can sometimes linger into the next day causing issues with alertness which is not ideal when combined with a 9 to 5 schedule.

Is it possible that CBD could help when an early night and lavender pillow spray just doesn’t do the trick?

Bedding companies certainly seem to think so, with the development of CBD pillows, mattresses and patches. There are two companies offering CBD pillow options from gel memory foam pillows that microdose you throughout the night to supportive foam options combined with sage.

Malouf Sleep offer a CBD isolate infused pillow that comes with a

spritzer that helps to keep the pillow refreshed. The unique foam blend helps to relieve pain and pressure points with the extra addition of a clary sage scent.

Ashlee Willes from Malouf explains why they added a CBD range.

“We identified this as an area where we could pair the benefits of CBD with our ActiveDough™ and Zoned Dough™ technology to getting a good night’s sleep. CBD cooperates with your body’s endocannabinoid system, which may help regulate mental processes like stress and sleep. Our product development team identified the benefits of Clary Sage as a complementary addition to the pillow. It helps provide a multilayered restorative night’s sleep.”

If you struggle to stay asleep then CBD Pillow offer a way to micro-dose throughout the night with their capsule pillow. The pillowcase and gel memory foam contain mini capsules that break with friction,

causing a slow release of CBD that you absorb through your skin and hair follicles. You should be able to feel the effect instantly helping to release anxiety and tension. CBD Pillow ran tests on the product’s effectiveness in absorbing the CBD through the skin overnight. They found that 60% of it had penetrated the skin after seven hours of contact time.

The NHS suggests that the average adult needs 9 hours of sleep per night. Family run mattress firm ZBD Bed offer a micro capsule CBD mattress option. Microcapsules burst on contact with the skin, offering a way for the pure CBD isolate to enter the body without the need for ingesting oils or capsules. The mattress offers 48mg of CBD that can penetrate through a layer of fabric so you can still use a bed sheet over the top.

Joe Luliano, CEO from ZBD Bed is delighted with the response from their customers to the CBD bedding. They plan to add a pillow and mattress topper later this year. “The reaction has been magnificent. We have customers ranging in ages 30-80 years old, all dealing with different physical ailments that have not been able to sleep. After they purchased the ZBD mattress, they instantly were able to sleep all night and were able to heal faster,” according to Joe.

Did You Know?

The NHS suggests that the average adult needs 9 hours of sleep per night.

“We have customers dealing with different physical ailments

WHAT’S THE PEEL WITH ORANGE CBD?

Did you know you can get CBD from oranges? Nope, neither did we.

While the idea of lab-made CBD may not be ‘a-peel-ling’ to everyone, we ask if this THC-free synthetic CBD could be the real deal.

Words by Caroline Barry

As the CBD boom continues, companies are striving to find the next big thing. Citroso from Japan brought citrus CBD drops to the attention of the canna-curious at the recent USA CBD Expo in Las Vegas, causing us to raise the question: is this an alternative form of an already alternative medicine?

Citrus CBD, established in 2018, offers products that are completely hemp-free and instead are made from orange peel.

CBD is apparently highly concentrated in oranges making up 97% of the rind’s essential oils. George Wolters of Citrus CBD explains where this niche within a niche fits.

“Limonene, which is a chemical in orange peel, is very similar to the CBD molecule. In the laboratory with the process of heat, time and pressure, they can get a bioidentical. I’ve been making products using this material and basically found that its pharmaceutically pure, so you get a clean product without contaminants.”

Limonene is an organic compound known as a terpene. We already knew cannabis plants possess various terpenes that have many health benefits. Limonene is also found in

cloves, lemon and oregano and it has many different uses in medicine, cleaning products and now CBD products.

“We have a lot of customers who take drug tests for their work as law enforcers, teachers or the military. They can use CBD without ever having a concern about failing a drug test. Patients want the same outcome, if something works then they want to know it is going to work again.”

Scientists have been able to create 100% CBD molecules from limonene in a lab. While the idea of completely lab-grown CBD might worry those who prefer the natural route, it does hold an advantage in that it is completely pesticide-free.

Cannabis plants are bio-accumulators that soak up anything that has contact with their roots which could mean pesticides that have been stored in the soil. Limonene has the natural ability to ward off pests so it doesn’t need to be treated.

“Our products come down to limonene which is the smell in lemons and other fruits. They use Valencia oranges from

Brazil because it produces the most oranges. It’s a consistent supply chain. We are making CBD from something that would ordinarily be thrown away.” Like CBD, this terpene is thought to be anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-stress and have disease prevention properties. Studies in women with breast cancer showed a 22% decrease in breast cancer tumour expression, with two-gram daily intake of limonene over six weeks. As farmers rush to plant hemp-reducing crop varieties, planting different types of CBD-producing products could help to avoid a price crash. The green rush has seen a 445% increase in hemp acreage in 2019 alone contributing to soil erosion and environmental degradation.

George sees the future of orange CBD going even further. “I see other cannabinoids being synthesised from things like orange peel. We would develop a spectrum of cannabinoids that are readily available and synthesised to a high quality, but I think we are a few years away from that,” George adds.

REASONS

TO BE A PART OF THE CANNAVIST

Fa c eb o o k , Ins t a g r a m a n d G o o gle do n o t pe r mi t s pon s o red p os t s o r o nli n e a d s f or a n y c a nnabis de r i ved p ro du c t , i n c luding h e m p b a s ed CB D In o rder to rea c h t h e B r iti s h c o nsume r , The C ann a v i s t is your g o to o pti o n in the UK w ith both t r ade and c o nsumer di s t r ibu t ion ne t wo r ks

In January 2020, The CANNAVIST made history becoming the first ever cannabis magazine available on the high street. Wi t h i n c reasi n g dema n d f o r ad ve r t isi n g s p a c e a n d eme rgi n g retail oppo r tunitie s , The CANNAVIST continues to grow.

2. W hen it come s to adver tisin g your CBD brand , t here aren't a s many options available a s you mi ght t hink

The CANNAVIST presents the best exhibition you’ll attend this year, without leaving your seat.

The Virtual Online Expo is an event like no other.

From July 1, VOXPO will provide a unique platform for CBD and vape companies from around the world to promote their brands and products in a virtual environment, day or night, 365 days a year.

No time zone restrictions, no risk of authority interference and no risk of cancellation or postponement due to the coronavirus.

With VOXPO, your company will save thousands on the cost of floor space, booth materials, staff costs, samples

plus travel and accommodation. This unique virtual format enables customers to download your company’s information, request samples to be delivered to your door, meet new faces and old, and get business done.

VOXPO will also provide a vast amount of customer data, allowing you to target your marketing and easily contact potential clients and customers from the first live day.

With VOXPO, there will be four live threeday expos activated throughout the year and across international time zones.

You, or your team, can connect live and direct with businesses and consumers by private message, voice or video.

Cosmetics, health and wellbeing, alcohol, tobacco and vape and the sciences will all be represented on the virtual expo floor. Create your own avatar so your colleagues and clients recognise you when you appear on their screens.

Access VOXPO year round. Launch a new product and partake in seminars to promote your brand to decision makers just a click of the mouse away, in a virtual capacity that hasn’t been seen before in vape or CBD.

Victory FOR VETERANS

Medical cannabis is legal in 33 US states, but its Schedule I status remains a huge barrier to access for the nation’s veterans. Two new bills could finally change that.

Words by Gordon Stribling

Two bills that would make it easier for US veterans to access medical cannabis have passed a House Committee in a huge win in America’s fight against the ongoing opioid epidemic.

Medical cannabis is legal in 33 states, but because cannabis is a Schedule I drug at federal level, veterans are only able to access it outside of the Veterans Affairs (VA) network, which can be prohibitively expensive for many.

The first bill would permit VA doctors to recommend medical cannabis in legal states. The second would require that the VA conducts a clinical trial into cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain and PTSD, among other conditions suffered by veterans. If the Veterans Equal Access Act and Veterans Medical Cannabis Research Act pass, veterans will be able to substitute existing medications for cannabis or incorporate it into their existing treatment.

Congressman Earl Blumenauer who introduced the first bill said:

“Even though this has been approved on the floor of the House in the past as an amendment to appropriations bills, it’s been stonewalled by Senate Republican leadership.

“This is the way forward to guarantee it becomes the law of the land.”

A study published last year in American Journal of Preventative Medicine revealed that veteran deaths from all opioids increased by 65% between 2010 and 2016.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has said that opioid death rate among the veteran population have increased due to the increase in deaths from heroin and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.

Meanwhile, Robert Wilkie, secretary of Veteran Affairs has stated that veterans are twice as likely to die from opioid abuse than the general population.

The VA has also said that veterans are almost twice as likely to develop PTSD.

As well as increasing veteran access to a less harmful and less addictive alternative,

Congressman Lou Correa believes that the Veterans Cannabis Research Act will force the agency to rethink how it views medical cannabis. He said: “My bill puts the needs of our veterans first and ensures the Department of Veterans Affairs takes cannabis seriously and conducts vital medical research.

“Many studies from around the world show cannabis’s effectiveness for treating PTSD and chronic pain.

“It’s time we did the research and got our vets the medications they need. We owe it to every veteran to never stop looking for ways to treat their scars.”

Around 20% of veterans already report using cannabis to treat physical or psychological pain.

“It’s time we did the research and got our vets the medications they need”

Congressman Earl Blumenauer photo credit: Center for American Progress

Congressman Lou Correa photo credit: California National Guard

FROM CA TO THE UK

California legalised recreational cannabis in 2016. But it’s the CBD and wellness markets that present the greatest opportunity for expansion beyond state and international borders.

Words by Gordon Stribling

Over the past 18 months, the UK’s legal cannabis space has grown from a niche concern to spanning multiple industries.

It can now be considered a formidable sector of its own and continues to learn from and work with brands across the US.

One such experienced brand is Air Factory, which began life as an e-liquid firm back in 2013. Over the past six months, the company, now based in its own facility in Irvine, outside of Los Angeles, has dived head-first into the world of CBD and branched out internationally.

Air Factory’s Devin Ruzbasan recently moved to London so we thought we’d catch up and talk all things CBD.

“Our company is pretty diversified, so not only do we do Air Factory and CBD, we’re also in the process of opening up a cannabis testing lab,” Devin says.

“Most major cannabis companies are in Oregon, Washington or California, so we’re in the hub of the industry where it’s pretty easy to

get accessories and the governance of the laws.

“I mean, why wouldn’t you, right?”

Recreational cannabis has been legal in California since 2016 and the state is now home to the world’s largest cannabis market, last year totalling close to $12 billion in estimated sales. But rather than capitalising on the thriving demand for legal THC-rich products, Air Factory has opted to go the broad spectrum route, which opens doors not just beyond state lines but also to those who could be penalised for consumption in a legal state.

“Although cannabis is legal in California, if you go through a background check and you have THC in your body, you might not get the job.

“We wanted to have the effects of the CBD oils from the highest producing companies and we

Devin Ruzbasan - Air Factory

wanted to make sure that anybody who is using our products would not be penalised.”

While Air Factory established itself as a vape company, like many CBD brands operating today, it has since branched out into tinctures to appeal to, dare we say, a broader spectrum of customer.

They have also found that the CBD vape products didn’t really take off, with consumers sceptical about the benefits of vaping CBD and some no doubt unsettled by last year’s health scare across the US, despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention insisting that black market THC products were largely to blame.

Given the hostility towards vaping in the US these days and how readily CBD has been embraced by the wellness industry on both sides of the Atlantic, tapping into this new market was a no-brainer for

this SoCal company.

“We’re going to stay on the wellness side of the CBD, so the tinctures, perhaps the topicals, some other products.

“We’ll start very slowly and navigate one piece at a time and evolve into more of a wellness product as opposed to a vaping product.”

Having begun to navigate the FDA’s rigorous tobacco product application process for their e-liquids, Air Factory is in a good position to start on the long road to gaining novel foods authorisation on this side of the pond that will soon be the only route to market for tinctures and edibles in the UK.

“The FDA has just began opening their doors on what CBD will look like in the US and the UK has started a similar process. The intended goal is to do whatever it takes to get our products approved for sale in the UK going forward.”

We wanted to make sure that anybody who is using our products would not be penalised

“ “

This prize has been supplied by KushyCBD

KushyCBD is an award-winning line of CBD products from the California coast. As one of the first CBD companies on the market, KushyCBD has an advanced degree in all things hemp. That means it’s consistent, always pure and with flavours you’ll love. KushyCBD products will help you restore balance in a crazy world. The brand lives by three tenets: organic ingredients, high-grade CBD oils and state-of-the-art manufacturing. When

Terms and conditions apply*. This competition is open to adults over 18 in the UK and ROI only. Proof of age may be required at the time of claiming the prize. The promoter is Yellow Monday Media Ltd (Company no.: 11475366) trading as The CANNAVIST whose registered office is at Markeaton House, 3 Slater Avenue, Derby, DE1 1GT, United Kingdom. In entering this competition, this magazine may require some of your details, in order to communicate with the winner. These details may only be shared with the company supplying the prize. No further parties will be permitted access to your data. If you do not wish for The CANNAVIST to share your details with the company supplying this prize, you can still enter the giveaway by following the instructions on the online entry page

*For full terms and conditions, please visit the website: Cannavistmag.com. Closing date for entries: Close of business May 30, 2020, after which the winner will be contacted by phone or email. Failure to claim your prize after 14 working days may result in a replacement winner being chosen

CBD Circuit

HEMP WORLD EXPO, ATLANTA | FUTURE CANNABIS STRATEGIES EUROPE | ICBC SAN FRANCISCO

THE CANNAVIST USA LAUNCH PARTY | USA CBD EXPO, LAS VEGAS | VAPE SOUTH AMERICA, COLOMBIA WHITE LABEL EXPO, LAS VEGAS | EUROPE CANNA EXPO, DUBLIN | OHANA WELLNESS FESTIVAL

Hemp World Expo Atlanta

The inaugural Hemp World Expo gave us a taste of what to expect at the Mohegan Sun

Words by Abida Razaque

as the birthplace of the civil rights movement in America, and home to Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King Jr. and famous rapper Kanye West as a child. It is also the headquarters of CNN and Coca-Cola and boasts the largest aquarium in the US.

There are so many reasons to visit Atlanta, and now we can add hemp and CBD to the list.

Held at the Atlanta Expo Center North, a space measuring 161,000 square feet, the show was filled with exhibitor stands. As I made my way to the registration desk to collect my press pass, I was warmly greeted by the organiser’s mother Ann and wife Angela – both of whom instantly made me feel welcome. Within minutes, I noticed crowds of trade visitors and consumers (some with their furry pets) keenly waiting in a

Atlanta

What does the future hold?

Your guess is as good as ours. A magic-8 ball is not in our toolkit. One event, Future Cannabis Strategies Europe, aims to navigate the murky waters of what buyers will want, and what CBD sellers will need to provide in the coming year.

Future Cannabis Strategies hosts decision makers from across the legal cannabis world to discuss and find the answers to some of the industry’s most pressing issues. It’s a gathering of leaders from across the globe from the tobacco, cosmetics, food and beverage and agricultural sectors. The level of expertise present in each category of fast-moving consumer goods at this two-day event is always at its peak. London hosted the second instalment of Future Cannabis Strategies Europe at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in January, having moved to a larger venue in Bayswater than in 2019.

We went along to see if anyone can predict what will happen with CBD next.

In January 2019, this event received the ultimate in fortunate PR and good timing. One Wednesday morning, the European Food

Standards Authority and the UK’s Food Standards Agency sprung a surprise on the 300 delegates gathered in Fulham. The rest of the event received a noticeable bump in attendance figures as London-based businesses garnered for information by the ounce.

And that sparked much interest in this year’s event, with clients asking if there were to be another well-timed coincidence or announcement.

Would there be any clarity on the UK or Europe’s approach to regulating CBD? Would there be anyone from the FSA or trading standards in attendance? There was constant chatter, on and off the podium, about novel foods, with some more worried than others.

Catherine Wilson, Managing Director and Board Member at CannaWellness and the European Industrial Hemp Association conveyed the realities of what may be

in store. But only one thing could be confirmed – food safety verification is expensive.

The EIHA recently claimed a great victory in Germany, where the government has sided with the association’s argument on novel foods. In December, a German court ruled that CBD is 100% a novel food and so tinctures, gummies and the rest were to be banned. But in March came an interesting turn of events. The German government commented that it does not agree with the court’s ruling, saying very clearly that hemp-derived CBD, for food preparation, is not novel.

Future Cannabis Strategies North America, hosted by Arena International, will examine consumer trends and demand across the biggest global legal cannabis market. This event will take place in Toronto, October 6 & 7.

SAN FRAN CANN

The International Cannabis Business Congress welcomes 1,500 keen attendees to San Francisco.

THE LAND OF opportunity AWAITS

The CANNAVIST USA launches to a 200-strong invitation-only crowd on the Las Vegas strip

Former WWE wrestler and CBD entrepreneur Rob Van Dam posed for fan photos. Devon native Anthony Sullivan, a household name in the US thanks to his TV commercial fame, presented awards and winner of the Survivor series Ethan Zohn even took to the mic as Caesar’s Palace hosted 200 guests at this exclusive invitation-only event.

The ICBC International Cannabis Business Conference seeks to be different. Our multi-pronged approach to networking and information gathering focuses on business, and a lot more. We also offer a heavy dose of culture, politics, science, history and advocacy. ICBC provides gritty basic information along with nuanced and esoteric facts, providing well-rounded and useful information and tools for participants to bring back and apply to existing, or planned operations.

Interested in attending or exhibiting at one of our upcoming events? Give us a call at 001.541.864.0090 or email us at jessie@internationalcbc.com.

BERLIN

SPONSOR AN ICBC EVENT

Here we go again…

Las Vegas

If you’re a CANNAVIST regular, you’ll know by now that the team travels on a continuous basis. Following a successful jaunt to Las Vegas in November, we returned in February to launch The CANNAVIST USA at a three-day event geared towards the most influential professionals in this multi-billion-dollar industry. Words by Róisín Delaney

The USA CBD Expo Las Vegas had a lot to live up to. After a successful debut into the ever-expanding realms of CBD last August in Miami, the New York-based expo team had a reputation to live up to.

The USA CBD Expo is known for its thorough check list of essentials, working only with the most upstanding members of this legal cannabis community, encouraging exhibitors to put their best foot forward and ultimately setting a goal to achieve a higher standard than many other events on the circuit. A spokesperson told me: “We follow all rules and regulations set at the federal and state level in terms of sampling products.”

But this exhibition did seem very put-together when it came to brands

having all their ducks in a row. One noticeable difference this time around was the lack of vape companies exhibiting. Up until this year, vape has dominated at CBD trade shows. What’s changed? A USA CBD Expo spokesperson said it’s a sign of the market maturing amid many months of bad press for the unregulated US vape industry.

“At our show in Miami in August, we had more vape companies that [had] recently transitioned into CBD. The vape industry took a massive hit in the fourth quarter and a lot of those companies are still feeling the pressure financially. We did have quite a few vapeable CBD products and vendors at the show in Vegas. We think our show is a fair representation of the market.”

The USA CBD Expo Excellence Awards were presented at The CANNAVIST USA launch party as the Las Vegas strip prepared for Valentine’s Day and day one of the show drew to an end.

A total of nine awards were distributed by former US soccer player and winner of the CBS ‘The Survivor’ series, Ethan Zohn. Ethan was joined by co-host Anthony Sullivan, a British TV producer from Devon who has become a household name in the US thanks to OxiClean.

Southbound

The CANNAVIST’s Stephen Culf takes Colombia for a third time, visiting what was once dubbed the most dangerous city in the world, Medellín.

This was my third visit to Medellín and with all sincerity, I can say that this was my favourite trip of them all. Once again, upon arriving in Colombia for Vape South America, I was greeted with the country’s unparalleled beauty.

Medellín is a vibrant hub of Colombian culture set among a backdrop of soaring mountains and leafy coffee plantations. Seeing these stunning lush green mountain ranges through the naked eye is something that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Forget what you may have heard about this part of the world that was once rarely frequented for business or leisure. Words and photographs cannot do this country’s landscape the justice it truly deserves.

The CANNAVIST’s sister publication, Vapouround, is the largest vape trade publication in the world. Vapouround was the media partner for Vape South America and this is a well-established exhibition which

for years has been representing and advocating for the vape, and now the CBD industry, on the continent. I travelled out there with our event showguide to give out to all of the attendees and exhibitors hoping to expand their businesses on the expo floor.

Medellín was once dubbed one of the most dangerous places in the world, but that association is no longer. It bears the nickname ‘The City of Eternal Spring’ for its attractive climate and an annual festival of flowers. It’s also earning recognition for the growth and export of hemp. The South American hemp market is expected to be worth $1.5 billion by the end of this year, with Colombia providing investors with the most stable democracy on the continent (compared to neighbouring Venezuela and Brazil) and also boasting some of the most nutrientdense land south of central America. Now, with a clean bill of health and a population of 2.4 million citizens, Colombia’s second city is fast becoming an obvious choice for events and investment like USA CBD Expo South America, coming later this year.

Las Vegas PUT A LABEL ON IT

Las Vegas blows me away. This was my second time visiting America’s playground. It strikes me how you can show up with no itinerary and the city will have everything ready for you.

Between the array of music shows, the variety and quality of cuisine on offer and the breath-taking buildings and landscapes that you’ll be familiar with from blockbuster films, Las Vegas is a wonder of fun. I was really looking forward to this trip to attend the White Label Expo and had huge expectations, because you just don’t know what craziness you’re going to encounter in Vegas. One thing was clear from the get-go. CBD is huge in this city and that was

reinforced at this trade show. An ever-growing and popular industry in America, CBD exhibitors made up a healthy amount of the floorplan, offering products to package, brand and market as your own. I had never attended a business centre quite like this. There was a buzz, a sense of urgency, as if everyone was trying to get something across the finish line first. The truth is,

first to market in this industry is very often the first to succeed. And you can clearly see why trade shows like this are so attractive. From packaging and bottling companies to artisan beverages and beauty suppliers, the diversity of the opportunities on offer was refreshing and really opened my eyes to the world of white labelling.

The CANNAVIST’s Kelli Toon visits the bright lights of Las Vegas for the White Label Expo.

In Dublin’s fair city

As Ireland rolls out the Medical Cannabis Access Programme (MCAP), Europe Canna Expo, the biggest business event for CBD in Europe, hosted public officials and members of the medical and farming communities at one of the country’s most historic

Dublin

Ireland has a rich but little-known history with hemp. There’s even a word for it as gaeilge, cnáib

In the 60s, the agriculture and food development authority Teagasc first looked at hemp as a suitable material in paper and fibres. That research declared hemp as “suitable for textile production.”

In the decades which followed, further trials proved the crop to produce high yields of biomass from low input and 150 hectares were grown in Irish soil in 2008 as a result. Teagasc then found hemp to work in suppressing the growth of weeds and returning nutrients to the soil – a happy coincidence given the reliance of the Irish economy on the farming sector.

Ireland, albeit a small island which in the past has relied significantly on agricultural exports, covers an area of

69,798 km², of which agricultural land covers 71.6%.

The value of cultivation and farming doesn’t stop there. The Irish agricultural sector accounts for 7.7% of all employment with agri-food exports accounting for over 11% of total Irish merchandise exports. It’s estimated that 9% of Irish farmland is allocated to cereals and other crop production such as hemp.

It’s about time, then, that high profile CBD events on the European circuit came to Ireland. Europe Canna Expo held its first event in Dublin in March, and by the sounds of it, it won’t be their last.

Sal Noble is the organiser behind London Canna Group’s exhibitions. He said this was a 100% Irish event, focusing on Irish issues surrounding legal cannabis.

“The event surpassed our

expectations and we felt immense hospitality and gratitude from the Irish audience.

“Most importantly, it provided a platform for cannabis patients and researchers in Ireland to convey the key message and driving force behind why we do what we do; to address the urgent need for greater accessibility to medical cannabis.

“In the case of our event, this was specific to Ireland, and we feel that bringing ECE to Dublin has been the spark that was needed to stimulate conversation and provide the essential education required for a progressive push for accessibility.”

Paul Raggett is events director at Europe Canna Expo: “We are extremely pleased with ECE Dublin, held at The Shelbourne Hotel. The first event of its type in Ireland has really put the patient discussion around medical cannabis, cannabinoids and CBD on the map. The high-level of attendees, including current and future members of the Irish government, has shown how important this discussion is and how we as an organisation can help drive this change. We look forward to returning to The Shelbourne in 2021 with an expanded agenda, giving a platform to the leading researchers, patient advocates, cultivators and business executives".

As the Irish proverb says: Sábháil an foghmhar fhad is tá an ghrian suas (Make hay while the sun shines).

Ohana

anti-men sentiment. Gatherings such as this one typically see women

women in cannabis.

In the sense of a literal meaning,

Ohana means family. That’s the premise on which Ohana CBD is built. Jasmin’s own family, she says, is made up of 40 strong women, many of whom showed their girl support as she hosted her first ever wellness festival.

Ohana Wellness Festivals 2020

We went along to this event on International Women’s Day at the five-star ee Curtain Member’s Club in Hoxton.

The festival offered something for women of all ages, with breath work and yoga classes and skincare and stress management advice. But the main offerings on tap were positivity and smiles all around.

Pollen, the makers of the very trendy gummies and Pollenade sodas set up shop in a complimentary CBDinfused mani-pedi station in aid of a very worthy cause, Beauty Banks. The charity operates like foodbanks but with personal care products and toiletries instead of food.

With the public on high alert amid coronavirus, Ohana Wellness Festival debuted with an attendance of 175 women and 12 men, and that is something to be celebrated in a time where public gatherings aren’t exactly top of the agenda for most folks.

The CANNAVIST was a proud media partner to this stellar event, but so many brands supported this IWD festival of good vibes and we feel like they deserve a mention. So thank you Nuduea, High on love, Pollen & Grace, Fresh fitness food, Pact Coffee, Three Spirits, Dragon Fly CBD, Hanx, Coconut Collaborative, OHNE and Harmony CBD for supporting us gals.

Jasmin says there is a second wellness festival planned for later in the year with another event in the pipeline for European Cannabis Week, June 21-26.

A note from Jasmin & Jessica:

“We are thrilled with the success of the event and it showed us the power of community. Great conversations were had and lots was learned. The feedback from the panels, yoga classes and breath work have all been amazing and it’s been such an honour to watch so many women come together to celebrate IWD. We are already excited for our next event! Women are really at the heart of everything we do.”

Events for you!

There are so many CBD and medical cannabis conferences, expos and events happening week in, week out. How do you know which one is worth forking out for? Here are some of our favourites happening around the world in the coming months, and a couple which have been postponed until further notice due to coronavirus.

Hemp 4.20, Milan. April 2-4

A yearly Milanese expo for hemp, combining music, information and entertainment. The aim of the show is to raise awareness around the growing Italian hemp industry. The event will feature talks from already established and new companies with the chance to vote in the Cannabis Light awards. POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS!

The Body, Cologne, Germany. April 3-4

We’ve partnered with the premium show for those interested in all things CBD with a focus on beauty and sports. The Body, a two-day conference, will provide a special segment for athletes aimed at providing all the essential information about testing, treatments and sport-derived injuries. Perfect for any pros feeling more like amateurs when it comes to CBD. POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS!

The CBD Show, The Olympia London. May 1-3

Join luxury CBD retailers, international brands, European traders and distributors at the CBD show in London. The show will also feature over 50 educational and thought-provoking talks through the two days. The event will also have dedicated business days where canna-entrepreneurs can network. Expect to see industries such as beauty care, medical, specialty beverage, functional food sector, cultivators, law, packaging firms, accounting, branding experts, private label, white label as well as pharmaceutical therapeutics exhibit at the show.

White Label Expo, Messe, Frankfurt, Germany. May 6-7

The White Label Expo offers a range of seminars for all businesses from vape to toys on everything from accounting to the pitfalls of Amazon. The biggest gathering of online sellers in one place with dates in the UK, Germany and US. It’s a great way for online businesses to learn new tricks and get inspired by the latest trends, not to mention a great way to learn about selling on eBay. The CANNAVIST is a media partner to this event. See you there! For more on this event taking place in Germany, go to: whitelabelworldexpo.de POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS!

Europe Canna Expo, London. June 26-27

USA CBD Expo Atlanta. May 7-9

At The CANNAVIST, we’ve partnered with one of the largest series of expos to take the US by storm. The USA CBD Expo is coming to Atlanta in May following a run of successful events in Las Vegas and Miami. Featuring an array of the best in CBD and hemp companies with over 350 companies on display. Expect two back-toback days of networking so companies can discuss and learn about CBD marketing, new trends coming out of the States and get to grips with this massively expanding industry.

For more on this event, and other events by USA CBD Expo, go to: usacbdexpo.com

A two-day hybrid event for CBD enthusiasts and businesses alike, ECE returns to London’s ExCeL venue for the second consecutive year and will host over 125 exhibitors and 90 carefully-selected expert speakers. Following a mini springtime event in Dublin, this exhibition is poised to attract an international audience with senior representatives from the CBD industry, government, clinicians, wholesalers, retailers, press and consumers. Tickets range from £15 to £149 depending on type of access required and are available from europecannaexpo.com

EIHA

Hemp Conference, Cologne, Germany. June 16-17

With novel food regulation on the horizon, this European Industrial Hemp Assocition event in Cologne has chosen to focus on CBD in food and drinks. It will also look at the latest technologies, market figures and business transactions, as well as joint strategies for achieving fair rules for CBD and THC-containing products in different sectors.

Kenx Pharmaceutical Cannabis Compliance Congress, San Diego. US.

August 20-21

The CANNAVIST is a media partner to this hands-on compliance conference for anyone in the business of life science or medical cannabis. A complete guide to everything from cannabis data analysis, cleaning, growing, CBD, cannabinoid replacement therapies, cultivating, extraction to the role of CBD in skin disease. For more information visit: kenx.org

Grubs up! Canna Food

Peak District Menus WELCOME CBD

Famed for its breath-taking views, wildlife and ‘let’s get lost for a while’ walks, the Peak District has long been associated with country inns serving the roast of the day. The CANNAVIST visited two small businesses in Derbyshire to discover CBD is making its way onto menu boards.

VEGAN REVELATION

Vegan Revelation, run by Leise Taylor, is the humble vintage café of Belper town. Nestled in England’s heartland, the Amber Valley in the Peak District, this eatery has been creating rich, whole and hearty food that wows since 2017.

The food here is colourful, organic where possible and ethically and locally sourced. It’s a place that welcomes both vegans and meat-

eaters alike. Leise deflects from the usual exclusively vegan approach, running workshops on how to ‘Beef Up Your Vegan’ using whole foods and simple ingredients. We visited Belper and spotted this gem among a theme of sustainable, environmentally conscious small businesses in the vicinity. There is ‘Sue’s Sustainables’ shop next door. The café also sells Derby-based ‘Praxis Probiotics’,

Cuddle In A Cup

TURMERIC

@veganrevelationcafe

a range of fermented products, plus local producers ‘Nattyroots Ital Juice Ltd’ natural fruit drinks. It seems there’s a passion brewing in the peak district for local, natural and healthy.

Hundreds of miles from London’s vibrant juice bar and whole foods scene, Vegan Revelation is at the cutting edge of the plant-based trend, which is why they have now introduced CBD EasyMix to their vibrant menu.

VEDI FOOD DERBY

This brand-new café in Derby specialises in vegetarian and vegan food from around the world. Whether you want to try a mouth-watering wrap, a superfood salad, smoothie bowl or to just enjoy a cup of organically grown coffee.

Vedi, run by Bal Dhamrait, strikes us as a welcome environment with

really friendly staff who can talk you through the menu.

Every menu choice is lovingly prepared on site on a daily basis using the finest local and organic produce. Bal strives food in a friendly and sustainable way and recently started serving up a twist with CBD EasyMix.

AÇAÍ BOWL

100g of frozen açaí

Frozen banana

1 tbsp of vegan yoghurt (or apple juice)

1 tsp of agave

1 x CBD EasyMix Water Soluble shot

1 kiwi to top

Banana to top

1 handful of strawberries to top

1 handful of granola

Method:

1. Add the açaí, yoghurt and agave to a blender and pulse on a slow speed until smooth.

2. Break up the banana into chunks and add to the blender. Blend until a smooth consistency has been achieved. You want to reach a consistency like part melted ice cream. If blended for too long the açaí will get warm and turn into a smoothie.

3. Add in one CBD EasyMix Water

soluble shot and stir.

4. Top with granola and suggested fruit garnish, we’ve gone with kiwi, banana and strawberries.

26 Liversage Street, Derby, DE1 2LH

Tel: 01332 340055

& SAVOURY THIS EASTER

Carrie Strouther has a social media account dedicated to her love and talent for roast potatoes. So it was a no-brainer to have her create a CBD spin on this Easter lunch essential. Here, Carrie caters to the sweet and savoury with spuds and a carrot cake you won’t be able to say no to.

ROAST POTATOES WITH A ROSEMARY AND GARLIC CBD-INFUSED DRIZZLE (Serves

For the potatoes

16 medium-sized Maris Piper potatoes 100ml sunflower oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

For the drizzle

Keep small potatoes whole and chop the larger potatoes in half. Place the potatoes into a large pan of cold saltwater. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Drain the potatoes in a large colander. Shake the potatoes vigorously to fluff them up, for added crispiness.

3. Transfer the potatoes into a roasting tin. Pour oil over all of the potatoes and sprinkle the salt and pepper to season. Toss the potatoes well, making each potato is well-covered with oil.

Made with:

2 cloves of garlic

Pinch of salt and pepper

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 pipette of Alqemist CBD Oil

2 tbsp rosemary

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

120ml chicken stock

1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat the oven to 200° C/180°C fan/ gas mark 6. Peel and chop the potatoes.

4. Place in the oven and cook for an hour, turning once about halfway through.

5. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the garlic.

6. Place a small pan on a medium heat. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, sunflower oil, CBD oil, rosemary, lemon juice and stock. Stir the glaze for one minute and then whisk-in the butter.

7. Take the roast potatoes out of the oven, place onto a serving platter and cover with the drizzle. Serve with lamb.

The ultimate EASTER DESSERT

CLASSIC CARROT CAKE WITH A CBD TWIST

For the cake layers

225ml sunflower oil (plus extra for greasing)

tbsp Cannwell premium organic CBD

25g light muscovado sugar

4 medium free-range eggs

225g self-raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ tsp of mixed spice, ground cinnamon and ground ginger

150g sultanas

200g raw carrot, grated

For the icing

250g unsalted butter, very soft

1 tsp vanilla extract

400g full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature

300g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C/Gas Mark 3.

2. Grease and line the base and sides of an 8-inch (20.5cm) round cake tin with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, CBD drops, sugar and eggs until smooth.

4. Pour in the flour, baking soda and spices to the bowl and mix to combine. Add the sultanas and carrots and mix.

5. Scrape the mixture into the prepared cake tin, level and bake for 65 to 75

minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6. Once cooked, allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Then remove the cake from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

7. While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing. Beat the butter and vanilla in a large bowl, until completely smooth. Add in the cream cheese and mix to combine. Sift in the icing sugar and mix carefully until smooth and fluffy.

8. Once cooled, cut the cake in half horizontally through the middle. Use half the icing sugar to sandwich the halves back together and place the cake on a cake stand or a plate. Spread the remaining icing over the top of the cake and decorate how you feel. We added festive mini-eggs on top.

Tried & Tested

Pure Kana | Holy Herb | FARMa | Swish CBD | GRN | CBD Fx And More

Nourish

Skincare, Balms, Makeup

Good Vibes Lip Balm by Make Up Revolution

By Caroline Barry

The cold weather plays havoc on the lips causing them to chap, split and develop sore cuts in the corners which makes wearing bright lipsticks impossible. Lip balm becomes not just a handbag essential this time of year, but something I keep in my jacket pocket for extra quick access. The sleek (and colourful) design of this Good Vibes lip balm made me want to use it all of the time. Don’t be put off by the deep wine,

Blow Out! High volume mascara

By Lisa Blake

Items in my makeup bag get replaced on a rolling basis; without much thought for an alternative or a switch up of products - my face knows what it likes and I’m not here to argue with it. However, mascara is the one thing I feel confident enough to change up every once in awhile as to me, you can’t go too far wrong with avoiding clumps, high volume and good lash separation. This my friend, does all of the above. I would genuinely compare it to cult classic from Benefit “They’re Real!” With the added bonus of the fact they’re loaded with cannabis sativia, known for stimulating mental effects that help you feel focused and motivated. Eyes on the prize! One that’s definitely earned a permanent place in my makeup bag.

compounds intact. It helped to clear up any redness during flare ups and gave my skin a nice glow. I’ll be holding onto this one!

helped to give my skin a bit of glow which for someone who lives in a city is no easy task. It’s a great help if you suffer from damaged or tired skin. It plumps, hydrates and repairs while protecting it from ‘environmental assault.’ I’ve used this on my eczema to stop the redness and itching as it contains aloe vera along with the CBD.

The smell is one of my favourite parts, it has a lovely scent from a combination of ingredients such as swiss apple stem cells, red algae and grape stem cells.

CBD Hydro Rescue Night Moisturiser

by Taylor Mammon

By Benedict Jones CBD Content: 1000mg (20mg/ml) CBD isolate

I’m certainly the kind of person who benefits from using moisturiser, though many products cause my skin to become excessively oily.

CBD Hydro Rescue Night Moisturiser smells wonderful, producing mild notes of citrus, coupled with stronger botanical notes. The loose texture makes it easy to apply and after a few seconds, any sticky or oily feeling subsides completely. This product stopped my skin from drying out, without causing an unpleasant oily sensation. My Raynaud syndrome can sometimes lead to joint pain in the extremities.

I found that a generous application of this moisturiser did a good job of alleviating this discomfort.

This is a great everyday moisturiser for men with a pleasant aroma that has the added benefit of delivering a slow but steady dose of

Good Vibes Make Up Fixing Spray

By Caroline Barry

I’ve always loved make-up fixing sprays for helping my make up to stay slide-proof throughout the day. It has sadly become more and more essential as I’ve aged to stop powders looking too heavy. From Victoria Secret to Urban Decay, there are some great setting sprays out there already, but they’re not cheap.

Make Up Revolution’s fixing spray is only £7 and uses cannabis sativa seed oil to help nourish the skin creating a natural finish that doesn’t too ‘done.’

I’ve also taken to using this during days where I have no make up on, as I love the feel of the cool spray on freshly cleaned skin. It’s my new make-up bag essential, and it must be popular as at the time of writing, it had sold out online.

BEYOU Muscle Balm; Natural 300mg

strength CBD

By Caroline Barry

I would be lying if I said I used this after a particularly gruelling workout when I actually used it for neck pain from an uncomfortable nap.

Beyou has been described as ‘witchcraft’ by reviewers and I have to say I agree. The period pain products they offer have been making my months pass by relatively pain free. This includes patches, balms, moon cups and CBD drops.

The balm is easy to use, melts into the skin leaving your skin feeling incredibly soft. Massaging the balm into my skin on my neck helped to release some of the tension and knots that had been bothering me all day. The soothing additions of geranium, eucalyptus and lavender helped me to fall into a deep sleep. I woke up feeling not just refreshed, but with absolutely no discomfort. I am tired of so many plastic tubs and jars littering my shelf, so I love that this comes in a glass jar too which makes it easily recyclable.

GRN Lavender Lotion

By Róisín Delaney

This is my second tub of this 250mg lotion from US-company GRN.

It’s a really great blend of ingredients, packed with oils that really lock in moisture on those areas prone to dry skin like the elbows.

As well as the saviour, hemp, the list of emollients include coconut oil, sunflower seed, sweet almond and avocado.

I don’t know about you, but since the world caught coronavirus, I’ve taken to washing my hands even more than usual, probably 10 times a day. I also use an anti-viral skin spray several times a day that I picked up in an American pharmacy, so the culminating result has been really dry hands. This is a great handbag or desk solution to dry skin in need of a little TLC.

Clearskin Facemask by CBD Embrace

By Róisín Delaney

If you’re a fan of a clay-based facemask, then you’ll love this little tub of serenity. The most amazing thing about this product for me was the amount of use I got from a 25g tub. I used this face mask once a week for five weeks, each time incorporating it into my deep cleansing routine.

I have combination skin, and I’m lucky that I don’t suffer from regular breakouts, but this tiny tub really works wonders on any source of blemish or oil. The ingredients list includes pink clay, which is known for mopping up oil on the surface and tightening pores.

Good Vibes Cuticle Oil

By Lisa Blake

Butter

By Lisa Blake

The first and most noticeable aspect of this product application for me was the colour! There was a distinct green tinge to my skin after the first use. Realising I needed to rub it in a bit more vigorously, I quickly became aware of how soothing it felt. The colour eventually faded in and what became apparent next was that the ingredients form a perfect smelling cream that genuinely brought me back to a spa experience I had years ago. To instantly associate a body butter with such a relaxing time is a surefire winner for me! I will admit, the look of the product isn’t the most appealing at first, but it is 100% worth seeing past that for the results. My skin feels buttery soft. For extra bonus points, I’ve been using it on my legs where every six weeks I’m undergoing laser hair removal - this is an ideal remedy given the high potency of aloe leaf juice; a laser technician’s most recommended healing solution! A definite winner in my books.

Revolution High Brow Gel (tested in dark brown)

By Lisa Blake

I can’t believe I didn’t use gel sooner than now, I always used a powder or pencil on my brows but this has been a gamechanger. I had my brows laminated for the first time three weeks ago and I was keen to keep up the polished, even look it achieved. This more than did the job. It filled in my brows evenly and gave a lovely fluffy, thick and texturised look when dry. The one slightly difficult element to manage is when the product is new, it can be hard to measure the application so I followed up with a dry bristle brush to remove any excess. Aside from that, I have truly loved this product!

CBD FX Hemp Aloe Vera face mask

By Lisa Blake

An aloe vera face mask that has a 10 minute treatment time and promises to tighten and heal while enhancing a natural glow? Sign this woman up! I’ve been trying to do a face mask at least once a month lately, having grown ever more aware of the effects a city lifestyle can have on a 28-year-old with a penchant for sun exposure and a Zone 2 postcode (hello polluted air). I used this at night and didn’t wear makeup the next day so I could prolong the feeling of fresh, clear skin. It was very refreshing! It had a lovely cooling sensation when applied and

Relax

Cherry Drops

The cherry leans into a candy profile but isn’t overly sweet and carries no medicinal off notes, which are often present in cherry flavours. The distillate finish is mild and incredibly clean, with no harshness on the throat after swallowing. The moderate concentration makes it ideal for users of all intake levels and I’ve been enjoying this one most sublingually, using approximately 1ml in the morning. There’s a unique terpene blend in this one which is said to have an aphrodisiac effect.

by a lighter citrus, which provides some tartness without bullying the more delicate mango notes. Again, the quality of the CBD distillate shines here and due to the flavour profile mixed with a carefully blended terpene profile, I find that it works in a variety of applications, from sugar-free sodas to bitter IPAs.

very neutral tincture that can be either used on its own, or in a variety of food and beverage applications. The menthol cooling sensation almost entirely masks the distillate flavour, so this may be the best option if you do not enjoy the taste of CBD.

GRN 250mg Orange Tincture

By Caroline Barry

I was curious to try a fruit flavoured CBD oil. While I don’t normally mind the taste of natural CBD products, I admit that it’s not always the most pleasant. I’ve been taking oils for about two years to help with anxiety and ADHD after finding that my medication left me feeling a bit on edge. For me, oils help me to function at work.

I’m completely sold on GRN CBD. The quality is really high. This orange flavour reminds me of traditional hard-boiled sweets. I’m amazed that I can’t even taste the usual earthy CBD flavour from it at all. I’m even more amazed to realise that my usual frantic anxiety now feels manageable. I’ve gone from being my usual state of wired to being able to focus.

Kushy CBD Tincture

By Róisín Delaney

I have to hand it to you Kushy. Your mint flavour is delicious!

This oil is produced with broad spectrum hemp extract, so there’s no risk of THC, and it also tastes of a rich terpene profile. I for one embrace terpenes, when done correctly. I think they bring their own balance and benefits to a product and give it a more wholesome approach. Kushy have got this blend just right, as per my taste buds at least.

MCT Oil is the carrier here. I’ve seen everything from rosemary oil to olive and avocado oil used as the base to tinctures. Medium chain triglycerides are said to increase bioavailability compared to these. I didn’t notice a massive difference in the amount of time it took me to feel the effects of this Kushy sample. But it is hard to beat on taste. As well as the conventional minty fresh ingredient preferred by most, there is an additional sweetener to this blend in the line of Stevia. Don’t worry, Stevia is calorie free! Another bonus is the accuracy of the pipette measurements, which makes finding your daily dose a lot easier.

Cannadips

By Benedict Jones

10mg per pouch

Cannadips advise that the 10mg dose is delivered in 30-45 minutes, which is about on par with edibles and infused drinks.

Natural Mint

A mildly herbacious, sweet mint flavour. I found this variety to offer a slightly increased tingling sensation compared to the others. The flavour lasted for approximately one hour before diminishing significantly, though this pouch could be kept in the mouth longer if desired. I feel that this is the ideal flavour for beginners, since it’s neutral and refreshing.

Tangy Citrus

Cannadips describe this as a blend of sour orange and lemon. Personally, I found the dominant flavour to be more reminiscent of blood orange. There is a slight lemon undertone, which adds further sharpness but it’s certainly not the main flavour. This pouch provides a very mild tingling sensation, certainly less than the others, so that might be something to consider for some users.

American Spice

This is a complex blend of chocolate, cinnamon and coffee. Cinnamon was most prominent for me and it contributes to the slight lip tingle effect. The chocolate note is dark and slightly bitter, think cocoa, rather than a sweetened milk chocolate. The coffee note is rather mild but works well with the profile. The complexity of this profile made it my personal favourite.

Along with the novel experience, I found CBD delivery of Cannadips to be spot on. Overall, this is one of my favourite new ways to consume CBD.

CBD Oil

By Benedict Jones

1000mg (100mg/ml) CBD extract

Volume: 10ml

Out of all the 10% concentrations I’ve tried in the last year, this one has the cleanest flavour and least harshness. This may not suit those who enjoy a rich, full spectrum product, terpenes and all, but it’s a godsend for CBD users who dislike that distinct flavour. If you’re looking for a tincture that can be added to food and drink, or even taken sublingually without flavour, this is one of the best choices available.

Alqemist

By Benedict Jones Goji Berry CBD Spray

100mg/ml (5mg/spray) nano-emulsified CBD Volume: 30ml

This is a highly concentrated product that works out at approximately 5mg per spray. Alqemist recommend 4-5 sprays under the tongue for each use.

I would describe Goji Berry as a combination of mild floral blueberry and dark grape. It’s a light but pleasant flavour that doesn’t linger on the palate long after use.

I found the spray application to be convenient. Essentially, this is a tincture that can be applied more rapidly, in a more precise dose. The slim 30ml bottle fits nicely in a jacket pocket, purse or bag and it won’t stick out like a sore thumb against any other cosmetics you regularly carry. This is a clean, effective and tasty CBD product with a novel delivery concept.

Alplant

By Benedict Jones

500mg

(50mg/ml) broad spectrum CBD

Equilibrium

Equilibrium does have a mild strawberry aroma but primarily it smells authentically of cannabis. This is particularly pronounced when used sublingually, which has been my preferred method. I found using half a pipette, approximately one hour before bed, to be a great application. I found this product to be noticeably stronger than some competitors, at the same apparent dosage.

Balance

By Benedict Jones

Balance seems to have a slightly deeper, more earthy cannabis flavour than Equilibrium. I’m a huge fan of the efficacy of Alplant’s formula, so for those who require substantial doses, or are looking for the entourage effect, either tincture is an excellent choice. Both blends have a strong, somewhat lingering flavour of cannabis, which might not be for everyone. Nonetheless, balance and Equilibrium may be my personal favourite tinctures to date.

Swiss Relief Mint

By Benedict Jones

250mg (8.3mg/ml) hemp derived CBD

The natural herbal mint top note provides a light sweetness but very little in the way of cooling. This is complemented by a moderate hemp base, which works nicely with the herbal sweetness of the mint. The prominent herbal flavours mean that it’s likely best suited to those who prefer a more natural, forward CBD flavour. I enjoyed this blend most when dropped into green tea.

WHO WE ARE

The awards are designed to recognise and reward companies who go the “extra mile” to make the industry a safe and respected marketplace, operate with integrity, transparency and maintain ethical business practices.

This year our event is hosted in Paris, at the Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel… we expect around 750 – 1000 attendees from around the world all fighting for the top spot to be named “Best of the Best” in one of the twenty-four categories we have to offer.

If you would be interested in attending this year’s global networking opportunity and being part of the Awards Gala & Conference please read more or scan our QR Code

THIS YEAR WE ARE IN PARIS AT THE MARRIOTT HOTEL

15th - 17th JULY 2020

LAST YEARS AWARDS

Our 2019 Awards was held in Barcelona at the 5* Pullman Skipper Hotel, we had over 300 attendees at our last event and the outcome was amazing! The exposure, revenue, employment, education all of these areas had shown a huge impact on the companies that attended…

TAKE A LOOK AT LAST YEARS EVENT

SunMed Water Soluble Pina Colada

By Lisa Blake

“If you like Pina Coladas…!” Step right this way. No, seriously! This stuff is strong on taste. I only mixed it with water and found it to be a great substitute for popular dilutable supermarket-bought drinks which are typically higher in sugar. I can’t stress enough how accurate the flavour is, and the fact it has organic ingredients makes me feel a whole lot better.

Tailored CBD Oral Drops

Berry Bliss and Electric Lemon

Self-described as “naturally elegant, perfectly crafted,” both of these oil drops have achieved a beautifully balanced flavor, however electric lemon slightly pips berry to the post for me. I initially thought it might be quite acidic, but it was actually more mellow in taste than I expected. As a brand that prides itself on carefully sourced materials and fully certified and compliant products, it certainly rings true in the finished product.

With such a minimal ingredients list, it’s easy to trust in the validity of its claims. I was particularly pleased by the beautiful rounded ‘tailored’ cardboard packaging as opposed to the hard to manage clingfilm-like plastic covering some other products. It definitely has a more sophisticated feel than some of the other oil drops out there. No gimmicks here.

Satisfy

Food & Beverages

By Róisín Delaney

Stoopwafels – what a fun word to describe biscuits! I picked this biscuit tin up on a recent business trip and the waffles were devoured within minutes of returning to the office. Anyone who has ever visited The Netherlands will probably have had a Daelman’s on the side of a saucer served with a strong coffee. Reading the ingredients list, it’s not clear if these treats contain any CBD. Subtly sweet with a think but gooey caramel centre, these are heavenly. Thanks Holland Labs!

Swish CBD

By Róisín Delaney

Swish, swish… I LOVE this name. Why didn’t I think of that? Cili by Design is a brand that comes from Las Vegas, where the cannabis industry is long established. They have years on us when it comes to innovation in CBD. This is a great quality product for a few reasons. Firstly, you can tell little expense has been spared when it comes to the EU certified organic whole plant hemp ingredients. The packaging and the foil cap take added safety into account. As a side note, some brands skimp on fixtures like plastic seals and foil caps. The main message here is aquaceutical cellular nutrition, and no, I haven’t started speaking in code. This is a fancy way of saying water soluble and that means higher uptake of CBD in the body. It also contains pure alkaline water, which some say regulates our internal pH levels. I took 1-2 capfuls each morning for a week, which works out at about 2 teaspoons worth of liquid per day. I did my best to hold it beneath my tongue for a full minute each time, as recommended. This practice definitely improved as the week went on. With it being water-based, it’s a lot more viscous than taking something like a tincture, so it’s tempting to take a swish and knock it back right away. As can be expected with water-soluble products, there is a bitter aftertaste, but this is standard so don’t be alarmed. It’s hard to say if I noticed any real difference to my body after a week, but I’m going stick with it as it also contains 90 essential vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, something I could definitely benefit from in the long run.

Holy Herba Honey Hemp with Sage Honeycomb

By Caroline Barry

Holy Herba is a unique blend of honey that contains Californian santa yerba and sage, but it has also been infused with high grade, full spectrum hemp extract. Incredibly, you can taste the difference with honey that has been made from bees that have had a variety of flowers to nibble on. I’ve sampled echinacea and orange honey before but not hemp until now.

This is an interesting and sweet way to get a small amount of hemp into your daily diet if the idea of oil or sprays doesn’t appeal to you. I’ve been adding honey instead of sugar to my coffee for a more natural sweetener for ages now. I find Holy Herb is a lovely addition to mix with coffee but it’s delicious on toast. The flavour is naturally sweet

there is only one thing I want to make with it. I don’t quite trust my bread baking skills, so pizza offers a fool proof way to add a little CBD to my Friday night dinner experience without burning

the tastiest pizzas I have ever constructed. That hemp scent and taste always comes through stronger when used in baking, I have noticed.

It added a soft herbal taste to the dough which complemented the garlic and dill perfectly. I’m

CBD or just a happy carb haze but I definitely

Lady Fortunes CBD Oreo

By Gordon Stribling

Oreos are surely one of America’s greatest exports and you could say the same about CBD edibles. This offering from Lady Fortunes combines the two.

We have very little information to go on here, so I can’t tell you how much CBD each cookie contains. But I can say that these are delicious! Along with the crunchy biscuit and creamy centre of an Oreo, there’s a layer of sweet, velvety icing speckled with hundreds-and-thousands to give the cookie an added bite.

I could demolish handfuls of these given the opportunity so it’s probably for the best that I was only given one.

Orange Tropical Passion by PureKana

By Gordon Stribling

PureKana is one of those companies that seems to be everywhere, especially in the US. This is a brand which is very well regarded throughout the CBD community, with Cody Alt as the main influence behind it. The range features many of the well established CBD products you’ll be familiar with, along with some niche varieties such as toothpicks which are popular on the golf circuit.

This soft drink has the look and feel of an expensive sports drink. It also has many of the additives you would expect to find, including 179mg of caffeine and 78 electrolytes, along with 30mg of broad spectrum CBD.

It walks the walk too, tasting a lot like a certain sports drink beginning with ‘L’. It is almost indistinguishable from the orange isotonic drink favoured by professional and amateur athletes alike. But the real win for me is the low sugar content.

Less than a gram per bottle, compared to 18 grams in the previously mentioned sports drink.

As an added bonus, it is vegan, gluten-free and non-GMO. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this taking off in UK gyms soon.

Tropical Fruit Gummies by GRN CBD

By Benedict Jones 75 x 10mg hemp derived CBD

Blueberry, kiwi, mango, pineapple and strawberry are quite simple flavours but it’s clear that GRN have taken their time to make each one. They’re easily good as any premium candy and not overly sweet. I enjoyed the blueberry flavour the most but I enjoyed them all. There is a mild isolate flavour on the finish of each gummy but nothing overbearing, and it doesn’t irritate the throat or linger for too long. I found 2-3 gummies in the afternoon to be my sweet spot. Those who require particularly high doses of CBD may find that a more concentrated product would suit them for their main intake, but the gummies can still act as a nice, slower release “top up” throughout the day. This is a tasty, well presented CBD infused food product that gets a solid recommendation from me.

Hemp Gummies Variety Pack by Naturally Hemps

By Benedict Jones 7 x 10mg broad spectrum CBD

These gummies are presented in a neutral, professional looking tub. Their labelling is on point, listing every ingredient, along with precise nutritional information. They also clarify that their CBD is hemp-derived, broad spectrum and free from pesticides. I found that 2-3 gummies, twice a day, fulfilled my needs. I would like to see a 20mg per gummy option for those who are stricter with their sugar intake. The gummies come in orange, watermelon, strawberry, sour apple and lemon/lime flavours, all of which were pleasant. There is almost no CBD flavour on the finish, which will be a big plus for some. This is a simple but effective broad spectrum product that imparts minimal CBD flavour. It’s one of few broad spectrum gummies that I’m aware of, so if you’re looking for the entourage effect, this could be the gummy for you.

Gummies Strawberry

By Lisa Blake

These are fantastic! I love the texture, flavour, size and packaging of these. The CBD/hemp taste doesn’t really hit until the end and is quite tame. The soft, spongy texture is a mildly chewy consistency that doesn’t feel too heavy or sugary like other gummies. I mainly dipped into this pink jar of sweetness after dinner when the inevitable sweet tooth kicked in and they really hit the spot. With organic sugar cane, B12, water and of course the key ingredient CBD, I didn’t feel bad at all giving into the sweet cravings.

FARMa Nano CBD Gummies

Nano is such a buzzword right now. In CBD terms, it means the product is likely to be water-compatible with a higher bioavailability leading to better absorption of the CBD by the body. FARMa specialises in artisan tastes, so we were expecting great flavour and

Who doesn’t love a mango zest? It has to be the most refreshing fruit there is and GRN has encapsulated that zing in this take on the CBD gummy train. With 10mg hemp extract per piece, the amount of CBD is on par with what most brands offer. But the shiny, sugar coated cubes remind me of the fruit pastilles I loved as a child, which is a nice throwback.

CBD Truffles by The English Chocolate Company

By Róisín Delaney

As soon as there’s a whiff of chocolate in my office, there’s always a certain level of interest piqued. Chocolate with CBD can sometimes be a mess. Either you can’t taste the CBD at all – leading to doubt about what’s in the product –or it’s too much for the taste buds.

Nestled in the Borough of Mayfair is a master chocolatier, as The English Chocolate Company has found just the right blend with these 15mg CBD delights.

These handmade truffles are everything you would expect from a pricey box of Mother’s Day chocolates, rich, ready to melt-in-the-mouth but with a touch of superfood about them in the hemp aftertaste. Very well done.

Chocolate CBD Oil by Canna Club

By Róisín Delaney

I could smell the chocolatey goodness from this 10ml bottle before I even opened it. At 4%, there’s 400mg in here so you’re getting a decent dose of CBD per mll. If you’re a fan of hot chocolate then this tincture is for you.

Vape

Reviews by Benedict Jones

VG/PG Ratio: 50/50 100mg\(10mg/ml). CBD isolate

Watermelon

Korent has kept things simple with this Watermelon e-liquid offering. It has elements of both the natural fruit, with its slight vegetal finish, and a more candied interpretation, with a bright sweetness and sticky mouthfeel. It avoids any artificial off notes and delivers a distinct, clean watermelon profile. I found there to be a moderate CBD isolate flavour on the finish and though it works quite well with the watermelon flavour, this may make it less suited to those who do not enjoy the CBD flavour.

Cannwell Zest

VG/PG ratio: 70/30 200mg (6.67mg/ml).

Each Cannwell offering is formulated to be used either as an e-liquid, tincture or food and drink additive.

Zest has nailed the lemon and mint profile. The top note is a sharp, authentic lemon, a far cry from the candy or lemonade style that is often associated with e-liquid. This is complemented by a moderate herbal mint, which carries a light mentholated sensation on the finish.

I found the CBD flavour to be almost entirely masked in my 200mg sample, though it may be more noticeable in the 500mg. The flavour profile is just as balanced when dropped under the tongue, with none of the harshness that can arise from highly concentrated flavourings. As an additive, I found it to work best in herbal tea, where the lemon and mint naturally complement the flavour of the beverage.

Fresh Mint provides a light, herbal mint top note, coupled with a stronger, neutral menthol. Neither element feels overbearing and there aren’t any off notes on the finish, which can often arise with menthol additives. I found the CBD isolate flavour to be present on the finish but partially masked by the cooling menthol sensation.

This could easily be added to other e-liquids to provide a mentholated CBD effect.

complementary fruit notes.

Most users will likely add the booster to an existing e-liquid, however, and in this use case it does well. Adding 5ml to a dessert e-liquid and another 5ml to a fruit e-liquid, I found the flavour of the isolate to be almost entirely masked in both cases. A simple but versatile product.

Chefs CBD Cryo Mango

VG/PG Ratio: 50/50 250mg (25mg/ml). CBD isolate

This is the most true-to-life mango-flavoured isolate vape I’ve tried. The mango is bright, with a juicy texture and mild earthy accent. This is complemented by a moderate helping of coolant, which does not carry any menthol or mint flavour. The profile is finished with a light isolate note, which blends nicely with the strong mango top note.

Cola

VG/PG Ratio: 50/50 250mg (25mg/ml). Full spectrum CBD

Cola and full spectrum CBD just didn’t seem like a natural combination to me. How wrong I was. The top note is a candy-style cola, think sweet shop gummies. This quickly gives way to a moderate full spectrum flavour, and this is where the magic happens. The combination of sweet cola and herbal notes creates a profile that resembles traditional herbal colas. The blend is finished with a mild and refreshing coolant. A thoroughly intriguing vape.

Heizen Blezzard

VG/PG Ratio: 50/50 250mg (25mg/ml). CBD isolate

Heisenberg profiles generally consist of a fruit medley, finished with aniseed and coolant. In this case, the main note is a candy raspberry, which is bright and sweet but lacks the tartness of the real fruit. This is joined by a bubble gum flavour, which heightens the candy connotations. There is a subtle aniseed note on the finish, but it’s not as pronounced as I would usually expect. The isolate flavour is almost completely masked

Winter Cherry

VG/PG Ratio: 50/50 250mg (25mg/ml). Full spectrum CBD

Chefs CBD describe Winter Cherry as a blend of cherry and dark fruit with a cold inhale. A mild cherry and forest fruit medley is the main note here. It’s quite sweet, leaning towards candy rather than natural fruit. This is contrasted with a moderate dose of coolant, which cuts through the sweetness. The herbal flavour of the full spectrum blend is quite pronounced and works wonderfully with the mild top notes, creating a compelling, full-bodied profile.

Blue Moon Hemp

Flan

125mg (4.16mg/ml)

VG/PG ratio: Not stated

Flan is described as a blend of vanilla and caramel. A bright vanilla custard is the main flavour here, with slight egg notes and a rich dairy body. This is complemented by a light caramel, which provides some dark sweetness. I found the hemp derived CBD flavour to be almost completely masked in the mix, which will be appealing for some

hints of marshmallow and cinnamon. A berry medley and mild grains are the most forward notes. A light marshmallow becomes more evident on the finish, which stops the grain note from drying the profile out too much. Personally, I don’t get much cinnamon from the profile, though I’m not complaining, since the blend of fruit, grain and creamy finish works wonderfully. A very light CBD flavour is apparent on the finish but it’s not intrusive.

Red Devil

Red Devil is described as a mix of nine fruits, with a hint of vanilla. The most prominent notes are papaya and berry with a vanilla finish. This is quite unlike any profile I’ve vaped before and despite the unusual flavour, it has quickly become a favourite. The other tropical notes do get a little lost in the mix, but I can forgive that, since the prominent flavours work so well together. The CBD flavour is again almost completely

T H E O R I G I N A L

T & FA S T- A C T I N G

The CBD industry is at a turning point. Regulatory momentum is shifting in favour of companies that are doing things the right way instead of the easy way. Is your CBD supplier doing everything they can to produce a quality product, keep consumers safe and, most importantly, ensure your brand stays on the shelves? Mile High Labs is. Since 2016, we’ve been investing in the people, infrastructure and standards necessary to meet the rigorous requirements of today’s CBD market. And with the FSA’s recent novel food announcement, no one is better positioned to serve the European market than Mile High Labs.