I wasn't always an advocate for herbal remedies - or at least, not for herbs in the Cannabis family. In my youth, the only experience I had was of dingy rock-clubs, where you'd get a waft of smoke from 'dodgy and dangerous-looking' people. Back then, I attributed the thick-head the next morning to that smoke - from low-quality resin, most likely. The headache and general malaise was unlike a hangover and that set my opinion for decades - I wanted nothing to do with it.
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Fast-forward to my more advanced years and the internet with the capacity for research. I became interested in the healing qualities of plants when I was a wee-one and natural curiosity finally overcame my prejudice and I started looking deeper into the healing properties and the reasons behind the ban of Cannabis.
People I know have used 'weed' for decades and I'd just ignored it. Now I know better and I'm learning.
I'm not interested in getting high or off my face, but I don't judge people who do - for whatever reasons.
That's not the basis for my business, however. Family members are suffering with illnesses and I can't do anything to help them - or at least, I couldn't do anything to help them.
I suffer with twinges, aches and pains. Onset of arthritis in some joints, sciatica and other age-related pains from my body wearing out have prompted me to go looking for non-medical relief.
I'd just started looking at 'the dreaded marijuana' when I heard that some parts of the plant may become legal.
I've no wish to go through court proceedings or even jail at my time of life (I know, I'm a coward) and so the new legislation is exceptionally interesting to me.
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I was gifted a small bottle of 'the good stuff' from a friend in Canada and I made a small amount of balm for the arthritis in my hand.
Good Grief! I wasn't prepared for how well it would work! My hand didn't start aching again for more than four hours!
More study and research was needed and I put together a plan for a new business.
Using some money that came in around my birthday, I purchased a quantity of CBD isolate, food-grade ingredients (Aloe gel, Shea butter, Cocoa butter and carrier oils), a large refrigerator and a small working kitchen area.
Since then, I've experimented - not always with total success - and made up quantities of CBD lotions, balms, salves and body-butters. I've sold some, given some away and developed my techniques.
To date, I'm around £5k in a hole with this business, but it's starting to come around. People like the lotions, they like the fact that there are only good-quality ingredients in each recipe and they like the fact that they actually work.
I'm not allowed to make any medical claims for these products - no one can, not until the CBD has been medically researched and certified (and I don't see that happening anytime soon) but so far, the reports and reviews are great!
The CBD ointments, balms, lotions and body butters work their magic on symptoms of:
Eczema
Psoriasis
Sciatica
Arthritis
Fibro
Dry skin
and even Migraine
I sent some of my products over to Canada to the friend who originally sent the CBD Oil and she loves them!
Sending Coals to Newcastle!
Image 1 -https://www.bonhams.com/magazine/22315/
Image 2 - https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/3256155178