[M]onday 11th June saw the launch of Cumbria’s first cannabis company in the form of Lakeland CBD.
Three friends – Nic Hewitt, Chris Braithwaite & Luke Woodend, all from Whitehaven but now based in Carlisle – met up about three months ago as they usually would for a crack and a catch up.
Mental health and wellbeing came up in conversation and all three of them admitted to each other that they had been using CBD oil (Cannabidiol) to improve their own health and wellbeing.
Cannabidiol – or CBD oil – is derived from the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant is made up of 114 compounds, the most famous being THC (the compound that gets you high) which is a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 but, coming a close second, is CBD.
CBD is extracted from the plant using the CO2 method in which the THC is left behind meaning that the oil is completely legal in the UK due to it not being a psychoactive substance and, therefore, having absolutely no toxic effects.
So, with the use of CBD in common, the trio discussed how hard it was to buy CBD in Cumbria and that they all mostly used the internet to get it, however, with all of the different companies, scams and pop up websites it was difficult to decipher which websites to trust and who had their best interests at heart. With this in mind they decided to start their own cannabis company to serve their home county. But, rather than just sell someone else’s brand, they wanted to create their own so that they have full control over what products they sell, they have full knowledge of what goes into their products and do real life tests before selling them to family, friends and customers in Cumbria.
Nic explains “With so many options on the internet for CBD, we wanted to create a brand that our customers can trust implicitly. We knew that our family and friends would want to buy our products and I want them to have the confidence to buy from us knowing that they are getting a high-quality product, the ingredients are what they say they are and there is no guess work.”
Luke, describing his first experience of buying CBD, said “When I first tried CBD oil, I struggled to know what to buy simply because the information differs from site to site, there are so many scams cashing in on the change in law, I wanted the CBD to be good quality and good value for money.”
Luke and Chris have been cannabis advocates for many years and would like to see cannabis legalised in this country for medicinal purposes.
Chris Says “I have supported legalisation of cannabis for many years, for a drug that is illegal, it has so many benefits, you see in the news all time how it has helped folk and it’s wrong to deprive people of something that could change their lives. With the recent change in the law allowing us to sell CBD products, I think this is the first step to legalisation.”
UK law states that CBD can be sold as a food supplement but not as a medicine. So, companies like Lakeland CBD cannot make any medicinal claims about their products but Nic tells me that the science behind how CBD works makes it obvious as to how CBD can benefit everyone and a full explanation can be found on their website.
Lakeland CBD are currently selling two strengths of oil, a blueberry vape juice and a joint cream which can be bought online through their website or you can go down and see the trio at Unit 6 1st Floor, Atlas Works, Nelson Street, Carlisle, CA2 5NB (above Com-for-T), or you can give them a ring on 01228 739099.
Chris exclaims “We knew a cannabis company was always going to be controversial; the notion of taking cannabis is unthinkable to a lot of people, but we are here to break down those barriers, challenge the stigma that surrounds cannabis and provide a friendly, open and honest approach to the subject. We, as a team, would encourage anyone who wants to know more to get in touch with us, whether it’s on our Facebook page, a phone call, email or coming to see us in person, there’s so much to learn about CBD and its benefits. We are more than happy to support those who are new to the market or those that have been using CBD for a while. No question is too silly or irrrelevant… honestly, come and speak to us about it, we’re all ears.”
You can find more information on these guys and their products at:
Their Facebook page is also live and gaining momentum at: www.facebook.com/lakelandCBDltd/
Or, alternatively, you can email them at: [email protected]
We wish you all the best of luck and we can’t wait to see where you are in twelve months time!
