If you’ve been paying attention to the appearance of our high street in recent years, you’ll have noticed three letters appearing more and more frequently in our pharmacies, health stores and even gyms. But, aside from the woke as f*** person in your friendship group, who can say with conviction that they really understand what CBD is?
For an industry that is continuing to grow in popularity, there is still an undeniable element of mystery and a general lack of understanding surrounding CBD and its uses. Not to mention of course, the unconscious bias from those who already have their preconceived notions on the plant from which CBD is derived.
With the expert knowledge and years of experience from our friends at Gaia Guru, we’ve been educating ourselves on the nature of CBD, its many beneficial uses and how these translate across a whole variety of products.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, more commonly referred to as CBD, is one of many cannabinoids (special compounds) that naturally occur within the plant species Cannabis Sativa L. Each cannabinoid has its own individual uses and there are over 100 in the stalks, stems and flowers of cannabis alone.
The spotlight falls very much on CBD as it is one of the most useful and accessible cannabinoids in cannabis. These cannabinoids are very similar to chemicals we naturally produce in our bodies, known as endocannabinoids, enabling them to support the function of the body in many useful ways.
Why are people using it?
In 2017 the World Health Organisation reported that CBD could be beneficial for various conditions including:
Cancer
Alzheimesrs
Parkinsons
MS
Diabetic complications
Pain, anxiety and depression.
The reason CBD is popping up in everything from coffees to massage oils is because it can work its magic without making people ‘high’.
Let’s make sure we clarify this for all of the dinosaurs reading. Unlike its psychoactive sibling THC, CBD does not get people high.
CBD does not alter states of awareness of consciousness. So no, you won’t be waking up the next morning with a sketchy tattoo or questionable flashbacks from the evening before.
Instead, CBD can be compared to the natural highs experienced in our bodies that produce feelings of warmth, comfort and bliss such as the release of endorphins after a run.
“Think of CBD as a de-caff version of cannabis” explains Rory, Gaia Guru’s health nutritionist and product developer, “Like THC, caffeine is a psychoactive substance. Yet with a de-caff coffee, you still get all the great stuff like polyphenols, which are healthy and can make you feel good without the buzz”.
Gaia Guru in the CBD space
In partnership with Europe’s largest on-demand wellness app, Urban Massage, the team at Gaia Guru have entered the landscape to simplify, educate and demystify CBD, making it more accessible and relatable for people.
The self appointed Gurus realised that the conversations around CBD are often overly complicated, referring to big-worded scientific terms that nobody understands. To clear up this miscommunication in the space, they’ve combined old school wisdom with modern research to cultivate a community opting for a natural, healthier and stress-free lifestyle.
Stepping further than just product creation, Gaia Guru are pushing forward a movement for CBD to be used as a human optimisation tool; something highly relevant for generations infatuated with self-optimisation and the becoming of their best selves.
They’ve found that CBD supper clubs, sound healings, plant medicines and yoga are just the beginning of a number of activities connecting people through a CBD lifestyle choice. Their journey is popping off and the prospects for this industry are quite literally, dope.
What products are available and how can they help?
Now you know CBD can be used as a vehicle for healing, we’ve chosen 4 of our favourite products from Gaia Guru to get the ball rolling.
Relief CBD Drops
Product: CBD drops infused with turmeric and black pepper extracts, which compliment the effects of CBD on pain and inflammation.
Benefits: Promotes sleep and relaxation, good for aches and pains, relieves tension.
How to use: 4-8 drops taken 1-3 x daily.
Nightcap CBD Caps
Product: Oral capsules containing relaxing terpenes and CBDA
Benefits: Helps the transition into sleep, reduces waking, promotes a quality deep sleep, mental and physical relaxation, good for aches and pains
How to use: 1-2 capsules in the evening with food.
CBD Muscle Balm
Product: CBD Balm blended with herbs, spices, terpenes and other useful cannabinoids
Benefits: Useful for targeting specific areas of the body, relieving muscle soreness and joint aches and pain, nourishing damaged skin, supporting muscle recovery
How to use: Apply a finger of balm to the area of skin that requires attention, rubbing in well and increasing amount for greater relief if needed.
Original Blend Massage Oil
Product: Blend of full spectrum CBD with natural herbs, seed and plant oils.
Benefits: Moisturises and regenerates skin, protects and nourishes aging skin, anti-inflammatory, supports relaxation from massage therapy
How to use: Apply 5ml to palms to warm and activate oil, apply where you feel discomfort and apply another 5ml if required.
If all of the mad enlightenment above has left you wanting to explore the possibility of a CBD based lifestyle, make sure you catch the Gaia Guru crew at Chatsworth Road market most Sundays. You can grab yourself a CBD coffee and chat to the gurus themselves. Or if you can't be there in person, follow their antics on Insta.
As for the social side of things, you can expect to see team Truffle continuing to explore this intriguing space in the near future. Keep 'em peeled.