The amount of people using cannabis oil to treat medical ailments in this country has doubled in the past 12 months, with consumer numbers soaring from 125,000 to 250,000 according to the Cannabis Trades Association.
Now, Holland and Barrett have become the first high street chain to sell medical cannabis oil (also known as cannabidiol or CBD) in the UK.
The health food store began selling Jacob Hooy CBD+ oil in January 2018, and it has proved so popular that they have decided to introduce four more CBD products next month.
BUY IT NOW: Jacob Hooy CBD+ oil, £9.49
Supposedly, cannabis oil can be used to relieve the symptoms of pain, anxiety and depression, and it has also been claimed that CBD could be used to treat Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, MS and cancer.
It allegedly comes with no side effects and works by influencing the body's balance of 'feel good' chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin.
However, it is not possible to get 'high' from using the supplement. In a statement, a spokesperson from Holland & Barrett said:
'We have been surprised at the success and popularity of CBD Oil since launch (+37%). We knew that there were numerous trends surfacing around this liquid but we didn't expect to see sales increase this dramatically. We are constantly looking to bring, new and innovative products to market that help our customers. It is great to see in this instance that we can help with the demand. We also want our shoppers to know that we listen to their needs and hope to eventually increase the CBD range to keep up with the growing popularity.'
Previously, NetDoctor has spoken to neurologist Professor Michael Barnes who has worked alongside the APPG on Drug Policy Reform about how cannabis oil can affect anxiety. He explained:
'The two main cannabis compounds are THC and CBD. THC is the psychoactive component which makes recreational users high, but it also has therapeutic properties and can help with pain and muscle spasms. CBD is the other one which doesn't have a psychoactive effect. But CBD in its own right seems to have an anti-anxiety effect.'
He added:
'It's worth pointing out that CBD itself is not illegal. You can buy it quite openly over the internet. And it appears to be a remarkably safe drug. But I don't think doctors know much about it so they don't know to recommend it yet.'
The oil is administered as drops that you place under your tongue. It has been said to have a 'strong and distinctive taste', but nothing a glass of water can't solve.
