THE ABCs OF CBD

CBD is all the rage... but you may still be wondering what it is, how it works and whether you should try some. Robyn MacLarty gets the answers.

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Since cannabis was legalised for personal use in 2019, the proliferation of products toting the supposed benefits of the cannabis extract CBD have gone into overdrive. Soft drinks, pet products, vapes, gummies, supplements, lotions and even 'intimacy oils' are now available with varying doses of CBD. In the States (where else?), you can even invest in a CBD-infused sports bra or pillow.

WHY THE HYPE?

There's compelling anecdotal evidence - and not-insignificant actual evidence that CBD has powerful healing properties with the ability to help reduce pain, improve sleep, and can help treat a variety of conditions, from anxiety, epilepsy, skin conditions, addiction and more.

"CBD oil aided my recovery from stage-four endometriosis," says Nafisa Hansa, co-owner of Cannaporium, a cannabis wellness store. This result propelled her and co-founder Hawa Amod (who had the same condition) to open South Africa's first woman-owned CBD wellness store in Durban, in 2019. Recently, they expanded and opened their second store in Sea Point, Cape Town.

"I'd had six operations by the time I began CDB treatment. The pain was excruciating, and I was desperate," says Nafisa. "Within a few months of dosing myself with CBD, the pain disappeared and the cysts and fibroids shrunk. I shared this with the endo support group I was a part of, and slowly the other women had similar results and pain-free days. They were not relying on strong pharmaceutical pain meds any longer.