By Adam Rear
With CBD products recently becoming legal, Leicester is seeing a rise in students using CBD cafes and shops.
One of the first CBD cafes that opened in Leicester last September, MedEx, has seen an increasing number of student visitors.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, can be found in every variety of the cannabis family, including hemp.
Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabidiol, the primary psychoactive element in cannabis), CBD is non-psychoactive and will not produce the ‘high’ that is typically associated with cannabis use.
Instead of getting its users ‘high’, CBD has many physical and psychological health benefits.
Mental health social worker and employee at MedEx, Lamees, said: “There are multiple health benefits when it comes to CBD.
“It can help people manage anxiety better, aid people who struggle getting to sleep and can relieve symptoms of panic attacks.
“I myself struggle with anxiety and suffer from panic attacks. When I have a panic attack, I take a few drops of CBD oil and within about three seconds I feel much calmer.
“CBD can be consumed in various ways; it can be taken in oil form, edible forms such as chocolate, honey and dried fruits.
“It can also be consumed in a drink form such as fizzy drink cans, coffee, tea and even in protein shakes. CBD can also be smoked in its flower form.”
Due to CBD products only becoming recently legal in the UK, there is still a lot of stigma and skepticism towards its use.
“We have seen a lot of students coming in and trying our CBD products, which is really nice to see.
“Having a shop like this helps students escape the stigma of mental health and it provides a safe haven where people can talk about their feelings.”
