Brexit, CBD, cannabis and the UK, what does the new world of a post-Brexit UK look like for the emerging CBD space? Cannabis.net got to sit down and talk to one of the UK's thought leaders in the CBD market, Director & Co-founder of CBD Shopy, Layton Brooks. Layton was kind enough to offer his us his opinions and ideas on how cbd, cannabis, and THC will play out in the post-Brexit England.
1. How did you first get into or hear about CBD?
We first experienced the benefits of CBD through a close family member who has been suffering from Lyme disease for several years causing her to suffer from arthritis in her joints, as well as many other symptoms. Despite trying numerous remedies and pain relief medication, nothing was able to subside pain she was feeling in her elbow due to the arthritis. A fellow Lyme sufferer recommended CBD cream and so she bought one from a US manufacturer. 20 minutes after applying the cream to her elbow she began to feel a pain in her left knee. She realised the pain had always been there but the localised (greater) pain in her elbow had reduced to a point where she could now feel it.
From that point on, we’ve been hooked.
2. You are in the UK, how is the development of CBD and cannabis products going?
We’re seeing a trend in the perspective of CBD. Consumers are now seeing CBD as a mainstream product rather than a backstreet drug. With that, the frontrunning manufacturers and brands are tussling for credibility. Rather than a development on new products, there is a shift to improving manufacturing processes and overall standards whilst educating consumers on what to look out to avoid buying poor-quality CBD products.
Unfortunately, there are still deceptive manufacturers on the market tarnishing the industry and the quicker these ‘cowboys’ are removed the sooner everyone wins.
3. How do you see Brexit effecting CBD and cannabis in the UK?
In short, it is still unknown. Taking an optimistic perspective, Brexit could mean we look to increase domestic economy through new farming and manufacturing ventures. Hemp is such a durable plant with a wide variety of uses that it would make an excellent crop to grow in the UK, fueling this new economic progress. As a result, a more lenient approach to hemp farm licenses would allow CBD manufacturers to control the full seed to shelf cycle and not be reliant on European or American farms for their CBD extracts.
4. What makes (your brand) CBD different from what is on the market?
Our focus is on educating the consumer. The CBD market is growing fast but is still relatively new, with most customers trying CBD for the first time. This, combined with the lack of government regulation, means it is very difficult for customers to know what products are right for them and the manufacturers to trust.
We’ve done the leg work for our customers, extensively reviewing the products on the market and selecting the ones we deem the best. This is based on several factors including, but not limited to:
Hemp source
Manufacturing methods
Lab testing
Value and Review
We also offer up valuable content to educate the customer on CBD and its uses. All this combined, mean customers can be confident in their final purchase decision.
5. What would you say to a person thinking about getting in the cannabis CBD market today, as advice?
I think there are two pieces of advice I would give to someone thinking of entering the CBD market. Firstly, prepare for setbacks. The CBD market, due to its association with THC, is still a grey area and we were very surprised about the number of service providers that would be reluctant to partner or work with us. This ranged from insurance providers and payment gateways to things are generic as email platforms! Though it will be frustrating at times, there are service providers out there for CBD businesses if you look hard enough. Networking with fellow industry members will help here too.
Secondly, aspire for long term quality. As competition grows and consumers become more educated, the businesses that will succeed will be those that are invested in helping customers rather than ‘making a quick buck’.
6. What is the biggest mistake you made as a startup in the past 24 months?
Hindsight is a wonderful thing and, looking back, there are definitely ways we could have altered our model from day 1. However, I think the business changes were more a reflection of market evolution rather than poor strategic goals. We’re confident that if we stay nimble and push progression, we can stay ahead of the curve.
7. What are the future products or plans you would like to get to the market in the next 12 months?
The focus for us over the next 12 months is to make the shopping experience for our customers as seamless as possible. We are investing in our membership portal to enhance benefits, include subscriptions and offer one-click purchases. We are also rolling out an internal review platform for CBD products to further help our customers make the right buying decision.
8. If the THC laws change, what are the first few things you would do in the UK?
To answer this question, we need to consider what the changes might be, if any. Firstly (and the most likely) is a law change restricting even trace elements of THC to be found in products. In this case, we would be forced to remove many of our product range from sale and focus on CBD isolates. This would be a disappointing, as we receive great feedback on the full spectrum CBD products.
The much less likely change is a leniency on the THC % allowed in products. For some consumers, this would be welcomed as there has been suggestions the THC can provide beneficial results. However, we would want to see further product testing and research on THC before we would be comfortable selling higher dosages to the UK market.
9. How can people contact you? Website? Social media?
You can contact CBD Shopy via Facebook, email, online chat on the website or over the phone – our contact number can be found on the website. We have a great support team who will be able to help in a timely manner.
URL: https://cbdshopy.co.uk/
Email: support@cbdshopy.co.uk
Thanks, Layton, and here is to your continued success and hard work at CBD Shopy.
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