Rugby duo back UK crackdown on cannabis oil rogues
A SCOTS firm set up by two rugby players is aiming to be one of the first in the UK to be accredited under a new regulatory system for the CBD (cannabidiol) industry that aims to clamp down on rogue traders.
The Government-run Food
Standards Agency (FSA) is introducing new rules next year that could result in brands that manufacture the product being taken off the market if they do not meet strict safety and quality standards.
It comes after research found 10 out of 31 brands of the oil sold in stores and online had levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant – that exceeded the legal limit of 0.05 per cent. One had almost 24mg.
Cannabidiol is another compound found in cannabis that does not alone provide a “high”. According to manufacturers, lower-quality extraction methods lead to products having levels of THC that exceed the legal limit.
The oil is increasingly being used by professional rugby and football players to manage injury pain, while those suffering from chronic conditions are reporting being able to come off medication after taking the tincture, which is available on prescription in countries including Australia.
Market research from Brightfield Group estimates the European CBD market will grow to nearly £1.4 billion by 2023.
Companies that manufacture CBD have been given a deadline of March 31, 2021, to submit applications to the FSA. After this time, only products that have submitted a valid application will be allowed to remain on the market.
While research is fairly limited, a report by the World Health Organisation found there was no evidence of healthrelated problems associated with the use of pure CBD or any “dependence potential”. However, the FSA has advised that certain groups, including those who are pregnant, should not take it.
Grayson Hart, 32,who launched Pure Sport in Glasgow with Scottish rugby internationalist Adam Ashe, says he is confident their firm will meet the government’s criteria because it is used by professional athletes who are subject to rigorous drug testing.
He said: “It’s a massively positive step for the CBD industry. The FSA application is going to eradicate a lot of the companies not up to standard.
“In our eyes, it’s about time because there are brands out there that are providing poor-quality products, which is not good for the consumer – they aren’t going to have a good experience and they are paying good money – and it is tarnishing the industry.
“Our brand was founded upon providing the most transparent and certified CBD products available in order for athletes to be able to take them. We already have the most stringent lab reports you can find.”
CBD has been touted for a wide variety of health issues, but according to one study by Harvard University the strongest scientific evidence for its effectiveness is in treating childhood epilepsy. Other research suggests that it may help with anxiety and insomnia.
Mr Hart, a former Glasgow Warriors player who is from New Zealand, said he started exploring the use of CBD to manage a degenerative knee condition after being told by three specialists at 25 it was likely he would require a knee replacement by the time he was 40. He said he became heavily reliant on pain-killing drugs.
He said: “Adam and I were both athletes and we had always been interested in natural alternatives.
“The reality of professional sport is you know it’s a very short career. It’s pretty cut-throat and if you don’t perform or you are not playing then you are not going to have a job so you need to prove your value by playing.
“So the mentality is, you do what it takes to play. Part of what comes from that is painkillers are accepted as the norm. I became heavily reliant on painkillers.
“One of the challenges I learned very quickly was that as drug-tested athletes it’s important we know exactly what is in the product and we couldn’t find CBD that we could trust. We realised there was an opportunity there.”
Mr Hart says the majority of clients use CBD to manage medical conditions, including a seven-year-old with arthritis, and said their email inbox is full of positive testimonies.
“There was one that practically moved me to tears from the son of a woman with motor neurone disease who said she had been able to sleep for the first time in months.”