People in the United Kingdom now have access to medicinal cannabis oil.

Better known as Cannabidiol (CBD), this plant-derived oil is currently being sold in high street stores, such as Holland and Barrett.

CBD is being used by a record number of cannabis consumers around Great Britain. In fact, the Cannabis Trades Association UK claims that the number of CBD users has jumped from 125,000 to 250,000 within the space of a single year.

These figures are projected to rise as pharmaceutical stores across the UK make it easier for consumers to get their hands on the medically beneficial extract.

What is CBD oil?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 113 active cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Another well-known cannabinoid is Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Unlike THC, which is illegal in the UK, CBD is non-psychoactive.

Thick and sticky in consistency, CBD oil is extracted from the cannabis plant matter, primarily the flowers and leaves. It is insoluble in water and has been scientifically proven to relieve depressive thoughts, enhance mood, treat sleeping disorders, ease chemotherapy-related pain and safeguard the immune system.

Research has exposed CBD for its anxiolytic, antioxidant, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antipsychotic and antiemetic uses. Since CBD oil does not produce euphoric effects, it is being prescribed to elderly medical cannabis patients, as well as children and even animals. 

Sales of cannabis oil in the UK are rising 

Bottles of CBD oil, such as Jacob Hooy CBD+ Oil 2.75% 10ml, started flying off the shelves in the UK at the beginning of 2018.

Containing 240 drops, the 10ml bottles are available for £9.49 (equivalent to $13.15) at their lowest price.

Sales have skyrocketed by 37 percent since this particular brand of CBD oil was stocked inside 750 Holland and Barrett’s retail stores across the UK and Ireland.

Sold as a food supplement, this type of cannabis oil in the UK can be administered under the tongue 2-3 times daily for relief from multiple sclerosis, arthritis and anxiety. Cold-pressed from the hemp seeds of Dutch and German plants, the potent oil from Jacob Hooy is high in vitamins and minerals.

Cannabis laws in the UK are changing 

Back in 1971, cannabis was made illegal in the UK. Nonetheless, the laws surrounding the Class-B drug’s extracts are being reformed, slowly but surely.

The process of getting CBD oil on UK shelves was simplified for retailer Holland and Barrett, after government advisors lifted the laws on cannabis back in 2016.

Upon discovering that CBD oil had a ‘restoring, correcting or modifying’ impact on users, government advisors legalized the sale of CBD oil.

If CBD is sold as a food supplement in the UK, it is deemed to be legal. This is possible if the CBD products are derived from hemp plants. Since CBD oil contains just 0.2 percent THC, the psychoactive compound, the regulatory status of CBD oil in the UK is no longer as stringent as it once was.