Is cannabis with your coffee the new trend?

By Sam Balf

Cannabis culture across the US began to mix with coffee culture in unexpected ways. Credit: Flickr

Last year, following a host of state laws in the US on the prohibition of cannabis going up in smoke, cannabis culture across the pond began to mix with coffee culture in unexpected ways.

But not all compounds found in cannabis go hand in hand with coffee. Who drinks a strong black cup of coffee and then smokes a joint? Yet relaxed laws paved the way for greater research which also shone a spotlight on a cannabis compound called CBD.

CBD, aka cannabidiol, is a compound derived from the cannabis sativa flower that supposedly hosts hundreds of potential health benefits. From stress and anxiety control to relieving pain without negative side effects like addiction or drowsiness.

The compound quickly became a successful product in its own right and can be seen sold in a variety of ways, from oils, creams, edibles like sweets, as vape liquid and now in coffee.

“My knees both have severe osteoarthritis, especially in winter I feel the sharp pains and I used to treat it with morphine tablets,” Mary, aged 56 from Slough says. A former care worker, Mary says she now treats her pains with CBD oil.

“I mix it with my morning coffee or some on a salad and it works better for me than the morphine the doctor prescribes as I don’t have any side effects. When I run out I’m in agony till I get some more.”

Simon of CBD Life UK, a wholesaler who distributes CBD related products from his warehouse in Angel, says different customers see different benefits from the use of CBD: “it depends on what they’re health concerns are. Some customers use it to treat joint pain, some customers use it to get a better nights sleep.”

Without the psychoactive compound found in THC, Simon argues that “CBD balances the caffeine from coffee” to help remove the jitteriness people associate with a strong cup.

The UK government has yet to provide any licences for CBD oil as a medicine, and manufacturers are advised to not make claims about their alleged medical benefits.

A survey by Populus Polls found 59 per cent of the public supported the legalisation of cannabis, even beyond medical use.

With cannabis perception shifting and more knowledge on the benefits of its compounds such as CBD being uncovered, there’s a good chance you will see cannabis paired with your favourite beans in the future.

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