The number of people turning to alternative stress relief CBD products has more than doubled in Ireland during the pandemic.
Irish CBD company Little Collins has seen its customer base explode over the last two years as more people turn to more natural methods to help relieve their mental stresses and, in some cases, Covid-related pain.
CBD or cannabidiol is a natural remedy used for many common ailments and is derived from cannabis, but it is not psychoactive and therefore does not cause the sensation of getting high.
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Ferdia Mooney, the company’s Dublin hub manager, said more people are turning to alternatives like CBD products to help with stress relief as well as pain management.
He said: “To say business has doubled would even be a conservative estimation. It has grown exponentially.
“Before the pandemic we had the Galway cafe and online delivery via An Post and there was a Kilkenny cafe in the works.
“When the pandemic hit, business boomed and we now also have a Dublin and Galway office and the staff numbers have tripled and included our own delivery driver too.
“Alternative stress relief is a big thing now.
“I know I would rather have a cup of tea before bed than to go to the doctor and be prescribed a lot of pills.
“We are definitely getting people using it as an alternative way to relax and calm down. The buds are the most popular and account for roughly 50% of the online business.
“After that the teas are very popular. The Irish love tea. Then the third most popular would be the CBD oil.”
(Image: Little Collins)
And he said that all walks of life use their products, including stay-at-home mums and college students.
He revealed: “Everyone from college students, who have exams coming up and need to relax, to stressed out housewives, we have wide range of people who buy our products.
“Our ethos is choice. From my own perspective, I am riddled with chronic pain every day.
“And if I had to choose between this method or pharmaceuticals, which I’m not against at all by the way, I would choose this one.
“Pharmaceuticals just don’t work for me.”
Ferdia also explained how some people incorrectly believe the substance is cannabis and a drug.
He added: “It’s a natural alternative.
“It’s got all the benefits of the cannabis plant but no psychoactive effects.
“Basically all the relaxation of cannabis but none of the high.”
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