The future is green: CBD is one of two main active components of the hemp

By Falah Faisal

The first time most Indians heard of CBD is when a loud mouth journalist went on national TV and claimed “Rhea put CBD oil in Sushant’s tea!” Little did he know then that’s what would start the conversation about CBD (cannabidiol) in the country. “After that happened, people started googling what CBD was and to their surprise found out about its many benefits,” says Daanish Matheen, the 30-year-old founder of Cure By Design – one of the leading brands in CBD products in the country.

What is CBD?
For those who don’t know, Cannabidiol or CBD is one of two main active components of the hemp plant, which when activated brings out the plant’s medicinal properties. “There are more than 191 concoctions in Ayurveda that involve hemp. It has been used to cure everything from throat infections to stomach aches and also helps with digestion,” says Matheen, adding that this one plant can be used to replace numerous industries including paper, cloth, food and fibre. “These products can last forever. Henry Ford even made a hemp car that ran on hemp fuel. And this plant requires no pesticides and grows in the hardiest of conditions,” he says.

Launched in 2020, with just 15 products, Cure by Design carries forward the ancient legacy of holistic healing. “Seeds are mostly the part of the plant that most people throw away but we found a use for it by creating a snack with it by frying it with pink salt and olive oil,” he says. Their range of products include hemp infused shampoos, conditioners, face washes and balms. But the two product ranges that stand out are the company’s pet-related and aromatherapy oils.

A pet cure
“We have helped numerous dogs live a better quality of life and it is our best selling product. Even in the US nobody was doing hempbased products for pets until we started. It is not a cure but it helps with many ailments like epilepsy, and relaxes them in their old age,” says Matheen.

Arundhati Krishnan, a happy customer, testifies to their efficacy. “I usually take my dogs to Cubbon Park and they get anxious around other dogs. But ever since I started using the CBD relaxing spray, they are peaceful and get along with the other pets there. If that’s what it can do for dogs, one can only imagine what it can do for humans.”

That’s where aromatherapy comes in; Daanish explains: “Aromatherapy is the holistic way of healing through smell. You smell something nice and you immediately feel better. Our aroma oils can help people with migraines, sinus issues, stress, relaxation and sleep. We have recently even launched oil for romance and menstrual cramps. And the main USP of plant-based medicine is that it has no side effects.”

The business of hemp
But how did he break the news about what he wants to do to his family? “Actually I wanted to get started on this a lot earlier but then there was still the stigma that hemp is marijuana. I had to educate my family about its benefits, its healing properties. Now, my mother just gifts my products to her friends on their birthdays,” he happily proclaims.

It wasn’t just family but customers too who needed educating. “One of the most asked questions we get from people at events is: ‘Will I get high if I use this?’ But the thing is only THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) gets you high. And all our products are THC-free.” The THC is extracted through the process of Supercritical CO2 Extraction. “We don’t do this yet ourselves but source it from third parties from Uttarakhand where the laws around hemp are far more relaxed.”

States like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have seen the benefits of the job opportunities and revenue hemp generates and has boosted the industry. “According to the NDPS Act of 1985, only the bud of the plant is illegal. That provision allows for the rest of the plant to be utilised and nearly 400 products can be created with it,” adds Matheen.

THE HISTORY OF HEMP
The history of legislation in India is still murky. It was through the efforts of Henry Anslinger, America’s first narcotics government official that marijuana is illegal in nearly 110 countries. He implemented racist legislation in the 1930s with the sole purpose to jail Black and Mexican people who were believed to be the primary consumers of the plant in the US. But his crusade didn’t end there. He took it all the way to the UN and had the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs passed, which placed marijuana in Schedule A alongside dangerous drugs like heroin and cocaine.

But to curb it in India was not an easy task whe