Health, Beauty and Lifestyle with Denise McNamara

Cannabidiol or CBD is the second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis or marijuana. CBD is derived directly from the hemp plant, a cousin of marijuana, or manufactured in a laboratory.

A report from the World Health Organisation found that in humans CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential and to date “there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD”.

A The Harvard Medical Journal also highlights a recent report in the journal of Neuropsychopharmacology which concludes that acute CBD alone is “unlikely to significantly impair daily functioning or workplace performance”.

So why is there such a buzz around CBD?

CBD has been touted for a wide variety of health issues, but the strongest scientific evidence is for its effectiveness in treating childhood epilepsy syndromes, such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which typically don’t respond well to antiseizure medications.

Other studies suggest CBD may also help with anxiety, insomnia, addiction and chronic pain. One animal study from the European Journal of Pain suggests CBD could help lower pain and inflammation due to arthritis when applied to skin.

Two Galway women are the latest to bring CBD products to the market and they both have a good pedigree when it comes to launching medicines in global markets.

Chanelle McCoy formerly led Chanelle Medical for 18 years – an offshoot of the veterinary medicines company set up in Loughrea by her father Michael Burke which was sold last February for a reputed €300 million. She was responsible for getting 2,500 product licences for generic medicines and selling them into almost 100 global markets.

Caroline Coen, who spent nearly 12 years working at Chanelle Pharma including as medical director, has qualifications in pharmacology, biomedical science and business law.

Together they set up Chanelle McCoy Health after being inspired to enter the CBD market in 2014 by the story of Cork mother Vera Twomey. Her daughter Ava suffered with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, and she had to resort to flying to the Netherlands to source medicinal cannabis, the only treatment that helped with her seizures.

“We knew there was an unmet need for a pure, safe, quality-assured CBD product backed by clinical studies, this was where our journey began,” remarked Chanelle.

Pictured: Founders Chanelle McCoy and Caroline Coen have created a range of CBD products.