While the CBD industry flourishes in the rest of the western world, here in Australia, the plant extract still struggles against stigma. Best Buds, a new marketplace for CBD and hemp products, is fighting the taboo by bringing together a community of “buddies” interested in this wonder drug’s wide-ranging health and medicinal benefits. We chat to founders Neel Bhatt and Marko Kapusta about breaking the stoner aesthetic and how to incorporate CBD into your self-care.
When do you feel most wild and alive?
Driving to the Blue Mountains with fellow nature lovers at the crack of dawn, ready to take on the hike ahead.
Talk us through the moment you decided to create Best Buds.
Both of our mothers were suffering from chronic health problems and pharmaceutical medicine wasn’t working. They had heard great things about CBD oil, so while we were on holiday in the United States, we purchased some for them to try. We were all amazed with the results and how it alleviated their health problems. When trying to find the best CBD oil brand, we didn’t know what brand to trust and there wasn’t a website where you could purchase vetted CBD oil products. So we set out to fix that!
Tell us about your product
Best Buds is a global marketplace for the highest-quality CBD and hemp products. Rather than just selling products, we also provide a community of CBD and hemp enthusiasts, a place where people can share their stories, favourite recipes and even help fellow buds with common inquiries.
What are some of the medicinal uses of CBD?
There are so many medicinal uses; research shows CBD can help with epilepsy, autism, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, depression, anxiety and stress. It can also be applied to your skin to relieve burns, bruises, redness, eczema, dry skin, joint and muscle pain. We always recommend speaking to a doctor first to see if CBD is the right medicine for you, but we also recommend conducting your own research.
There is still a negative stigma surrounding CBD. What are you doing to educate people about its many benefits?
Yes, there is a huge stigma around it because CBD oil comes from the same plant that produces THC (the substance that gets users “high”). The stigma was fuelled by the war on drugs in 1971, which criminalised all aspects of the hemp plant, including the medicinal part (CBD) that doesn’t get you “high”.
Across our website and socials, we provide non-biased facts, evidence-based research and the historical use of the hemp plant in order to educate people.
We are also collaborating with other organisations that support the use of CBD oil and want to see it fully legalised. Educating people about the difference between marijuana and hemp is key to breaking the initial stigma. CBD oil products come from a specific strain of hemp called “industrial hemp”, which produces less than 0.3 per cent THC (classified at CBD). Once harvested and taken to GMP certified processing facilities, the CBD is refined to make sure there is less than 0.3 per cent (which is the US standard) or 0.2 per cent (EU/UK Standards) THC in them. Most people haven’t been exposed to this technical information, so by opening up the conversation on hemp and CBD we hope to accelerate the progress of providing natural medicines to people.
What are your favourite ways to incorporate CBD into your daily routines?
Taking CBD in the morning with your coffee is a great kick start to the day, and a few drops of the CBD tincture before bed will aid in restful sleep. We also love to use CBD balms and creams after an intense workout to reduce muscle and joint soreness.
What are you doing to minimise the environmental impact of your brand?
The products we stock cannot be tested on animals, cannot contain harmful chemicals, and must come from sustainably sourced hemp farms. These are pillars of our community and we will do everything we can to make sure we reduce our overall footprint.
What are some obstacles you face as a CBD brand?
People have not been educated about the benefits of CBD and their predisposed stigma towards it often stands in the way of seeing the many benefits of CBD.
Can you share your favourite CBD recipe?
We love to make this CBD Brownies recipe, from the baking geniuses at TasteMade:
240g ground almonds
50g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
180g coconut sugar
50g coconut oil, melted & cooled to room temperature
10mL CBD oil
2 eggs
120mL milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
200g dark-chocolate chips
- First things first, preheat your oven to 160°C and Line an 8in x 8in baking tin with parchment paper and some butter or oil.
- You need two large bowls. In the first one, take all the dry ingredients and mix them well.
- In the second, mix the wet ingredients.
- Add the wet bowl to the dry bowl and combine. Add ¾ of the chocolate chips.
- Pour into the prepared baking tin and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle the rest of your chocolate chips over the top. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Use the paper to gently lift from the tray and cut to serve. Enjoy!
What’s next for Best Buds?
Our vision and mission is to become the world-leading CBD and hemp retailer and distributor. We would like to be a one-stop shop for people looking for CBD or hemp products. Another key step for us is to lobby against the flawed cannabis laws and help our community understand the plethora of benefits that CBD, hemp and cannabis present to our entire society.
For more information, visit best-buds.co
