What specific items, products or formats do you think are the most beneficial?
Solomon: It totally depends on a person’s needs. For example, our email this week was about skincare, so let’s start there: If you have good skin, you probably don’t “need” CBD as an ingredient in your skin/grooming routine, but you are welcome to use CBD-infused products (the more the merrier), even though it likely won’t revolutionize your life. On the other hand, if you struggle with any skin issues (cue 50 million Americans annually) like acne, psoriasis or eczema (flaky, patchy, dry or itchy skin), CBD may work wonders! Many patients and doctors anecdotally rave about CBD playing a part in the special sauce that ultimately provides relief. When applied topically, CBD reduces inflammation and brings your skin back in balance.
This kind of application is very straightforward. If you experience local muscle and joint pain, pick up a topical, apply liberally to the affected area and you’ll likely feel fast relief. Our favorites and bestsellers include Wildflower’s Healing Stick, Weed Sport and Mary’s Nutritionals Muscle Freeze.
That said, in order to reap the optimal benefits from CBD, you need to ingest it. I like to compare CBD to a vitamin: It’s best to take it daily for prime results, especially since it can take a few weeks to ”kick in” and for new consumers to feel the effects. Ways to “ingest" include vaporizers, capsules and tinctures. In light of the vaping illnesses, we’re currently encouraging new customers to embrace the two latter.
For capsules, Kaleidoscope makes some great ones. We’re exclusively carrying (and are loving) their Wake, Sleep and Soothe formulations through the holidays. In terms of tinctures, each differs based on the dosage (mg per bottle) and taste profile. I encourage beginners to start with a 300 to 600 mg bottle, while people who experience chronic pain most likely would benefit from a higher dosage like the Rosebud 1000mg and 1500mg Lily, two of our favorites.
Do you have any specific examples of cases you've seen where someone's issue was solved after turning to a CBD product?
Solomon: Not to sound cliché, but I started Poplar because of a life-changing personal experience. I had been on a dosage of Prozac since tragically losing my younger brother in 2011 and decided to ask my doctor about “natural” alternatives on my annual well-visit in 2017.
I had read that in legal cannabis markets, people were reporting successfully replacing standard antidepressants with cannabis or cannabis derivatives and I was intrigued. I hadn’t smoked pot since college and “stoner" was the opposite of my vibe. But I was eager to try something new.
With the help of medical advisors, I significantly decreased my antidepressant dosage, added cannabis to my wellness routine and improved my physical and emotional well-being. I eliminated the IBS I’d had for over a decade that had never responded to medication, significantly decreased my quarterly crippling migraines, became a more patient mother and a more affectionate wife.
So I guess I am my own Exhibit A :)