Thanks to These Girls, You Can Now Legally Buy Cannabis Oil Online
In the last election, nine states were given propositions to vote the passing of recreational marijuana use — and of those nine, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and California passed measures legalizing recreational marijuana. Other states like Montana, North Dakota, Arkansas and Florida all voted to legalize only the medical use of it.
Most peeps know there have been many proven uses for medical marijuana, and evidence-based studies show that cannabis can be beneficial to patients suffering from illnesses likes AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and many other serious, debilitating, or terminal conditions. The chemical called CBD, which is one of the main active ingredients in cannabis that lacks the psychoactive (read: getting high) effects of THC (read: the stuff that makes you stoned), has also been shown to offers a calming, relaxing effect, helping to combat anxiety, depression, PMS, insomnia, inflammation and chronic pain.
While this is good news for those of us who need a little help with our cray anxieties, it still means there are a lot of rules and regulations that will need to be figured out before you can buy weed in say, your local grocery store. And some of you may not be lucky enough to live in a State that got to vote on this measure, which is well, lame.
However, health gurus and owners of Sakara Life Whitney Tingle and Danielle Duboise have started to make CBD Chocolates, which you can order through their website right now. If you’re looking for a way to benefit from the relaxing effects of cannabis, and can’t wait until 2018 for when the regulations finally get figured out — these chocolates are a great solution.
Made of raw cacao, coconut sugar and CBD oil, these babies are perfect for combatting the “Sunday Scaries” or even helping you to calm the eff down for that first date with that dude you met online. Whitney and Danielle are basically the faces of health goals, and say that “this treat is a totally natural, perfectly safe and a completely legal way to relax and unwind.”
What made you decide to start Sakara Life?
Danielle: I’d come to New York to study biochemistry, with the intention of going to medical school, and was supporting myself by acting and modeling on the side. I had had an unhealthy relationship with my body for years, and the pressure of the entertainment business only made it worst. I tried every extreme diet under the sun, believing they’d give me the body I felt I needed, and the happiness, success, and confidence I would have with this new body. Not only did nothing give me results I could sustain, but it also made my relationship with food even more dysfunctional and unloving than it had ever been.
Whitney: I was working in finance, and was totally stressed out and exhausted from the toxic Wall Street lifestyle. Obviously, self-care habits like eating well, sleeping enough and exercising aren’t priorities. With all the office birthday celebrations, boozy dinners out and late nights, I quickly gained 15 pounds. I was also struggling with cystic acne. I saw every doctor in the city and tried every treatment…but nothing worked. It finally became clear that I needed to address the root cause of my skin issues, weight gain, exhaustion and negative feelings about myself – which were all starting in my gut.
Can you talk about your philosophy “Food as Medicine?”
The Sakara Life philosophy is all about combining the best of modern nutrition science with ancient practices of medicine that have been healing people around the world for centuries. Food as medicine really embodies that—it’s about eating the way Mother Nature intended and fueling your body with whole, living foods to strengthen your connection to the source of all life on Earth (the sun!). The food that you eat is little morsels of information that feeds your body’s chemical reactions. Each bite is sending your body messages that determine whether it will be efficient, energized, and healthy, or bogged down, backed up, and toxic.
Tell us more about the new CBD Chocolates and what kind of medicinal effects they have.
CBD is one of the two primary active chemical compounds (called cannabinoids) in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC, CBD is totally non-psychoactive. It won’t make you high, giggly, sleepy or hungry! Studies suggest that it has the power to reduce anxiety and stress, lower inflammation, relax the body and mind and subtly lift the mood. It has potential to be an effective all-natural treatment for anxiety, PMS, depression, chronic pain and insomnia.
Modern science is only just finally catching up with traditional medicine; the cannabis plant has a long history as a healing herb. Because of its calming effects, Ayurvedic practitioners view CBD as having a direct influence on aligning the body’s three energetic properties by balancing the Vata dosha, which, when imbalanced, can cause feelings of anxiety and fear. (Late fall/early winter is Vata season, so now is a great time to consider adding CBD to your routine!)
What do they taste like?
They’re made with raw, organic dark cacao and coconut sugar, so they’re rich and chocolatey and just sweet enough (but not too sweet)! The CBD oil doesn’t have a strong flavor, but there is an underlying earthy flavor.
What do you have to say to the cannabis naysayers?
First of all, we would clarify that CBD is 100% safe, natural, LEGAL, and non-psychoactive! It’s effects are way more similar to a glass of wine than the cannabis that most naysayers imagine. We’d also say, don’t knock it ’til you try it! It’s one of many many natural, plant-based ingredients that have the power to alleviate a range of common conditions. Modern medicine is slowly—finally!—starting to embrace these ingredients that we (and alternative medicine practitioners) have been using for years as effective healing remedies. It’s exciting and we’re grateful to be a part of it!
For more on Sakara Life
Photos of Whitney and Danielle by Caitlin Mitchell
