04-011 Cannabidiol

04-011
Cannabidiol 

My first post of year 2023 is a bit controversial.

Just before the countdown of last year, I bought something from a shop. Something that is not quite legal in some countries. Something that would become completely illegal in Hongkong after the end of this month.

It is a bottle of CBD bear gummies.

CBD Bear Gummies

What is CBD?

If you ask the locals what CBD is, most people living in this international financial city will answer you “Central Business District”. But CBD does not refer to Central Business District here. It means cannabidiol, an active ingredient in cannabis.

Laws on drug trafficking is very straight in most parts of the Asia, especially in those Southeast Asian countries. Compared to the local laws of those countries, drug laws of Hongkong are less strict. At least, there is no death penalty here. But drug trafficking is still a serious crime. Possessing a small amount of illegal drugs, even for personal use, would be enough to put you behind bars for months. Any larger amount would be considered as trafficking, which would mean years of imprisonment.

Although being legal in some countries, cannabis finds no grace in Hongkong. Consuming cannabis is treated the same as consuming cocaine here. Possessing cannabis product is a serious crime. But how about cannabidiol, or CBD? This falls into the grey area.

For years, CBD is not considered as drug. Selling and consuming of CBD is widely available in the territory. But recent local research suggested that all CBD products contain trace amount of THCs, a major ingredient of cannabis. Furthermore, THCs can be extracted from CBD products under special processes. The research result led Hongkong to officially ban all CBD products, making it the first jurisdiction in the world to have complete prohibition of cannabidiol. Law already passed in 2022. And the grace period will end this month.

Advertisement on minibus showing the new law

Since possessing of CBD would become illegal after January, the government has placed a number of special disposal bins in different areas of the city, asking people to stop consuming CBD products immediately and discard the remaining on hand. 

CBD and me

I am a good Christian. I don’t take drugs. I don’t even smoke. But many countries are talking about legalizing marijuana in recent years. Hongkong, a city which claims itself as “Asia’s World City”, seems to be going the opposite way, again.

We Christians are allowed to do anything, as long as we do not act against the law, and as long as the act is not harming others.

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. (Roman 13:1-5, NIV)

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. (1 Corinthians 6:12, KJV)

As there is no strong evidence of negative side effects or causing addiction, the grace period of possessing CBD would only be expired by the end of January, and I am writing a blog on different cultural topics, I decided to give CBD a go to see how it could affect me. And it happens that there is a shop selling CBD products just around the corner of my working place. So, on one evening after the Christmas holiday, I went there.

Rabbit Habit @ Oriental 188

The shop is called Rabbit Habit. It is on the ground floor of the Oriental 188 shopping mall in Wanchai. It is a tobacco shop, mainly selling cigars, cigarettes, and other accessories such as lighters and cigar cutters. It also sells some trendy products like the latest Nike trainers. Selling CBD products is not their main business. There was only one storekeeper inside the whole shop, a young guy busy looking at his cellphone.

The shop mainly sells tobacco products

“I heard that CBD is good for sleep. I have never tried any CBD before. Any recommendations?” Without noticing a customer has walked inside his little store, he put down his phone, looked at me with a bit of surprise. Clearly, he did not expect a middle-aged man to be inside his shop. “Try the bear gummies. They are the easiest to take.” Although I am not in his expected age range, he did clearly explain to me about the benefits of CBD and the proper way of consumption. “Just take 1 gummy first. If the effect is not strong enough, take one more on the next day. But never overdose.”

The bottle costs HKD 308, which is almost USD 40. I later saw the same pack selling on internet at USD 20 only. I paid by cash.

“I think I need to finish it up by the end of January?”

“Technically yes, but who knows if you keep one or two bottles at home.”

Yes, I have never had a police searching my home in my whole life. But law is still law.

“What are you going to do with all those remaining CBD products in your shop?”

“I will stop selling CBD after year end and send all those out to Thailand before the end of January. We have outlets in Bangkok.”

It seems that I just managed to hop onto the last train. And there would not be any clearance sales.

How do the gummies look like?

Gummies in a plastic bottle

The gummies are packed in a palm size plastic bottle, which make them looking not much different from other supplements. The gummies are made by a small company in USA. The ingredients clearly state that there are CBD inside the gummies. 

Ingredients of the gummies

Warning message on the label

The instructions printed on the label match with what the guy told me. But the warning message is a bit scary. THIS PRODUCT IS INTENDED FOR USE BY HEALTHY ADULTS 18 YEARS & OVER. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. I need to hide it away from my kids. I am sure that my son would finish up the whole bottle in an hour if I left it open on the dining table. Also, it is funny that the instructions said maximum dose is 2 gummies, but the serving suggestions said 4.

The gummies look cute!

The gummies themselves look pretty innocent. They look just like ordinary bear gummies. 

Does it work for me?

I am not a supplement geek. I am currently taking no supplements. But according to Wikipedia, “there was limited high-quality evidence for cannabidiol having a neurological effect in humans.

I have sleeping problem, especially after recovering from COVID. I constantly wake up in the midnight and sometimes stay awake until sunrise. On one hand, I am hoping that CBD can help improving my sleep. But on the other hand, if CBD really works, that would raise me another problem. CBD is not a drug but a supplement. It requires continuous consumption. If CBD works for me, what should I do after January, 2023? Will I be tempted to illegally import CBD for personal consumption? Anyway, I have already got a bottle on hand and there is no reason for not trying it. It costed me 40 bucks!

On the very first night, I took my first CBD gummy before sleep. Apart from those artificial fruity tastes, the gummy also got a bit of bitter taste. I guess that was the taste of cannabis? After taking the gum, I quickly feel sleepy. But that dizzy feeling I got was different from that of taking flu pills. I felt my body was sleepy but my mind was still wild awake. And just less than 10 minutes, I walked out from my bed and drank some water. It was a busy day and my wife bought takeaway instead of cooking at home. And if you like Chinese takeaway, you will know that Chinese restaurants cook everything with tons of MSG. I am allergic to MSG so I woke up many times on that night, kept drinking water and going to toilet. I did not sleep well. First test failed.

On the second night, I took again 1 gummy before sleep. And it happened that I was dining out with my in-laws to celebrate year end. History repeated. It was another sleepless night. I kept waking up, drinking water and going to toilet. Second test failed.

The third night was a bit better. I did sleep through the midnight but still feeling sleepy on the next morning. From the fourth night onwards, I starting taking 2 gummies instead of one. 

Conclusions

After taking CBD gummies for more than a week, I can conclude that CBD has no effect on my body at all! There is no improvement on my sleeping. And CBD is not causing addiction to me as well. I almost forgot taking it before sleep on some nights. I wasted 40 bucks! Happy New Year!

However, I get to know myself more from all these. I still remembered how my heart was pounding when I was carrying the gummies in my bag. I was almost passing out when I hopped onto the bus. I laid dead on the seat and can even hear my heart beating.

The label states clearly that it contains THC

Yes, CBD is still allowed until the end of January 2023. But THC is not. And technically, all CBD products contain trace amount of THC inside. Even the gummy bottle label states that. If a police found that bottle of gummies in my bag, I may still be questioned.

My body is not designed to do anything against the law.

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