High Beauty, a cosmetic company focusing on cannabis skincare products, introduced its new cannabis seed cosmetics on Thursday – cleansing foam, eye gel, and peeling mask, joining the growing CBD, or Cannabidiol, industry. As New York is entering the so-called “marijuanaissance” era, more and more products are joining the booming industry.
The sale of CBD beauty products also soared in recent years, according to Hemp Industry Daily Market. At its current rate, the national CBD retail sales will reach up to $7.5 billion by 2023.
However, this brand sets itself apart because of the key ingredient in the product, cannabis sativa seed oil, according to Julianne Gulley, the director of marketing of the company. Gulley said even if it’s called High, the products contain no actual CBD or THC, the primary and second most prevalent active ingredients of marijuana, freeing the products from any potential legal issues in New York.
In February, New York cracked down on CBD edibles, ordering restaurants not to sell food products containing CBD. The FDA has very few policies to monitor CBD cosmetic products yet many argue that it is not completely safe. “While some people say CBD works, there’s not a lot of research behind CBD,” Gulley said.
She explains that the CBD is a compound derived from hemp and marijuana – distinct from CBD, the seed oil in High Beauty products contains antioxidants and can be used everyday.
In response to the ubiquitousness of CBD, Melissa Jochim, a chemist and the formulator of High Beauty products, said people are bandwagoning.“Everybody is jumping as fast as they can to make profits off of CBD and that’s kind of sad. ”
Jochim said there are thousands of ingredients in the plant that people can utilize and CBD is just one of them. Jochim added, given the prevalence of CBD, there needs to be more regulation to make sure of its safety.However, Canopy Rivers, a company that invests in cannabis products, does view the seeds as cannabis products even if they are very different from the actual CBD. Canopy Rivers invested $2.5 million to High Beauty despite some people considering them as non-CBD products.
Jochim created the formula after 31 years of experience in the skincare industry. She said the seeds of the plants are largely overlooked despite having vast amount of nutrients. “Mothers can feed their children hemp milk because of its nutritious value.”
Creative Director – John Patrick
Photo journalist – Ronnie Li
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