Michael Takac, a Czech native living in the U.K., has opened the very first cannabis pharmacy in the country. The shop, located in Twickenham in London's south west district, has been named Carun and the company sells hemp-products that are exclusive to the pharmacy.
Takac had the idea to open the shop after going through a medical crisis himself, according to a report from High Times. Seven years ago, he had an accident and lost three of his fingers. Going through a series of surgeries and getting fitted with prosthetics has rehabilitated him. But for the scarring and the pain, he found out that hemp-based medication in the form of an ointment is the most effective treatment.
"So I worked with the owner of Carun in the Czech Republic to bring the products to the U.K.," said Takac in the report.
Derived from Cannabis sativa, which comes from the cannabis plant, the ointment he applied to his wounds made the pain more bearable. Takac noticed a difference in his skin instantly.
"The scarring reduced rapidly, my skin was softer and it was better for pain relief," he said in a report from the Daily Mail. The ointment is especially effective as it has active cannabis extracts."
The pharmacy, however, is not the first business to sell hemp-based health and beauty products in the world. Many alternative health companies already sell similar products. The Body Shop, in fact, has their hemp-based skin care line, which was launched over 20 years ago, according to the Financial Times.
However, Takac implied that their products are cultivated from Carmagnole, a different hemp plant species that apparently, no other shop makes use of. Aside from the cannabis ointment, gel and cream, the pharmacy will soon be selling hemp seeds and syrups for treating coughs or colds and boosting the immune system. Takac said that these will also have "anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibiotic properties," just like regular meds. But the possibility of getting a "high" from these is nil, as its THC level is only at 0.3 percent, according to the High Times report.
Although Carun is called a pharmacy, the store does not dispense any prescription medication.
"It is not somewhere people will go to get cannabis to smoke in their basement," Takac told the Daily Mail.
