How CBD oil gave two Mancs a new lease of life – and a booming business
Dr. Ed is the leading supplier of quality CBD oil in Manchester - sending more than 100,000 units to doors around the world; including those belonging to football and soap stars.
“I’d have a call with a client, and then as soon as the phone went down, I’d think: ‘He probably thought I was a dickhead.’”
Alex McMillan is remembering his life before CBD oil.
It was a time when he worked in the marketing sector, and every move he made was subject to scrutiny.
“I’d put off everything,” he tells The Manc.
“I’d refuse to open emails, I’d delay doing tasks.
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“My self-confidence was at an all-time low, and I didn’t want to go out as much.
“It’s hard to explain unless you have it. But anxiety just made me hyperanalyse everything.”
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Millions in the UK suffer from anxiety. According to the NHS, more than 5% of people in the country are out there right now, struggling to manage the problems that arise as a result of the condition.
Finding a way to relieve symptoms can prove to be a huge challenge.
But, in true British fashion, Alex’s path to recovery began with a bonding session in the pub.
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Pints in hand, Alex talked it all through with his buddy Ed, and with his knowledge they came to the conclusion that CBD oil – a liquid extracted from cannabis – could be a potential solution.
Dr. Edward Jones, who happened to have an extensive background in Neuroscience and numerous degrees from the University of Manchester, whipped up a recipe.
Today, the brand is the leading supplier of quality CBD oil in Manchester – sending more than 100,000 units to doors around the world; including those belonging to football and soap stars.
“Without naming specific names, I can’t believe how far it’s come and the diversity of our customers – from all walks of life.” Alex chuckles.
Now that its health benefits are all but confirmed, CBD oil is rapidly becoming a saturated marketplace.
First and foremost, it actually does what it says on the bottle. And second, it boasts some of the best flavours you’re ever likely to find in CBD oil, according to its founders.
“We use specifically grown Californian hemp which is then processed using advanced techniques with no harsh chemicals or solvent to produce raw CBD oil’ Ed explains.
“We also include added terpenes that give it a great taste. One of the biggest problems with a lot of CBD is that it often tastes awful; many cannot get over the inherently ‘weedy’ and ‘earthy’ taste and terpenes do wonders for the palatability.
“The most successful users of CBD take it every day and experiment with timing and dosing schedules. So if the oil doesn’t taste good, you’re not going to stick to it which is why flavour profile is so important to us.’’
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Happy customers have come flooding back to Dr. Ed after enjoying relief from anxiety; and by tweaking the formula, Dr Edward Jones has found a way to help ease other common ailments, too.
Their CBD oil range has now expanded from anxiety cures to pain relief, insomnia remedies and even PMS problems.
Other oils in the catalogue have also shown an ability to increase users’ libido and their energy levels based in part on the inclusion of other active ingredients alongside CBD.
Cannabis without THC – the part of the plant that triggers a psychoactive response – has acquired growing stature in the medicinal world over the past few years.
Whilst there remains tight regulation on the plant itself, CBD oil has been declared not only safe and legal but even healthful.
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“The rules are that the products have to be produced from hemp that contain less than 0.2% THC, and the final product must contain no more than 1mg of THC” Ed explains.
“Ours have zero THC as detected by our current lab partners.’
“We triple-batch test to make sure there’s no THC in there at all – and also to confirm each bottle contains the amount of CBD we say there is on the label.
“Sting operations among CBD oils are common. Many find that very little CBD is actually in there. But we always make sure there’s exactly the right amount.”
Alex calls their production process ‘fairly simple’, but ‘second-to-none’ in terms of results.
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“All the plants are grown and harvested in California, they extract the CBD and other cannabinoids, turning it into a waxy resin. This high quality resin is then processed by us in different ways to generate our unique product line’’, he tells us.
“It’s pretty simple, it’s just about getting those ingredients right and ensuring our mixing processes are accurate, reliable and clean. ‘’
Dr. Ed CBD has three full time members on the team right now, with numerous other part time support staff but they’re looking to triple full-time staff numbers by the end of the year.
A far cry from the job-cutting stories most businesses are despondently sharing in 2020.
The brand is also aiming to grow throughout Europe with more production plants – increasing distribution and expanding the product range.
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“I’m more confident and I’m a better person to be around since taking the oil,” says Alex.
“It’s just helped so much.”
With six-figure sales since launch, it looks like Dr. Ed’s oil has gone far beyond patient zero.
Thousands with anxiety are suddenly starting to feel a lot better.
Learn more about the products available from Dr. Ed by visiting the company website.
Feature
How a cult classic game helped create the sound of Blossoms’ new album
Danny Jones
More specifically, their soundtracks, as in a recent chat with the Blossoms boys, we found out that their upcoming album was at least partly influenced by a beloved PlayStation 2 classic from 2006.
This is just more proof that you really can find inspiration in just about anything.
Yes, even if only in part, an old video game that many of you may have played back in the day is somehow connected to the latest and technically still yet to be announced release.
We’ve heard of groups such as The 1975 trying to make an album that sounds “as if John Hughes had directed a movie about our lives”, and Red Rum Club leaning further into the growing Western aesthetic with almost every outing, but we never thought we’d hear of a record born out of a love for Bully…
The lads actually touched on that whole ‘still TBC’ when we spoke to them at their studio in Stockport, joking not just about divorce but how they’re baffled by the whole ‘are they working on new music?’ speculation in the media. “Well, yeah, we’re a band – that’s what we do for a living”, as they put it.
But back to the point at hand: lead guitarist Dewhurt’s affection for Bully, a cult favourite PS2 title released by Rockstar Games – the same people behind Grand Theft Auto (GTA) and Red Dead Redemption – and the score behind it, essentially served as a seed for the feel of their newest work.
As he explained above, before being expanded on by frontman and primary lyricist Tom Odgen, they were fortunate enough to be in possession of the details for one half of a duo they both admire: Young Gun Silver Fox, a.k.a. British artist Andy Platts and US multi-talented instrumentalist, Shawn Lee.
Lee also just so happens to be the composer of the original Bully video game soundtrack.
Ultimately, this all came about because Josh contacted him over email simply to praise the game’s music (sure, when he was a teenager, we promise), and only took them until the last year or so to put two and two together. Small world, eh?
Oh, the nostalgia.
It has since occurred to us that we’ve come across him before, too.
For us, it was when playing the first Tales From The Borderlands (a spin-off of the popular action role-playing looter-shooter series that has since been turned into a Hollywood movie), which features his song ‘Kiss The Sky’ and ALSO enjoyed in our late teens.
It still continues to baffle us how things can come full circle like this.
As it turns out, his music appears in various pieces of pop culture, and with Tom professing his love for the funky, bass-forward 80s vibes of Lee and his partner Platts’ stuff, he was then roped in as part of the production team on the hypotheticalBlossoms LP number six. Not that we know anything about that…
What has now come out of all this is the previously alluded to lead single entitled ‘Joke About Divorce’, the music video for which dropped last month.
‘Joke About Divorce’ our new single is out now! We love this record, we recorded it live to tape at Tilehouse Studios with Shawn Lee producing. The second we got the mix back it felt like an instant Blossoms classic (if we do say so ourselves)!
We’re still not sure whether or not this is just the first finished song from the project, the opener or indeed even a title track; all we know is it’s another catchy creation from the Stopfordians.
But yeah, in a roundabout way, somehow that ‘problematic’ game that our parents and teachers complained about when we were kids, either by sheer chance, serendipity or perhaps the divine will of the audio gods, appears to have served as a kind of sonic sapling for a fresh era of the local outfit.
Sadly, we have very little else to offer you in terms of information regarding the ‘as yet confirmed’ next studio release from the Blossoms, but we can tell you we’re very much looking forward to hearing what comes next – especially live.
In case you missed it, they’re headlining this year’s edition of NBHD Weekender music festival at the end of the month; you can see the rest of the lineup down below.
Featured Images — Rockstar Games/Audio North/Press shot (via Go! Entertainment)
Feature
Inside Tyga, as a Manchester favourite changes its stripes for a new era
Danny Jones
We recently had the pleasure of visiting Tyga, Manchester city centre’s latest Indian restaurant, which has taken the place of former local favourite, Asha’s.
The Peter Street spot had always been a great place for a curry and progressive takes on the nation’s staples, often pulling inspiration from the Rajasthan region, but now the unit is the start of a new chapter.
In truth, the food was always pretty damn good here – often truly great, even – as we found out the last time we reviewed it; however, it’s clear that there’s been a greater honing of the concept.
Put simply, Tyga is trying to elevate what the team already did so well, whilst adding an extra layer of fine-dining refinement.
@the.manc Peter Streets Indian spot Tyga, has had a serious glow-up, bringing a more refined, fine-dining take on Indian cuisine while keeping all the bold flavours at the heart of it. The 24-hour slow-simmered lamb shank is an absolute must, as is the butter chicken which just melts in your mouth. 😍 It’s not just about the food here though, with an extensive cocktail list that brings theatre to the table, they’re the perfect accompaniment to your table full of scran. It’s the perfect spot for date night, celebrations, or when you just want to seriously impress someone over dinner. 🍸 Get it booked. 📍 47 Peter Street, M2 3NG #themanc#tygamanchester#manchesterfoodie#manchestercurry#wheretoeatinmanchester♬ original sound – The Manc
You hear sentences like a ‘contemporary twist on cuisine’ and ‘modern approaches to classics’ recycled quite a lot, and we get it: it can be a great way to get across that you’re trying to push culinary tradition(s) forward, but it often feels a bit of a throwaway term that’s used far too much.
That being said, while there’s definitely a feeling of familiarity to this recently refreshed foodie lineup, this is one of the times and places where it actually seems like that phrase means something.
While the building and stunning venue itself might have stayed largely the same, bar some knick-knacks being swapped for a few different tiger-based decorations, the authentic clay-pot lamb, ‘Tyga’ prawns, salmon tikka, and Vepudu spiced stir fry show some real innovation.
A lot of these might be rooted in a kind of food we know very well here in Britain, but these latest iterations in recipes and experimentation with their components result in some very cool creations.
The ember wings were smoky and moorish in a way that we’ve not had in a restaurant like this before, and the lamb chops alone were worth ordering by the wheelbarrow full.
Small plates have also been thrown into the mix more seamlessly this time around, too, as have some of the Indo-Chinese options that feel less like a footnote now and, instead, like a continuation of the tweaking and trying out new things seen throughout the rest of the offerings.
Even the vegetarian/vegan section of the menu has been lifted in certain aspects, too, with previously popular dishes being brought back better and more beautifully presented than ever.
Before we forget, a special shout-out goes to those beetroot dill patties.
Speaking of presentation, although they might have simplified some stuff (such as the okra fries that simply need to be dumped on the table and be devoured in seconds by gannets like us), as mentioned, plenty of other bits have been levelled up.
It comes as no surprise, therefore, that they’ve just been voted alongside some fellow standout spots by the Asian Catering Federation.
They’ve never shied away from a bit of pageantry, and nothing has changed in that respect.
Everything from the plating to even giving you a rotating water jug that revolves on a single point and never spills has a bit of flair, without being too much or straying into gimmicky territory.
Most importantly of all, whether you want a classy room for your next date night, somewhere intimate the next time you go out for tea with your partner, or still fancy a more banquet-style feast for you and your mates in the form of the updated ‘Maharaja’s Grand Platter’, Tyga can turn its paw to any occasion.
The Manc -
22nd September 2020 
