ANYONE looking for a solution to health problems that have been unresponsive to conventional medicine might do worse than pop into a new store in Tavistock’s Brook Street.

Milagro was opened last summer by local hotelier Matt Cook, offering Cannabidiol (CBD), an oil derived from the cannabis plant which, when ingested, brings possible health benefits including reducing inflammation and pain, alleviating anxiety and depression, benefiting the heart and reducing the symptoms of chronic conditions including MS.

Matt himself became a convert when he tried the CBD for the painful carpal tunnel syndrome in his right wrist, making it difficult for this chef of 20 years to grip a knife.

The pain was so bad, he feared losing his ability to work. Then he heard about CBD, an oil derived from the cannabis plan — without, he stresses, containing any mind-altering substance THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) but rather another compound in the plant.

Matt was so impressed by the results of this particular CBD, a premium product supplied by Milagro, that he bought the franchise Milagro South West and now offers to supply it from Taunton down to Land’s End, via his website â?? cbdsouth.co.uk â?? and in person from his shop at 32b Brook Street.

Here, he can talk people through the benefits he has found from taking the oil himself â?? two drops under the tongue three times a day â?? to alleviate the pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome in his wrist and address and reduce his mental health problems suffered.

Since then, he has found great satisfaction in helping other people, including a woman with MS (Multiple Sclerosis) who said she had had the best night’s sleep ever since taking the drops.

’With CBD, there is a misconception that people think they will get high off of it. They think it is an illicit drug, that they are going to fail an illicit drugs test, that they are not going to be able to drive a car, and stuff like that,’ says Matt. ’

’Once you get past that barrier, explain that it is not illicit, it is outstanding that it is about nature. You then ascertain their issues, whether they have arthritic problems, pain, sleeplessness, anxiety, or anything more sinister. You just guide them to the right product. Generally, nine times out of ten, it is the drops. It is about them having that trust in you that it is going to work and that they can go away and try it at their leisure and then come back if it is working.

’A lady I just spoke to on the phone said she was taking another company’s CBD drops, and I gave her ours. She’s been taking it for just two days. She has had the best two nights’ sleep that she has had in years, and she has got MS.

’The effect does vary from person to person; there are a lot of contributing factors in it â?? body size, metabolism, whether they are susceptible to taking painkillers or pain relief â?? all these things are factors in how quickly it will work.

’Overall, though, I do believe in the product, and I believe it will help people and give people a better quality of life. I’m not in it for the money. Obviously, I need to cover my bills, but I want to help people. I enjoy helping people. I enjoy knowing that I’ve done something good for someone.’

He talks about how the CBD oil had helped a man with IBS and another person who came in to try CBD for anxiety and well-being. CBD oil is all the rage at the moment, helping people deal naturally with many of the ailments and anxieties that the coronavirus pandemic has only made worse. Matt points out that its therapeutic powers are not a new discovery.

’It is a plant that has been used for thousands of years,’ he says. ’While decades of cannabis production may lead some to assume that the therapeutic benefits of CBD are a recent discovery, that is far from the truth.’

The first documented use of cannabis-derived medicine dates back to 2737BC when Chinese Emperor Sheng Nung used a cannabis-infused tea to aid various ailments, including memory, malaria, rheumatism, and gout.

Throughout history, cannabis has served as a valuable therapeutic resource; however, it has not been widely acknowledged by most of the medical community through much modern medicine due to a lack of scientific evidence of its therapeutic powers. However, more recently, its ability to help the body have been confirmed, with an understanding of cannabinoid structure and the discovery of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) â?? a network of receptors that interact with receptors found in cannabinoids to produce beneficial effects on the body. Many people have reported that CBD oil has helped relieve them from a range of health problems. It may help prevent seizures in rare forms of epilepsy; reduce inflammation and pain; help auto-immune and neurological disorders; help some mental illnesses, including PTSD, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Its many possible benefits are currently under investigation.

Milagro is passionate about the power of CBD products, and its primary goal is to research and create innovative products. Milagro CBD Oil is a distilled CBD oil created from high-quality hemp organically grown in Europe, extracted with the cold-pressed method to maximize the phytocannabinoids’ potency â?? CBD, CBG, and CBN. The oil is then distilled, winterized and separated to create a smooth CBD oil that can be taken as a dietary supplement. Milagro CBD Oil is well tolerated with few reported side effects.

CBD may have benefits for pets also, and Milagro offers a pet CBD oil with excellent reviews, giving help to cats, dogs and horses for many of the same ailments it can help humans with.

Matt is also offering an affiliate programme that allows anyone recommending products to friends to benefit from a discount themselves on future purchases. He urges anyone interested to pop into the shop to find out more.

’We are here to help,’ he says. ’Even if people just want to pop in and have a chat, there is no obligation at all to buy something. I hear people talking about getting high when they walk past the shop, but it is not about that. CBD is about health and well-being, to help you have a better quality of life, to help you sleep at night so your worries don’t affect you. It has done a lot for me personally and for my customers, who keep coming back, which is something I really do appreciate.’

For more information and to browse and buy products online, visit www.cbdsouth.co.uk, where up-to-date opening hours can be found. Matt is also seeking sellers. Call him on 07539 203911.

Call in at Milagro in Brook Street, Tavistock, to find out more about how CBD oil may be able to help you with health problems ranging from chronic pain to anxiety and depression. CBD oil can help pets and humans with pain, inflammation and anxiety.