I still don’t get it – so what does CBD actually do?

I’ll let Dr Englund explain: “CBD has a lot of mechanisms in the brain. For instance, it hits serotonin 1A receptors – which some pharmacologists believe accounts for the anti-anxiety effects.

“It is also an adenosine reuptake inhibitor; basically this means it boosts our levels of adenosine – the neurotransmitter which helps us feel relaxed or sleepy.”

Sounds promising…

Yep. So far, so promising. In one trial, Englund explains, taking a dose of CBD was shown to help participants feel less anxious during a stressful public speaking task. A 2015 analysis of several studies, published in the journal Neurotherapeutics, also found evidence that it could help to treat several forms of anxiety, including social anxiety, panic disorder and OCD. On a neurological level it makes us more chill.

Even more recently a CBD product underwent clinical trials for a rare form of treatment-resistant epilepsy. Hundreds of children were given CBD or a placebo and the CBD was shown to be much more effective at treating their symptoms.

…and yet you still seem sceptical?

Well, as with everything that’s been co-opted by the wellness industry, there’s one big, glaring ‘but’.

“In the bottles of oil, or capsules, that you can buy commercially,” says Dr Englund, “you’ll get such tiny amounts of actual CBD that it’s really unlikely to show any benefit.”

Cannabis has been given a chic rebrand. But are the (legal) products worth it?