Hong Kong opens its first CBD café«

Hong Kong has just opened its very first café CBD, marking a significant shift in the country’s long tradition of intolerance toward all forms of cannabis.

«Found,» located in Hong Kong's Sheung Wan neighborhood, is both a café and a CBD store. Customers can enjoy CBD-infused coffee or beer or simply purchase a variety of CBD products inside. The store offers several CBD oils a variety of products, including powders for making CBD-infused foods and beverages, and even products for pets.

«We’re trying to start a new conversation here, moving away from the stoner culture,» said Fiachra Mullen, the café’s owner. «Most people are looking for help with sleep; we also have parents here with children who have epilepsy or cerebral palsy who use our products… Many customers take CBD first thing in the morning with their coffee before leaving home; it helps with mindfulness and makes them a little more resilient to whatever the day brings.»

CBD is legal in Hong Kong as long as it contains no traces of THC. Anyone who sells or purchases a product containing THC is liable to 7 years in prison and a fine of 1,000,000 HK $ (110,000€).

Faced with these extreme restrictions, Found had to source completely pure CBD for all its products, even though Mullen is well aware that full-spectrum cannabinoids would be even more potent.

«The’entourage effect » refers to the fact that CBD is more potent when combined with other cannabinoids«, Mullen said. «Nature has evolved over millions of years to produce this beautiful profile of compounds, and then you say, »Well, we’ll just take CBD.’ You can’t expect the isolate to have the same results as the full spectrum.”

CBD is becoming increasingly popular in Hong Kong, but Mullen has found that the stigma surrounding cannabis still prevents many people from trying it.

«There’s a large segment of the population that I’m not reaching,» Mullen explained. «My ideal client is a 65-year-old woman from Hong Kong. If I can get her and her husband to come in to learn more about the word «cannabis»—or even just hear it—and not run a kilometer away, then mission accomplished.»