Japan's CBD Skin Care; Connecting Cannabis-Averse Cultures to Hemp

Different Leaf: the Podcast

In Japan cannabis is completely illegal, the government has long demonized the plant, and pot smokers are widely looked down upon socially.
At the same time, Japanese health foods have long included hemp seeds, hemp is still being used to make some kimonos and ropes in temples, and all kinds of CBD products have been sold there since 2013, putting Japan on track to be one of the largest CBD economies in the world.
So how do Japanese CBD brands connect buying a cannabis extract to a culture that overwhelmingly sees cannabis as harmful and even dangerous? And how can others use the same tactics to introduce cannabis-averse folks to the benefits of CBD and other cannabinoids?
According to this episode's guest, serial entrepreneur Mike Eidlin, it’s all about making it part of what someone already knows and loves; that's why CBD-infused skin care is helping Japanese people who traditionally don’t trust cannabis to get more comfortable connecting with the health benefits of the plant.
Mike is the CEO and founder of WALALA, a CBD beauty brand based out of Tokyo. As he explains to host Brit Smith, it hasn’t been easy with the tight Japanese regulations calling for zero percent THC, and a customer base that initially seemed wary of anything to do with cannabis. But over the past few years, Mike has built WALALA into a leading luxury CBD skincare brand, and he’s built meaningful, trusted relationships with his customers in Asia and beyond.
Brit and Mike talk about how he normalizes CBD and connects his Japanese consumers with the health benefits of hemp, all without bringing the stigmatized cannabis plant into the conversation.
They also cover what CBD in skincare and cosmetic products can do for our skin’s health by increasing skin cell turnover and reducing inflammation. And they discuss the use of synthesized CBD in skin products, where Mike sees the future of the CBD beauty market going in Asia, and the rest of the world.
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