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These moms have been jokingly branded “legal drug dealers" by their teenage children, after they joined forces to launch a cannabis oil business worth around $160,000 from their kitchen table.
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil made Samantha Day feel like the “dark cloud" covering her life had lifted, following breast cancer in 2017. So, she recommended it to her pal, Lorraine Clark who had been struggling with her mental health.
She first tried it in 2018, now, they have become such converts that they have joined forces to start their own CBD oil business Hapi Hemp.
“People are shocked when we tell them we sell CBD oil. Our teenagers think we're some sort of drug dealers, but the benefits speak for themselves," Day said.
“For years, I experienced low moods and extreme tiredness, to the point where I could barely bring myself to get off the sofa."
“But within days of taking CBD, my energy levels were boosted, and my low moods disappeared – it felt like I had a rebirth. Neither Lorraine nor I have much business experience, but we both believe so passionately in CBD and want to help other people."
Day and Clark, first became friends in 2014 after chatting at the school gates.
“At first we just chatted about typical mum stuff. But then we got on to the subject of mental health and all that we'd been through and we started to confide in each other," Clark said.
“It was wonderful to have Samantha to chat to because often you can feel alone. Our relationship blossomed and throughout the years we've supported each other before going on to become business partners."
After a decade dogged by debilitating health problems, Day's difficulties began in her thirties with endometriosis.
“I was in constant agony and feeling very depressed. My hormones were all over the place," Day said.
After trying painkillers and other medication to treat her symptoms, she eventually made the difficult decision to have a full hysterectomy at Peterborough's Fitzwilliam Hospital, in June 2008.
Initially, her pain eased and her mood lifted, but her good health and elevated mood were short-lived as 18 months later she started feeling exhausted and miserable.
“I felt like I was walking around with my head in a fog," she said. “I always felt run down, like I was about to get a virus – but the virus never came."
“I felt guilty, too, because I had a young family to take care of – but I felt constantly wiped out."
After visiting her GP, Day was referred to a rheumatologist – a doctor that deals with musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions – in mid-2011.
Around six months later, she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. A long-term condition that causes extreme tiredness, muscle stiffness, brain fog and pain all over the body.
She was also found to have sleep apnea, which occurs when the airway becomes too narrow during sleep, causing breathing to stop and start. Day was given a CPAP machine, as well as medication to control her pain, but she continued to struggle.
“At that point, I felt so physically and mentally exhausted I could barely get off the sofa – none of the medication seemed to work. My laptop was my lifesaver, as I started researching ways to help myself and came across CBD oil," she said.
“But, much as the reviews were good, I was just a bit too scared to actually try it."
Then, in another devastating blow, Day found a lump after waking in the middle of the night in late June 2017 with a pain in her right breast, which a biopsy at Peterborough City Hospital confirmed was stage three cancer.
“I was devastated. I didn't want to die, I wanted to be there for my children. I was determined I was going to beat it," she said.
After eight rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, in early 2018, Day had a lumpectomy to remove the remainder of the lump and its surrounding tissue, and four weeks of radiotherapy.
When she was mid-way through radiotherapy, she became determined not to let her other health conditions rule her life.
So, she decided she was ready to try CBD oil, which was made legal in the UK in 2018.
“I'd had a serious brush with death, and it made me realize I needed to help myself," Day said. “I didn't want to feel tired and sad all the time anymore – I wanted to do something about it."
“I started to take CBD oil drops every day and, within weeks, felt the benefits. It was incredible. I was like a new person. The dark cloud had finally been lifted."
Once her radiotherapy finished, Day was told by doctors that the cancer had gone.
“I never got the official all clear as such. I still have to go for yearly scans to make sure it's not come back," she said.
Meanwhile, Clark had been battling her own demons after enduring three tragic miscarriages and a still birth between 1999 and 2002.
“I suffered three miscarriages and then, I got pregnant again for the fourth time and I was six months pregnant when I went for a scan, the midwife told me she could no longer feel the baby's heartbeat," she said.
“The baby had passed and I had a stillbirth which was one of the worst days of my life. The doctors did some tests to find out what was wrong – but they didn't find a specific cause."
“The experience triggered awful panic attacks. I'd be out walking and would suddenly have this horrific feeling that something terrible was going to happen."
Despite taking a high dose of anti-depressants, Clark continued to struggle with her mental health.
Her low mood was compounded by the fact that she also has premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). A severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), symptoms of which can include feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, anger and tension, difficulty concentrating, tearfulness, lack of energy and even suicidal thoughts.
“I was erratic," she said. “One week I was hyper and happy and the next I would be in a really dark place."
By 2017, Clark had reached the end of her tether and decided to have a hysterectomy.
While recovering, she contracted a viral infection which landed her back in hospital, bed-bound for seven weeks.
The delay in returning to normality took its toll on her mental health and she became consumed by panic once again.
Hearing about her friend's plight, Day suggested she try CBD oil.
At first, Clark was skeptical, but eventually she agreed.
“It was something I'd researched and considered before – I'm a sucker for trying a new product – but I was a little skeptical," she said.
“But Samantha was just so passionate about it – it completely won me over. It didn't hit me straight away, but after a few months, I felt a lot calmer and was sleeping much better."
Determined to praise CBD to others, in February 2019, the women joined forces and set up their own business, Hapi Hemp.
“We were just two mums sitting around the kitchen table chatting when we came up with the idea, but we were determined to bring it to life," she said.
“We tapped up our friends, family and credit cards and managed to stump up £5,000 each to invest. From there, we researched into CBD as we were determined to bring to life a product that was high quality, authentic and safe."
“We wanted to up the game within the CBD industry – because there can be a lot of cowboys – and make good quality products," she said.
“We didn't want to create just CBD oil – we wanted to create something with a more holistic approach, for women, that was more personal and made women, just like us, feel safe and happy to use."
Despite being new to the world of business, Day and Clark wasted no time in researching CBD oil suppliers and even managed to secure an investment.
“With coronavirus it's been a bit tough – but we've built the business from nothing so we have the sheer grit and determination to make it work," Day said.
Now, their business is thriving, and they sell an array of CBD products costing from $6.66 to $77.
“We sell all sorts of CBD oils and teas, which are blended with rosemary, chamomile and lemon balm, making them even more calming. We've recently launched a new product – a CBD super food powder, which is mixed with turmeric," Clark said.
“We would love to one day see our brand in high street retailers," she continued.
“CBD oil has given me a new lease of life and the fact we're now able to help other people is just brilliant. We're just two mums with an idea and a lot of passion, but we've totally transformed our lives and we hope we can do the same for other people."
And Day echoes her pal's sentiments, claiming that the oil has helped her to move on from her health ordeal and focus on the future.
“Since I started taking CBD oil, people have stopped seeing me as a poorly person and started seeing me as a businesswoman," she said.
“I couldn't have done any of this without Lorraine. We're total opposites, but we complement each other. She's supported me through some of my toughest times and been there as my confidante – now we're business partners."
“It's daunting to start a new business in your forties – but with Lorraine by my side, I always knew we'd make it work."
To find out more visit: www.hapihemp.co.uk