Towards the end of Liverpool Road, going out of Eccles and next to the ASDA, there's a smart little shop called TGI Vapours – The CBD Store, that has a bewildering array of brightly packaged vaping products...
...However, this shop also stocks a full range of cannabis oil, or cannabidiol compound (CBD), for those who vape and don't vape. As well as CBD vape products, there's capsules, drops, paste and sprays for what is fast becoming the big cure-all buzz in medicinal and non-medicinal circles.
"It seems to be a new product that people are getting into" says Karen Mansley, who owns this shop and another in Heywood "We looked at it in terms of just vaping, then we got different lines, which to me is excellent because not everybody wants to vape."
The CBD drops, pastes and sprays are taken orally, while the vapes are used with a new 'tank'. There's also a starter kit which looks like a vape machine but doesn't send up clouds of smoke, just a breeze of pure CBD. It's all legal, with the hallucinogenic properties removed and the THC (the stuff that makes you high) content in line with the Government regulated 0.2% limit.
The claim is that CBD – 'the primary cannabinoid of fibre or industrial hemp/cannabis and the second most prevalent cannabinoid in drug types of the cannabis plant' – helps with a massive range of medical issues, from anxiety, to epilepsy, diabetes, skin diseases, allergies and even cancer.
"None of us are medically trained but we've done the research and due diligence so people can read up on that, form their own opinions and look at which way they want to take CBD" explains Barry Hampton from the CBD Wholesale Store and Warehouse which supplies the drug.
He adds that his own daughter was taking Co-codamol four times a day for headaches but has been taking the drops for around five weeks and is fine... "A lot of sports people are using them too, mixing them in their protein shakes" he adds "Within a year or two it's going to be huge.
"The Government don't want pharmaceutical companies to not be producing drugs, as it would lose income, and is sceptical, but I think public opinion will bring it to the forefront" he insists.
"This is pure CBD" he adds "We manufacture it ourselves as we've got part of a cannabis field in Europe, so we follow the whole process from beginning to end. There are a lot of fakes out there, people saying it's CBD but it's actually infused hemp oil, and there's people claiming 1,000mgs in their bottle but there's only 30mgs..."
The only downside, he adds, is that it doesn't taste brilliant, although the CBD vape e-liquids come in all sorts of flavours, like Spearmint, Strawberry and Vanilla Fudge.
On the shop counter there's even a starter CBDplus kit infuser to sample... "It's not a vape, it just gives a short burst straight into your bloodstream" says Karen "People can try it and the affect is instant; you can feel it within seconds."
As both Barry and Karen insist, it's not about getting high, indeed, you can't get high on it... "It's about working with clients and what's best for them..."
In terms of dosages, that's left to customers to see what works for them, although they are recommended to begin on lower amounts. There's also booklets in the shop that give details and information on all the research carried out on CBD and its therapeutic properties.
In terms of price for the CBD products, you're looking at £19.99 for a 10ml bottle of e-liquid, and the range of capsules, drops, sprays and pastes goes from £29.99 for a balm, right up to over £100 for extra strength products...
However, people have been raving about cannabis oil and its 'miracles' for a long time – at least it's now in Salford and anyone can try it for themselves.
TGI Vapours – The CBD Store is now open at 524 Liverpool Road, Eccles M30 7JA, and at 38B Market Street, Heywood, OL10 4LY.
To read on all the background and products see the CBD Store website – click here
Online CBD Store - click here
The Salford Star is currently testing out the CBDplus starter kit with someone who suffers from arthritis – we'll let you know how they get on in a couple of weeks.
* This article has been amended as we now understand that this is not the first shop to sell such products in the city.