Naturopathic nutritionist Matt Murphy established Feel Supreme in 2013 and now sells a number of products online and through local retailers – with cannabis oil proving a big hit. Tony McDonough reports
Just the mention of the word ‘cannabis’ will often provoke polarised reactions but there is a clear distinction between the stuff you can smoke, which is illegal, and cannabis oil extract, which is legal.
So acceptable is the latter now, it seems, that even that most respectable of high street outlets, Holland & Barrett, is stocking it. The Cannabis Trades Association UK estimates there are 250,000 regular users of cannabidiol (CBD) in the UK.
Good news for Holland & Barrett and for Liverpool entrepreneur Matt Murphy and his online business, Feel Supreme, which the qualified naturopathic nutritionist set up in 2013.
Market stall
LBN featured Feel Supreme in December 2016 when Mr Murphy branched out to open a stall at the newly-refurbished St Johns Market in Liverpool city centre, offering organic fruit and vegetables, along with organic coconut oil, CBD oil, propolis, spring water in plastic free, organic plant-based bottles and other products.
However, disappointing footfall at the market forced Mr Murphy to rethink his business model and close the stall and he now sells his products directly through the Feel Supreme website and through other local retailers.
Different direction
“Feel Supreme has continued to grow in a slightly different direction, whilst still sticking to our roots of good health through good nutrition,” he said. “On reflection, we didn’t really see the benefit of having a premises in St Johns.
“We don’t carry the organic fruit and veg anymore, buy we have become more widely known for our CBD oil, which is completely legal and fully certified.”
Mr Murphy stresses he doesn’t make specific medicinal claims about the effectiveness of CBD but adds that many users report it possesses a wide range of health benefits.
More research
Medical opinion is divided. Following a number of anecdotal reports from cancer patients who claim to have benefited from taking CBD, Cancer Research UK looked into the subject.
It concluded that solid evidence for benefits was thin on the ground but added there was enough to merit further detailed study and has funded a research project. In the meantime it urged people not to abandon conventional prescribed treatments. You can read that blog here.
Mr Murphy explained: “CBD and other cannabinoids work to support our endocannabinoid system. We all have an endocannabinoid system and cannabinoid receptors throughout our body.
“We are naturally receptive to cannabinoids, and they can even be found in human breast milk. Our CBD oil is CO2 extracted, full spectrum, organically grown and fully certified. What does that mean in English? The quality is as pure as it can be.”
Wider offering
Although its CBD offering has been a big success for Feel Supreme, Mr Murphy says its product and service range is much wider.
He added: “We are a naturopathic nutrition company, helping people make changes to their diet and lifestyle to help make positive differences to their health. We currently work with many athletes, both domestically and throughout Europe, and it’s our job to help them stay healthy and obtain career longevity.
“The first point of call when anybody comes on board with us, is one of our nutritional deficiency tests. With a hair sample, our lab will test for nutritional deficiencies, parasites, food sensitivities, virus’ and heavy metal toxicity.
“From here, we can establish what a client either needs to include or eliminate from their diet, or what they need to supplement. If supplementation is required, we also offer a range of natural, organic, Non-synthetic, vegan friendly vitamins and minerals.
“Although we cannot compete financially with the larger companies, we strive to be able to compete with anybody based on reputation and quality of service.”