Cannabis-infused restaurant to open in Brighton

The restaurant will specialise in vegetarian and vegan food, most of which will be infused with legal forms of cannabinoids. 

Cannabis plants are made up of more than 100 different cannabinoids, which have different impacts on the body and are concentrated to different extents in certain parts of the plant. The most well-known of these are THC and CBD. 

THC is the psychoactive cannabinoid – the one that recreational users use to get “high”. CBD does not have this effect. While almost all cannabinoids are controlled substances under the Misuse of Drugs Act, CBD is not. According to Home Office rules, CBD can contain a maximum THC content of 0.2 per cent and that the THC must not be easily separated from it. 

Earlier this year the family of epilepsy sufferer Billy Caldwell, 12, were granted an exemption by the Home Secretary Sajid Javid to take concentrated CBD cannabis oil – which contains higher levels of THC – after insisting it was a lifeline. 

Following public pressure connected to the Caldwell case, the Home Secretary announced on November 1 that doctors would be able to begin prescribing cannabis products to their patients. 

The Canna Kitchen restaurant will be using seasonal British ingredients “inspired by world flavours and infused with the healing properties of cannabinoids”. The owners say CBD has a number of medicinal properties, including relieving inflammation, pain relief and reducing anxiety, though there have not been conclusive scientific studies on this. 

Director Sam Evolution said: “We are seeking to change misconceptions around cannabis by introducing it to people in a form they may not have encountered before.”  

In addition to the restaurant The Canna Kitchen will be operating a CBD Café and dispensary upstairs with infused cakes, drinks and beverages.