Minsida and John are a husband and wife team who are passionate about tea and changing the perspective of Cannabis in Thailand. Min comes from fine art and dance background, John comes from the music industry and the international education circuit. Chanabis tea is their first cannabis product, however, they have been working on several other projects.
How did you become interested in using cannabis?
Cannabis has always been a bit of fun, but we started using CBD daily (one of the healthy, non-psychoactive compounds of cannabis) during the pandemic, as we read it may help reduce serious symptoms. Not sure how true that is, but CBD improves sleep and mood while reducing inflammation. There’s a whole system in our body called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates our mood and it was only discovered in the 1990s through studying cannabis. It can be affected with cannabis compounds CBD/THC, but also through a positive diet, positive relationships and yoga/meditation.
We wanted to be part of this new awakening, and the opportunities seemed to come to us, which we felt was life’s way of saying we are on the right track.
What products do you offer?
Chanabis infusion teas are our main products. Our three flavours are Samui Sunset, Blue Dream and Thong Lor Breakfast, each with its own character.
Also, we have cannabis terpene honey and are developing spa products.
How do they make you feel?
Chanabis tea has a mild therapeutic effect from the CBD and cannabis terpenes.
All our ingredients are premium, natural, clean and organic when possible.
Our leaf is from Golden Triangle Group’s new strain Raksa, which has been bred from the award-winning Cannatonic strain and is now Thailand’s highest CBD strain at 17% CBD content on the flowers. Jamie Carrion, winner of the illustrious Cannabis Cup, a total of 9 times and one of the pioneers of medical cannabis, is head breeder at Golden Triangle Group’s Chiang Rai indoor facility, part of Rajabhat University.
Also, each flavour has five to six ingredients, such as jiaogulan, lavender, chamomile etc, which help to relax us. Terpenes have many effects on our bodies and the science on this is very new. I recommend people do a quick Google search.
What are the health and well-being benefits?
CBD has a range of positive effects, like reducing inflammation. Inflammation of our bodies is said to be a major cause of many health problems.
Chanabis makes no medical claims, but it will create a sense of calm, plus the antioxidants and entourage of other healthy ingredients in each tea are designed to keep us healthy. Cannabis-derived terpenes also create a sense of calm and wellbeing, great for people who want to unwind.
Actually, Chanabis is packed with health benefits. Along with CBD, Bale Fruit and liquorice will help reduce inflammation. Chamomile and butterfly pea reduce stress. Pandan can help boost immune health while Chrysanthemum is said to help to reduce blood pressure,
From what science tells us, CBD affects your endocannabinoid system, helping restore balance to your mind and improve mood. In higher doses, CBD will help pain relief, aid sleep and help certain health conditions. Chanabis has a significant therapeutic amount of CBD, though it’s currently limited by Thai laws to only be derived from leaf/stalk. Also, it's a grey area even listing the levels. Some new cannabis products by some less established brands are claiming CBD, but levels will be so minuscule we feel it’s misleading. It’s also illegal to sell packaged cannabis products, all cannabis must be prepared fresh in a cafe/restaurant.
In the future we hope to include high CBD Raksa cannabis flower, then we could offer up to 50mg of CBD per serving, great to reduce stress and help sleep.
Explain your connection to Golden Triangle Group
Kris, the managing director actually contacted us, he loved our branding and shares our vision. We tried many different sources of cannabis leaf, but GTG was the best, so we signed a partnership with them owning a percentage of Chanabis. They are a powerful group to be part of, plus Kris understands cannabis and offers great advice. Golden Triangle Group’s cannabis is grown fully indoors with no pesticides (and no bugs, like some of the other organic farms) and GTG supplies high-quality CBD to hospitals for cancer patients. They are the industry leaders in terms of research and quality.
They are sold exclusively at Kali on Phangan, how was this connection made?
GTG has asked us to remain fairly exclusive, pick our partners wisely for the longevity of the brand. Shelly from Kali found us online and we made contact. After visiting the store, loving the vibe and seeing how well our brands could align, we agreed to sell exclusively. We see Chanabis having a bright future across the world, especially in Asia (the word Cha means tea in Mandarin also) so we want to take our time, do everything right and choose a select group of partners to be involved with.
How do you see Thailand's cannabis industry over the next 5 years?
We can see it exploding, cannabis tourism, medical cannabis tourism, regional specific strains and a creative industry creating quality products. THC (the compound that gets you high) will become legal and the country’s underground will be at the forefront of the industry, most likely funded by powerful multinationals. Now it’s still very early days but we see many future benefits for Thailand and Asia.
What do you enjoy about Koh Phangan when you visit?
We love the positive energy of the island. The amazing views riding around on a bike and the huge range of healthy restaurants was our highlight. Covid19 has helped it shed the full-moon hangover vibe. 
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