I must start by saying 24 months ago I gave up smoking completely. The weed, the cigarettes, the vape, cold turkey. My lovely wife, Suzy has been not moaning so much, but for years I've been aware she didn't appreciate my smoking habits and then something happened one day and I decided to have a go at going smoke free after 30 years.

I miss it for sure but I haven't gone back. To be honest the thing I miss the most is the pot. I didn't smoke a lot but I did have a couple of joints every day.

At the time a friend of mine gave me a bottle of Joes Essentials first batch of CBD oil to help me through the first few months but it tasted so terrible I literally couldn't get it down. So I swerved it completely. Then a few months ago I had an injury and was tempted to pick up my old habit. Instead I gave the Joes Essentials a go again. After a few weeks of nothing happening I did a bit of research and discovered all the medicinal properties the cannaboids or THC that were in the oil would have broken down and whilst it wouldn't do me any harm it wasn't going to offer any of the benefits either.

I started to do my research into an alternative, Joes Essentials didn't survive and discovered there are so many hemp oils, or CBD products to choose from it's completely overwhelming knowing what to pick as some aid anxiety and depression, some more physical ailments.

I settled on Hemp Heroes a mid priced CBD oil at £40 (some cost as much as £120) primarily because of the work and research they are doing with vets and using CBD to help animals. They are also a B corporation, a business model I like and seemed to have very good customer service and equally good product reviews.

I am not the oracle here by any means. I have been taking one drop of the oil, the amount prescribed for about 2 weeks daily. You pop it under your tongue for one minute and then swallow. The taste, not pleasant but doesn't make me gag like the previous oil purchased.

What is does, I don't know. Maybe I haven't been taking it for long enough, but I cannot notice any physical changes what so ever yet.

Is it a placebo? I don't know.

All I can tell you for anyone who has enjoyed smoking a joint in the past and is thinking about this as an alternative, even after 2 years abstinence, it is not for this purpose. There is no element of a high when taking this oil on a daily basis. It doesn't appear to relax me, it contains no pain relief. I cannot feel anything different after taking the recommended dose.

And I have been nicotine and cannabis free for two years.