A healthcare practioner from Glastonbury has launched his own range of CBD products.

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a plant extract and one of the compounds of the cannabis Sativa plant. CBD is not psychoactive (unlike the other well-known compound, THC) so you won't get "high".

Instead, many customers say it comes with a range of purported health benefits.

Matthew Jackson, the owner of Somerset Health Practice and founder of Expert Herbalist, used his knowledge of Chinese herbal medicine and CBD to create the new blends.

Mr Jackson is a trained osteopath, who went on to train in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in 1993 at the London Academy of Oriental Medicine.

He then studied for a further eight months in Nanjing, China, working in hospitals alongside renowned Chinese professors treating a wide spectrum of conditions and diseases.

While CBD is a fairly new innovation for Western Medicine goes, it's ancient history as far as traditional Chinese medicine is concerned.

References to cannabis can be found throughout classical Chinese literature and most reports of the use of cannabis for its therapeutic effects occur specifically in medical texts.

Cannabis was famously used by the emperor and pharmacologist Shen Nung and cannabis is actually regarded as one of the fundamental herbs within this system of medicine, used to treat a range of symptoms and disorders.

Nung wrote about the herb in his book on treatment methods right back in 2737 BCE. Within this time, he described an elixir apparently created from the leaves of cannabis flowers.

"I've always been passionate about nature and healing," Mr Jackson said, "and given the health benefits of CBD, it was a no-brainer to add a new range to Expert Herbalist.

"It's been really popular so far - a lot of people are looking to support smaller businesses in their community as we come together in the face of Covid-19, and obviously health is at the forefront of a lot of people's minds at the moment. We only launched this week and I'm really pleased with how things are going."

The CBD range includes balms, gummy bears, capsules, oils and CBD isolate, and Mr Jackson says there's already been huge interest in the products.

"I wanted to make sure that there were products for everyone, " he said.

"Whether you've been taking CBD for a while, are just getting started, or just want to find out what all the fuss is about, there's something for you."

The products are available to buy from www.expertherbalist.co.uk, or ask for them in your healthfood store.