AN HEMP shop will open its doors in Darwen.

All Hemp Everything Darwen (AHED) will be selling products containing legal cannabis oil made from Cannabidiol (CBD) which is made from the flowers, leaves and stalks of hemp.

Director Miles Casey said he wanted to make people aware of the benefits of CBD oil which can be used to combat a number of ailments.

He said: "We want to raise awareness in the local area around the health benefits of CBD.

"It can be used to ease the symptoms of joint pain, anxiety and depression.

"CBD oil seems to be the latest health craze, but we want to promote hemp as well because it is a really brilliant plant.

"It can be used in clothing and construction and building material, its actually more sustainable than concrete."

Mr Casey said he hoped to grow hemp locally.

He said: "We are looking at further down the line to start farming hemp in the local area.

"It's very sustainable and would create so many jobs just in farming it.

"People are put off by its links to cannabis, but CBD is actually a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, so you could smoke all the hemp in the world and never get high.

"It does not produce a high as it contains less than 0.2% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) which is the chemical that gets the user stoned."

The shop, in Blackburn Road, is set to open on February 24.

Darwen mayor Roy Davies said he hoped the shop would bring more people into the town.

He said: "It is something that is different and something that may be wanted in Darwen.

"Hopefully there will be a market for it.

"It's a new beginning for someone and hopefully it will bring more people into Darwen

However Sudell Ward cllr Jane Oates warned of the dangers of potential side effects.

"I would urge anyone wanting to try the products to do so with caution.

"CBD is one of those things that they say can help with things like blood pressure, but it's still relatively new products so I would say exercise caution in case there are side effects.

"Is Darwen ready for hemp yet? I'm not sure."

Fore more information visit the AHED Facebook page.