An almost-pot treatment for what ails you

She believes in the healing powers of cannabis, however. Though a customer would never mistake her spa for a medical marijuana dispensary, she uses cannabis-infused lotions, oils and oral supplements to treat her North Shore clientele undergoing chemotherapy or suffering from autoimmune diseases like lupus and multiple sclerosis. “They help with localized pain and inflammation,” she says.

She was a speech pathologist in Krakow, Poland, before immigrating to Highland Park in 1982 and starting her skincare career in electrolysis.

Today she prides herself on rooting her treatments in medicine, both Eastern and Western. She asks, for instance, that her 30 employees take a 10-hour class to become certified in treating immuno-suppressed clients.

She knew that hemp oil was popular in cosmetic products. Produced by pressing the raw seeds of the hemp plant, the oil is used in shampoos because it’s high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which enhance shine and softness. Peer-reviewed studies have also shown hemp oil to be beneficial in topically treating eczema and psoriasis. While hemp and marijuana both come from the same plant species, cannabis sativa, hemp contains only trace amounts of THC, the ingredient in pot that spurs a psychoactive response.

Recent studies have gone further in examining the medical benefits of cannabinoids, the 80-plus compounds found in the cannabis plant. Besides THC, the other prominent cannabinoid is cannabidiol, or CBD. It’s nonpsychoactive and, according to a 2013 review in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, can reduce nausea and inflammation as well as combat seizures and anxiety.

She also sells oral CBD supplements that are marketed as BioCBD+. And like the Apothecanna lotions she sells, the supplements are derived from hemp plants.

Products carried at Renu Day Spa:

Cannabios

Apothecanna

Biocbd

****If this is your first time purchasing one of these products mentioned above you will receive a 20% product discount