A former boyband star of Men2B and marine commando from Lymington lands world first for CBD gel HEMPE

A FORMER boyband star and Green Beret commando from Lymington has landed a world first by developing a CBD gel which has been given NSF certification.

It means Farard Darver’s invention can be used by professional athletes, including West Ham footballer Tomas Souček, and the military.

The National Sanitation Foundation is an organisation which ensures products are safe.

Farard created Hempe after being injured in Afghanistan, and Premier League and Czech international footballer Souček is now a brand ambassador who applies the gel to help recover after games.

He said: “We have to be very careful as professional athletes in using products because many contain substances that are illegal.

“With Hempe I know it is absolutely fine for to use and importantly it works very quickly; I can use it before and after training and games to make sure I recover as fast as possible.

“There are hot and cold versions and as sportspeople will tell you, this is extremely useful.”

To become first CBD topical gel product to be ‘NSF Certified for Sport’ Hempe has to undergo almost two years of rigorous testing and evaluation.

Farard runs Healthcare International Research which is based in Wimborne.

As a teenager he was in bands Men2B and Area 4. After joining the services he served for almost 17 years with the Royal Logistic Corps and 3 Commando Brigade deploying both home and abroad on exercise and operations including two tours of Afghanistan.

On reaching the rank of major, he decided it was time to direct his energy into other projects. Farard had suffered a number of injuries throughout his service and, he identified CBD (cannabidiol) as an effective way to meet his medical needs, going on to create Hempe.

He said: “This certification is a real first. No other company in the world has managed to gain topical CBD gel certification.

“It means we have been able to enter the world of professional sport; we are already in talks with major sports teams around the world.

“Many CBD products contain traces of THC – the active ingredient in cannabis – or the CBD is mixed with other substances that would fail a drugs test.

“Our new certification provides athletes with confidence in knowing the gels comply with stringent testing for banned substances.

“We have pro athletes in many fields – from football and cricket, to rugby, motor sport, strongman and MMA – using it.

“After my injury in Afghanistan I was using ibuprofen and paracetamol too much and really wanted an alternative.

“After discovering the anti-inflammatory effects of CBD I left the military and invested everything I had in developing and launching Hempe.”