“It brought her so much relief, why wouldn’t I do it?” says Jamie Decker of a client who experienced a CBD pedicure for the first time. 

I didn’t need relief, but when Decker offered me the chance to try it I dove into the cannabis pedicure experience. Decker, a nail technician at Moss Hair Studios, starts her pedicure by offering me water-soluble CBD in the herbal tea of my choice. I choose the chai spice blend to steep before I get settled in my chair as my feet soak in warm Epsom salt water. 

“I love the idea of educating people on whole plant medicine,” Decker says. She gave her first CBD pedicure four months ago to a client who had been in a severe car accident. Her client had been experiencing intense pain and inflammation in her lower legs and feet. Decker was determined to find a way to make a pedicure the most beneficial and relaxing experience to alleviate her pain.

“I started investigating it for her,” says Decker of the benefits of CBD. “And it just kind of evolved from there.”

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive component of hemp or cannabis sativa plant. THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis, is distinct from CBD, which is mainly derived from hemp. CBD contains very little THC and is said to have a plethora of health benefits, which can include treating arthritis, inflammation, chronic pain and anxiety.

Despite the stigmas that surround CBD, Decker says the product she uses is 100 percent organic, all grown in the Northwest and totally derived from a hemp plant rather than a marijuana plant. “I think that is pretty important to people just for the idea that it’s not psychoactive,” Decker says.

Decker’s typical pedicure includes an hour and 15 minutes of complete nail and cuticle care, warm hydration via hot tea, callus removal, exfoliation and a foot and calf massage. A CBD pedicure includes all of the previous, plus drinking water-soluble CBD in the herbal tea of your choice as well as a CBD massage, which was by far my favorite part of the pedicure.

After drinking my chai spiced tea the effects of the CBD start to settle in, about half an hour into my 75-minute session. An overall sense of relaxation and slight tingling encompass my body. It’s like I just got out of soaking in a sauna or Jacuzzi.

Decker performs the typical nail trimming and sole scrubbing that tickles your feet during a pedicure. She  mixes CBD oil, shea butter, beeswax and coconut oil into her own warm concoction. Using a fine paintbrush, she lathers the mixture onto my legs and feet. Feeling the soft bristles of the paintbrush run across my skin brings back nostalgic memories of being a kid in the first grade. As the bristle runs between my fingers and toes, I feel the tactility of my hands and feet being painted. It was quite therapeutic to say the least.

Decker says she was conscious about bringing CBD into her work. “There is still so much stigma,” says Decker about the use of cannabis. “There’s a lot of crappy products out there. I think there is a lot of misinformation.” She adds, “I think it is really overwhelming for people.”

“The response has been phenomenal,” Decker says. Her first client was overjoyed after her CBD experience. “She texted me twice after she left, just being so thrilled about how much better and relaxed she felt,” she says.

“What I’m recognizing is, it’s a lot of people that wouldn’t necessarily consider cannabis, but they’re tired of being medicated or uncomfortable,” Decker says. “They have pain and they really just want some relief in a way that is more holistic and plant based.”

As my CBD pedicure comes to a close, I pick a bright yellow nail polish called ‘Vivid Daisy’ for my toes, trying to hold onto the last moments of summer. The warm painted CBD massage mixture has made my legs and feet feel tingly but calm. Decker delicately finishes painting my last pinky toe, and I wait for my nails to dry, soaking in the last bits of my peaceful pedicure.

Jamie Decker is available for both CBD pedicures and regular pedicures and manicures at Moss Hair Studios, 223 W. 7th Avenue. Prices range from $30-$75, and appointments can be made online at MossHairStudio.com or by contacting Decker directly at 541-543-4475. Jamie Decker is the sister-in-law of EW senior graphic designer Sarah Decker.