The third season of the THC podcast begins with a living legend and inspiration for Uncle Kush‘s career. Indeed, Wernard Bruining played a huge role in the development of the Dutch recreational cannabis industry since the 1970s. In 2013, however, Wernard changed course with his self coined term: Mediwiet. What followed was the development of a legendary product: diluted cannabis oil and CBD oil. We spoke to him and his wife Yolanda in this interesting episode about the various impressive phases in Wernard’s life:
Wernard ‘Weed Oil’ Bruining
Wernard Bruining is now known as the “cannabis oil guru,” due to his impressive work for the Mediwiet Foundation. But once upon a time, young Wernard started as a student in the recreational sector. From dealing a little hash from home, his hobby grew into the first ever coffeeshop in Amsterdam: Tea House Mellow Yellow.
From this arose the need to purchase cheap trade, and under the guise of “volume discounting,” young Bruining began supplying other coffee shops. Until one day he realizes his team carries around 100kg on a daily basis. And that’s pretty much the common thread of his life. Because everything Wernard tackles gets completely out of hand, in a positive sense. But, he tells himself, he is not on this earth to make a lot of money.
Growshop Positronics
Wernard much rather helps people. So when he was asked about some growing supplies, he was not reluctant to help and started importing and developing the stuff himself. Until this hobby too got completely out of hand and Wernard opened Europe’s first growshop: Positronics. A business that grew so fast that even here the fun for the serial entrepreneur went away.
His need to inform people made him start a clipping newspaper. Receptionist Yolanda (to whom he is now married) was partly responsible for collecting and copying cannabis-related news for this. Were it not for the fact that this too was completely derailed and Wernard started “Soft Secrets. The cannabis magazine that still exists to this day, though no longer under his direction. For this too is not Wernard’s calling, he felt.
‘Mediwiet or nothing’
He didn’t really discover his calling until around 2009, when he began shaping the term “Mediwiet. Back in 1995, this already crossed his mind. But it wasn’t until years later that Bruining came up with diluted cannabis oil. Inspired by Rick Simpson’s “Run from the cure,” Wernard begins diluting pure cannabis oil; and offering it to patients.
Not much later, he decides to do the same with hemp extracts. Giving life to diluted CBD oil. A product Wernard introduced without knowing the impact it had on Holland. In no time, all of the Netherlands knew about “weed oil,” because everyone knows someone who benefits from it. And so this invention accelerated the acceptance of cannabis in the Netherlands. Moreover, it was the biggest inspiration for Uncle Kush to make cannabis his job!
Weed oil guru
Wernard Bruining, with “Mediwiet Foundation,” first simply provided oil to patients. But it wouldn’t be Wernard’s idea if things didn’t get completely out of hand and insufficient production capacity soon developed. Hence, he started courses to teach people to make their own cannabis oil.
Over the years he developed this weed oil more and more according to the experience of his patients and himself. Because even the “cannabis oil guru” himself has discovered the power of his miracle weed oil; after an intensive illness bed due to a C*VID infection. Curious about his legendary story?
Check out THC Podcast S03E01 here with Uncle Kush and WEED OIL GURU Wernard & Yolanda Bruining:
