Laura Howarth - CBD Copywriter

Laura is a wellness copywriter based in Manchester. Originally from Preston, she attended high school in The Netherlands before moving to back to the UK to study English and Philosophy at the University of Southampton.

After spending a year trying to break into the publishing sector in London, she called it quits and moved to Portugal to become a freelance writer. For the past 12 years, she has been jumping back and forth between freelancing and full-time employment with small companies and various agencies.

Past roles include events editor for The Skinny northwest edition and an SEO executive for a Manchester-based agency. But freelancing has always provided the greatest job satisfaction. She now operates a one-woman show called Left Field Copywriting, specialising in CBD, health, fitness and wellness.

A journey of CBD discovery

Scrolling on Instagram one day, she spotted Dawn O’Porter singing the praises of a new way to manage period pain; a simple gummy sweet containing CBD. This sent her down a Google rabbit hole. After absorbing a combination of academic papers, anecdotal accounts and a wide range of marketing material, she emerged determined to track down this supplement in the UK.

She immediately marched to Holland and Barrett and picked up a pricey bottle of Jacob Hooy, a gloopy amber concoction with a smell reminiscent of a compost heap. It had no impact, but a quick search online uncovered that this is a common experience; the hunt for a better product began.

She immediately marched to Holland and Barrett and picked up a pricey bottle of Jacob Hooy, a gloopy amber concoction with a smell reminiscent of a compost heap. It had no impact, but a quick search online uncovered that this is a common experience; the hunt for a better product began.

After learning more about bioavailability, she opted for a CBD vape oil from a well-known UK brand. Despite not being a smoker, the vape pen was easy enough to get to grips with. And the immediate effects were profound. After years of taking Co-codamol for a minimum of five days a month to manage crippling period pain, CBD eliminated the need for any pain medication.

Her own research into the product proved useful when she was later asked to write about the product for a fast-growing CBD company. The company had struggled with compliance in the past and needed a writer with the flair and experience to write compelling copy that also stuck to the rules.

After writing primarily for the dental sector for a few years, this was simply another challenge in understanding regulations and compliance. From personal experience, she knew this product could help people, but not if they are sold the product with false hope. Writing about CBD in a level-headed, straightforward and fact-based way was the creative challenge she needed to keep her freelance writing career moving forward.

So much CBD copywriting is grounded in misinterpretation of scientific studies. It’s all too easy to cherry pick the statements that back up your stance and then claim that science is on your side. The best CBD copywriting acknowledges that there is still so much we don’t know, but this shouldn’t stop your own journey of discovery.

In 2021, Laura discovered a passion for weightlifting and CBD took centre stage once more. It was an essential part of her fitness routine that allowed her to shift over 50lbs in 9 months. CBD was part of her morning routine, often added to a protein shake, and part of her evening winddown routine, taken while meditating with the Headspace app. It was this consistency and self-care routine that enabled her to stick with a healthier and more active lifestyle.

Outside of building her copywriting business, Laura enjoys finding new ways to stay active. She is a regular in her local gym and also enjoys rock climbing, softball, cycling, hiking, quad skating, and the occasional attempt at aerial hoop. She also enjoys live music, travelling and food.

You can find her work at Left Field, or follow her on Instagram.