Contents
1. CBD Oil in the U.S.A
2. CBD Oil for Mental Health
A) What Research Says
B) What Users Say
3. CBD Gummies/Edibles vs. CBD Oil
4. Tips To Make Sure You're Getting a Good CBD Gummy
A) Scrutinize the Label
B) Dosing with Gummies
5. Why Are Gummies So Popular?
6. In Conclusion
CBD Oil: Usage in the U.S.A.
Americans are still slightly giddy from having had a cannabis compound removed off the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of Controlled Substances. Previously, CBD was grouped together with marijuana among heavyweights like heroin and LSD. No, it wasn't considered as dangerous as those drugs, as the scheduling system is much more complex and nuanced than that. But it was still classified as a prohibited substance for the longest time. And in some states, possession could have landed you in jail.
The situation has somewhat improved since the Hemp Farm Act of 2018, which made it legal to cultivate and sell hemp cannabis and derived products. Now, thankfully, users can relax if the CBD is hemp-extracted and contains only a small amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), otherwise known as its mind-altering cannabinoid cousin.
RELATED: The Greatest Victory For Hemp: The New Farm Bill Signed Into Law!
This healthful cannabinoid has been in use for decades already. These days, good-quality hemp CBD oil can be purchased—rather easily—online or even at your local health shop.
However, product regulation is still fairly chaotic. This means that the market’s also currently inundated with gimmicky products like CBD toothpicks, beer, and bath bombs. These have no proven health benefits and likely never will. They are mostly just merchandisers capitalizing on this latest craze to hit the market.
CBD gummies and gummy bears have been around for a while already. It's an amazingly popular way to take CBD, which is known to confer many health benefits. The cannabinoid is especially well-loved for its anxiolytic properties.
So let's take a closer look at these. Plus, let’s discover (together) why CBD gummies could be a good way to ingest your dose.
RELATED: CBD Health Benefits: Separating Fact from Fiction
CBD Oil for Mental Health
There’s lots of anecdotal but less scientific evidence that cannabidiol can relieve symptoms of mental health disorders—such as anxiety. Studies have been limited, mostly due to cannabis’s illegal status for almost a century.
Anxiety disorders include social anxiety disorder (SAD), posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety-related insomnia, and so forth.
RELATED: How to Use CBD Hemp Oil for Anxiety Relief
A) What Research Says
The literature defines this all-too-common disorder as:
Anxiety disorders share features of excessive fear and anxiety—which induce psychological and physical symptoms that can cause significant distress or interfere with social, occupational, and other areas of functioning (APA, 2013). In a given year, an estimated 18 percent of the U.S. adult population will suffer from symptoms associated with an anxiety disorder. [4]
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America probably has the best approach to choosing CBD for these conditions. [1]
There is evidence that CBD may be a useful treatment for a number of medical conditions. Yet this research is considerably less advanced than for treatment of epilepsy. For most indications, there is only pre-clinical evidence, while for some, there is a combination of pre-clinical and limited clinical evidence. The range of conditions for which CBD has been assessed is diverse, consistent with its neuroprotective, antiepileptic, hypoxia-ischemia, anxiolytic, antipsychotic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, and antitumor properties.
"Pre-clinical evidence" refers to laboratory-based studies and extensive studies on animals. While these results can give us an indication of what CBD can do and how it all works biologically, they aren’t considered conclusive by the FDA's rigorous medical standards.
ADAA goes on to explain:
There is insufficient scientific evidence to support the claim that CBD is an effective treatment for depression or anxiety. That does not mean it wouldn’t help, but there simply haven’t been properly controlled clinical trials to support an indication of CBD for treating anxiety or depression. Considerably more research is required to evaluate CBD as a potential treatment for anxiety and depression.
B) What Users Say
For millions across the globe, including the U.S., the proof lies in the pudding. The medicinal use of cannabis is millennia old, and no amount of the “it's-not-scientifically-proven-yet” naysayers will put people off from reverting to folk remedies.
Benji Jones, a skeptical CBD newbie and anxiety sufferer, recently tested CBD oil for its anxiolytic properties. He reported back to Business Insider about taking 250mg CBD oil (which had been divided in three doses) for one week. [2]
- He felt less anxious in general after a week's chronic use. Jones recorded his mood over this period, and this was what he had to say in his own words: "Afterward, I looked over my anxiety scorecards. And sure enough, it showed that I was feeling slightly less anxious on my last day, compared to my first. Especially when I looked at statements like this. Yeah, that's a big one for me."
- Twice, it brought immediate relief when he was very stressed.
- The product made him feel tired and a bit lethargic, albeit not in a bad way: "...it kind of feels like I have a warm blanket around me, so I don't hate it." His doctor advised him to take the full dose at night, rather than spread it out in three doses over the course of the day.
- It took away the recurring physical pain swarming over his heart, normally felt during an anxious episode.
- He drank alcohol over the weekend, but he still felt fantastic the next morning.
- At $130 per bottle, the CBD oil was pricey; he resolved to continue using it, but only when he really needs it.
On Reddit, one user enthused that it helped for more than just their social anxiety: [3]
I have been taking CBD for anxiety, and I have noticed that I am way more sociable. I can talk to anyone and I don’t give a s***. Also...since taking it, I can’t remember the last time my back was stiff and I’m waaaay more flexible than I was before. Loving CBD!
So, why not let the proof be in the pudding? Try CBD gummies, and experiment with products and doses till you're satisfied with the results.
CBD Gummies/Edibles vs. CBD Oil
CBD can be ingested in different ways, such as taking capsules, dripping the oil or tincture under the tongue, eating gummies (or other foodstuffs infused with the cannabinoid), and vaping. The list just goes on and on.
If it's a good product, the way you take it won't matter—regarding benefits—because it will land in your system one way or the other. If you need fast-working CBD, consider vaping or taking the oil sublingually with a dripper. Systemic uptake is speedy because the compound is absorbed quicker with these two, and it doesn't get metabolized by the liver.
Eating or drinking will mean that the product needs to be digested first as well as being metabolized in the intestines or liver. The only real difference seems to be the amount of time before it takes effect. You may only be able to discern a difference after an hour or two of taking a gummy. (But according to users, the effects tend to last longer than the effects of vaping or oil.)
RELATED: CBD Oil vs. CBD Capsules—Which One Has the Most Health Benefits?
Here are a few tips when you're searching for good CBD edibles or a CBD oil.
Tips to Make Sure You're Getting a Good CBD Gummy
A) Scrutinize the Label
Here's a checklist for when you're shopping for edibles online or are in a shop. Quality will always trump fad, so be sure to check these following things:
Make Sure the Product Has Been Lab Tested
Reliable products will always have a laboratory report available for public scrutiny. This report will show exactly what is in the gummies or CBD oil you're considering, as well as the quantities. THC should be no more than a small amount. This is important—with the regulations still so much in flux—because:
In a study of 84 CBD products sold by 31 companies online, blind testing found that only about 31 percent of them contained the amount of CBD listed on the label (within +/- ten percent). And some of the products contained other components of marijuana that weren’t listed on the label, including Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabibolic acid (THC), the psychoactive component of marijuana that does generate an intoxicating high. [5]
Opt for Organically Derived, Whole-Plant CBD
Certified organic hemp will be free from environmental toxins and pesticides. Full-spectrum or whole-plant CBD will contain either THC too—or a collection of other healthy compounds normally found in hemp cannabis. These include other cannabinoids and terpenes that all work better together than an isolate would.
Be Careful of the Quantities
Take care that you choose a product that shows you precisely how many milligrams of CBD per dose or per bottle you're taking. Don't be fooled by the numbers; insist on knowing how much CBD per gummy you're ingesting.
Ask a Friend
Dosing with CBD isn’t formalized yet, which means that there are no guidelines thus far. So, you will need to experiment to find your sweet spot. Fortunately, there are plenty of forums and online platforms available where users exchange information and advice. This could give you an idea of what works for others. Don't ever replace prescription medicine on the advice of anyone other than your doctor, though.
B) Dosing with Gummies
This doesn't need to be tricky. As long as you know how many milligrams of cannabidiol you're getting, you can work out the doses yourself.
Clinical evidence is limited, but a small SAD study with participants showed encouraging results on 600mg. That's quite a high dose already, so you’ll probably titrate this slowly over a period of time. [4]
Obviously, the higher the cannabinoid content, the smaller piece of gummy you should start with. Consider the manufacturer's instructions for dosing, but if you're taking it for the first time, perhaps half a dose will do.
And then WAIT! This is important...
Also: don't take more if you don't feel any effect at first! Give it at least an hour to an hour and a half before concluding that your product is useless or the dose may be too small.
CBD is considered safe, especially in lower to medium doses. (A high dose will be 1500mg or more). The correct dose for anxiety will have a gentle, soothing effect, but as we've seen—in some people and in larger quantities—CBD can cause somnolence and even lethargy. (Some say it feels like they're sleepwalking.)
If sleepwalking isn’t what you're aiming for, DO NOT gobble up the whole gummy at once! Just don’t...
Furthermore, one way to make sure your body absorbs most of the compound is by taking it together with an oil, such as coconut or olive. CBD is lipophilic, so it binds to fat molecules in the body.
And keep in mind that people respond differently to CBD depending on age, health, body weight, and metabolic rate. Also remember this: it's best to take it for a period of time before deciding whether it works for you. CBD's effects tend to be cumulative.
Why Are Gummies So Popular?
Why are candy edibles so popular?
Well, that's a no-brainer! What better way to ingest your dose of CBD than with a chewy, juicy, tasty gummy bear? It's an innocuous and fun way to mask whole-plant CBD's lightly wild taste, and it can be taken (discreetly) in public.
It's also easy to chew and swallow—which are important considerations for the frail and elderly.
Nowadays, CBD oil gets added to most everything, since it's become a real fad. However, don't assume you will benefit from CBD's known health properties just by chugging down a CBD beer or sipping a cappuccino with a few drops of the stuff. These doses are typically very small in quantity, and you're unlikely to benefit from a single serving.
That is, if it's indeed cannabidiol you're ingesting. Unfortunately, the market still needs to settle and get proper regulations and licensing in place before you can be sure of that. Vet your vendors carefully and buy with discretion for the best results.
In Conclusion
The creative ways CBD is presented these days are endless. Gummy CBD is popular for good reason, so just make sure you're buying a good product.
Sources:
- https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/cbd
- https://www.businessinsider.com/cbd-benefits-pain-relaxation-thc-experiment-2019-8?IR=T
- https://www.reddit.com/r/CBD/comments/8vlky7/i_have_been_taking_cbd_for_anxiety_and_i_have/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK425767/#sec_000179
- https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/11/study-nearly-70-of-online-cbd-marijuana-extracts-tested-were-mislabeled/
