Contents
1. CBD Gifts Are Now More Coveted Than Ever
2. CBD Gifts and Goodies to Die for
a.) CBD on the inside
i) The Health Benefits
ii) The Capsules
iii) The Tinctures
iv) The Flavored Tinctures
v) The Products for Pets
vi) The Edibles
b.) CBD on the Outside
i) The Oils
ii) The Balms
3. CBD Need-to-Knows Before You Buy
a.) Can CBD Make Me High?
b.) Is CBD Really Legal?
c.) Is CBD Really Safe for Everyone?
d.) How Can I Be Sure I'm Buying a Quality Product?
4. Conclusion
1. CBD Gifts Are Now More Coveted Than Ever
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a hemp-derived health product with loads of proven benefits. There are plenty of reasons to love it—not only for pampering yourself, but as a holiday gift, too.
CBD is available as an ingestible and an additive to a wide array of products. Think anything from what you put in your mouth to what you rub into your skin, and it's suddenly everywhere.
2. CBD Gifts and Goodies to Die For
CBD On the Inside
While it's not legal to market wonderful cannabidiol as a dietary or health supplement ("THC and CBD products are excluded from the dietary supplement definition," per FDA regulations), many still swear by it for its health benefits.
RELATED: The CBD Benefits That You Need in Your Life
Choose your preparation based on any or all of these:
i) The Health Benefits
Dr. Grinspoon, writing for Harvard Medical School, points out that the strongest scientific evidence for CBD's benefits is for treating some of the cruelest childhood epilepsy syndromes. These include Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), which typically don’t respond to antiseizure medications. [1]
But you probably won't use it for that or offer it as a gift. This is medicinal-strength CBD and needs to be taken under doctor supervision.
You might take it for insomnia (both to fall and stay asleep), anxiety, certain types of chronic pain, and inflammation.
Anecdotally, it is also touted to make people feel relaxed and calm. What greater gift can there be any time of the year?!
ii) The Capsules
Ideal for those on the go and those with sensitive palates. You will also be able to regulate your doses much more accurately with capsules, of course.
iii) The Tinctures
Taking CBD in drops under the tongue or added to your favorite drink is one of the most popular ingestion methods. It gets taken up swiftly in the bloodstream, and therefore, it works faster. Also ideal if you need higher doses of the cannabinoid.
Hemp CBD is an acquired taste. Regular users insist that you get used to the slightly bitter, earthy taste, but beginners might want to ease into this.
Experiment with drops flavored with peppermint, cinnamon, or a combination of the two.
Also, add a few drops to your morning java or cocoa for variety.
v) CBD for Pets
From a recently conducted anecdotal study, as reported on by Remedy Review: [2]
Pet owners wagged their tails in glee over the improvements in their pet’s quality of life after administering CBD. Nearly 72 percent reported an improvement for their cuddly companions. Still, 22 percent felt the addition of CBD oil to their pet’s diet didn’t improve their quality of life, and another 5.6 percent said it made their quality of life worse.
'Nuff said.
vi) The Edibles
CBD-enriched goodies make wonderful gifts, and it adds punch to old favorites.
The market brims with products such as CBD gummies, designer CBD-infused coffees, teas, and other beverages, nutrition bars, CBD-laced nut butters, water mix-ins, and CBD-laced honey. Scrutinize labels to ensure product purity.
Also consider bakes like the famous CBD brownie, or better yet—make your own.
CBD is the secret ingredient that gives new meaning to "food of the gods"—talking about CBD chocolate, of course. Unbeatable combo.
Alternatively, make someone's holiday season this year with homemade vegan eats. Let Valentine's Day come early. Think of simple, healthy CBD Vegan Brownie Balls, for instance. These chewy delights can be nicely packaged and presented and are guaranteed to seduce both palate and body.
Or, blow all other CBD gifts out of the water by preparing CBD dishes from heaven for your guests.
Win their hearts with your super-healthy CBD Vegan Chocolate Avo Dessert. Or a CBD Vegan Chocolate Breakfast Smoothie. View recipes here.
RELATED: The Best Chocolate CBD Vegan Recipes Ever!
CBD on the Outside
As succinctly put by Vogue writer Daniella Morosini, CBD quickly moved from the "crunchy granola" realm of beauty to something that's seen as slick, sophisticated, and luxurious.
She spoke to an ex-pharmacist (and CBD guru) about the benefits of CBD in skincare: [3]
"I always say CBD offers a three-pronged skincare approach - it's anti-ageing, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. In terms of an antioxidant on the skin, it provides a missing particle that a free radical can bond with, stopping it from going on to cause DNA damage. As for anti-inflammatory properties, we know that skin ageing and inflammation go hand in hand, and CBD helps to combat oxidative stress."
Cannabidiol is also said to alleviate pain when applied topically. Another lovely trait is its seeming hypoallergenic effects.
RELATED: How CBD May Help with Inflammation and Allergies
It must be noted, though, that scientific study in this field is preliminary in most cases. But the proof ultimately lies in the pudding.
So, if you're keen to pass on a tried-and-tested skincare CBD gift, be sure to grab yours real quick. The good stuff is flying off the shelves.
i) The Oils
Combine CBD with the properties of a gorgeous carrier oil and some beautifying essential oils, and your skin might become the envy of your friends.
ii) The Balms
These are used to alleviate sore and stiff muscles. Cannabidiol is known for its anti-inflammatory magic, so this makes sense.
Hunt for these in all formulations, including lip care, preparations for facial application, and of course, body care. Also look out for CBD bath bombs and bath oils—the market is creative.
And as Jessica Probus, on BuzzFeed, points out—the packaging is often beautiful, which means you don't even have to wrap it. [4]
And if your gift is not welcome, it's definitely keep-worthy!
3. CBD Need-to-Knows Before You Buy
These are the most-asked questions about this cannabinoid.
Can CBD Make Me High?
Short answer—nope. That's the work of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is more abundantly found in marijuana.
In order to work well, many CBD products contain a teeny bit of THC. But this is a trace amount and is certainly not enough to alter your mind.
That said—in very high doses, CBD can have sedative effects. So it’s best to check those labels before ingestion or application.
Is CBD Really Legal?
Cannabidiol's growing popularity is a fact. But old habits don't die quickly, and some people still wonder about CBD's legality.
CBD is cannabis-derived, which still carries a stigma as well as the burden of some peeps' ignorance. But fear not.
It's been a year since the passing of the famous U.S. 2018 Farm Bill amendment, when hemp cultivation was declared legal nationwide. [5]
This gave rise to plenty of celebration over the holiday season, and the reasons for the festivities stuck:
- CBD is used with impunity by the public. (Hemp product bylaws differ from state to state, but the Feds certainly won't take issue with users.)
- The hemp industry regulation is still in its toddler shoes—the interim Rule was released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) only in October this year. Also, these laws pertain more to hemp farmers and producers, etc. In other words, the end user or consumer is barely affected. [6]
- The FDA has issued warnings that some suppliers don't adhere to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), and that may put the health and safety of consumers at risk. Their site provides plenty of solid resources to address cannabis and cannabis-derived products, such as CBD. [7]
- Sales of CBD gifts and other products have increased spectacularly, a trend that's likely to continue. Some speculate that CBD sales are expected to approach the $2 billion mark in 2022!
Is CBD Really Safe for Everyone?
Well, let's turn to the doctors and scholars for this.
Dr. Peter Grinspoon, writing for Harvard Health Publishing (Harvard Medical School, 2018): [1]
Some CBD manufacturers have come under government scrutiny for wild, indefensible claims, such that CBD is a cure-all for cancer, which it is not. We need more research, but CBD may be proven to be an option for managing anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain.
Without sufficient high-quality evidence in human studies, we can’t pinpoint effective doses, and because CBD is currently is mostly available as an unregulated supplement, it’s difficult to know exactly what you are getting. If you decide to try CBD, talk with your doctor — if for no other reason than to make sure it won’t affect other medications you are taking.
This is probably some of the most succinct advice out there.
Death due to CBD has never been reported, and it is generally reported to be safe for use even in children.
Beware if you've been diagnosed with any mental illness on the psychopathology spectrum, though. THC has been shown to cause psychosis and acute anxiety in some users, and with the yet-unregulated market, you cannot always be sure what's in your CBD product.
To be safe, stick with reputable brands (with lab reports showing what's inside), or get a doctor's recommendation.
How Can I Be Sure I'm Buying a Quality Product?
Well, you'll have to take some responsibility for this one. As mentioned several times, hemp product manufacturing and sales are not yet properly regulated. So it’s best to do your homework and shop wisely.
We collated some good pointers for you.
i) BUY ORGANIC. That way, you get to avoid commercial pesticides, antibiotics, and artificial growth hormones. You want to protect your body from these, as studies suggest that they can cause cancer. Also, organic hemp won't be genetically modified.
Jennifer Chait, writing for The Balance Small Business, explains how to check for real organic material in your CBD products. [8]
Foods that meet USDA organic standards are "certified organic," also sometimes called "USDA-certified organic." Organic food in the United States can be identified when the following conditions are met:
- The product bears the official USDA organic seal.
- The product has been certified organic.
- The product contains 95 percent or more organic ingredients.
ii) BUY HEMP-DERIVED. You’ll want this instead of cannabis or marijuana-derived—an important distinction. You want to stay on the right side of the law and regulations.
iii) BUY CO2-EXTRACTED. Not your cheapest option, but you can be sure that you'll get the purest, most potent CBD. This is the best full-spectrum extraction method, and it’s also the most environmentally friendly in use.
iv) BUY WHOLE-PLANT. Also called "full-spectrum CBD," this product will contain a legal amount of THC (0.3%) and some of the other healthy cannabis compounds. The reason for this mix is its potent absorption and efficacy, as these compounds all work well together.
That said—a CBD isolate is not bad or ineffective. It's just difficult to dose due to the so-called "Bell-curve dose-response." In layman's terms: unless you take exactly the right amount, the product loses potency. This can be a problem, as CBD dosing standards are far from set, which means you'd be left to experiment on your own.
v) BUY FROM TRUSTWORTHY VENDORS. Ethical sellers won't make wild claims and promise you health nirvana on their labels or websites. Science still needs to prove most of the healthful indications beyond a doubt. And that's a long, rigorous process.
Also, they'll be transparent about their certification and the extraction process (some methods are really toxic), and you'll get a general sense of trustworthiness simply by looking at the marketing material.
Here's what the watchdog has to say about regulations: [9]
- The FDA has approved only one CBD product, a prescription drug product to treat two rare, severe forms of epilepsy.
- It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to a food or labeling it as a dietary supplement.
- The FDA has seen only limited data about CBD safety, and these data point to real risks that need to be considered before taking CBD for any reason.
- Some CBD products are being marketed with unproven medical claims and are of unknown quality.
- The FDA will continue to update the public as it learns more about CBD.
Conclusion
In conclusion—remember to have fun shopping for CBD! CBD gifts are the kind of gift that doesn't stop giving. Also, don’t forget to spoil yourself this holiday season.
Resources:
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476
- https://animalpeopleforum.org/2019/09/13/cbd-and-pets-whats-the-story/
- https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-does-cbd-skincare-work
- https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessicaprobus/best-cbd-gifts-and-hemp-oil-benefits
- http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/865774/food+drugs+law/Recap+on+the+State+of+the+Hemp+Industry
- http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x/866054/food+drugs+law/USDA+Releases+Interim+Hemp+Regulations
- https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd
- https://www.thebalancesmb.com/when-is-organic-really-organic-2538312
- https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/what-you-need-know-and-what-were-working-find-out-about-products-containing-cannabis-or-cannabi
