CBD oils, tinctures, and capsules have gained immense popularity as a nutritional supplement thanks to their ability to relieve pain, treat anxiety, and help you to get a better sleep. Within this massive market there has developed a large selection of CBD edibles. You can purchase gummy bears, chocolates, hard candies, and you can even find retailers selling CBD infused coffees and martinis. So what’s the difference between CBD edibles and oils and what do you need to know about them before buying some CBD soaked snacks for yourself?
What’s the Appeal of CBD Edibles?
The big question is, why eat an edible over using a simple CBD oil? There are a few reasons why edibles are more appealing to many people. One of the biggest reasons is that they’re simply much more pleasant to take. Some people enjoy the earthy flavor of CBD oils but many don’t. Dosing some yummy snacks with a full serving of CBD oil gives you all the benefits of the oil with no cannabis flavored aftertaste.
Edibles are also incredibly discreet. Hemp extract isn’t a controlled substance but not everyone fully understands the difference between CBD and THC or marijuana. If you want to microdose your CBD, making sure you get a steady dose throughout your day, but you want to take some in the office or while you’re out in public, CBD edibles simply look like a delicious snack.
Another benefit, similar to CBD capsules, is that you don’t need to try to figure out your dose. If one CBD gummy bear has 15 mg of CBD, then you’re getting 15 mg of CBD when you eat one gummy bear. No messy dropper full of oil, no measuring out how much oil you need to take, you simply eat a gummy and know you had your daily dose.
How Do CBD Edibles Work?
CBD edibles work a little differently than vaping CBD or by ingesting an oil sublingually under your tongue. When you eat the oil, through an edible or a capsule, you subject it to the first-pass effect, allowing your metabolism to break down some of the CBD before it reaches your bloodstream. A good way to reduce this effect and to increase the bioavailability of the CBD is to add some medium and long-chain triglycerides (fatty acids) to your diet when ingesting CBD edibles. These fatty acids, found in coconut oils and avocados, will help carry the CBD directly to your bloodstream rather than allowing it to be broken down by your digestive enzymes.
When you ingest CBD it can take longer for the cannabinoid to take effect but it also means that the results will last longer. Sometimes it can be helpful to take an inhalant or sublingual method for immediate results and combine their dosage with a longer lasting edible to maintain the prolonged effects of CBD.
Everyone’s metabolism is different and it can be hard to determine how much anyone should take or how long the effects will last. Starting with low amounts and working your way up will allow you to determine how much is right for you and your specific needs. More isn’t always better so keep track of how you feel, what your symptoms are like, and when you feel the most relief in order to properly determine the amount that works best for you. Keeping a journal can be incredibly helpful when you’re first getting to know what your perfect dose of CBD might be.
How to Choose CBD Edibles
As with any type of CBD product on the market right now there are countless options available and they’re all marketed to work miracles. It can be difficult to choose which product is genuine and which one will work best for you. The market is highly unregulated at this time so you need to be a little bit careful when you’re shopping for a new CBD product.
One of the best ways to determine if a product is legitimate, effective, and reputable is by checking out their third party lab reports. A company that does not supply these on their website or who will not provide them upon request may not be selling a quality product or may have something they wish to hide. Companies that supply third party lab reports are usually much more trustworthy because they’re willing to show you exactly what’s in their products and they’re generally proud of the superb quality they provide. These reports should be recent, definitely within the past year, and should show how much CBD and THC is in their product, as well as other cannabinoids, terpenes, and potentially harmful substances.
When buying an edible, look closely at the price of the product as well as the CBD content. You want to make sure you’re getting a good value versus strength by determining how much total CBD is in the edible you’re purchasing. Pay attention to how much CBD is in a bottle of gummies or other type of edible and also determine how much CBD is in each dose. If buy a bottle of 200 gummy bears but there is only 200 mg of CBD in the bottle, you’ll need to eat 20 gummies to get 20 mg of CBD. Consider the amount of edible you’ll want to ingest in ratio to the amount of CBD you’ll be receiving.
How Much to Take
It can be a little tricky figuring out how much CBD you should take. Your best bet is to start low and work your way up. Typically, people take anywhere from 5 mg to 25 mg per serving. Because you can’t really control your dose with an edible, you’ll want to make sure you’re buying something that allows you to ingest the specific amount you intend to at any given time. You can cut a gummy in half in order to control the dosage, but it’s a good idea to buy a product that allows you to easily control your mg of CBD by simply eating that amount of that edible.
CBD capsules can be very similar to CBD edibles in that there is a set amount of CBD in every portion and that they both work slowly to take effect but provide longer lasting results. Microdosing with CBD edibles allows you to maintain a specific level of CBD within your system throughout the day while also enjoying a tasty and conveniently discreet snack.
