CBD Gummies: Everything You Need to Know
CBD and its many benefits are the talks of the town. And as CBD oils and edibles started swamping the market in recent years, so did CBD gummies. Some of the potential health benefits of CBD include relief from pain, anxiety, stress, seizures, and sleep issues.
Read on to find answers to the most frequently asked questions like how CBD gummies work, dosing, legal status, pros, and cons, etc in this content.
What are CBD Gummies?
CBD gummies are sweet, chewy candies that contain cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is a compound found in hemp. It’s one of the many cannabinoids present in this plant, and it’s non-intoxicating.
Manufacturers use different extracts when making CBD gummies. Some gummies contain CBD isolate, while others use broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD. As the name might suggest, CBD isolate gummies contain only CBD and no other component from the hemp plant.
Contrarily, full-spectrum CBD gummies have CBD, THC, and many other compounds from hemp that have beneficial effects. Broad-spectrum CBD gummies are the same as full-spectrum. But, they don’t contain THC.
How do CBD Gummies Work?
CBD works by activating your endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS works to keep our internal environment in a state of homeostasis or balance. It’s responsible for many bodily processes, including metabolism, pain perception, motor coordination, immune responses, cognition, and sleep.
ECS is made up of cannabinoid receptors, specifically CB1 and CB2. CBD activates the ECS indirectly through a channel of receptors present in our central and peripheral nervous systems.
Cannabinoids interact with the ECS in different ways. Some bind directly to both CB receptors, while others trigger one of them.
In the case of CBD, it doesn’t bind to these receptors. Instead, it uses other pathways to enhance the functions of the endocannabinoid system.
Potential Health Benefits of CBD Gummies
When browsing online for buying CBD gummies, you can find CBD gummies advertised for anxiety, depression, pain, inflammation, improving sleep and many more.
Most of the time people usually take CBD gummies for a quick relief from anxiety. Some may find the anxiety-relieving properties of these gummies indirectly boosting their sleep. There may be some truth to it, as most CBD users are claiming to have experienced the effects. However, there is likely to be a strong placebo effect. This is why more research is required to have a concrete conclusion about the benefits of CBD. One thing to note is that only one CBD product (Epidiolex) has been FDA approved to treat epilepsy.
Pros of CBD Gummies
CBD gummies have a host of benefits. CBD, by itself, has many therapeutic benefits, which we will not go into. We will talk about the pros of CBD gummies over other consumption methods.
Long-lasting: When you take CBD gummies, your stomach and liver break them down slowly over a long period. This process results in a longer-lasting effect than other methods like vaping.
Easy to Dose: CBD gummies are available pre-dosed. They contain an exact amount of CBD. As a result, you know how much you’re taking.
Delicious Taste: CBD gummies taste delicious. That makes the whole idea of consuming CBD enjoyable.
Discreet to Use: Vaping at the workplace or a public space may not be appropriate. But you can nibble CBD gummies at these places, and no one will care.
Cons of CBD Gummies
- CBD gummies are less suitable for persons seeking immediate effect because it takes a long time to take effect.
- Gummies may not be the perfect product for people with allergies such as gluten or gelatine allergies.
- They may contain undesirable ingredients like artificial colorings and flavorings.
How Many CBD Gummies Should You Take?
CBD gummies are neither addictive nor toxic. So, it’s unlikely you will experience any terrible effects. However, you don’t want to take too much. At high doses, CBD can make you feel drowsy. You want to consider this when driving or doing anything else that requires focus.
Generally, the recommendation is to take one or two gummies at a time. CBD gummies are tasty, so it’s easy to get carried away and take much more than you intend to. Because of that, you want to be cautious.
After taking one or two gummies, you must wait for a while before taking some more. The effect of CBD gummies takes some time to kick in. Once you experience the effect, it’s left for you to increase or decrease your dose.
Do CBD Gummies Make You High?
Since CBD gummies come from the cannabis plant, many people are concerned about their psychoactive effects. The short answer is No; CBD gummies will not get you high.
The cannabis plant has different compounds, with CBD and THC being the most well-researched. CBD is a non-intoxicating compound, unlike its cousin compound, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). So, CBD gummies will not make you high.
You may be wondering, what about full-spectrum CBD gummies? Well, full-spectrum CBD gummies contain no more than 0.3% THC. So, this amount is not enough to cause any feeling of high or intoxication.
How CBD Gummies are Made?
Manufacturers extract CBD from hemp plants using one of many processes. The common extraction technique is solvent extraction. The industry-leading method of extracting CBD is the supercritical CO2 extraction method. Top brands in the industry use this technique because it’s clean and doesn’t leave behind impurities in the end product.
After filtration and purification, you have an extract that contains all the cannabinoids you want in your product. Apart from CBD and cannabinoids, companies add other ingredients to make CBD gummies. One of these is pectin. Pectin gives these gummies their distinct texture.
Other ingredients include sweeteners, flavoring, oils, syrup, fruit juice, etc. What goes into the making of CBD gummies differs depending on the company.
Are CBD Gummies Legal?
Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, CBD products are legal at the federal level. The condition for the legality is the product must be from hemp and not marijuana.
Although CBD is legal federally, some states may have laws contrary to the federal government. So, you want to look up the legal status of CBD in your state.
CBD Gummies vs. Hemp Gummies
CBD gummies and hemp gummies differ only in name and not in content. Most brands call their products CBD gummies, while others use hemp instead. The reason for this difference is the complicated legal status of CBD.
In some states, the CBD situation is still murky. So, some retailers wouldn’t want to get involved with products labeled clearly as CBD.
Using hemp gummies in place of CBD gummies isn’t wrong since CBD gummies are from hemp plants.
Final Thoughts
CBD gummies can be a delicious and discreet way to get your CBD intake. It’s a perfect alternative for those who don’t like the nutty taste of hemp.
Keep in mind that when you eat your CBD, it takes some time before it gets to your bloodstream. However, the effect lasts longer than most consumption methods.
Whether you’re taking CBD gummies as an alternative to other CBD products or supplementing them, gummies are always a great addition. They come in varieties, so it’s easy to find a product that suits you best.