CBD—the non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in the hemp plant—is extremely neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory.
A person may use it to prevent conditions like arthritis or even acne breakouts.
“CBD shows significant promise for the future. It all boils down to educating people about the correct usage and understanding cannabis better,” says Dr. Shivani Amin—a physician and CBD expert who’s currently a member of the American Medical Marijuana Physicians Association (AMMPA).
Nearly 7% of Americans are already using CBD. However, be wary of the CBD products you buy and do your homework. Some products work while many don’t, mainly because of the lack of regulatory testing and QC within companies.
In order to avoid purchasing bogus products, you need to buy your goods in areas where CBD is legal as certain protocols, systems, and standards have already been put in place.
So, we went on a months-long mission to find various CBD tinctures, edibles, balms, and vapes. What we soon discovered was that CBD is no lightning bolt cure.
Think of cannabidiol as taking maintenance meds: you need to consume it daily—in a dose that works for you—to notice the benefits. For instance, capsules or edibles like CBD Gummies are a great way to consume CBD regularly.
That being said, let’s check out some of the best CBD products of 2019 with the highest marks from cannabis experts.
CBD Gumdrops
If you like good packaging, then you’ll be drawn to Lord Jones’ gumdrops immediately.
They are infused with broad spectrum CBD. It’s convenient for those who travel a lot and may want to take CBD while out. These gummies are very delicious—a little overly sweet but that’s never a bad thing.
CBD Honey
If you’re someone who loves to eat, drink and cook with honey, then Potli CBD honey is the product for you.
Here are a couple of things you can do with it:
- Put it on ricotta toast along with some figs
- Use it to sweeten your tea or coffee
- Make a sauce or salad dressing with it
- Dump spoonfuls of the honey on your breakfast oatmeal or yogurt—then top the whole thing off with berries
Anything goes, really. In fact, you can eat it right out of the jar if you want. Just make sure to mind your dosage.
CBD-Infused Olive Oil
For home cooks, we recommend CBD extra virgin olive oil as it is known to be versatile. You can drizzle it on almost anything; from salad to pizza and ice cream. You can even make a miso-honey glaze with it.
Pot d’Huile was founded by Yannick Crespo. It’s stellar and tastes the way good EVOO should—with no “green” cannabis aftertaste.
Crespo attributes its non-compromising flavor with the ethanol extraction process, which is a little expensive compared to the locally-sourced oil from Northern California. It’s such a good flavor that Pot d’Huile hosts pop-up dinners with chefs on a regular basis.
Moreover, Pot d’Huile makes dosing very easy: 1 mg of CBD per 1 ml of olive oil. You just need measuring spoons to incorporate CBD EVOO into your meals.
CBD + THC Bars
When it comes to edibles, Kiva espresso dark chocolate and ginger dark chocolate are among the best products on the market. They have enough CBD and THC to help ward off fatigue and jet lag.
You can take them when you’re extra sore from running or Krav Maga. It also does wonders for inflammation and pain.
However, it would be a disservice if we only mentioned Kiva’s delicious chocolates. They also offer Camino gummies, of which the wild berry and sparkling pear, are great. The bites blueberries are amazing too.
Also, a single dose is low enough, so when paired with a CBD-only confection like Lord Jones’ gummies, there isn’t really a high. You get a pleasant mellowness which radiates throughout your body. It’s almost akin to a mild boozy buzz—in a pleasant way, of course.
Valhalla Confections CBD-Infused Gummies
One key factor we considered when narrowing down this roundup is the flavor. Nobody wants to consume something that tastes remotely medicinal, which is why flavor comes in second to dosage.
Valhalla’s Tropical Twist is tasty and dosed conveniently: the gummies contain just enough CBD and THC to ease your pain and promote quick recovery. Since it packs flat, it’s much easier to stash and carry around.
CBD Sparkling Drink
Even if you’re not a big fan of CBD drinks, this will make you think otherwise.
In the cannabis world, THC and CBD drinks abound: There’s CBD Living Water, Lagunitas HiFi Hops, Vybes, Recess, Kikoko Tea, Somatik Cold Brew, and more.
However, Aurora Elixirs is what you will be drawn to. It’s marketed as a mixer for when someone wants to make cocktails. It’s also perfectly fine on its own. You can pop it in the fridge to cool and then drink whenever you want to. No complicated garnish or recipe required.
CBD Relief Pineapple & Coconut Gummies
This is just the thing you need when you’re looking for a “light” reprieve from utter discomfort. Or, if you’re trying a CBD: THC edible for the first time—without the unpleasant side effects.
It’s also convenient when you’re taking CBD regularly as maintenance. What we’re trying to say is that Plus’ pineapple & coconut gummies will do you no harm. It’s a completely safe bet, especially for beginners.
Chocolate Taffy
Cheeba Chews has a huge fan base because of its potency and consistent dosage. Each minuscule 1:1 chew contains 50 mg of CBD and 50 mg of THC—you need to consume it with caution.
Here’s how you can do it: Place the taffy in the freezer for 3 to 5 minutes, then cut it into tenths. This will provide a reasonable dose of approximately 5 mg of CBD and THC per piece.
Under no circumstance should you consume the whole chew—depending on your level of tolerance, you may experience anxiety, palpitations, or a normal sense of being mentally indisposed.
Consider having 2 small pieces, and that is on a bad day. Too much of it can make you feel unstable. No relatively healthy person needs or wants 50 mg of THC.
Sparks Goji Berry
If you want something ultra-low dose, these Somatik Sparks Goji Berries are the way to go.
At 2 mg CBD and 1 mg THC per piece, there is no going wrong. In fact, it’s more delicious than Plus’ pineapple & coconut gummies. Keep in mind though, they’re beyond tasty, which makes it easier to forget that they contain cannabis.
The organic berries are sourced from Tibet via Imlak’esh Organics. Simply put, the chocolate complements them perfectly.
Balance Hemp-Based CBD Nutraceutical
Mighty Health’s Balance formula is what you need if you don’t care for olive oil, tinctures, vapes, gummies, or chocolate.
Balance comes in the form of capsules. While it contains a good amount of CBD, it’s not really a CBD-only-pill. It’s a nutraceutical, which technically isn’t recognized as a separate category by the FDA. Instead, nutraceuticals are somewhat treated like dietary supplements.
This one, in particular, contains L-Theanine, ashwagandha, curcumin, and theobromine. Yes, it may sound very “goop-y,” but the most important thing here is the per-capsule CBD content, which is a perfect dose at 10 mg.
