Cannabidiol (CBD) gummies are some of the most popular and most prevalent CBD products out there. There are a lot of people out there who are very interested in them for reasons we will get into in a minute. But if you are new to the world of CBD, it is hard to know what you should look for in a CBD gummy. This article is here to help guide you to the right gummy for you.
What is a Strain exactly?
If you’re tangentially familiar with the Cannabis market, you’ve probably heard the word, “strains” before. And you’ve probably had lots of fun with the names of some Cannabis strains too! “Purple haze,” “Maui Waui,” and “Sour Diesel” just to name a few. While the word strain has a specific definition in biology, most consumers can just think of a strain like the specific flavor. Knowing marijuana’s strain can tell a savvy consumer about the cannabinoid, terpene, and flavonoid profile of any given plant. Those words just mean taste, flavor, smell, and effects.
Every Cannabis plant is one strain or another. The Cannabis plants which are used to make CBD gummies (a non-psychoactive cousin called industrial hemp”) are no exception. However, CBD gummies at similar dosages and potencies tend to have more or less the same effects and flavor will vary more based on the sweeteners used in the gummies than the strain of the hemp used to make the CBD.
Who wants to know what CBD is?
Hopefully, you do, because here at Panacea Life Sciences, we like to be sure that you understand the basics before heading into the more nitty-gritty details of CBD.
CBD is a chemical compound known as a cannabinoid. These are compounds that are found in the cannabis plants hemp and marijuana. There are over 113 cannabinoids found in the plants, CBD being just one of them. There is also another cannabinoid that is worth noting, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
You likely have heard of THC, because of the effect it has on people. It is psychoactive. That means that it creates a certain degree of inebriation more commonly referred to as a “high.” In fact, it is the cannabinoid that creates the high that is so often associated with cannabis. Since they are both cannabinoids, THC and CBD often get lumped together, making people think that CBD can cause a high. However, this is an erroneous line of thought. CBD is not psychoactive. It will not cause any inebriation or high.
CBD was officially legalized in the United States in December of 2018. This happened as a result of the 2018 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is a law that gets reviewed every five years and has an effect on what farmers can grow and sell. That year the bill included a revision that legalized the growing and selling of hemp. This had a major impact on CBD as hemp is bred to have more CBD and little THC (less than 0.3%, in fact). Hemp is basically the opposite of marijuana which has low levels of CBD and high levels of THC, which makes it less than ideal for extracting CBD. The 2018 Farm Bill effectively made any product made with hemp and containing less than 0.3% THC content legal to sell across the country.
This may leave you wondering why people even take CBD. What is the appeal of the cannabinoid? To answer that let’s look at some recent studies that have been done on CBD’s effects. To start with, this study found that CBD had a significant calming effect on people about to engage in a stressful activity. This means CBD may be able to provide you with a greater sense of calm. Another study found that CBD was greatly able to help reduce inflammation caused by oxidative stress. This is good news for people who struggle with the mobility issues and discomfort caused by inflammation, as it suggests that CBD may be able to help improve those issues. These are just a couple of examples of the studies that have been done exploring the many potential benefits that CBD may offer.
So, now you have a better understanding of what CBD is, let’s talk about what is so great about CBD gummies.
What are CBD gummies?
CBD gummies are pretty much exactly what they sound like. They are gummy candy made with CBD. They can be in traditional gummy shapes (like worms or bears), but more often they are in shapes that resemble vitamin gummies.
The appeal of this particular kind of CBD product depends on the person. Some people prefer gummies because of the taste. Most gummies are made with some kind of fruit flavoring. Many find this more pleasant than the earthy flavor that CBD tends to have. If you have tried CBD but could not get past the taste, you may want to give gummies a shot.
Another reason that people like gummies is that it is easy to control how much CBD you take. CBD gummies are usually made with the exact same amount of CBD in every gummy. This way you always know how much you take. This is easier than products like tinctures, which are easy to accidentally give yourself a little bit more or less than you want.
One downside of gummies is that they take a little while to start working. Because the gummy has to break down and digest it can be a little while before the CBD can enter the system and start its work. If you are looking for something a bit faster, you may want to consider trying a CBD product like a tincture or a tablet as those tend to be quicker.
Despite the fact that gummies can be rather slow when it comes to starting to work, they are still very popular for some good reasons. If you are looking for a CBD product that is easy to control and tastes good, then gummies are for you.
What different strains are there for gummies?
Anyone who has dealt with CBD before likely knows that CBD is often not just CBD. There are three main kinds of CBD extract out there. You can find CBD gummies in each kind, so no matter what you are looking for from your gummy, you can get it. The three different kinds of extract are CBD isolate, broad-spectrum, and full-spectrum. The names of the extracts refer to what else is in the extract with the CBD. Let’s go into more detail about what that means.
CBD isolate
CBD isolate is simply that; CBD that has been isolated from everything else. There are no other compounds, no other cannabinoids in the extract. This strain of CBD is often reported to not be as strong as its compound-rich counterparts. However, there are many who also say that CBD isolate provides a “purer” CBD experience, without the haze of other cannabinoids and compounds.
Broad-spectrum
Broad-spectrum is pretty different from CBD isolate. It has almost all of the compounds and cannabinoids that come out of the hemp plant with the CBD during the extraction process. The one exception is that any THC that may come with the CBD is taken out. This way, you can get a stronger effect without any worry of THC having an effect (though it is unlikely that the THC in most CBD products would have any effect on the user).
Full-spectrum
This is the CBD strain with the highest number of other cannabinoids and compounds. In fact, this is the kind that keeps all of the other things that come with the CBD during the extraction, including THC. However, if this is a concern for you, no need to worry. The THC concentration cannot be more than 0.3%, which is not enough to cause a high. This kind of CBD extract is considered to be the strongest due to the Entourage Effect. This is when compounds build on each other to create a stronger effect.
Depending on how strong of an effect you are looking for, you may want CBD isolate, or you may want full-spectrum. You may even want to try a few different kinds, just to get an idea of which one works best for you.
How do I know how many CBD gummies to take?
This question can be a little tricky to answer. CBD sits differently with each person. Some people require a lot, some a little. So, how do you know which you need? Well, you do not know until you start taking it. But this needs to be done carefully as CBD does have some side effects that are associated with taking too much.
These side effects are not usually life threatening, however they still are not fun to deal with. They tend to include things like fatigue and nausea. When taking CBD, if you start noticing side effects like that, you know you are taking too much. However, there is no need to take CBD until you notice negative effects.
The best way to avoid side effects is by starting the amount of CBD you take as low as possible. Depending on the gummies you buy that may be one gummy or it may even be only half of a gummy. It is best to start with that little amount and see how it sits with you. If it does not have any negative effects, but still does not give you the effect that you are looking for then you can start taking more. This process could take days or even weeks. You will need to be patient, but it will be worth it.
Now that you know all you need to about CBD gummies, all that is left is deciding what strain of CBD you want and what kind of flavor sounds good to you. We would recommend our CBD Cherry Bombs. They are made with broad-spectrum CBD, formulated for maximum potency, and have a fantastic cherry flavor. You can check them out here.
