CBD-Laced Food and Drink: What You Should Know

CBD offers tons of benefits which is why it isn’t surprising to find CBD-laced products just about everywhere. Whether you’re scanning your local shop’s beauty aisle for an effective cream for your sensitive skin or you’re searching the internet for a vaping oil to calm your anxiety, you’re bound to find a CBD product along the way.

With such demand, CBD getting into food and drinks is quite expected, usually referred to as CBD-laced. CBD in chocolates, coffee drinks, and even ice cream makes it easier and more convenient to consume one’s daily CBD dose.

But, here’s the thing.

If you consider the federal level, it’s still illegal to have CBD in food and drinks. The country’s Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act is still not allowing it to be added to either human or animal food.

While the Farm Bill of 2018 technically legalizes hemp. However, cannabidiol derived from hemp still has an unclear status when you consider its legality. This is because CBD can come from two sources- cannabis and hemp.

If the hemp plant happens to have more than the legally allowed THC content which is 0.3 percent, then it’s technically considered as marijuana. And you know the country’s stand when it comes to marijuana and the effects it produces.

Despite the conflicting views and unclear legal status of CBD in foods and beverages, a lot of companies, cafes, and restaurants are still rushing to sell CBD-laced products. Most of them are bravely ignoring the warning issued by the FDA and similar authorities while others just put their trust on the loopholes of the law.

The Booming Business of CBD & CBD-Laced Food/Drink

One of the obvious reasons why CBD companies continue to do business is because of the booming success of the industry. In 2016, CBD sales were recorded at $262 million. By 2022, it’s expected to hit $22 billion.

It seems like everyone wants a piece of that, particularly those in the food industry.

While it’s good for business, it’s not really the same thing for the health of consumers.

There are tons of products on the market today and most of them don’t possess the therapeutic dose of about 500 to 1000mg of CBD. Most brands aren’t properly labeled, as well.

And without strict regulations, you could be taking CBD-laced food or drink that can cause negative interactions with the medicines you’re taking.

Sounds scary, right?

If you are really tempted to consume a CBD-laced food or drink, it’s important that you are buying it from a trusted source. Ask for test results or certificates of analysis to make sure that they are really selling products with high-quality CBD.

It’s also a good way of making sure that the food or drink you’re consuming has the legally allowed amount of THC. This is highly important if you’ll be undergoing routine drug testing.

Asking for lab results can also help ensure that you’re not consuming anything that has lead or pesticides in them.

Also, keep in mind the right dosage for you.

You see, people have different reactions to CBD and CBD-laced food and drink. If you’re new to it, it’s a good idea to start taking any food or drink with CBD with a small amount. That way, you’ll be able to gauge the intensity of its effects as well as your body’s reaction to it.

CBD-Laced Foods and Drinks: Does It Work?

Lotions, creams, balms with CBD are considered to be better than CBD-laced foods and drinks. And this is because of their composition and nature.

You see, CBD can go straight to the tissues of your skin after its applied. When you consume it orally, it’s a different story.

Consider this:

When you buy a CBD tincture, you’ll be told to take it by putting a few drops of it under your tongue. You’re not really supposed to swallow it.

For the tincture to be effective, you need to keep it under your tongue for a couple of minutes. Otherwise, you won’t be able to completely absorb it.

This is because oil is hard to mix with water. So if you put your CBD oil in a drink, most of it will just be metabolized by your intestines and liver enzymes. They will break down a huge portion of the oil so you won’t be able to absorb it.

And if your body fails to absorb it, you won’t be able to benefit from it.

Another issue is stability.

Even if a binding agent is used, the water and oil are still bound to separate from each other at some point. And once that happens, sedimentation can occur and that will likely decrease the oil’s bioavailability.

Final Thoughts on CBD-Laced Food and Drink

The industry isn’t well-regulated so it will be up to you if you still want to try CBD-laced foods and drinks. If you feel that you and your condition will benefit from them, then go ahead and try them out.

Just make sure that you consider two things- their legality and your safety.

CBD, although effective, still needs to be pure and has good quality for it to provide its intended effects. Buying CBD products with low quality will obviously provide undesirable results.

If you don’t want to risk your safety, then consider trying out other CBD products. There are CBD creams you can use for chronic pain and CBD vaping oil for relieving stress quickly. You can also try CBD tinctures which are easier for the body to absorb.