Editor’s Note: In the second part of our series of first-person accounts about CBD oil, author Haddayr Copley-Woods explains how she learned to research CBD oil. In the previous installment, Annalise Mabe told us about using CBD for Crohn’s disease. -KO

“You’ve turned into a filthy hippy,” my son told me as I drove him to school yesterday morning. “You think weed cures everything.”

“I don’t think it cures everything,” I said.

“And,” I added with the enormous dignity appropriate to my age and station in life (48, crippled, insane, living paycheck-to-paycheck), “I’m too young to be a hippy. Also, it’s not weed. It’s hemp.”

“It’s the same plant,” he said with obnoxious adolescent assurance.

“No, it isn’t,” I said.

“It’s a different strain, but the same plant,” he said, rolling his eyes. Moms don’t know anything.

“No, it isn’t — infinity plus one,” I said.

“Okay,” he said, getting out of the car, “but there is no such thing as infinity plus one. And maybe look it up. Ya damned hippy.”

HOW TO RESEARCH CBD WHEN YOU DON’T LIKE MARIJUANA

So that’s how I wound up writing YOU WERE RIGHT I WAS WRONG on the Facebook page he only keeps to humor me a few days later.

Same species: “cannabis sativa,” different strain.

Because I’m now using CBD oil regularly, it was SO important to me that it not be the same. Because, you see, my mom was actually a hippy. And years ago, when a traitorous sister told her that I’d tried pot, she called me on the pay phone at my college dorm, weeping with joy. “You know,” she said. “Now you understand.”

“I was stoned,” I said. “I understand that I was stoned.”

And I hung up on her.

See, my mom likes to feel altered. While pot is what she thought made me Deep and understand the Mysteries of the Universe, she mainly prefers alcohol.

Related: I have complex PTSD from a rough childhood. And I HATE feeling out of control in any way. When your childhood feels like one big mess you’re endlessly failing to clean up, and the adults are so out of control that you feel that you have to create order yourself (but you have no skills to do it), when you experience gaslighting so thorough that you can’t even trust your own instincts or memories — you sometimes become a control freak.

Well, I did, at any rate.

The feeling I got the first time I tried pot: that I couldn’t control the hysterical laughter, like I couldn’t trust my eyes or my thoughts or my sensations — it was far too familiar of a feeling.

I don’t want to feel that way ever again.

Not a hippy. Not by a long shot.

WHY I NEEDED CBD: HOW I GOT MYSELF INTO THIS

The accident happened so slowly that I was able to think: “I’ll bet this is going to be fun to watch,” before I fell.

I was biking illegally on US Bank Plaza in downtown Minneapolis, like you do, looking around for an address which wound up being (duh) the US Bank Building. I was biking so slowly I could barely stay upright, keeping my eyes peeled for pedestrians and craning my neck at addresses, which is why I missed the very short yet very solid concrete driving barrier directly in front of me.

“Huh,” I thought. “I’m going to crash. Maybe I should put down my foot or brake or something.”

Instead, I hit the barrier with a delicate bump that could hardly be called a crash and then verrrrryyyyy   slooooooooow w w w w lyyyyy fell to the ground, twisting so that I fell on my back.

I lay there for a while, contemplating my folly and looking up at the beautiful blue sky with perfect puffy cartoon clouds framed by skyscrapers.

“Wow,” I said aloud. “Wow. Even for me, that was impressive. Wow wow wow.”

Very soon, a small group of people surrounded me, asking if I were all right.

“If you have some liniment.” I quoted from the classic science fiction novel “A Wrinkle in Time” as I scrambled out from under the bicycle and onto my feet, then continued, “I’ll put it on my dignity. I think it’s sprained.”

I have this quote well in-hand not only because I am a giant nerd but also because I fall down in public a LOT. In addition to PTSD, I have a mobility disorder, and I love to bike, and I apparently make bad decisions.

“Well,” said a man whose outstretched hand I’d declined as I rose, “It was a very graceful fall!”

See? I told you. Fun to watch.

HOW LINGERING PAIN LEAD ME TO RESEARCH CBD

I could tell I had a very minor concussion (my Very Storied Past has made me a connoisseur of concussions) based on the sort of pixelated overly-bright world around me. My butt hurt.

After sitting down on a hard plastic chair for three hours of instruction, I requested a standing desk at work.

After a while, I was rocking and letting out teeny tiny moans much like I had years ago when in the early stages of labor.

So I took some Advil and Tylenol, which are the drugs I used to combat my post-C-section pain sixteen years ago because I hated the experience of Vicodin so much. Anyway, they were enough. I am not macho about this; I just have a very high pain tolerance. Usually, they take care of anything life can throw at me.

This time, they didn’t even make a dent in my pain.

“I’m friends with a lot of potheads, and they love me very much and want to help.”

My doctor, who is excellent, told me to ice it, referred me to physical therapy, and sent me home. (We had already rejected opiates — she knows my background and my need to feel alert at all times. Hypervigilance, they call it.)

So I asked friends for pain control advice.

DANG I’m friends with a lot of potheads, and they love me very much and want to help.

I turned them down for the reasons outlined above, and I was very skeptical when some suggested hemp oil. But after several people suggested CBD oil for my pain and my anxiety, I started to google.

“Do your research!” Everything I read told me.

So, first I turned to the experts.

WHAT MEDICAL EXPERTS SAY ABOUT CBD OIL

Does CBD oil help anxiety?

Cincinnati-area psychiatrist Andrew Nachum Klafter, MD, HATES pot.

“Marijuana is a terrible drug for your brain,” he says. “Absolutely awful. It saps all your motivation. It’s incredibly addictive. It messes up your brain really badly.”

Except he didn’t say ‘messes.’

While I’m not quoting him as stating a fact (studies are conflicted on this one), I wanted you, Dear Reader, to understand that he hates pot even more than I do.

“It’s figuring out what’s going to work for you. When it comes to ways to helping people feel better, why wouldn’t we want to do that?”

And yet, Klafter feels differently about CBD oil. Some patients tell him that it helps with anxiety. “There aren’t good studies on efficacy,” he says, “but the studies I have seen have convinced me that CBD oil, assuming that’s what they are buying, is probably relatively safe.”

St. Louis Park-based Kathleen Mathews, LICSW, is also concerned about her patient’s safety, and has found online research bewildering.

“That said, I’ve seen enough anecdotal evidence that it’s something that I probably will suggest to some people with sleep issues, PTSD, and anxiety,” says Mathews.

She is quick to say she doesn’t believe it’s a miracle cure.

“I know it doesn’t work for everyone. But (psychiatric) meds don’t work for everybody. It’s figuring out what’s going to work for you. When it comes to ways to helping people feel better, why wouldn’t we want to do that?”

Does CBD Oil help pain?

Since my primary concern at first was pain, I turned to a family practice doc to talk about that.

“I have heard from patients that the use of cannabidiol is somewhat effective for pain relief and anxiety,” says Minneapolis doctor Jared Frandson, MD, “so I have suggested that patients could seek this out as an alternative to medical cannabis from a dispensary … which is very expensive.”

Outside of this specific application, Frandson is not so sure about recommending it to clients. “There are few large randomized trials on cannabidiol and the ones that I’ve seen are relatively small and have mixed results,” he says.

How much CBD Oil should I take?

Because the supplement industry is not regulated by the FDA, Frandson also doesn’t know where to tell his patients to get quality CBD oil or how much they should take — although one interesting study suggests that a middling dose rather than a very high or very low one is best for anxiety.

Why aren’t there large studies on CBD oil?

“I think the larger barrier is the fact that it’s still considered a Schedule I controlled substance,” says Frandson.

Outside of one very narrow and recent exception to this rule, this designation places hemp and CBD in the same category as drugs such as heroin and meth, and puts a near halt to most studies in the U.S. Applying for permission has been extremely cumbersome if not impossible over the past decades.

Part of Frandson and Klafter’s worries are about whether or not their patients are getting actual CBD oil. “I would want to have some reassurance that the product itself is what it says it is and that it is pure,” says Frandson.

MEDICAL EXPERTS ON THE FUTURE OF CBD

Andrew Klafter can see a future for CBD oil-derived pharmaceuticals for anxiety and PTSD.

“I’m confident that sometime in the next ten years we will see FDA-approved medications,” he says.

There are a few reasons for that.

First, the DEA has attempted to smooth its application process for large research institutions seeking to study Schedule I Drugs as of January of this year. Due to the popularity of CBD oil and explosion of the industry, it’s hard to imagine Big Pharma won’t salivate over that market.

Second, the DEA’s exception-to-the-rule approval of a CBD-based medication has opened the door to more companies getting this exception. Knowing that it’s possible to make a profit is going to be enticing.

Third, America is just getting fed up with the illegalization of cannabis. State after state is flouting the federal law, and it seems only a matter of time before the ban is lifted completely.

So if you prefer your medicines to be pharmaceutical, in ten years you just might be in luck.

Here’s the thing, though: I don’t prefer my medicines to be pharmaceutical. While I think there is a time and a place for the Medicine Industrial Complex (namely: emergency care, birth control, antibiotics, and vaccinations), a lot of this distillation and studying and patenting and distributing sounds a lot like barring me from what will help me NOW.

And even Frandson and Klafter, both MDs who are heavily invested in Western Medicine, suggest that people try CBD now, because they are both convinced at the very least that it is safe.

I get acupuncture for tendonitis and depression and I take goldenseal tincture to prevent colds, I use slippery elm bark for sore throats and dandelion root for bloating. I figured all of this stuff out without help from drug companies, and I found I could research CBD oil and safely try it without them, too.

In addition, the pharmaceuticalization of a plant could threaten existing growers and distributors, many of whom prefer to sell the whole plant (I will get into that later). There are reasons people search for healing on their own.

One of those reasons is cost: the oil I wound up buying is around $50-75 a month for what I needed. When this plant is ground down and separated and synthesized and someone puts a patent on it, you can bet your sore butt it will be many, many times that cost.

Yes — all the talk about how impossible it is to know what you’re really getting is intimidating. But it’s not really true.

HOW TO RESEARCH CBD OIL FOR YOURSELF

1. Search for scientific studies online

First, I googled the obvious: “CBD oil and pain studies,” “CBD oil and anxiety studies,” “CBD oil and PTSD studies.”

Particularly when it came to pain, it was impossible for me to separate CBD oil from marijuana, such as in this British study: Cannabinoids in the management of difficult to treat pain.

Nearly everything else I found was exactly what the MDs had told me: relatively small studies, mainly outside of the US, that were not double-blind or long enough to satisfy my science brain. Still, it was hopeful enough to make me want to try it anyway, because my butt HURT, man.

So I knew I wanted to do this.

2. Learn more about CBD oil

This wonderful article about finding the correct CBD oil helped me to understand the basic bones of the product: Top 5 Ways to Identify High Quality CBD Oil.

I knew I wanted:

• Oil distilled through pharmaceutical-grade ethanol or supercritical CO2 extraction.
• Hemp grown in the U.S.
• THC lower than 0.3 percent
• Full spectrum (the whole plant)
• Recent third-party lab results prominently displayed
• Vaping oil that did not contain Polyethylene or propylene glycol as thinning agents

3. Where to buy?

What company is reputable? How soon can I get my hands on some?

I mean by butt was on FIRE.

Knowing I wanted oral oil for pain (slower acting but longer lasting) and the vape for anxiety (shorter-lasting but nearly instantaneous), I googled Top Ten CBD Oil Companies, and I started inputting dates. Who was on several lists for multiple years? Why?

I created a list of companies that were on multiple lists for multiple years, or companies that had a long track record, and then narrowed down my search by my checklist above. I did some pricing comparisons (see ‘paycheck-to-paycheck’ above), I sent the companies I’d like to buy from questions and noted how complete and how fast their responses were, and decided who I’d buy from.

HOW CBD OIL WORKED ON MY PAIN

Then, I experimented on myself.

I’m going to admit that I had high hopes. I have always been the friend who helped loved ones with cancer find psychoactive cannabis, and I saw what pot did for their pain. It seemed like a miracle. (Oh, dang. Is my kid right about me being a hippy, too?)

But when I took the CBD oil — a nice big mouthful of the oral oil — it didn’t even make a dent in the pain. Not after I waited patiently for the hour several places online recommended.

Aw, damnit, I thought. I guess it has to have THC in it. I’ll take my equally useless Advil/Tylenol cocktail for reasons I can’t articulate and call it a night, even though I can’t sleep with this pain.

But somehow, the combination of Tylenol, Advil, and CBD oil DID make a dent in my pain. I was able to stay at my desk (still standing; I am not a superhero) without lamaze breathing. The pain stopped waking me up. I was just a lady with a pretty damn sore butt.

Googling around, I found a few other anecdotal stories of CBD oil making other pain relievers far more effective, and one or two studies saying the same thing. It was an enormous relief for me.

So I would say if you are a middle-aged mom who hates the feeling of being stoned because you have Issues and constantly have to drive your obnoxious, insulting kids around so you need to stay sharp and also probably the illegality of pot in your state gives you pause, go ahead and try some CBD oil with your Tylenol and Advil.

If CBD doesn’t help and, depending on the laws around you, you may need to investigate THC or other cannabinoids, which may have more effect on some kinds of pain.

HOW VAPING CBD OIL WORKED ON MY PTSD ANXIETY

This is the big OH MY GAWD moment.

My PTSD is pernicious — I am always hypervigilant, I have flashbacks in embarrassing awkward places. I freak out over stupid crap and then over nothing at all.

It affects my parenting, because I become so anxious I start snapping at my kids, or I freak out and tremble and freak them out. It affects my partnership, because living with someone who has PTSD has been likened to living with an alcoholic — despite my six years of treatment, you never know which person I’m going to be from minute-to-minute.

I take an antidepressant which helps the anxiety in a rather nebulous sort of way. I sometimes can control things with yogic breathing, but often it’s too late and I’m punching myself in the head, hyperventilating, and crying.

“Oh, honey,” she said. “You just don’t know what calm feels like.”

So I got the vape pen, and on my first incredibly anxious night I tried it.

Went out on the porch. Clicked the thing five times to activate the battery. Inhaled. Held it in my lungs for a long time. Exhaled.

And it was like an anvil came down out of nowhere and squashed the panic. It was just blocked. It was just gone.

“Are you sure I’m not high?” I asked my partner, five minutes later as I sat at the dinner table wondering if I had the munchies.

“Oh, honey,” she said. “You just don’t know what calm feels like.”

And that was it. The vape didn’t fog my brain. It didn’t draw a cloud of cotton over my hurt. It didn’t make me feel out of control. CBD just … stopped the panic. Instantly. And I felt calm. Peaceful. Still.

Writing this now, a month or so later, I am getting tears in my eyes over the simple fact of it.

SOME FINAL TIPS ON RESEARCHING CBD

I’ve become that person now, the one who demands her friends with anxiety try just ONE HIT off of my vape. I watch them as their faces slowly light up with amazement. As their panic just … stops.

My sample size is tiny. But for my friends and I, vaping CBD for anxiety is 100 percent effective.

If you’ve been wondering about CBD oil, and you have a complex background like I do with feeling high or buzzed, follow my steps:

1. Figure out the best type of CBD for you (full spectrum or isolate; edibles or CBD tinctures for slower, longer-lasting help, CBD vape for nearly instantaneous help).
2. Find the company by comparing ‘top CBD’ lists and ensuring quality by following my checklist above.
3. Google for reviews of the company, and ask customer service questions.
4. Start with a very small dose of CBD and go from there.

Maybe it won’t work, like half of the damn antidepressants I’ve tried. But maybe it will, and you can take some of your health care into your own hands.

Anyway, maybe that makes me a hippy. And maybe it’s the same damn plant as weed. But CBD oil is legal in all 50 states, it helps an awful lot of people, and it’s something you can do for yourself NOW.

I’ve spent my life hearing from people that doing something for myself was wrong for so many reasons: because as an unlovable kid and teen I wasn’t worth being taken care of by anyone. Because moms should put everyone else’s needs before our own. Because disabled lives just aren’t worth bothering much about and we are SUPPOSED to be in pain and pretty miserable.

It has taken me many years of therapy to shout down those lying voices.

I now know that if I can get closer to a calmer and less painful place, it is all right for me to try to get there.

And you — you, reading this now — it’s all right for you to seek relief, too.

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There’s a long history of growing hemp in the UK. From Celts that taught women to sew and weave the fibre as early as 373 BC, to its abundance in the Elizabethan era when naval ships relied on hemp sails, rigging ropes and sacks, the crop is a common thread running throughout the history books.

By the twentieth century it had been marginalised, with its many functional uses inextricably tangled up with concerns around the psychoactive parts of the plant. By 1928, hemp was outlawed.

That ban lasted no less than 65 years with permission to grow industrial hemp only reinstated as a legal activity for license holders in 1993. And crucially, according to members of the newly formed British Hemp Association (BHA), there remain a number of restrictions in place that hamper the huge opportunity for a thriving hemp sector in the country.

HOW MUCH INTEREST IS THERE IN HEMP IN THE UK?

Only launched this year the formation of the BHA coincides with the crop “gaining a lot more traction” in the UK and a growing number of farmers keen to get involved, said one of its directors Rob Kinghan.

A number of factors lie behind this surge in interest, he explained. Not least the rapid growth of the cannabinoid industry in the health and supplement market which has “injected a huge amount of interest back in the industry.” High street retailers, such as health food chain Holland and Barrett, are actively increasing the number of CBD products they stock, while brands such as Coca Cola consider CBD soft drinks and established restaurants market CBD menus.

Added to that is the recent decision by the UK government to legalise ‘cannabis-derived medicinal products’ where prescribed by a registered doctor. Shortly before the legislation was passed a national survey found that 43 percent of people supported the legalisation of all derivatives of the plant, including psychoactive cannabis.

All which is significant — not because growing the arable crop requires any associations with the psychoactive elements of the plant — but because it reflects a growing education and awareness among the UK public toward hemp as a whole, and therefore a removal of the prejudices that led to its criminalisation in the first place.

In short, there is “a general awakening of the benefits of hemp as an agricultural crop,” said Kinghan and, as a result, those interested in growing industrial hemp have grown considerably, with some talk of the UK being a prime location for extraction and processing sites. Only regulation stands in the way of a thriving industry, hemp advocates said.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO GROW HEMP IN THE UK?

The BHA formed “to educate, lobby and commit,” summed up its chair Rebekah Shaman.

“Educate on the importance of hemp, lobby the government for changes and to collect industry together so we become one voice.”

In other words, it was set up to bring the rules around hemp in line with a shift in public consciousness of the crop.

“There’s an incredible shift in public opinion, everyone loves hemp,” said Shaman. “In 2007, I was making a hemp porridge and people thought they could get stoned on it. That was 12 years ago and it was a nightmare trying to get hemp out there, nobody wanted to touch it. Now everyone knows about it.”

Farming hemp in the UK remains a tiny industry though, with an estimated 810 hectares (about 2000 acres) under cultivation currently, compared to 33,000 hectares (over 81,000 acres) across Europe.

That’s largely as the legislation around it remains prohibitive, believe the BHA, with the government trapped in a “conservative and regressive licensing system that isn’t flexible or responsive to this changing demand for the hemp industry,” Kinghan said. Applications for licenses, costing £580 (about $740), are now often limited to one year (where previously it was three) and applicants are even required in some cases to prevent full business plans with potential buyers set out for each part of the legal plant. Unsurprisingly that “creates a huge barrier” to new potential entrants to the market.

WHAT CHANGES ARE UK HEMP ADVOCATES CALLING FOR?

Whole plant hemp processing

One of the major changes being called for by the group is a lifting of the restriction that prevents the leaf and flower of the plant from being processed.

Already confined to farming hemp for the fibre and the seed, a tightening up in procedure last year now requires growers to physically destroy all other “contraband” green materials on site, said Kinghan, while at the same time the UK imports “millions of pounds worth of CBD” from elsewhere in the world, an entirely legal cannabinoid.

“The money is in the leaf and the flower so by removing that opportunity for extractors and processors we’re having to rely on imports without giving our farmers an opportunity to be part of the gain,” said Shaman. As part of its ‘Whole Plant’ campaign the BHA is set to argue that farmers should be able to sell the leaf and flower to licensed processors instead, removing any concerns around selling direct to the public and subsequent confusion.

Who controls UK hemp?

For Shaman there is then the question of which government department should oversee the crop. Currently, with much of the plant still classed as a controlled substance, it is the Home Office rather than the Department for Environmental Farming and Rural Affairs (under which all other arable crops sit) that takes the lead. With experience in agriculture not housed in the Home Office, she argued, “that is crippling the industry.”

Shaman continued:

This is an industrial crop that could be turned into bioplastics, bio-diesel or fuel and yet we’re not given an opportunity because it’s not seen as an industrially agricultural crop, it’s seen as a demon crop. While under auspices of the Home Office we can’t move it forward.

We have to take the whole conspiracy away from what hemp is and see it for what it is, a super environmentally friendly crop that has all sorts of industrial applications, and that can help us with our environmental impact as we choke under the dominance of fossil fuels, plastics and so forth.

That includes, finally, for Shaman and the BHA more stability around acceptable levels of THC, which currently sits at 0.2 percent, down from 0.3 percent previously, following new guidance issued in 2014. “That makes it really difficult to get some varieties grown because the plant naturally produces it,” she said.

IN UK ‘HEMP IS THE NEXT BIG INDUSTRY’

With all this changed both Shaman and Kinghan insist the opportunity for hemp in the UK is huge.

“I think hemp is the next big industry,” said Shaman. “And if we became an industry hub for hemp, creating sustainable products and bioplastics or becoming the supplier for Europe we would start bringing manufacturing back and that creates jobs. Hemp can offer all of that very easily and quickly. And a lot of people want to get involved with it.”

“There’s a real opportunity for UK regulations to lighten with some guidance from experts in the industry to allow many more farmers to grow this crop,” added Kinghan.

“If the government can listen to the needs of the industry we’re chomping at the bit to develop a very wealthy, successful and thriving industry in the UK.”

More and more people are using CBD vape oil thanks to its convenience and fast acting effects

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of over 100 cannabinoids found in hemp and marijuana plants. Unlike the mind-altering THC, the cannabinoid associated with marijuana, CBD does not have the ability to make a user high. The hemp and CBD industry have seen immense growth over the last decade due to countless studies that suggest cannabidiol may provide various health benefits.

CBD may also help with conditions such as anxiety, pain, inflammation, insomnia, and epilepsy. With thousands of CBD consumers praising its effects and a growing body of scientific evidence in support of its safety, even many medical professionals are now recommending CBD. Although CBD can be taken in many forms, more and more people are choosing CBD vape oil as their preferred form of cannabidiol.

Vaping CBD is easy, allows for fast absorption, and is a relaxing experience.

CBD VAPE OIL PROVIDES IMMEDIATE RELIEF

In comparison to cannabidiol oils and gummies, CBD vape oil has a faster absorption rate because the CBD reaches the bloodstream through the lungs instead of having to go through the digestive system. Because of this, it is common for vapers to instantly feel the therapeutic effects of the CBD.

This quick absorption rate is ideal for people that suffer from:

• Anxiety
• Stress
• Reoccurring Pain

Some studies also indicate that inhaling CBD can have higher bioavailability as opposed to other methods of consumption.

CBD VAPE OIL ALLOWS FOR CUSTOMIZED DOSING

Certain CBD products such as gummies and capsules contain pre-measured doses of cannabidiol. CBD vape oil provides a way to customize your dosing to your specific needs. You can add your ideal amount of CBD oil to vape juice and create your own CBD vape juice. Mixing CBD oil with your favorite e-liquid is also a tasty way to enjoy your CBD vaping experience.

CBD Vape Oil is also widely available in customized cartridges in a variety of flavors or designed to enhance certain moods. Companies like Medix CBD offer several “mood” cartridges to create the CBD experience you desire. They are available in different dosage amounts as well, so you can always choose how much CBD you want to intake. Medix “Mood” cartridges are also compatible with most vaping devices. Nowadays, vape cartridges are standardized, so you can find a battery you like and use it with almost any brand.

CBD VAPE OIL IS RELAXING

Nothing beats relaxing after a long productive day of work or play. Whether your ideal way of relaxing is reading, napping, or doing homework, CBD can promote focus and balance through its unique effects on the human body. CBD vapers can take a few puffs to help them concentrate, wind down, or have a good night’s sleep. The choice is yours!

Rather than artificial flavoring, many modern CBD vape cartridges are flavored with terpenes, which are the main building blocks of essential oils found in hemp plants. They contribute to the aroma, flavors, and even the effects of the plant. The terpenes selected in each respective cartridge can help you curate your experience, whether you want to fall asleep or feel energized.

CBD VAPE OIL IS CONVENIENT & DISCREET

CBD is now used by millions of people in the United States to help them with health conditions or for preventative care. Although it is common to for people to take CBD while at work or in public, some people feel uncomfortable using capsules and tinctures around other people.

Thanks to the widespread use of e-cigarettes, Vaping CBD is an effective way to use CBD in a discreetly. By not having to carry sublingual tinctures or capsules, you can easily take your dosage of cannabidiol almost anytime and anywhere. Studies have also shown that people who use CBD vape oil are more likely to quit smoking and become less dependent on nicotine.

THE VERDICT: WE THINK EVERYONE SHOULD TRY CBD

There is no wrong method for consuming CBD oil. No matter how you choose to use CBD, almost anyone can benefit from its healing properties. If you are someone that is constantly on the go and wants to focus, relax, or sleep better, the choice is clear. Give CBD a try — and let us know what works best for you!

This hemp and CBD gift guide brings together some of our favorite holiday CBD specials to help you finish your shopping and share hemp with your loved ones.

Thanks to unprecedented media attention, more people are learning about the benefits of hemp and CBD than ever before. If you’ve already tried our favorite plant, then you may have experienced some of the many ways that hemp can help and heal. These special gifts are the perfect way to help someone close to you try hemp and CBD too.

On the other hand, if you’ve never tried hemp, this CBD gift guide could be your chance to treat yourself. Whether used as a food, skincare product or in fabric, hemp can nourish and protect. As for CBD oil, we think this supplement is one of the best ways to beat the stress and anxiety of the season.

Continue reading for our complete hemp and CBD gift guide for 2018.

MINISTRY OF HEMP OFFICIAL HOLIDAY HEMP & CBD GIFT GUIDE

For this hemp and CBD gift guide, we’ve selected 5 great deals from some of our favorite CBD and hemp brands. Rather than just coupons, for this article we picked special offers for gift boxes or bundles that let you give (or get) a little something extra special.

After that, we’ve selected some smaller items, for stocking stuffers or just those little gifts that inevitably end up on our lists.

Click below to jump to directly part of our hemp gift guide, or read on to see all the holiday deals.

• Hippie Butter Hemp Coffee & Chocolate Gift Set
• Populum Holiday Discovery Gift Set
• Inesscents Salvation CBD Beauty Gift Bag
• PhytoLogica Full Spectrum Tri-Pack
• All Natural Way Free CBD Holiday Sale
• Life’s Balance CBD Holiday Gift Baskets
• Hemp & CBD Stocking Stuffers

• What’s the deal? Get a special discount on Hippie Butter’s Hemp Coffee & Chocolate Gift Set which includes hemp seed coffee and hemp seed chocolate, plus a great Hippie Butter burlap gift bag.
• How do I get it? Use coupon code MH15 to get an extra 15% off any Hippie Butter order!

Hippie Butter is best known for their delicious hemp seed butter, but their full product line includes much more. They offer a diverse range of “honest & healthy food” and even hemp oil soaps and skincare products.

Populum Holiday Discovery Gift Set

• What’s the deal? Gift CBD oil to a loved one with Populum’s Holiday Discovery Gift Set that includes their delicious orange-flavored full spectrum CBD oil, their Zen Pets tincture product, and their Cold Therapy CBD topical.
• How do I get it? Just order online while supplies last!

This Populum gift set comes in a special holiday box to make it perfect for gifting. While we haven’t tried Zen Pets yet, Populum makes some of our favorite CBD oil and CBD salve.

Inesscents Salvation CBD Beauty Gift Bag

• What’s the deal? Try three great hemp skincare products with the Inesscents Salvation CBD Beauty Gift Bag, in a lovely gift bag that’s perfect for sharing.
• How do I get it? Just order online while supplies last!

Inesscents makes a wide variety of beauty products with a focus on organic, top-quality ingredients.

PhytoLogica Full Spectrum Tri-Pack

• What’s the deal? Another great way to introduce a loved one to CBD is PhytoLogica’s Full Spectrum Tri-Pack, which includes their CBD oil, CBD topical salve, and CBD softgels.
• How do I get it? Use coupon code HolidayMOH to get an extra 20% everything on their site including PhytoPaws products!

PhytoLogica‘s products are all organic and kosher certified. They make one of our favorite CBD softgels and our review team loved trying PhytoLogica Full Spectrum Hemp Balm. Both products are included in the Tri-Pack.

All Natural Way Free CBD Holiday Sale

• What’s the deal? Order from All Natural Way during the holiday season to get 25% off storewide  and a free bottle of 350mg CBD oil with orders of $150 or more.
• How do I get it? Order between December 15, 2018 and December 25, 2018. If you order at least $150 on December 25, 2018, you’ll get both the free CBD oil and a free 500mg CBD topical too!

All Natural Way is an experienced vendor of CBD oil that now offers their own brand of top-quality hemp extract supplements. Our review team enjoyed trying All Natural Way CBD Sleep Spray, part of a unique line of specialized CBD oral sprays.

Life’s Balance CBD Holiday Gift Baskets

• What’s the deal? Life’s Balance is offering a Holiday Gummy Gift Basket and another bigger gift basket with a wide selection of their products for you to try.
• How do I get it? Use coupon code MofH18 to save an additional 20% on Life’s Balance orders, and get free shipping on orders over $75!

Life’s Balance is local to our Editor in Chief in Austin, Texas, and we love Life’s Balance Gummies.

CBD GIFT GUIDE BONUS: HEMP & CBD STOCKING STUFFERS

To round out our hemp gift guide, we picked a few smaller items that are perfect for simple gifts or stocking stuffers:

• cbdMD Bath Bombs — These bath bombs are a perfect way to soak away your stress; look for our upcoming review!
• Hemp360 Cosmetics — Hemp360 specializes in hemp-based, organic, vegan and non-GMO skincare products.
• Holisticorn CBD Popcorn — One of our favorite discoveries at HIACON, Holisticorn adds cannabidiol and turmeric to a traditional, delicious holiday treat.
• Hemplete Protein Bar — These delicious energy bars are great for a stocking stuffer or for keeping you going while shopping, decorating and wrapping.
• iLoveBad Organics & WAMA Hemp Undies — Because what’s holiday gifting without some (ultra comfortable, sustainable) underwear?
• LifePatent Hemp Oil — These high quality tinctures come in elegant cardboard tubes that make them perfect for slipping into stockings; look for our complete review soon!

We’ve put together a quick guide to eating hemp for breakfast, so you can start your most important meal of the day with this nutritional powerhouse.

Hemp hearts and CBD oil are interesting ingredients, in that they are really easy to incorporate to your everyday foods. With hemp hearts, you’ll see it’s a simple additive to the dishes. It’s as easy as putting them into a batter, or even just sprinkling them on top of the dish. With the CBD oil, it’s slightly more difficult to incorporate into your dishes but we’ll give you some simple tips.

HEMP FOR BREAKFAST: THE BENEFITS OF ADDING HEMP & CBD TO YOUR MORNING

Hemp is great addition to so many dishes. It will provide you with all of the essential amino acids and is a major source for plant-based protein. The best part is that hemp is extremely easy to incorporate into your diet. You can simply sprinkle hemp hearts (hulled hemp seeds) on top of your meals like salads or rice bowls or throw it into your blender to infuse your protein-shakes with hemp power. We recently looked at how hemp is great for keto diets and explained how to make your own hemp milk. However, hemp is an easy addition to almost any diet.

CBD can also be incorporated into your mornings. Not to be confused with THC, the main cannabinoid compound in psychoactive cannabis, these ingredients are completely legal and will not get you high. CBD can ease symptoms of pain and anxiety and generally create a more balanced day. CBD can be found as oils, extracts, tinctures and even edibles. There are even CBD breakfast bars! You can even mix it into your morning coffee, if these recipes don’t appeal.

Since CBD is a liquid, you have to incorporate it into other liquids used. Cannabinoids also bind with fats in cooking. The easiest way to cook with CBD is to infuse the supplement into things like butter, maple syrup, and even into your cooking oil. This process is generally easy, and you can even make it ahead of time. We used Meta Hemp CBD oil for these test recipes (see our Meta Hemp review here!) but you can use any quality CBD oil you prefer.

Below are three of our favorite recipes incorporating hemp & CBD!

PANCAKES WITH CBD-INFUSED MAPLE SYRUP

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of your choice of pancake batter
• Full spectrum CBD oil
• ½ cup of pure maple syrup
• Non-stick spray

Directions:

1. With this recipe, you’ll want to first make your batter to have it done so you can prepare everything else. Depending on your pancake batter, you might need to add eggs and milk, but sometimes all you’ll need is water.
2. When stirring, make sure to stir until the batter is smooth and all of the lumps are gone. If you’re adding milk, do it slowly as you stir. This will make your pancakes extra fluffy.
3. To make the CBD infused maple syrup, pour the syrup into a small saucepan and heat on low. After it’s brought up to temperature, add your desired amount of CBD/Hemp oil.
4. Continue heating on low for about 5 minutes and set aside.
5. To make pancakes, it helps to make a pancake assembly station, with batter to the left, the pan in front of you, and your serving plate to the right.
6. Spray non-stick spray and then pour batter until you get the desired size of pancake. Every minute or so, continuously check the bottom until it’s golden brown. Once it’s cooked, flip the pancake to cook the other side. Again, continuously check so you don’t overcook the pancake.

After that, you’re done in creating your delicious pancake with CBD-infused maple syrup! You can eat it as is, or add things like hemp hearts, berries, nuts, and whipped cream to supercharge the dish.

THE ULTIMATE CBD EGG SCRAMBLE

Ingredients:

• Four eggs
• ¼ cup of milk
• ¼ stick of butter
• Spinach/Kale
• Full spectrum CBD oil
• Handful of grape tomatoes
• ¼ Large Onion, chopped
• Salt, Pepper, Chili Flakes, Smoked Paprika to taste

Directions:

This is an awesome recipe if you’re short on time, and you want to make a quick & easy breakfast scramble to start your day off right!

1. We start by preparing vegetables. Quickly chop onions, ready spinach and grape tomatoes. Set these aside.
2. Heating up your pan with butter over a medium heat. Add CBD/Hemp Oil with the butter. While we wait for the pan to get up to temperature, we’ll prepare our eggs.
3. Whip four eggs in a small bowl until they are uniform and have a little bit of foam around the edges. Mix in the milk while you whip your eggs. This allows for a fluffier and creamier omelet.
4. Once the eggs are whipped and vegetables ready, make sure to have your spices nearby.
5. With the pan up to temperature, we’ll add in our vegetables first. Cook for approximately 2-3 minutes.
6. After the vegetables have cooked for a little bit, add the eggs and start to scramble them.

Making scrambled eggs is fairly easy, but make sure to not overcook the eggs! The cooking process should only take about a minute or so and be sure to keep the ingredients constantly moving with your spatula.

HEMP BREAKFAST PARFAIT

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of yogurt
• Granola
• Your choice of berry (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry, etc.)
• Honey
• Hemp hearts

This is the easiest of all the recipes, simply gather all the ingredients and stack them in a bowl! You can add to this recipe by adding in flax seeds and chia seeds with the hemp hearts to create a trifecta of awesome plant based nutrition!

 

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.

Green Roads Relax Bears live up to their name by packaging relaxing cannabidiol in a sweet, convenient form.

The chewy, soft texture of Green Roads gummies makes for an outstandingly tasty CBD edible. These brightly colored, sugar-coated bears look like a “Sour Patch” candy, but they won’t make your face pucker. The flavor is mostly sweet fruit, with just a hint of tartness to help cover up the taste of full spectrum CBD hemp extract.

While Green Roads labeled Relax Bears as a “daily dose” gummy, we enjoyed taking them multiple times throughout our days to beat the stress and anxiety of a busy life. Green Roads Relax Bears helped promote restful sleep when we took them before bed, as well. Since everyone is different, we always recommend starting small and seeing what dose of CBD works best for you. Green Roads offers gummies in a wide range of flavors and strengths to meet your needs.

Green Roads paid us a fee and offered us free products in return for our honest opinion. If you purchase a product from one of these links, we’ll receive a percentage of sales. Read more about sponsored content on Ministry of Hemp.

Keep reading for our full review of Green Roads Relax Bears.

AVAILABLE IN THOUSANDS OF STORES, GREEN ROADS OFFERS SAFE, RELIABLE CBD

Green Roads offers high quality, pharmacist-formulated CBD products. All Green Roads products are made from certified organic hemp sourced in the hemp fields of Colorado, currently the leading hemp producing state in the U.S. Green Roads’ products are widely available both online and in over 5,000 retails stores. Their product line is equally diverse, including unusual offerings like CBD syrup and various formulations of terpenes, natural flavorful compounds found in hemp and cannabis which may have their own beneficial effects when combined with CBD.

We appreciate Green Roads very thorough commitment to transparency: third-party lab results on every product page reveal the purity and strength of each product, including their cannabinoid content as well as showing them to be free of harmful toxins or residual chemicals from growing and processing.

GREEN ROADS RELAX BEARS OFFICIAL REVIEW

• Highlights: Green Roads Relax Bears are sugar coated, chewy and delicious, which makes them a fun, convenient way to take healing CBD.
• Strength: 10mg of full-spectrum CBD oil per candy, 30 candies per bottle
• Price: $54.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast customer service. Free shipping on orders over $100.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Flavor & Texture: These CBD gummies are delightfully chewy and soft, with a flavor that’s heavy on the fruit with just a hint of sour that largely masks the taste of hemp extract.
• Ingredients: CBD Oil / Full Spectrum Hemp Extract with Corn Syrup (from Corn), Sugar (from Beets), Water, Gelatin, Citric acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Lactic Acid, Pectin, FD&C Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and Blue 1
• Other: Green Roads makes a wide variety of tasty CBD-infused candies in different flavors and strengths, including 50mg “Froggies.”

Green Roads makes their products from certified organic hemp grown in Colorado. We are also big fans of Green Roads CBD Capsules, which are one of the best brands of CBD capsule on the market.

 

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.

This article breaks down two common terms used to describe CBD products: full spectrum and CBD isolate.

The cannabis industry is one of the most exciting and fastest growing in the natural health sector. With laws around the world relaxing on the plant and its commercial uses, we’ve seen some incredible new hemp products come to market.

The most popular of them all at the moment is cannabidiol oil, or more commonly known as CBD oil. With so many new and different CBD oil products available, the choice of which one to go with can be difficult and confusing. With terms like whole plant extract, full spectrum, broad spectrum and isolate. This article will break down the difference between two terms you’ll commonly see, full spectrum CBD oil and CBD oil isolate, in order to help make your decisions easier.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating molecule found in the cannabis plant. It is one of many cannabinoids that can be extracted from the cannabis plant but it has become commercially popular beyond the others due to its wide medical applications and accessibility. As CBD does not give the consumer the famous high that psychoactive cannabis (“marijuana”) is known for, it is more readily available online and in shops. It is usually derived from hemp, the name given to cannabis plants with less than 0.3% THC which can be mass grown for CBD oil.

WHAT IS FULL SPECTRUM CBD OIL?

The cannabis plant contains hundreds of different phytochemicals including cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds. Full spectrum CBD or hemp oil generally refers to products that not only contain CBD but contain the other plant molecules as well. This version of CBD oil is minimally refined, leaving most of the cannabinoids and terpenes intact and in the oil.

Full spectrum, sometimes also called “whole plant,” means the full plant extract is included. Full spectrum provides more of the plant’s molecules in ratios and amounts that nature intended.

While there is still more research to be done, there are indications that show cannabinoids and terpenes work together to influence each other. This synergistic effect is called the entourage effect and has seen CBD work with THC to reduce the effects of a high and CBD to influence ones own cannabinoid receptors.

WHAT IS CBD ISOLATE?

Cannabidiol alone has been the subject of a lot of research as it stands out from the rest with what seems to be the widest therapeutic value.

CBD isolate products are generally labeled as being 99 percent or more pure CBD depending on the form they come in. As the name suggests, these products have been isolated down to just the CBD molecule. They have no other active ingredient and just aim to deliver therapeutic doses of CBD, isolated from the other cannabinoids and terpenes.

CBD isolate products often come as a white powder or a mix with a carrier oil such as MCT oil for improved absorption.

COMPARING FULL SPECTRUM CBD VS CBD ISOLATE

CBD and the other cannabinoids have therapeutic benefits to humans thanks to our endocannabinoid system, a series of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) throughout the entire body. These receptors react to the cannabinoids our bodies produce which are molecularly very similar to the cannabinoids from cannabis and hemp.

Full spectrum CBD oil products have the advantage of containing many different cannabinoids and terpenes and the potential for a wider health reach. = A recent study indicated the synergistic effects of a full spectrum CBD oil were superior to an isolate in the effective treatment of inflammatory conditions. Terpenes alone have shown incredible potential for human health and should not be disregarded.

CBD isolates do allow users to easily get large amounts of CBD and know how much they’re getting. With the growing amount of evidence behind CBD and CBD alone it should definitely not be overlooked as a potential for so many conditions such as anxiety, pain, inflammation, diabetes, depression and more.

Some people find the taste of hemp extract unpleasant, which may mean they should try a CBD isolate (or another method of taking CBD such as CBD capsules or gummies). The lack of flavor might also make isolate a better choice for cooking with CBD or mixing into some CBD cocktails. CBD isolate powder can also be an appealing option for making CBD products for personal use, such as homemade CBD massage oil.

Isolates can sometimes be more expensive than full spectrum CBD. Isolates undergo more extensive refinement and require more plant matter in order to get high levels of isolated cannabidiol.

GET TO KNOW DIFFERENT CBD PRODUCTS

It’s hard to know which one is best for you without trying them both and see how you react. Different ailments might react differently a full spectrum CBD than to a CBD isolate. We recommend trying a variety of products and assessing how you feel. If you’re finding your condition is not reacting significantly to a full spectrum oil then trying an isolate may be the way to go, and vice versa.

It’s still very early in the days of cannabis research but there is a strong case for the therapeutic benefit of a less refined full spectrum hemp extract with more of the plant compounds intact. There are so many beneficial health possibilities waiting to be unlocked by further studying the combinations of these compounds found in hemp and cannabis.

Remember, it’s not all about the amount of CBD per serving you see on a bottle. A higher CBD product isn’t necessarily superior to a full spectrum oil. Leaving the plants extracts closer to the way nature intended could be a better option for most people.

 

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.

Medix CBD Oil combines pure CBD oil with hemp seed oil for a simple and relaxing combination.

Our reviewer enjoyed the mild nutty flavor of Medix CBD Oil and we also appreciated the uncomplicated ingredients of this supplement. It contains just CBD, hemp oil, and vitamin E (which can help prevent oily products from going bad). Hemp seed oil isn’t just a carrier for the CBD, either: in addition to the benefits of CBD, hemp oil itself is full of essential fatty acids and other beneficial nutrients.

Although this oil is made from an isolate (CBD alone) rather than a full spectrum (or “whole plant”) extract, our reviewer found this CBD consistently relaxing. It also seemed to ease some muscle soreness and help promote restful sleep. While we’re focusing this review on Medix CBD Oil, we also want to highlight their amazing variety of tasty and effective CBD edibles in a variety of shapes and flavors.

Medix CBD paid us a fee and offered us free products in return for our honest opinion. If you purchase a product from one of these links, we’ll receive a percentage of sales. We only select the highest-quality CBD products for review on our site. Read more about sponsored content on Ministry of Hemp.

Read on to learn more about Medix CBD and get our complete review of Medix CBD Oil.

MEDIX CBD OIL HEALS WITH KENTUCKY-GROWN HEMP

Medix CBD wants to “change the way people view natural medicine” by using only the purest, lab-tested ingredients. They source all their hemp domestically, in the state of Kentucky. In recent years, Kentucky has become a leading hemp growing state, thanks to generations of farming experience and an ideal climate.

This CBD oil is vegan and gluten-free (although their gummies do contain wheat). We appreciate Medix CBD’s commitment to transparency: third-party lab results showing the strength of most CBD products are available right from the product listing.

MEDIX CBD OIL OFFICIAL REVIEW

• Highlights: Medix CBD Oil combines pure CBD isolate with hemp oil for a simple and relaxing natural supplement.
• Strength: 500mg of CBD per 30ml bottle, also available in several strengths ranging from 100mg to 1500mg
• Price: $26.99 – $209.99
• Special:  Use coupon code MH15 at checkout for 15% off your first order.
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast customer service. Free shipping on orders over $100.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Flavor & Texture: This CBD supplement has a mild earthy and nutty flavor with an oily mouthfeel. We found the flavor and texture are pleasant and easy to rinse away with a drink of water.
• Ingredients: CBD isolate in Hemp Seed oil and Vitamin E
• Other: A 120ml bottle containing 4500 mg of CBD is also available!

Medix CBD uses hemp grown in Kentucky for all of their products. In addition to this great CBD oil, we’re big fans of their wide variety of tasty Medix CBD gummies. They also make vape oil, CBD topicals and CBD for dogs. Some research suggests isolates may be less effective than full spectrum extracts.

 

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.

A new CBD beer is exciting taste buds even as it promotes relaxation.

There are few things in life more relaxing than a cold beer after a hard day at work. Now, what if you infuse that beer with the soothing properties of premium CBD? That’s precisely the idea that friends Carl Boon and Thierry Florit had one evening over a few drinks, which ultimately led to the creation of one of the UK’s first CBD beers.

The result is High Flyer: an India pale ale (IPA) craft beer with a 4.3% ABV and containing 10mg of high-quality CBD in each bottle. Its evolution was far from simple. The two business partners overcame numerous development and legal hurdles along the way.

Editor’s Note: U.S. regulations currently prevent the national distribution of CBD-infused alcoholic beverages. We were especially excited to hear about this new offering in the UK and hope American laws and policies change in the near future. — KO

THE INSPIRED COMBINATION OF CBD AND BEER

Boon runs the successful online CBD company CBDUltra, while Florit is an experienced designer for many major brands. We spoke with them about the long process of turning a booze-soaked idea into a physical product on sale in shops and pubs.

“The idea first came about during a late-night beer tasting session when Carl joked about making a craft beer infused with cannabis oil — essentially a drink that adds nutrients back into the body, rather than just taking them away,” Florit told us, with a laugh.

Like all good ideas, the duo kept returning to it and soon decided to take it seriously.  A few weeks later they set up Green Times Brewing as an official company and sourced a unique water-soluble, full-spectrum CBD. Turning to one of Boon’s colleagues, an award-winning brewer, they then underwent the long, but no doubt enjoyable, process of fine-tuning the formula.

“After a year of conducting trials and taste tests, we eventually got the formula and taste profile right,” said Florit. “And came up with with a combination of cannabinoids, terpenes and exotic flavours, resulting in an easy-to-drink IPA with a powerful hop hit and refreshing citrus aftertaste.”

THE LONG PROCESS OF DEVELOPING CBD BEER

As you’d expect, specific details about the CBD beer development process have to remain confidential due to the competitive nature of the market.

“We spent a lot of time testing and trialling so we wouldn’t want to give away all of our secrets,” said Boon.

“The actual production process is exclusive to us, along with the water-soluble CBD. But what we can say is that we work with an award-winning London brewery and follow a traditional brewing method using organic malts and hops. And of course the full spectrum cannabis oil extract, which is also fully organic.”

When it came to the legal side of things, Boon;’s experience in the CBD industry proved invaluable.

“Carl has an excellent knowledge of the regulations regarding the commercialisation of CBD products, though we did have to check with a specialised law firm and all the various UK governmental food and drinks organisations regarding the legalities, to make sure there wouldn’t be any issues when going to market,” Florit said.

This includes ensuring the product contains less than 0.2 percent THC and emphasising on the label that “It won’t get you ‘high’”.

Ironically, considering the stringent restrictions on CBD and cannabis-derived products in UK, the main legal issue came from a very different source.

“We had a problem with the original name, Cloud Nine Brewing. Just as it was ready to go to market it was blocked because it was similar to a wine company in New Zealand,” said Florit.

INITIAL SETBACKS LED TO SUCCESSFUL ORGANIC CBD BEER FORMULA

Undeterred, they used this setback to improve the product. “We re-brewed, rebranded, re-bottled and returned with a new company name. Plus we improved the formula to make it totally organic.”

However, UK laws do have an impact on how CBD is marketed, meaning Boon and Florit have to be careful what they say when promoting the beer.

“Personally, I have been using CBD for some time now,” said Boon. “Mainly for stress relief, to keep zen and for general mental well being — and drinking this beer gives me a real sense of relaxation. But despite all the talk about the potential health benefits of CBD, it is classified as a food supplement so we can’t recommend it for any specific health conditions.”

Anecdotal reports tell a different story, and one that might appeal to those keen to avoid the dreaded morning-after-the-night-before.

“Due to the organic ingredients, fresh hops and cannabinoids, we’ve had customers say that they don’t get hangovers from drinking this,” Boon continued, adding, “But you’ll have to test that for yourself.”

Indeed, these customers may include some famous names considering some of the clients who buy from CBDultra.

“Goldie the drum and bass DJ is an avid fan,” noted Boon. “He uses it to deal with anxiety and hypertension. Another customer using our CBD oil has now come off seventeen different prescription painkillers — he did a YouTube video talking about it and it’s had over 2 million hits already!”

THE FUTURE OF CBD BEER? THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

The pair have big plans for the future. Following a November launch in Manchester, they have many stockists lined up across the country and deal with constant requests from a public who are becoming more educated about CBD, and keen to try it in all its forms.

“People are continually asking every day where they can get it,” said Boon. “So the more distributors and stockists we can get on board the better.”

“With regards to markets, we are currently focusing on distributing to the UK, but we may consider exporting across Europe and other parts of the world as more and more countries change their laws on cannabis use.”

Expanding the range seems likely too.

“More beers indeed!” Florit said. “We’re looking at a gluten-free version, along with a vegan-friendly High Flyer ale. I’ve always been a huge fan of the German-style wheat beers and Carl loves Indian Pale Ales so let’s see who wins the argument!”

Certainly in the UK, beer is up there as our national drink, alongside tea (which you can also find at CBDultra). That explains the excitement around this brew in both the British press and among the public.

Boon agreed. “We’re genuinely enhancing one of the nation’s favourite drinks, so it’s going to be here to stay!”

After tasting the beer — it’s a delicious light ale, with a satisfying kick from the sativa-derived terpenes — it’s hard to disagree. And considering both beer and CBD are two of the world’s oldest relaxation tools, the only question is why hasn’t this combination happened before?

Thanks to two friends sharing a few drinks and sparking an idea, now we know how tasty CBD beer can be.

See more: Green Times Brewing

 

DISCOVER THE TOP CBD BRANDS

The market is getting saturated with many different CBD brands. We’ve compared the top brands to help you with your decision. Check it out.