I Tried CBD Coffee and Here’s What Happened..
CBD is everywhere! You may have seen it marketed as an add-in to your green smoothies or as a topical for pain-relief. I was curious so I ordered myself some CBD coffee and tried it out. Here’s what I found…
Not all CBDs are the same. Cannabidoil (CBD) can be derived from the hemp plant or its cousin, the marijuana plant. Hemp-derived CBD, doesn’t produce the marijuana “high:” this comes from tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another compound found in the marijuana plant. The FDA just approved hemp-derived CBD (with less than .3% THC) nation-wide last December and some analysts predict it could grow into a $20 billion industry by 2025.
CBD oil is touted as everything from a pain reliever, anxiety and depression reducer and sleep aid. Athletes are using it for its reputed anti-inflammatory and faster recovery properties. “Already,” says Scott Douglas from Runner’s World Magazine, “a growing number of athletes, including many in the trail running and ultramarathon community, consider CBD a key part of their regimen.”
But take heed! While these products are technically legal, Marcel Bonn-Miller, professor at U Penn School of Medicine said of the burgeoning industry, “It really is the Wild West.” Contributing editor of Harvard Health Publishing, Peter Grinspoon, MD, warned, “Currently, the FDA does not regulate the safety and purity of dietary supplements. So you cannot know for sure that the product you buy has active ingredients at the dose listed on the label. In addition, the product may contain other (unknown) elements.“
My own three day experiment with CBD oil was mostly a non-event. That said, I don’t suffer from chronic pain or anxiety (except maybe this past year with a son applying to college!). I did, however, find that I slept far better the days I drank the CBD coffee (ironic?) so maybe there is something to it. That all said, I’m in favor of more quality control before I jump whole-heartedly on the CBD (covered) wagon but I definitely think its going places!
