CBD gummies are one of the most popular ways to consume CBD, and to benefit from its therapeutic effects. And there are good reasons for this popularity — CBD gummies are tasty, deliver a long-lasting experience, and are definitely more fun than swallowing a capsule.
But there’s a lot more to the humble CBD gummy than just picking a fun flavor and chewing away. While CBD gummies provide a precise and predictable amount of ingredients, it’s important to know what the concentration of CBD is per gummy, and what other ingredients these gummies may have in them.
Also, there are so many CBD gummies on the market that it’s hard to know what to choose and what makes one gummy different from another, outside of taste, shape, and color.
In this guide to CBD gummies, we’ll look at how gummies work, as well as some of the most popular types of CBD gummies for helping with sleep and overall wellness.
How CBD Gummies Work
We’ll start with a super-quick rundown of what CBD is and how it works, because knowing this is important to understanding how CBD gummies work with your body.
Understanding CBD Gummies: How Does CBD Work?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is a kind of molecular compound, called a cannabinoid, found in the cannabis plant. There are a multitude of different cannabinoids in cannabis in addition to CBD, including CBG, CBC, CBN, and, of course, THC. It’s important to distinguish, when talking about CBD products such as gummies, that we are talking about CBD derived from the type of cannabis plant called hemp. The hemp plant (unlike marijuana) contains almost no THC (less than 0.3%).
Unlike THC, other cannabinoids (CBD, CBG, and so forth) don’t get you high. Instead, they work on their own and in concert with each other to impart a host of other therapeutic benefits. How?
CBD and other cannabinoids interact with our bodies through the endocannabinoid system. This system is closely integrated with our central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and systems that regulate sleep, mood, digestion, immune response, and more. Receptors in the endocannabinoid system interact with the cannabinoids we ingest, and pass along benefits to the system they’re integrated with.
Understanding CBD Gummies: CBD and the Entourage Effect
When multiple cannabinoids (including CBD) are ingested together, they actually work in harmony to achieve what’s known as the Entourage Effect, which is a synergistic effect where each element enhances both the overall effect and the individual effects of other elements. That is to say, when you take CBD with another cannabinoid, like CBG, each one works harder than if you had taken them separately. In short, when you take multiple cannabinoids together, you get more out of your CBD. This is likely the reason that users will frequently report that full or broad spectrum CBD products tend to have a more noticeable effect and work better, especially compared to CBD isolate.
Two other common compounds that are abundant in cannabis also work in tandem with cannabinoids. They’re called terpenes and flavonoids. Terpenes are the compounds that give plants their scent, and flavonoids are compounds that give plants their color. Each of these compounds carries a cornucopia of healthful benefits on its own, and even more so when combined for synergy.
Understanding CBD Gummies: CBD Edibles
Believe it or not, the way you consume CBD has a lot of impact on your overall CBD experience. For instance, inhaling CBD by vaping is the quickest way to feel results, but the effects don’t last as long as they do from a CBD tincture, although a tincture requires a little longer to take effect.
CBD edibles, like gummies, are slower to take effect. Why? Because CBD gummies have to be processed by your digestive system and metabolized by your body before they kick in. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours, depending on your body size, metabolism and tolerance.
This may seem like a bummer at first, but the upside is that the effects of a CBD edible, such as CBD gummies, can last from six to eight hours.
When people think of CBD edibles, they traditionally think of homemade treats, like brownies or cookies. In the past, this was a bit of a wild card, because it was difficult to know precisely how much of whatever cannabinoid you were enjoying was in one brownie.
That’s where CBD gummies are so convenient — they’re formulated with a specific amount of CBD per serving.
How to Find the Best CBD Gummies
CBD products pop up everywhere these days, from neighborhood dispensaries to the gas station checkout counter. What should you look for in a CBD gummy? Or put another way, how can you find the best CBD gummies?
Quality of CBD
A quality product always begins with quality ingredients, and this is absolutely true for CBD gummies and any CBD products.
Hemp is known as a phytoremediator. That means it’s incredibly good at removing toxins, like heavy metals, pesticides, and chemicals, from the soil it grows in, restoring that soil to health. Those chemicals are then stored in the plant itself.
That’s why you want to make sure the CBD you use comes from organic, pesticide-free, non-GMO farms. You also want to make sure the CBD in your gummy product was extracted from the hemp plant using CO2 extraction. The CO2 extraction method doesn’t leave behind potentially harmful residues in the CBD like some solvents do.
The next quality indicator to look for in your CBD gummy is the presence of a lab report from a third-party analysis. This will tell you exactly what is and isn’t in your product, including the presence of any pesticides or toxins.
Full Spectrum CBD vs. Broad Spectrum CBD vs. CBD Isolate
Once you know your CBD gummy comes from a quality source, you want to know what kind of CBD you’re ingesting. There are three types of CBD oil used to make CBD gummies: full spectrum CBD, broad spectrum CBD, and CBD isolate.
Full spectrum CBD contains all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids present in the hemp plant, including legally allowed trace amounts (0.3%) of THC.
Broad spectrum CBD filters out the remaining amounts of THC, leaving you with a robust mix of non-psychoactive cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
Both full spectrum CBD and broad spectrum CBD products are capable of achieving the Entourage Effect. But for those who want to avoid ingesting any THC, broad spectrum CBD is the way to go.
CBD isolate filters all remaining plant compounds out of the oil except for the CBD itself. This means CBD gummies made with isolate CBD are incapable of giving the user the Entourage Effect.
The Purpose of Your CBD Gummy and Additional Ingredients
Finally, you want to know if the CBD gummy you’re enjoying is formulated for a specific purpose, and what other active ingredients it might contain.
Often, people choose CBD gummies for a particular reason, for instance to help them get a good night’s rest, or to add the CBD experience to their multivitamin routine.
These gummies are typically made with additional ingredients to boost CBD’s effects and add their own unique touch. Sleep gummies are often made with melatonin, and wellness gummies often include superfoods and natural antioxidants.
CBD Gummy Guide: Our Favorite CBD Gummies
Okay! Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s get to the fun stuff! What are some of our favorite CBD gummies?
We’re going to look at CBDfx products, because we know the CBD comes from organic farms and all CBDfx CBD products are accompanied by lab reports. And, we like ’em.
Note that all of our gummies are made with 50mg of broad spectrum CBD per serving. They’re all also vegan and gluten free.
Original Mixed Berry CBD Gummies
Purists love our Original Mixed Berry CBD Gummies. These fruity gummies are naturally sweetened, quite yummy, and a perfect way to introduce CBD to your daily routine. This is an ideal gummy for those new to CBD. These tasty gummies are available in 1500mg and 3000mg bottles.
CBD Gummies With Melatonin for Sleep
We live in the era of sleep deprivation. We’re all trying to get more sleep and better rest. These CBD gummies add 5mg of melatonin to the 50mg of CBD in every serving. In addition, we formulate these gummies with natural rest boosters, like chamomile, lemon balm, and passion flower, plus our own proprietary blend of restful terpenes. These snoozy chews are available in 1500mg and 3000mg bottles.
CBD Gummies with Turmeric & Spirulina
If you’re boosting your intake of supercharged supplements, look no further than these CBD gummies. With 50mg of turmeric and 20mg of spirulina, these sweet treats are an enjoyable way to combine the benefits of CBD with healthful natural supplements. Our popular “Green Gummies” are available in 1500mg and 3000mg bottles.
CBD Gummies with Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar has nearly as many devotees as it does beneficial qualities. That’s why we created these popular apple cider vinegar CBD gummies. They’re made with a whopping 1000mg of apple cider vinegar per serving, but we don’t stop there. By adding 80mg of the natural antioxidant pomegranate, plus vitamin B12, we created a gummy that combines the therapeutic power of CBD with natural ingredients to supercharge your overall wellness.
Multivitamin CBD Gummies
Combining CBD with your multivitamin is a great way to incorporate CBD into a daily practice you already have. We make two different CBD gummy multivitamins: one formulated for women, and one for men. Both vitamins contain 50mg of broad spectrum CBD, as well as vitamins A, C, D3, E, B complex, and zinc. Men’s multivitamins also include choline and biotin. Our women’s multivitamins add calcium and biotin. The best part? You can chew them and you don’t have to swallow an enormous chalky vitamin.
CBD Gummies for Focus & Energy
Our focus gummies deliver long-lasting energy and acute mental focus.** These tasty chews take advantage of CBD’s calming properties to relax the mind and allow you to better concentrate on the task at hand. They also contain phosphatidylserine, better known as sharp PS, a natural chemical found in the body that is believed to improve mental acuity. With these two focus-friendly ingredients, plus energizing caffeine, our CBD Gummies for Focus & Energy are the perfect supplement to help you seize every day!
CBD Mushroom Gummies for Wellness
Our CBD Mushroom Gummies combine the calming wellness benefits of CBD with the adaptogenic and nootropic properties of cordyceps, reishi, chaga, turkey tail, lion’s mane, and other health-boosting mushrooms (50mg per serving!). These delicious, black cherry-flavored gummies are a healthy and tasty way to start your day!
Full Spectrum CBD & THC Gummies
Want a little extra “chill” in your chew? Try one of our popular full spectrum CBD gummies with added (legal) THC. Our Full Spectrum Mixed Berry CBD Gummies are perfect for microdosing THC. Our Lemon Dream THC Gummies deliver snoozy feels with a dreamy combo of CBD, THC, and melatonin. Our Berry Buzz THC Gummies come in multiple strengths, allowing you to tailor your “chill” to your own tolerance and preferences. And our Magic Melon THC Gummies deliver maximum legal THC bliss with 10mg per chew!
How to Buy CBD Gummies: The Final Word
CBD gummies are popular because they’re a delicious and enjoyable way to get the great benefits of CBD, plus it’s easy to know exactly how much CBD you’re getting per serving. These tasty gummies are versatile enough to work with a wide range of applications, from sleep to superfoods.
Whatever CBD gummy you decide to try, remember to look for organically grown, pesticide-free CBD with an independent, third-party lab report, and look for broad or full spectrum CBD to give you the added benefit of the Entourage Effect.
And have fun!
Not sure where to start? Try our classic Mixed Berry CBD Gummies!
