CBD OIL AS A CURE-ALL?

Lately I’ve been noticing CBD infused products everywhere I turn. It started in my local health food store, where vendors were showing up daily to give samples of CBD oil, CBD infused creams, protein powders, chocolates, organic gummies and cookies. I do live in California, so I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising, but when I went to a local restaurant for a friend’s birthday and they had CBD infused truffles on the dessert menu, I realized that we’d entered a new era. 

 

For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, CBD (cannabidiol) is extracted from the cannabis plant and infused into a carrier oil (like coconut oil), to make the supplement CBD oil. But, unlike marijuana, it’s non-psychoactive, is now considered ‘generally safe’ (even in high doses) by the FDA, and is legal in many states.

 

While the FDA won’t yet allow for any health claims (science is trying to catch up with the popularity of CBD products), CBD oil is said to display antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s reported to reduce pain, anxiety, boost mood, have a calming effect, and improve sleep. And it doesn’t seem to have noticeable side effects, unlike drugs that have been created to mimic CBD oil, nor does it appear to be habit-forming. This is mostly according to anecdotal evidence, although many scientific studies are currently underway. CBD extract is also being studied for treating serious illnesses and chronic disorders.

 

In the meantime, the FDA has approved a pharmaceutical CBD extract for rare forms of epilepsy, which is the subject of the recent New York Times magazine article on CBD oil. The article also gives a detailed history of cannabis and CBD oil if you’re interested in how it came to be re-popularized in America (it was used medicinally for many years in many different cultures before it was banned in the 70’s in the U.S): https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/05/14/magazine/cbd-cannabis-cure.html

 

Usually when I write about a health related product, I like to have personal experience with it. But in this case, I’ve never tried CBD oil in any form and was relatively ignorant about its uses. So I contacted a local chocolatier, Deanna Moore, founder of the wonderful chocolate company Chocolatl, to get some answers.

 

J- Deanna, thank you so much for speaking with me.

 

D- No problem!

 

J- I’m a huge fan of your chocolates, and I heard that you’ve started infusing some of your chocolate with CBD oil. Is that true?

 

D- Yes, we’ve actually had a CBD line of chocolates for about two and half years now.

 

J- Wow, I guess I’m late to the game! Why did you decide to add CBD to your chocolates? Was it because of consumer demand, or personal experience with CBD oil?

 

D- Both. CBD infused everything has become really popular in the last few years, from gummy products, to oils, to chocolates, especially in California, but I’ve also received personal benefit from using CBD oil. After reading about it and doing some research, I started experimenting with making my own tinctures, and I tested it out for things like insomnia, acute pain, and anxiety. I found for myself that it especially helped with mood balancing, anxiety, and inflammation. It’s a great alternative to cannabis because you don’t have the psychoactive elements that affect the mind.

 

J- Because there’s no THC.

 

D- Right. I was scared about how much to use at first, but I’ve tried up to 250 mg at night for sleep (only on occasion), and much smaller amounts during the day. It’s biphasic, so it can have a calming effect, but it can also make you feel more alert depending on how much you use, and according to your body, because it does affect different people differently.

 

J- How much do you put in your chocolate?

 

D- We have two lines. One has 10 mg in one piece of chocolate that you can use as a daily dose, like a supplement. We also have a 40 mg pack in a one ounce chocolate serving.

 

J- And you decided to put it in the chocolate, rather than selling a line of oil? Since you said you were making your own tinctures…

 

D- Chocolate is the perfect vehicle for plant medicine and herbs because chocolate also supports the *endocrine system, so it works in combination with plant medicine. That’s why we use *adaptogenic and medicinal herbs like maca, cordyceps, and reishi in our other chocolate products. The flavonoids and phytochemical properties in chocolate increase the effectiveness of these nutrient-dense plants. They work synergistically. (*Adaptogenic herbs support our body’s ability to handle stress, and the endocrine system are the collection of glands in our body that produce hormones).

 

J- How do you source your CBD, in terms of checking for quality and effectiveness?

 

D- There’s a lot of regulations around CBD- state regulations, federal, and there’s more and more oversight, but there’s got to be more education on what people should look for when they buy it. There are cheap versions that aren’t as good for you or the environment, and others that have integrity for how they’re grown and processed. I looked into a lot of companies and found a domestically grown source in Colorado that I love. They’re pioneers in the U.S. for growing industrial hemp for safe and effective CBD. Over eight years they’ve bred out the THC, so it’s almost pharmaceutical grade. They’re also a vertically integrated company that grows and processes it- so they’re in control of the whole process, which means better quality controls. In general, you also want to look for sources with a GMP stamp, and you want the company to be transparent about their process, and if they use any additives.

 

J- How are your CBD chocolates selling compared to your regular chocolates?

 

D- Well, people are still waking up to CBD, but it’s a quicker growth market, the products are selling well, and the line is expanding- we’re coming out with three new bars in addition to what we have now. There’s a real market demand for it. We have consumers and other businesses who want us to make chocolate for them. CBD is in Walgreens now- it’s huge.

 

J- Where can people buy your CBD chocolates?

 

D- They’re not yet available on our website, but you can find them in Erewhon or Topanga Living Cafe. People can also contact us directly to purchase, or for more information about our CDB products. (You can find more information about Chocolatl here.)

 

J- Thank you so much Deanna! This has been really helpful.

 

D- My pleasure.

 

After speaking with Deanna, I decided to try CBD for myself. Anyone who knows me knows I don’t need much of an excuse to eat chocolate. So I went straight to my local health food store, picked up a small piece of chocolate with 25 mg of CBD in it, and gave it a try. It did taste a little different, and I wasn’t sure if I felt any effect from it at first, but after about a half hour, it did seem to boost my mood. I’ll have to experiment more though just to be sure:)

 

What’s your experience with CBD oil? Let me know in the comments below!