{"id":27785,"date":"2020-04-21T10:43:44","date_gmt":"2020-04-21T17:43:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/?p=27785"},"modified":"2020-06-03T08:38:19","modified_gmt":"2020-06-03T15:38:19","slug":"riding-the-wave-of-cbd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/freshcup.com\/riding-the-wave-of-cbd\/","title":{"rendered":"Riding the Wave of CBD"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It seems as if overnight CBD, short for cannabidiol, was slapped on product labels from skincare to pet treats. <\/h1>\n\n\n\n

By the end of 2019, CBD had become a $4 billion dollar industry\u2014a 560% increase from the previous year\u2014and is projected to be worth $22 billion by 2022, according to the Brightfield Group, a market research firm for cannabis and CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CBD continues to rapidly grow within the specialty coffee and tea industry. Many caf\u00e9s, if their state allows, have started adding it to their drink menus as an opportunity to make an extra couple dollars per beverage and share it with their customer base. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is CBD on its way to becoming the new normal, or will it remain a flash-in-the-pan trend? Brands and researchers weigh in on how CBD and beverages can coexist, what to think about when purchasing CBD products, and what the landscape for CBD beverages looks like today. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fresh Cup notes that laws speaking on CBD and cannabis are changing. Information here should not be taken as medical or legal advice.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is CBD? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before diving into CBD, it is essential to note where it comes from, how our bodies respond to it, and what is considered legal to sell in the United States.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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CBD can originate from two places: hemp plants, which produce hemp-derived CBD, or cannabis plants, which produce cannabis-derived CBD. Regardless of the source, both derivations of CBD look the same on a molecular level and will react the same on a biological level. Though CBD is extracted from these plants as an oil, it can be sold in a variety of forms, including gels, oils, gummies, and supplements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, and CBD both interact with a person\u2019s endocannabinoid system, which plays a role in regulating mood, appetite, and sleep. For CBD products to be legal on the federal level, they need to contain less than 0.3 percent of THC, the compound found in the cannabis plant that produces \u201chigh\u201d feelings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two years ago, the 2018 Farm Bill stated the sale and production of hemp and its extracts are legal, but cannot contain more than 0.3 percent of THC, or it would be seen as cannabis, which is currently federally illegal in the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In short, CBD for commercial use must come from the hemp plant to purchase under federal law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Entourage Effect<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Zoe Sigman is a Portland, Oregon-based cannabis researcher and science editor for Broccoli<\/em> magazine, a cannabis publication. She served as the program director at Project CBD, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical uses of CBD, and regularly speaks about cannabis and cannabis science to patients, medical professionals, and consumers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After spending time in the coffee industry, Sigman started working at dispensaries and doing her own research as a budtender because customers were coming to her with difficult questions about cannabis and chronic illness. She came across one study early in her research about cancer patients who did not respond to opiates; instead, they were prescribed a medication containing isolated THC and CBD for their pain, and found that the combination was more effective together than when the compounds were taken separately. Since hemp-derived CBD is now legal, another common question that comes up among consumers is: Can CBD really work without THC? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can, says Sigman\u2014but it doesn\u2019t \u201chave to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zoe Sigman<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is this theory called the \u2018entourage effect\u2019: that the sum of all of the active compounds in the cannabis flower working together is greater than individual compounds alone,\u201d she says. \u201cThat is not to say individual compounds are not effective\u2014they are, but when you combine them, there is significant synergy.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Products often list CBD content in milligrams, but effective dosage can differ greatly from person to person. Researchers and doctors haven\u2019t established dosing guidelines yet, and that lack of guidance is reflected in the concentrations of CBD found in CBD products. This is why the amount of CBD per serving in caffeinated beverages varies so widely: there is no standard on how much to add.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCaffeine reduces the expression of adenosine receptors, which are responsible for us feeling tired,\u201d says Sigman. \u201cHigh dosages of CBD, on the other hand, can activate them, making us feel tired.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While CBD could partially negate the energizing effects of caffeine, both compounds likely retain some action within the body. More research is needed in order to better understand the interaction of CBD and caffeine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead with Labels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Then there is the branding of it all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many CBD brands state their product is \u201cnon-psychoactive.\u201d From a neurological standpoint, however, since CBD has well-established anti-anxiety properties that affect the mind, it is inherently psychoactive, says Sigman. What brands should instead claim is that CBD is \u201cnon-intoxicating\u201d\u2014it won\u2019t get you high like THC can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies use scientific terminology hoping to persuade consumers that they know what they\u2019re talking about, says Sigman, but it\u2019s frequently used incorrectly. While CBD isn\u2019t intoxicating, per se, it can make the consumer feel \u201cdifferent,\u201d depending on how much they take.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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MOOD33\u2019s <\/strong>line of hemp-infused herbal teas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat it does to your body is very similar to the processes that happen when you sit in a hot tub for 20 minutes\u2014you get out and you feel different,\u201d says Sigman. \u201cYou feel calm, relaxed, and chill. Alcohol does a similar thing in your brain before you get tipsy or drunk\u2014you feel more open and less aware of social anxiety. CBD can feel very similar at high doses.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together Like Oil & Water <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How companies add CBD to their product is crucial, says Sigman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coffee and tea are water-based, while CBD is oil-based, meaning separation occurs when they interact together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you are adding things to a water-based beverage, there are additional challenges,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Technology to make oil more water-soluble is available, but there is a lack of information on how water-soluble cannabinoids are processed in the body. Sigman believes many companies are doing their own research, but the science has not caught up yet with water-soluble CBD. She references a study about CBD in drinks that showed that it tended to stick to the product container. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt isn\u2019t the case for everything, but it is a good idea to shake it like salad dressing,\u201d says Sigman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you take cannabinoids like THC and CBD, the absorption is much higher with fat, almost two to three times higher,\u201d she continues. \u201cIf you take coffee with cream, it could help your body absorb the CBD better. In just black coffee or plain tea, your body won\u2019t absorb as much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regulation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While the status of CBD is still unfolding, it\u2019s clear the demand for the product has been recognized by federal bodies: The Food and Drug Administration recently requested $5 million in the Fiscal Year 2021 budget under the Trump administration to continue to regulate the cannabis-derived products industry, including CBD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEach state has its own regulatory structures. In some states, like Oregon and California, CBD has gone through some sort of testing, so what it says on the packaging should be in the product,\u201d says Sigman. \u201cBeverage companies are all over the map, meaning quality can be all over map too. There are no consumer reports really collecting information on different CBD products yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sigman is working with the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit that tests products for quality, with the goal to inform customers and raise industry awareness. Founded by Jackie Bowen, the organization tested CBD products for pesticides, heavy metals, actual CBD content, and more. The results revealed how inconsistent brands can be, pointing to the need for more regulation in the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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