CBD water comes with its own special properties, but can it be used in the same way as other CBD products? Here’s what to know before drinking it.
Should you drink CBD water?
CBD water is just one of the many CBD products–from CBD Gummies to eye drops and suntan lotion that can be purchased and tried. Like all forms of cannabis, CBD water has distinctive characteristics in relation to how quickly it can work and the length of time the effect lasts, and what dosage is the most efficient.
“CBD water has some pros and cons,” says Martin A. Lee, director, and co-founder of Project CBD, a California non-profit organization that promotes CBD research, and the author of Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana-Medical, Recreational and scientific. “If you’re going to infuse beverages with CBD–which is a perfectly legitimate way to take it–you have to use a certain method.”
Here’s what you should know if you’re thinking about drinking CBD water.
What is CBD?
CBD is one of the two principal ingredients in both the marijuana plant and its cousin, the hemp plant. Unlike the other main ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not produce a high. Marijuana is more likely to contain THC while hemp has more CBD.
In the United States, most CBD comes from hemp which can be grown legally provided it has less than 0.3 percent THC, which is the limit set by the new 2018 Farmers Bill. Hemp is also used to make rope carpets, paper, and more.
Is CBD safe?
The majority of experts consider CBD to be very safe. At high doses, though, it can interact with many other drugs including blood thinners and painkillers. Pure CBD could require higher doses versus full-spectrum and broad-spectrum supplements, which include other components (more on this in the future). Always consult with your doctor to ensure that CBD will not alter the effects of any medication you’re taking. There is a National Library of Medicine that keeps an inventory of all possible interactions between drugs.
Make sure to look for American-grown CBD as it reduces the chances of a product being contaminated with toxic compounds. “You know better what’s in it,” says Goldstein. Goldstein.
What exactly is CBD water?
CBD water is just one product of the massive CBD beverages market, which is expected to exceed $1.4 billion by 2023, according to the market-consulting firm Zenith Global. You can also purchase CBD teas, CBD coffee, CBD sports drinks, and CBD sodas.
Nanotechnology allows us to modify the structure of fat molecules. The result is packaged as a nanoemulsion. “You have to make the CBD compatible with water, otherwise the homogenized oil floats to the top,” explains Lee. “It requires a technological intervention . . . so the body perceives this as water.”
There’s been no significant research regarding CBD-infused drinks yet this process alteration could be a sign that your body is absorbing the CBD more quickly and the CBD starts working faster (in the range of 20 minutes). The downside? The effects of CBD that is infused into water might not last for very long.
“If it acts quicker, it stops acting quicker, whereas edible or ingestible effects could last four hours easily,” says Lee.
Again, it’s crucial to keep in mind that CBD water has very minimal amounts of CBD and can differ depending on the brand.
What is the best way to purchase CBD water?
The caliber of CBD water products differs widely that’s why you’re well advised to do your study prior to buying. Finding a reputable company is essential.
“Go with a company that has a website, ideally a phone number that you can call,” advises Dr. Goldstein. “It’s very important that the company is transparent in terms of their extraction process and whether or not they add other ingredients to their products.”