CBD water comes with its own unique properties, but does it perform as effectively as other CBD products? Here’s what to know before drinking it.
Do you need to drink CBD water?
CBD water is only one of the many CBD products–from CBD gummies to eye drops to suntan lotion–that are available to purchase and try. Similar to other forms of cannabidiol, CBD water has distinctive characteristics that relate to the speed of its action and how long its effect lasts, and the dose that is most effective.
“CBD water has some pros and cons,” claims Martin A. Lee, co-founder, and director of Project CBD, a California non-profit organization that promotes CBD research, as well as 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 the information you need to know if you’re thinking of drinking CBD water.
What is CBD?
CBD is one of two primary ingredients in the marijuana plant as well as its cousin, the hemp plant. Unlike the other main ingredient, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD does not produce a high. Marijuana tends to have more THC, whereas hemp contains greater CBD.
In the United States, most CBD comes from hemp that can be grown legally provided it has less than 0.3 percent THC, as stipulated by the new 2018 Farmers Bill. Hemp is also used to make rope carpets, paper, and much more.
Is hemp water safe?
Most experts consider CBD to be very secure. However, at high doses, it can be a drug interaction with other substances like blood thinners as well as common pain relievers. Additionally, pure CBD could require higher doses as compared to full-spectrum and broad-spectrum products, which include other components (more on this in the future). Always consult your physician to ensure that CBD will not alter the effects of any medications you’re taking. The National Library of Medicine keeps a list of all potential interactions with drugs.
Additionally, the search for American-grown CBD reduces the chances that a product could be filled with toxic chemicals. “You know better what’s in it,” says Goldstein.
What exactly is CBD water?
CBD water is only one of the many products in the CBD beverages industry, which is expected to exceed $1.4 billion in 2023, according to market research company Zenith Global. There are also CBD teas, CBD coffee, CBD sports drinks, as well as CBD sodas.
Nanotechnology can structurally alter fat molecules. The end product is created as a nanoemulsion. “You have to make the CBD compatible with water, otherwise the homogenized oil floats to the top,” Lee explains Lee. “It is a technical issue . . . Thus, the body interprets that as water.”
Although there isn’t much research on CBD-infused drinks, this altering process may lead to your body taking in CBD faster, so it gets working faster (in possibly as little as the span of 20 minutes). The downside? The results of CBD delivered through water may not last long.
“If it acts quicker, it stops acting quicker, whereas edible or ingestible effects could last four hours easily,” says Lee.
Also, it’s important to note that CBD water is water that has low amounts of CBD however it may differ depending on the brand.
How to buy CBD water
The caliber of CBD water products varies widely which is why you’re wise to conduct your research prior to purchasing. A reputable business is crucial.
“Go with a company that has a website, ideally a phone number that you can call,” suggests 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.“