Chances are you’ve heard of CBD recently concerning its many touted health and wellness benefits. CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive compound extracted from hemp plants. One of the more common ways to consume CBD is in your morning coffee and those who have tried it swear by the mixture’s calming yet energizing effects. But what’s all the hype about?
Lots of people who haven’t tried it wonder if there really are benefits to drinking CBD coffee, so below, we’re discussing what it is, why people are consuming it, and what you can expect if you do decide to try it. Let’s get started!
What Exactly is CBD Coffee? Will it Get Me High?
CBD coffee is coffee that is mixed with cannabidiol extracted from a hemp plant. CBD is commonly infused in oils or alcohols, and it’s consumed orally by itself, in food, or mixed into beverages like coffee. It can also be inhaled via vape, but many people prefer to take it orally.
Most people confuse CBD with THC, which is the component in marijuana plants that offers feelings of euphoria and has psychoactive properties. “Hemp” was defined by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 as a strain of cannabis that contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. Essentially, CBD is derived from cannabis plants that naturally have negligible amounts of THC in them.
As such, some people who take CBD note that it makes them feel relaxed or alert, but it won’t make you feel high or alter your brain chemistry as THC will.
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Is CBD Legal? Can I Get in Trouble for Using CBD?
Because CBD is derived from cannabis plants that have THC, albeit a small quantity, selling and purchasing CBD is still illegal on the federal level and in some states. If you’re interested in trying CBD coffee, you’ll have to do so in a state that has legalized cannabidiol.
However, this is not to say that you need to use it in a state that has legalized marijuana — remember, THC and CBD are very different compounds. Most states have legalized the use of CBD, so you should check to see if it’s legal where you live. Some states have restrictions that state that it cannot be used as a medicine but is perfectly legal as a dietary supplement.
Provided you’re in a state that has legalized CBD use, you won’t get in trouble for adding it to your coffee.
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Why Do People Drink CBD Coffee?
CBD has been raved about all over the news and the internet for its health benefits. It has been touted for its ability to cure or alleviate everything from anxiety to migraines to muscle aches. Because CBD comes from cannabis, which is still illegal on the federal level and in many states on a local level, minimal research has been done to substantiate the supposed health benefits.
However, many sources like this scientific research paper suggest that CBD can be useful in treating anxiety and insomnia. Many people who use cannabis for medicinal purposes believe that CBD is the compound responsible for many of the benefits. Other research like this paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine seems to support this idea.
Many people who drink CBD coffee state that, while regular coffee can cause stomach irritation due to acidity, CBD oil helps alleviate those problems. This effect may be due to the oil in which CBD is infused, as some consumable essential oils have been shown to reduce digestion issues. If this is the case with CBD coffee, users would be able to enjoy the stimulating effects of caffeine without the commonly associated stomach pain.
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Research has shown that CBD can reduce inflammation and pain throughout the body, and users often report that they feel a reduction even in chronic levels of pain.
CBD has also been shown to be useful in the treatment of cancer as well. This study published by PubMed showed that CBD reduced the pain associated with cancer treatment and chemotherapy. Another study concluded that CBD could mitigate the chances of certain types of cancer spreading throughout the body.
The calming effects and the potential medical benefits keep people coming back when it comes to CBD, and the added mental focus they get from the caffeine in CBD coffee certainly helps keep their interest.
What are the Benefits of CBD Coffee?
CBD is rapidly growing in popularity, likely because it’s identified as a bit of a cure-all. Below, we’re going to discuss the different benefits that adding CBD to coffee specifically can have, as users find that CBD coffee is a favorite method of consumption.
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Doctors who recommend cannabidiol suggest that dosing is essential and needs to be adjusted to the individual and the condition it’s being used to treat. Therefore, CBD oil is one of the best ways to consume the compound because very accurate doses can be taken with repeatability. Adding a dose to coffee covers up the taste and allows you to take a large enough quantity to feel the CBD’s positive effects.
Taking CBD is also recommended daily, as it’s said to have compound effects over time, in addition to short-term impacts. Many users forget to take an oil compound every single morning. However, if drinking coffee is already part of one’s daily routine, it’s effortless to remember to add a dose of CBD oil. You may forget your medicine, but when’s the last time you forgot your coffee?
CBD can be inhaled with a vape, but vaping’s side effects aren’t fully understood and are questionable at best. Additionally, some individuals have medical conditions that prevent them from inhaling any kind of smoke or vaping liquid. Adding CBD to your coffee is a safe way to ingest the compound, as it travels through your digestive tract instead of your lungs. Taking CBD in coffee is also less conspicuous than smoking or vaping, as no one will question or take issue with someone drinking a cup of coffee.
Vaping allows CBD to enter your bloodstream rapidly, but it also means the compound will leave your body more quickly. Ingesting CBD orally in a cup of coffee will give you a longer-lasting effect.
Does CBD Coffee Actually Work?
CBD’s proposed medical benefits are still up for debate, but adding CBD to your coffee will deliver any benefits that may exist. Oils or tinctures that contain cannabidiol simply need to be consumed to be effective, so CBD coffee is a great way to enjoy any positive effects CBD has to offer.
Based on reports from CBD users, the compound affects everyone differently, so there’s no way to be sure what impact it will have on you unless you use it. If you do choose to try CBD coffee, doctors recommend taking 5 mg at first to see what effects there are and increasing or decreasing the dosage from there.
Wrapping Up
CBD coffee is a popular trend now, given the many health benefits that users and experts are reporting it can have. Relatively little research has been done given the recent legalization of hemp growth for CBD, but what is known is that it isn’t a psychoactive compound, it won’t get you high, and it has the potential to alleviate some health issues including chronic pain.
You’ll have to decide for yourself whether or not it’s right for you, but given the many positive effects reported by users, we do recommend at least giving it a try!
Kate is a lifelong coffee enthusiast and homebrewer who enjoys writing for coffee websites and sampling every kind of coffee known to man. She’s tried unusual coffees from all over the world and owns an unhealthy amount of coffee gear.
