CBD Gummies: Are CBD Gummies As Effective As Oil? | Mary Jane's CBD Dispensary

Do CBD Gummies Work? The Truth About Edibles

It sometimes seems as if CBD has taken the world over. From the classic bears to the sour peach rings, it’s in chocolate and soda and fun gummies of every kind. It is in bars of water and jerky and oil, and peanut butter and granola, for the sake of heaven. You might have been able to provide a Pacific Crest Trail hike with nothing but CBD items and somebody probably tried that. But, if you’re trying to get CBD’s benefits for pain relief, mood, and overall health, do these products work? It is worth taking a quick look at the science involved to find out why you might not get the best value for CBD gummies and other edibles.

THC vs CBD: How About Them Brownies?

Partially because cannabis edibles have been popular since, well, forever. Everyone has a story about the “special” brownies that had driven their entire freshman dorm out. And since CBD is a cannabinoid, like the psychoactive THC which gives its legendary kick to Alice B. Toklas ‘ “haschich fudge,” adding CBD to food might seem like the next logical step. But, the digestion of THC and CBD is special. When the liver absorbs all molecules break down, and we end up excreting much of what we were eating. Half the THC that remains in the body after being eaten, however, has been converted by liver enzymes into a highly potent variant called 11-OH-THC. The metabolic cycle explains why there is a popular propensity for pot brownies to bind people to the couch for hours.

In comparison, CBD is not undergoing a similar transition. If you eat or drink it, most of what you pay for ends up in the toilet–and it can take a very long time to bring in the impact of what’s left over.

Isolate vs Broad-Spectrum

Why did CBD bring energy drink into that can anyway? We’ve already written about the advantages of CBD vs CBD isolate in limited or full range, but in a nutshell, whole plant hemp extract performs substantially better than CBD alone. Some edible products use wide-spectrum CBD, but many more use isolate, especially the cheaper chocolates, gummies and sodas. Check labels for sure and you know what you’re getting. 

Quick side note: we won’t tell you what to eat, ever–but most of us might be able to stand up and consume less sugar. Junk food is still junk food although it contains CBD. 

CBD Oil: Less Fun, More Effective

So if you don’t get the best bang for your buck from CBD edibles, what does it do? The response is CBD oil, tonic, or tincture broad-spectrum, like Foria Wellness CBD Tonic, which is supposed to drink in the mouth before you swallow it. It’s not going to taste like chocolate, but it’s going to get the job done much quicker and better. This is because by mucous membranes, including those in the ears, cheeks and tongue (and other places), CBD is easily absorbed. The CBD heads straight on to the bloodstream when administered this way, completely bypassing the digestive process. Swish for about a minute before swallowing, and enjoy quick results.

The Right Fats Matter

The carrier oil does also make a difference. CBD, like THC, is fat-soluble, so it increases absorption when mixed with any oil; however, MCT oil absorbs especially well–easily passing through mucous membranes during swishing.

MCT oil is ingested faster than any other form of oil even after it has been swallowed, avoiding the digestive process and going straight through the portal vein in the liver to the bloodstream.

Capsules: Pop, Pop, Swish, Swish

Whether you buy capsules of CBD oil, first chew them and then swish. And if you’re in a rush and there’s nothing but gummy bears around, you can chew them up easily like gummy candies. 

Daily CBD: Avoiding Sugar Shock

CBD edibles won’t hurt you, but you definitely don’t benefit from the junk food ingredients in many of these.  It is important to note that you need to drink it frequently for the best results with CBD for overall health so it can build up in your body — and a daily soda intake is definitely not what you’re looking for.  Stick with healthy, pure CBD goods, so for the next time someone bakes up a big batch of brownies- “special” or not, you have space in your sugar budget.