Is coffee your quicker-picker-upperer? But then, too much coffee gives you the caffeine jitters and a stomach ache? The solution may be to add a bit of CBD to the blend. This non-addictive chemical found in the cannabis plant is all the rage now as an effective buffer to the popular (and highly addictive) caffeinated beverage.
Cannabidiol (CBD) won’t get you high, but it can take the edge off that cup of joe. Making a CBD latte is simple: add the amount you want to any cup of coffee: roast, espresso, iced, or con leche (blended “with milk”).
CBD can be infused into coffee beans during their roasting process and produce coffee that tastes like regular coffee. To control the dose, origin, and quality of the CBD oil, it can be added after the coffee is prepared – but the taste and smell may resemble hemp, the stringy fiber from cannabis plant stalks.
Reduce the racing heartbeat and anxiety that can come from consuming too much energizing caffeinated coffee with “yellow mellow” CBD, the ultimate relaxant. Just be cautious not to overdo or relaxation may deepen into slumber. And that would not look good at your office. (Just sayin’.)
New York writer and editor Melissa Malamut documented her experiences trying coffee with CBD. Her 5-day trial was far from scientific as she broke her own rules and changed the amount of CBD-infused and regular coffee she drank daily. Even so, after tossing down one cup of regular cafe followed by a second cup of CBD coffee, Malamut reported:
“I’m alert with no headache. Caffeine can sometimes give me heart palpitations and shaky hands, but today I feel calm. I don’t feel any anxiety or added stress over deadlines, and the day is flying by.”
The writer followed the suggestion made by the owner of a Brooklyn cafe that serves CBD-infused brews and spaced out the doses at least three hours between servings. She found that the right timing and dosage made her feel “as if someone spiked my latte with teeny tiny bits of Xanax.”
Moderation proved to be key to a successful combination. Drinking a third cup of CBD coffee after downing two regular cups made Malamut very sleepy. She “worried about any potential typos I could’ve made and my anxiety is in overdrive. I feel pretty wrecked.”
A 2016 pediatric study from scientists at the University of Colorado School of Medicine concluded that CBD oil can be an effective compound to reduce anxiety and insomnia.
Thanks to the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, industrialized hemp was removed from the list of controlled substances monitored by the federal government. Since then, any cannabinoid derived from hemp (any hemp extract) is legal under U.S. law.
Chef Leighton Knowles, who co-founded the New York- and Ohio-based company, Flower Power Coffee Company, claims to have invented the hybrid beverage. Co-founder and Brooklyn pharmacist Craig Leivent said that CBD-infused coffees on the market that coat the whole bean with oil don’t deliver a consistent amount of CBD in each serving.
Americans today are enjoying many types of CBD and CBD-infused coffees available commercially. Check out your local coffee shop to see if this trending item has been added to the menu as an optional add-in akin to milk or sweetener.
If you aren’t sure if drinking coffee laced with CBD oil is best for your health, consult with your doctor first.
In 2019, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) began reviewing CBDs in consumer products (food, beverages, and supplements) for safety with an eye for relaxing the rules. TSA (Transportation Security Administration) began to allow certain CBD products aboard planes in either checked luggage or carry-on bags.
Because CBD products aren’t federally regulated, be sure to buy from reputable companies to avoid mislabeling or false advertising.
