For thousands of years, people have made drinks from cannabis plants which contained CBD. Depending on the area of the world, some made these drinks from hemp and some from marijuana. Either way, these beverages were used as both health supplements and as medicines.
In the last century, this fell out of favor due to propaganda that governments, specifically the United States government had used to sway public opinion and eventually legislatures around the world to take action to ban cannabis.
These actions were broad strokes against the plant. It made all species of cannabis in the US controlled substances. The problem with this was that hemp wasn’t a psychoactive intoxicant.
While it could be argued that the science wasn’t available to differentiate CBD from THC until the 1960s (CBD was discovered in the 1940s and THC in the 1960s), the decades that followed their discovery the US government “doubled down” on the plant.
CBD Beverage Forms
There’s no doubt that the popularity of CBD, also known as cannabinol has become extremely popular in the last few years. That popularity has led to a proliferation of the ways that CBD can be consumed.
One class of these products that is growing in popularity is beverages. Among the more popular CBD beverages are:
- Non-alcoholic beer and wine
- Water
- Sparkling water
- Kombucha
- Soda
- Coffee
- Tea
- Cocoa
- Milk (in the form of hemp milk)
These beverages don’t have the intoxicating effects of marijuana that contains the psychoactive intoxicant THC.
It was reported widely towards the end of 2018 that the beverage monolith Coca-Cola was considering a line of CBD infused drinks. Coca Cola isn’t just carbonated or even non-carbonated soft drinks. Their products encompass a big swath of the beverage and even the food industry. Some of their more popular brands include:
- Bacardi Mixers
- Capri Sun
- Costa Coffee
- Dasani
- Dunkin Donuts (ready-to-drink brands)
- Fairlife milk
- Full Throttle Energy
- Fuze Beverages
- Glacèau
- Gold Peak Tea
- Jolly Juice
- Minute Maid
- Nestea
- Nestlé Chocolate
- SmartWater
- VitaminWater
- Zico Coconut Water
So joining the CBD infused market wouldn’t only be a natural extension of their current lineup of products, but would be necessary as the market for CBD beverages is growing and Coca Cola will need to break into that market to remain competitive as regular soda consumption drops and is even on the attack from health professionals and local governments by the way of “sugar taxes”.
CBD products growth and availability are in direct correlation to the drive to legalize marijuana across the United States. Americans have realized not only the health benefits of CBD but the unhealthy ingredients in most mass-produced drinks such as soda. CDB beverages are holistic and are considered a health and wellness product.
CBD beverages can come in many forms. For instance, coffee and tea are sold to be brewed by the consumer, therefore they come in ground bean of leaf form respectively.
Products such as water or soda are either canned or bottled and the CDB is infused in the product.
Many consumers of CBD prefer CBD infused beverages as the taste of CBD by itself isn’t very appetizing. Even those who purchase CBD in a tincture usually will purchase it with some sort of flavoring to override the taste of the CBD.
Top CBD Drink Manufacturers
The retail CBD beverage industry is expected to exceed $1 billion in the United States by 2025. As such, many manufacturers are jumping into the fray of the CBD industry. But this isn’t new. CBD beverages have been available for at least a decade in the US and Canada, and with recent federal and state legislation in the US, the availability will grow immensely.
One advantage that CBD infused beverages have over cannabis-infused beverages is that in many jurisdictions (such as California) products with THC can’t be sold in the same building as alcohol. So this limits the availability of products like cannabis-infused wines, beers and even non-alcoholic cannabis mixers. CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t have these restrictions and allows manufacturers and distributors the flexibility of where they can sell.
Among the top brand of CBD infused beverages are:
CBD Living
Established in 2013, the California-based company CBD Living uses nanotechnology to infuse its product lines to deliver the maximum benefits of the CBD.
The main beverage product they offer is CBD Living Water, this product uses nano-sized CBD molecules and infuses them in approximately 9+ pH water. They claim that this process “ensures the highest bioavailability on the market and easy absorption into the body.”
In addition to water, CBD Living also offers CBD Loose Leaf Tea. Each package of Loose Leaf Tea is 2oz and contains 7.5mg of CBD per typical serving. They use the same nanotechnology to infuse the tea as they infuse the water.
CBDfx
CBDfx has a line of CBD “shots” that they offer. Each 2-ounce shot provides the user with 20 milligrams of CBD. They currently offer the shots in lemonade and berry flavors.
All CBDfx products are derived from wholly organic hemp plants and extracted in Southern California labs. In addition to shots, CBDfx offers over 50 different CBD products.
Endo
Endo is another company that offers multiple CBD products. Their offerings include oil, topical products, and infused water.
The products they offer include:
- Pure Alkaline Water (no flavorings)
- Cucumber Alkaline Water
- Lemon Lime Alkaline Water
- Watermelon Alkaline Water
- Pure Sparkling Water (no flavorings)
- Cucumber Sparkling Water
- Lemon Lime Sparkling Water
- Watermelon Sparkling Water
The water offered is derived from natural essential oils and the flavors are extracted from real fruit with no added sugars.
Vybes
Vybes is a California based company that offers CBD products sourced with Colorado hemp. Their offerings are limited, but they do offer 3 CBD infused juice beverages. These juices are sold in 14-ounce bottles and each contains 25 milligrams of CBD per bottle.
The flavors offered include:
- Peach Ginger
- Strawberry Lavender
- Blueberry Mint
The products offered by Vybes are all-natural and the juices have no added sugar.
Cannabinoid Creations
Cannabinoid Creations is a Detroit, Michigan based company that primarily focuses on food and drink infused CBD products (although they do have traditional CBD products such as tinctures).
The company offers sodas, water, and even syrups that customers can choose from.
The sodas are sold in 4 packs of 7-ounce bottles. The soda comes in 4 flavors:
- Orange Cream
- High Tide Honeydew Melon
- Ginger Ale
- Grape Limeade
- Cartoon Cereal Crunch
The water that the company offers is sold in packs of 4 or 24 and along with CBD is fortified with potassium, magnesium, Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and B12. The water offered doesn’t come flavored.
Cannabinoid Creations also offers syrups. These 4-ounce bottles have 200 milligrams of CBD per teaspoon. They come in 2 types AM to for daytime use and PM to help with sleep. The PM product also contains 10 milligrams of melatonin. Both AM and PM syrups come in cherry and grape.
Aurora Elixirs
Aurora Elixirs focus on CBD beverages. They currently offer 2 flavors of carbonated waters, lavender spice, and grapefruit rosemary.
The drinks are made with natural, essential ingredients and high-quality hemp and cannabis extracts. The beverages contain all natural flavors and sweeteners. The products ingredients are hand selected and meticulously tested so they can result in reliably conscious infusion.
Aurora Elixirs tonics have 15mg of CBD and zero THC per bottle.
Canna Nano CBD
Canna Nano CBD offers 2 versions of CBD infused water for consumers, Canna Nano CBD Water and Canna Nano CBD Plus Water. The Plus has twice as much CBD as the normal water. Each bottle is 16.9 ounces and is sold as singles, 3-packs, 6-packs, and cases of 24. The water is unflavored but is fortified with calcium, potassium, magnesium, and electrolytes. The company claims that their “water-soluble, nano-sized particles containing Canna Nano CBD are typically 90% used by the body, compared to just 10% with leading competitors based on 100mg testing.”
Recess
Recess is a New York City-based company that specializes in CBD infused sparkling waters. In addition to CBD, each can of Recess contains:
- 200mg American Ginseng
- 130mg of L-theanine
- 200mg Schisandra
The drink contains 10 milligrams of full spectrum hemp (with no THC) and comes in the following flavors:
- Blackberry Chai
- Pomegranate Hibiscus
- Peach Ginger
Consumers can buy and 8 pack of 12-ounce cans in any flavor or purchase a sampler 6 pack which comes with 2 of each flavor.
Kickback Cold Brew
One of the first entrants into the CBD Coffee industry, Kickback Cold Brew is a Los Angeles-based company that focuses on coffee and tea. The company offers ground coffee, loose tea leaves, and bottles of cold coffee and tea.
The bottled coffees and teas have 20 milligrams of CBD per bottle. The ground coffees and loose leave tea vary in CBD potency from 90 milligrams to 200 milligrams per cup.
The products offered include:
- Ground Coffee
- Cali Rise
- Cali Daze
- Loose Leaf Tea
- Matcha
- Ginger Peach
- Cold Brew Coffee
- Coffee Date
- The O. G.
- Golden Cashew
- Cold Brew Tea
- Matcha’cha
- Just Peachy
Sprig
Sprig is a popular brand of CBD Soda. Based in Orange County, California, Sprig is available nationwide. Each 12 ounce can of Sprig contains 20 milligrams of CBD as well as all natural ingredients with no caffeine. Spring comes in 4 flavors:
- Original Citrus
- Citrus Zero Sugar
- Sparkling Lemon Tea Zero Sugar
- Melon Zero Sugar
Consumers can order online form Sprig’s website or purchase in natural grocery stores and cannabis dispensaries around the United States.
What Is CBD?
CBD, or cannabinol, is a compound that is found in all cannabis plants. These compounds are known as cannabinoids. Cannabis contains 113 known cannabinoids.
Cannabis is a blanket term for 3 species of plants. These plants are Indica, Sativa, and Ruderalis. Indica is most commonly associated with marijuana, while Sativa and Ruderalis are in the hemp family of plants.
CBD can be derived from all 3 species, but Sativa and to a lesser extent, Ruderalis, are used to produce CBD. This is due to the higher CBD content and the low THC content.
THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the intoxicating, psychoactive compound that’s known for making those who consume it high.
CBD, unlike its fellow cannabinoid THC, hasn’t intoxicating effects. Some minor side effects such as drowsiness, dry mouth, and dizziness may be experienced by some users.
CBD Health Benefits and Medicinal Uses
For many years, CBD oil has been touted as an alternative medicine for a number of ailments. Studies dating back the 1960s show that CDB has a number of medical benefits for both animals and humans.
In 1980, a study found conclusively that CBD was an effective treatment for children that suffered from epilepsy and seizures.
In addition, CBD has been found effective in treating symptoms related to:
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Anorexia
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Back Pain
- Bipolar disorder
- Bursitis
- Cancer
- Cardiovascular disorders
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Degenerative Disc Disease
- Depression
- Dislocation
- Ehlers-Danlos
- Fibromyalgia
- Fifth Disease
- Glaucoma
- Gout
- Hip Dysplasia
- Huntington’s disease
- Infectious Arthritis
- Inflammation
- Inflammatory Arthritis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Insomnia
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lupus
- Lyme Disease
- Mediterranean Fever
- Mixed Connective Tissue Disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Myositis
- Neuroprotection
- Obesity
- Osteoarthritis
- Osteoporosis
- Paget’s Disease
- Pain
- Parkinson’s disease
- Pediatric Rheumatic Diseases
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Pseudogout
- Psoriatic Arthritis
- Raynaud’s Phenomenon
- Reactive Arthritis
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
- Rheumatic Fever
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Schizophrenia
- Scleroderma
- Spinal Stenosis
- Sprains
- Still’s disease
- Systemic Sclerosis
- Temporal Arteritis
- Tendinitis
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Vasculitis
- Vomiting
In addition, CBD has been found to have a wide spectrum of protective properties. These include:
- Analgesic
- Anti-anxiety
- Antibacterial
- Antidepressant
- Antifungal
- Anti-inflammatory
- Anti-psychotic
- Neuroprotective
These natural properties work together to help in healing and preventing health issues.
Conclusion
The ways that a person can consume CBD is growing each year. CBD beverages have been around for thousands of years when ancient Far and Middle Eastern inhabitants started creating teas and milk from hemp. At the time, they certainly didn’t know what CBD was, but they knew that consuming hemp was beneficial to health. And they were right as hemp not only contains cannabinoids but is rich in:
- Antioxidants
- Magnesium
- Omega-3 fatty acids
- Omega-6 fatty acids
- Potassium
- Protein
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin B1
- Vitamin B2
- Vitamin E
With the discovery of CBD in the cannabis plant, we’re able to take advantage of even more health benefits than our ancient ancestors. And we can enjoy it as a water, tea, coffee, or carbonated beverage.
