We all know that 2018 has been the year of CBD, with more new companies coming up with innovative products. CBD is a cannabis product which does not give you a high unlike THC and helps reduce anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation. The manufacturers of CBD products have let their creative juices flow with lattes, smoothies, ice-cream, and candies. So, is mixing CBD with caffeine effective?
While the health benefits of CBD like anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, and analgesic properties have been documented, the effect of combining coffee with CBD is not yet clear. Not much research was done since CBD, was pooled alongside marijuana in terms of legality though it contains no THC, therefore acquiring federal funding for research far more difficult. However, after the Farm Bill of 2018, the market for cannabis-based products is all set to boom.
Only recently, despite several bars and cafes in NYC using CBD, the New York City’s health department told restaurants that they can’t use CBD in food items since it was not known about the effects of CBD as a food additive. However, CBD is legal in other forms yet this decision has cast doubt over the safety and efficacy of the ever-popular CBD lattes. It is stated that those who consume CBD for medical reasons like seizure disorders or inflammation should not consume CBD this way since accurate dosing is extremely important for such types of illnesses.
According to studies published in The Journal of Internal Medicine, it was stated that coffee and cannabis activate the same pathways in the brain. The neurotransmitters which are the ones affected by cannabis in the endocannabinoid system decreased after drinking four to eight cups of coffee in a day. however, this is the opposite effect of what happens when you use cannabis.
Many physicians also observe effects on a case-by-case basis. For those who think it can cancel caffeine jitters, think again. Many people consume coffee for brain alertness and if they think the added anti-anxiety properties of CBD can counter the effects of caffeine, this isn’t always the case according to Dr Bonni Goldstein, MD, the medical director of Canna-Centers.
Dr Bonni says that CBD at low doses is a stimulant while higher doses cause sedation. Any person’s reaction to caffeine and CBD cannot be predicted because various doses of each would affect the response.
“What I hear from people is that they’re able to experience that nice, alert, focused energy of coffee without any of the jitters,” explains Jewel Zimmer, founder of cannabis and CBD oil brand Juna. As more and more CBD research is pouring in, we can expect some more studies on the effect of CBD on caffeine. In the meantime, those who consume CBD for medical reasons like seizure disorders or inflammation should not consume CBD this way since accurate dosing is extremely important for such types of illnesses.