What are CBD Gummies Anyway?
CBD gummies are chewy edibles infused with CBD. Containing no more than 0.3% delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—the most well-known mind-altering compound of the cannabis plant—by dry weight, CBD gummies don’t create an intoxicatingly psychoactive “high” effect. And many brands standardize the amount of CBD that goes into each gummy, so with these edibles, you can know exactly how many milligrams of CBD you’re consuming with any given serving.
| Full-spectrum CBD |
Contains all the cannabinoids and terpenes that grow naturally in the hemp plant, including less than a 0.3% product concentration of THC.
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| Broad-spectrum CBD |
Contains all the cannabinoids and terpenes that grow in the hemp plant except for THC. Most broad-spectrum CBD products list a 0.0% product concentration of THC on the label.
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| CBD Isolate |
The pure form of CBD, containing no other cannabinoids or terpenes from the hemp plant. It, too, doesn’t contain any THC.
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Some CBD gummies feature additional cannabinoids, such as cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG), and supplements like melatonin.
Research suggests CBD can be helpful in managing pain, alleviating anxiety, treating symptoms of epilepsy and more.
How Do CBD Gummies Work?
Once CBD edibles are ingested orally, the CBD that remains after first-pass digestion is absorbed into the bloodstream. (First-pass digestion is the process by which a substance is metabolized at a specific site in the body, resulting in a reduced concentration of the substance by the time it starts to circulate throughout the body.) More research is needed to understand exactly how much CBD the body absorbs from gummies, as its bioavailability is relatively low due to first-pass digestion.
Once absorbed, CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors that are part of the endocannabinoid system. “Endocannabinoids are chemical messengers that play a variety of roles in the body,” explains Daniele Piomelli, Ph.D., the director of the Institute for the Study of Cannabis at the University of California, Irvine and an anatomy and neurobiology professor at the university’s medical school. “They work by binding to receptors present on the surface of neurons and many other cells. When bound to endocannabinoids, these receptors regulate appetite, pain, memory, the response to stress and the ability to store fat (among other things).”
CBD also promotes gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) activity in the brain. By suppressing the stress response, GABA activity promotes a feeling of calm.
How many gummies do I need to take?
The number of CBD gummies you take depends on the potency of the gummy, your experience with CBD and how much tends to result in desired effects for your body. People who are less familiar with CBD can start with a lower-dose CBD gummy and work their way to higher potencies as needed. You can also cut a gummy in half or take multiple gummies to achieve your preferred dose.
Health Benefits of CBD Gummies
Research shows consuming CBD edibles can have many potential benefits, including a reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, effective treatment for PTSD and certain kinds of epilepsy, and anti-inflammatory effects in conditions like arthritis and other forms of pain that tend to be difficult to treat. CBD gummies can provide these potential benefits and may appeal to people with these conditions who dislike the taste of CBD oil.
If you’re interested in using CBD therapeutically, speak with your health care provider about any potential benefits or risks unique to you.
Side Effects of CBD Gummies
Consuming CBD can lead to side effects, including fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort and a change in appetite and/or weight. “CBD is generally considered safe, but one shouldn’t underestimate certain potential risks like its interaction with other drugs that are destroyed by the liver,” adds Dr. Piomelli. “The interaction with CBD can either strengthen or weaken the effect of these drugs, which is problematic.”
Check with your health care provider before adding a CBD product to your wellness routine alongside medications and supplements. If you experience unpleasant side effects from CBD, discontinue use and consult your physician.
Pro Tip
Reputable CBD brands readily provide Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for each individual product they sell. QR codes on product packaging and/or links on manufacturer websites allow consumers to view these third-party laboratory tests that evaluate CBD products for accurate potency and safety considerations, such as heavy metal and pesticide content.
How and When to Take CBD Gummies
Prior to deciding how and when to take any CBD product, speak with a health care provider familiar with CBD’s mechanism of action—especially if you’re taking other medications or seeking support for a specific concern, such as anxiety or insomnia.
CBD gummies are a type of edible and are therefore chewed and swallowed. Deciding when to ingest them depends on the potency of the product (always purchase a product with a COA so you know the potency on the label is accurate), the desired effects and how your body responds to CBD. In short, how often you should take CBD gummies is unique to you.
How Long Do CBD Gummies Take to Start Working?
Because chewable CBD gummies must go through first-pass metabolism before the remaining CBD is absorbed into the bloodstream—and everyone’s metabolism functions slightly differently—it’s difficult to pinpoint a precise amount of time in which the effects of CBD gummies take place (and likely varies from person to person depending on potency and the amount ingested).
“CBD isn’t absorbed very well,” says Dr. Piomelli. “Only a small amount makes it from the gut to circulation, and a small [amount] escapes metabolism when the compound passes through the liver.”
Some research suggests the types of foods you eat with a CBD product or whether you take CBD on an empty stomach may also impact CBD absorption. Most CBD manufacturers include a recommended dose on CBD gummy product labels and provide more information about how long it might take for that dose to take effect, so be sure to read product packaging carefully.
What Are CBD Gummies Used for?
There’s a range of proposed uses for CBD products, and research into the impact of cannabinoids, including CBD, on the human body is constantly evolving. If you’re dealing with a medical concern and you’re interested in trying CBD, a health care professional familiar with the therapeutic uses of CBD can assist you in selecting a product and potency that’s right for you.
“CBD gummies are not medicines and shouldn’t be used to replace them,” says Dr. Piomelli. “I wouldn’t recommend them for any disease condition.”
CBD Gummies for Sleep
Although more research is needed, early studies show CBD may help treat insomnia and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorders (which involve people physically acting out their dreams in the REM stage of sleep, often leading to injury), according to a 2017 review of existing literature in Sleep Disorders. Additional studies suggest CBD may improve the quality of sleep, including difficulty falling asleep, according to a 2019 review in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. (This review also emphasizes the need for further research.)
If you’re interested in using CBD gummies to address sleep-related concerns, such as insomnia or difficulty falling asleep, selecting CBD isolate gummies—which are THC-free due to the extraction process used to separate CBD from all other cannabis plant compounds—may be the best route, as some research shows THC use may negatively impact sleep over time in spite of potentially positive short-term effects.
Using CBD gummies to help address conditions that often occur in tandem with insomnia and sleep disturbances, such as anxiety and chronic pain, may also lead to an overall better quality of sleep as well.
CBD Gummies for Anxiety
Although no studies have been conducted regarding the specific use of CBD edibles for the treatment of anxiety, research does show that CBD has a potentially positive impact when it comes to treating generalized anxiety, social anxiety and anxiety associated with PTSD, according to a 2020 literature review in the Journal of American Pharmacists Association.
Because research on CBD as an adjunct or standalone anxiety treatment is limited and CBD products aren’t regulated by the FDA, there’s no standardized or recommended CBD dose for anxiety specifically. In one 2019 study of 40 Japanese students with social anxiety disorder, those who were given 300 milligrams of CBD a day versus the placebo experienced less anxiety, but this study was small, and certain measurements, such as blood levels of CBD, weren’t recorded.
While there’s a fair amount of research that supports CBD use, including gummies, for certain anxiety disorders, further well-designed trials and research is needed.
CBD Gummies for Pain
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 20% of U.S. adults experience chronic pain. Taking CBD in gummy form could potentially help alleviate certain acute and chronic pain conditions because of the analgesic effect cannabinoids may have on the endocannabinoid system, according to research.
CBD Gummies for Sex Drive
Little research exists regarding how CBD specifically may affect sexual function. However, a few studies explore how cannabis—which includes CBD among a host of other cannabinoids, namely THC—may affect sex drive
A 2023 study in the Journal of Cannabis Research reports that cannabis use prior to sexual activity increased feelings of desire and satisfaction likely due to cannabinoids’ anxiety-reducing and relaxation-inducing properties.
Meanwhile, a 2020 study in Sexual Medicine assessed anonymous survey responses from 452 women and concluded that women who frequently use cannabis reported greater sexual function in terms of desire, arousal, orgasm and satisfaction.
Some studies, however, report conflicting results. A 2015 review in the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics reports that while short-term use of cannabis may increase libido in men, chronic use of cannabis may, in fact, lower men’s sex drive.
CBD may affect sex drive in different ways depending on the individual. However, research indicates that using cannabis prior to sex may have a positive or negative effect depending on specific factors, such as frequency of use, gender and more.
CBD Gummies vs. CBD Oil: What's the Difference?
While both CBD oil and CBD gummies are ingested orally, the mechanism through which they become bioavailable may differ. CBD gummies, which are edibles infused with CBD, must go through first-pass metabolism in the digestive system, after which the remaining CBD is absorbed into the bloodstream. Meanwhile, CBD oil is extracted directly from the cannabis plant, blended with a carrier oil and potentially other ingredients, such as natural flavors, and sold in tincture form. CBD oil can be taken in a variety of ways, including sublingually (meaning you hold the oil under your tongue) and via edible form when it’s added to foods or beverages. While some manufacturers claim consuming the oil sublingually can accelerate the time it takes to feel its effects, little scientific evidence supports this claim.
Both CBD oil and CBD gummies come in broad-spectrum, full-spectrum and isolate forms, as well as a variety of potencies, and all of these forms interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (as discussed above) to yield potential health and wellness benefits.
Hemp Gummies vs. CBD Gummies
Hemp is a specific plant in the cannabis sativa family typically used for industrial or medicinal purposes that contains very little THC. Per the 2018 Farm Bill, many hemp producers grow plants that naturally contain no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. Hemp gummies are formulated with an oil extracted from the seeds of hemp plants and may offer health benefits, such as protection against cardiovascular diseases, cancer and inflammatory conditions, research suggests. Depending on how hemp seeds are processed during oil extraction, hemp seed oil may contain small traces of THC and CBD.
Meanwhile, CBD gummies can contain oils from the leaves and flowers of any type of cannabis sativa plant. Potential benefits of CBD gummies include reduced anxiety, improved symptoms of chronic pain conditions and enhanced quality of sleep.
CBD Gummies With THC
A number of CBD gummies on the market also contain THC, a cannabinoid known for its intoxicatingly psychoactive effects, in various concentrations. A 2021 study in the Journal of Cannabis Research examining outcomes of administering cannabis oils containing 0.5 milligram to 1 milligram of THC and 20 milligrams to 25 milligrams of CBD per serving to 279 participants found the treatments helped improved symptoms of pain, anxiety and depression.
However, it’s not currently legal at the federal level in the U.S. to purchase or consume products containing more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. For this reason, our list doesn’t include CBD gummies with higher THC contents.
How Much Do CBD Gummies Cost?
The cost of CBD gummies ranges based on quality, potency and serving size, among other factors. CBD gummies on our list range in price from $1 to $3.67 per gummy.
How to Choose the Best CBD Gummies for You
When it comes to buying CBD gummies, consider their:
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COAs.Each CBD product should come with an easily accessible COA that confirms potency and discloses cannabinoid, pesticide and heavy metal content. Each product included on our list has a readily available COA.
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Third-party testing.All CBD products, including gummies, should be third-party tested by ISO 17025-compliant laboratories, which can verify that the product contains no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight. All gummies on our list have been third-party tested.
Experts recommend exclusively shopping for CBD products that are tested by third-party laboratories and provide recent COAs on their contents to ensure you’re consuming what the label suggests. Even with these two boxes checked, you can’t be too careful. A small 2023 study conducted by supplement company NextEvo Naturals and performed by Coral Reef Labs found large inconsistencies between COAs and product labels for 50% of 16 randomly selected CBD products purchased from large chain retailers in Pennsylvania locations and online. Most CBD gummy products tested didn’t contain as much CBD as their labels suggested while the CBD oil and capsule products exceeded the CBD amounts listed on their labels.
What’s more, many CBD manufacturers emphasize that their products are grown from certified organic U.S.-grown hemp, meaning there’s likely to be less pesticide contamination. Many are also vegan-friendly and gluten-free.