CBD Coffee: should you be drinking it?

Imagine this scene: A perfectly balanced scale. On one side of the scale is a pile of sugar and on the other, a pile of lavender. Over the course of a few hours, the wind gently blows away the sugar and lavender at the same rate, emptying both sides of the scale near simultaneously. Throughout, the perfect balance of the scale is sustained. This sustained balance is essentially what happens when you combine CBD with coffee. While CBD and caffeine are innately different and exert unique influences on the consumer’s mood and mind when combined, their union is surprisingly harmonious. Caffeine and CBD are both fully processed by the body in roughly 20 to 30 minutes, and both take approximately 5 to 6 hours to metabolize out of the system, creating a sustained counter-balance within the body. Now, on to the good stuff.

The PROS: Combining CBD with coffee minimizes caffeine’s impact on the nervous system thereby reducing “the coffee jitters”, and most coffee-triggered anxiety and / or insomnia. As an added bonus, many CBD coffee drinkers report heightened alertness and increased energy when drinking CBD coffee versus regular coffee. CBD, like caffeine, is also an excellent source of antioxidants, a powerful anti-inflammatory, and a known mood booster.

The CONS: As wonderful as CBD coffee can be, there are some downsides, namely sleepiness (if you happen to fall in the category of CBD users that find it soporific), increased thirst, and stomach upset. CBD oil also infuses coffee with a powerful earthy / clove aroma and taste and may react poorly — from a taste perspective — with certain coffees, especially sweeter, brighter brews.

The BREW BASICS: CBD oil can be added directly to brewed coffee or infused into roasted coffee beans. Infusing roasted beans with CBD oil ensures an even distribution of CBD throughout the batch, which is a definite plus. On the downside, CBD infused coffee must be brewed without a filter to avoid filtering out all of the CBD oils. Adding CBD directly to your brewed coffee is easier and gives the consumer full control over the CBD potency but it will more greatly alter the taste and texture of the coffee and is far less consistent in potency and distribution. While both methods work well, CBD infused coffee is all-around more consistent and likely to produce a better tasting cup.

The SAFETY WARNING: When purchasing CBD coffee, look for coffee infused with pure American-grown and processed CBD. Imported CBD is not subject to US testing and may be contaminated or non-food grade CBD.

The THING MOST OF US ARE WONDERING: Can CBD coffee get you high? No. CBD is a non-psychoactive compound, cannabidiol, extracted from hemp plants. THC is what gets you high.

If you are interested in trying CBD coffee, please join our mailing list — we hope to release a batch soon!