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Cannabis sativa might be one of the most incredible plants in the world, and while THC has got most of the attention, CBD deserves praise of its own, especially since it brings so many benefits without being psychoactive. CBD offers pain relief, relaxation, anxiety relief, and even a better nights sleep! And with so many easy forms of ingestion, there’s almost no reason not to try it!
But how do you know which brands are worth the investment? There’s so many on the market and there’s not much regulation in the field of CBD. How do you know who to trust and if they’re making quality ingredients? Well, that’s why we’ve done the research for you! We’ve examined a whole bunch of CBD gummy manufacturers, and selected the top ten based on our strict criteria.
Our Top 10 Best CBD Gummies 2023
Of the various manufacturers of CBD gummies on the market, we’ve chosen these ten based on their sourcing, their bioavailability, the quality of their hemp, and their affordability. So it’s time to say goodbye to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and chronic pain! Read on for the top 10 CBD gummy brands on the market:
1. CBDistillery
Our top pick is a Colorado-based manufacturer called CBDistillery. Their location gives them access to excellent local organic hemp, and they use CO2 extraction for their oil. While most of their products have both full-spectrum and isolate versions, these gummies are isolate only.
But they’re just about the best gummies you can find on the market, made from high-quality all-natural ingredients, and pretty much anyone can chew on them without worry: they’re free of gluten and allergens, and they qualify for both vegan and kosher status! You even get a nice mix of fruit flavors per bottle that completely masks the CBD. Each gummy is 30mg of infused CBD isolate, and you get 25 per bottle.
They also sell ‘sleep gummies’, which are the same as their standard gummies in all respects, including concentration, count, and price. The only thing added is 1.5mg of melatonin, helping you sleep easier. Both products also quite conveniently have their third-party lab results right on their respective pages.
Just about the only downside we can see is that 30mg may be too high a concentration for a beginner, and someone new to CBD may be better served with a weaker formulation. But once you’ve got your foundation and you’re sure you can handle a larger dose, then CBDistillery has your back.
2. Sunday Scaries
It might sound like an odd name. After all, the ‘Sunday scaries’ are that little realization on Sunday that Monday’s coming soon and you have to get back into things again. But as they make clear, their products are supposed to help you beat those ‘scaries’, and their gummies are their flagship product to that end.
Their hemp is sourced from farms in the US and thus hold to the standards of the 2018 Farm Bill. The ingredients are quality and natural, and they combine them with broad-spectrum CBD. The standard gummies run to the sweet side, but not too much so, and any taste of CBD easily disappears. They also have a vegan option that tastes sour. Concentration for both versions is 10mg per gummy, and you get 20 per bottle. And they also have third-party lab results for their product line available.
The concentration bears thinking about. 10mg per gummy is good for beginners, but might not be enough for experienced users who prefer higher doses; if you’re the sort of person whose preferred intake is 30mg, you’ll go through a bottle of Sunday Scaries three times as fast as a novice. At the price they come in, that can build up.
But different folks need different dosages, and of our options here, we recommend Sunday Scaries as the best option for newcomers to CBD. You can always switch to another brand with a higher concentration once you’ve found your comfort zone.
3. Fab
This California company was founded in 2017 specifically to help the average citizen get more comfortable with CBD, using quality products to help with that end. They use organic, pesticide-free hemp grown in Colorado, ensuring the best quality.
That commitment to quality extends to their gummies as well. Fab makes their gummies with high-quality all-natural ingredients, down to color and flavoring. They have four different flavors (apple, carrot, pumpkin, blackcurrant) that hide the CBD taste, and do it quite well at that. Each gummy contains 25mg of CBD, and you get 30 in a container.
People with allergens have cause for concern: Fab gummies are processed in a facility that also handles wheat, peanuts, tree nuts (specifically coconuts, pistachios, and cashews), soy, and milk products, and may have been subject to cross-contamination. If any of these trip your allergies, chew with care.
But you can trust Fab. They have third-party lab reports for all their products easily available on their website, and their prices are just right. It’s hard to go wrong with Fab.
4. Hemplucid
The name ‘Hemplucid’ may seem odd, but it’s because they prize transparency (or, as they phrase it, lucidity) in all they do and promise never to hide any information from their customers. They live up to this quite well; their about page makes their sourcing (organic farms in Colorado) and extraction (CO2 extraction) very clear.
They have two options for gummies. Their standard gummies are made with full-spectrum CBD, come only in a 25mg concentration, and can be bought as a 5-gummy bag or a 30-gummy bottle. Their ‘Kalki’ gummies are THC-free and are available in 15mg and 25mg strength, though they come only in a 30-count bottle. Ingredient-wise, both gummies are made with the same set, differing only in the CBD that’s put into them. They’re all-natural and made with pectin, and thus are vegan.
There are two downsides to consider. First is with allergens: the gummies are packaged in the same facility as peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, and milk products, so if you’re allergic to any of this, caution is warranted. The other is price; while the quality is perfectly good, they’re a touch more expensive than other manufacturers that provide similar strengths and counts.
But these are relatively minor downsides compared to the excellent craft that goes into their gummies. If you especially prize transparency and want to know exactly what goes into your gummies, Hemplucid has your back.
5. Lord Jones
Of the ten on our list, Lord Jones is the top-end luxury option. They focus on quality in all things, including presentation; their gumdrops are meant to look good as much as taste good. Their package comes as a nicely decorated box, something you want to show off, not just tuck away somewhere.
They back up the appearance with quality. They use a broad-spectrum oil from organic Colorado-grown hemp, and its quality is backed by a third-party lab report. The gummies themselves are handmade, contain 20mg of CBD, and come nine to a pack. They’re gluten-free with natural fruit flavor, though the concentration of CBD does give it a hempy tinge.
There are two main downsides. Affecting everyone is the price; that nine-count box comes at a price that could get you two or three times as many gummies from another manufacturer. Plus they have a no returns policy, so you’re stuck with them once you get them. Another that’s relevant if you’re vegetarian is that they’re made with gelatin, and they have no vegetarian alternative.
Still, if you’re fine with the gelatin and can afford to shell out, Lord Jones does make a very nice-looking product that could make for a nice treat or gift.
6. Hemp Bombs
Florida has given us many things, and among them now is Hemp Bombs. They certainly do live up to the bomb name, with their site design and packaging, but it does grab the eye. They have an excellent range of products, using organic, pesticide-free, US-grown hemp. Even better, they provide lab reports for their entire line of products, so you can see exactly what goes into the stuff they make.
Their gummies are made with broad-spectrum CBD, giving you a nice effect without any THC. These are made with quality ingredients and go for a different flavor than other manufacturers. The gummy itself is sour, and it gets a sugar coat on the outside to give it a bit of sweetness; a nice change of pace, especially if you prefer sour candy. Now, where Hemp Bombs shines the most is in options. They offer two different concentrations: their original gummies are 15mg, while their high-potency option is 25mg. They also offer a range of package sizes, from little 5-count packs to packed 60-count bottles. They even have a melatonin-enhanced sleep gummy (also 15mg concentration) for those who like a gummy before bed to ease sleep.
There are some things to be concerned about. Since they use gelatin, the gummies are non-vegetarian. Another is that you don’t quite get as much CBD per dollar with Hemp Bombs as you can with other manufacturers. The value per gummy does get better on the higher-count packs, but overall, Hemp Bombs could stand to be cheaper.
Of course, they’re only one of two manufacturers on our list who offer a 60-count bottle, so if you want to get gummies in bulk, Hemp Bombs do quite well.
7. cbdMD
Colorado remains the place to be for hemp, but Kentucky is catching up quickly, and the best from the Bluegrass State is cbdMD. They have a particularly wide range of products beyond just the gummies, all made with broad-spectrum CBD.
Their gummies combine that broad-spectrum oil with high-quality ingredients, making for gluten-free and vegan little bears. Their flavoring is all-natural, but it could use some improvement, as it can get difficult to tell what flavor it is you’re tasting. Two concentrations are available: 10mg and 25mg. Both of them come in bottles of 30 gummies.
There is an issue of transparency with cbdMD. They do have third-party lab results, but only for the oil that they infuse in their products. We prefer having results for the products as well, to be on the safe side. Since cbdMD uses infusion instead of coating, it does tend to be consistent.
This issue aside, cbdMD shines best in value for money, especially the 10mg gummies. You can start with them if you’re not yet used to CBD, and once you’ve found your preferred dose, you can either upgrade to their 25mg or switch to a different manufacturer.
8. Highland Pharms
While they may grow their hemp in Colorado, Highland Pharms is Texan, and they offer a truly wide range of CBD products for their products, aiming to bring its benefits to a wide audience. Unlike most of the other manufacturers, they use a full-spectrum extract, clearly aiming to take advantage of the entourage effect.
The gummies themselves are quite excellent. They’re made with quality ingredients and natural flavoring and colors, but they’re also wheat-free and gluten-free. Flavor-wise, they’re top-notch. They’re available in two concentrations: 10mg and 20mg. Both come in a bottle that houses 20 gummies. Third-party lab reports for their complete product range are available on their website, though it’s a bit of work to get to them.
What you have to be concerned about are allergens. The gummies are processed in a facility that handles soy, and they also handle fish gelatin on separate equipment. Fish gelatin is not an ingredient in Highland Pharms gummies, but its presence may disqualify the gummies from vegetarian status.
But if you want to start easy, Highland Pharms offers excellent value for money and a good dose of CBD.
9. CBDfx
CBDfx is the second company on our list from sunny California. They use organically-grown hemp from the US, and their gummies are made with broad-spectrum CBD for best effect.
Their flavors are a bit more limited, as you have only two options: mixed berry (the standard gummies) and agave berry (the green ones that include turmeric and spirulina). They are vegan and naturally flavored and come with a dusting of natural cane sugar on the outside to give it a little extra sweetness. Concentration and package size are the same for both flavors: 5mg per gummy, with 60-count bottles and 8-count pouches available. They also make a lemon-flavored, melatonin-enhanced gummy for easier sleep, which comes only in a 60-count bottle.
The problem is that for all their effort, CBDfx gummies just aren’t tasty. The sweetness isn’t enough to overcome the hemp flavor, and the result is odd on the tongue. Furthermore, while a 5mg dose is good for a beginner, it also means that if you want a larger dose, you’ll need to pop in a few more gummies to get the right amount of CBD. Plus they are notably non-specific as to where precisely they source their hemp; they only say it’s from the US, but have no further information anywhere on their site regarding their hemp.
If you can get past these problems, CBDfx does provide a nice, low-concentration gummy in bulk, which is nice if you prefer lower dosages. And they are fairly cheap per gummy.
10. Green Roads
Another Florida-based company, Green Roads’ stated mission is to enhance wellness and to make everyone feel like their best self. They have a particularly wide range of CBD products of all types, and they even have two types of beginner’s bundle with a small range of products for the newcomer to CBD. They are especially clear about their lab results, as a complete set of results for all their products are available on their site, and each product’s results can also be accessed via a QR code on the packaging.
Of all the manufacturers we’re looking at, they have the greatest variety. They even have a variety of shapes for their gummies: not just bears, but also little fruits and frogs, in case you were getting tired of all bears all day. Concentration also varies. Their 30- and 40-count bottles contain gummies of 10mg of CBD each, while the smaller packets contain more CBD per gummy: 25mg and 50mg. A wide range of flavors help keep things interesting, and the CBD used is broad-spectrum, to ensure you get a nice relaxing effect.
But they also have some downsides. They have a page devoted to showing how their CBD is made, it’s non-specific as to where the hemp is sourced. All they say is that it’s “grown on American farms”, with no statement as to where exactly these farms are. Their ingredients could also use some work, as most of their gummies use both natural and artificial flavors and colors. Vegetarians will be disappointed by Green Roads, as all but one of their products use gelatin; the only vegan product is their pectin-based, all-natural Relief Toads.
Still, you can’t deny their quality, and the variety does mean that you have a lot of options. Green Roads is a reliable brand with a good product, but vegetarians and vegans should steer clear.
The Basics of CBD
Let’s talk about the active ingredient in these gummies: cannabidiol, shortened to CBD. Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid, one of many substances derived from the plant cannabis sativa, which exerts an effect on your endocannabinoid system. The most famous cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is psychoactive and gets the user ‘high’.
CBD is not psychoactive and therefore cannot get you high. It still will affect the same receptors in your brain that THC does, but the effects are the opposite; CBD blocks the high. However, it can help you feel relaxed, so while you won’t get the high, you can still chill and take it easy.
So, what can CBD do?
There’s a lot of hype going on around CBD. Most of that hype is untrue and is generally founded on one or two studies indicating that CBD may help in a certain area. Basically, people are getting ahead of themselves and more research is needed.
Currently, the best scientific support we have for CBD’s health effects is that it can treat certain epilepsy syndromes. CBD is part of the medicine Epidiolex, approved by the FDA in June of 2018, which is intended to treat seizures related to Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. Its effectiveness in treating other types of seizures is currently under research.
The next most major use of CBD is pain relief, and several studies have shown that CBD is effective at treating inflammatory and neuropathic pain. These have to date been resistant to most types of attempted treatments, but CBD seems to show some effect in relieving them.
CBD is also used to address anxiety and insomnia, and some manufacturers especially address the latter, making melatonin-enhanced ‘sleep gummies’: just take one before you go to bed, and you’ll sleep much easier.
CBD and Bioavailability
Bioavailability is a medical term that denotes how much of a certain substance delivered into your body will take effect. This matters when we’re considering delivery methods. All the CBD in the world won’t make a difference if it’s melted down by stomach acids before it has a chance to work.
There are a few ways to get CBD into your body. You can do it orally, whether sublingual (placing a tablet under the tongue) or ingestion (eating something); topically (applying it on your skin); via inhalation (vaping it), and likely a few more adventurous ways to get it in. Human imagination never fails to astonish.
Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. Let’s look at sublingual administration, which is the usual way to consume CBD oil. The usual way is to put a few drops into the mouth and hold them under the tongue for about a minute. The tissues under the tongue absorb the active ingredients, and they’re directed straight into the bloodstream without having to pass by your digestive system and liver along the way. This means high bioavailability and a much faster onset time: around 45 to 60 minutes on average.
Compared to this, ingestion has a very low bioavailability. According to studies, ingested CBD has a bioavailability of anywhere between 6% to 20%. Onset time is slower, generally taking about 30 to 60 minutes longer than sublingual administration. However, ingested CBD lasts longer within the body, so you get a smaller effect for a longer period. It’s the same way with marijuana edibles.
Besides, popping a gummy and chewing on it is way more fun than dropping a bit of oil into your mouth. A lot more discreet, too; you can always just say that you’ve acquired a taste for gummy bears.
Where’s the Hemp From?
Though it is a cannabinoid and therefore derived from cannabis sativa, CBD oil is not derived from the same plants that go into a joint. CBD oil is derived from industrial hemp, which by law contains no more than 0.3% THC.
The reason we prefer US-grown hemp is thanks to the 2014 and 2018 Farm Bills, which provide for the definition of hemp as given above and give farmers a freer hand to grow hemp. Production still needs to be monitored and regulated by the state itself, which is why you see certain states cropping up again and again, Colorado in particular.
US-grown hemp also means that ingredients can be sourced much closer to the place of manufacture, and therefore it’s a lot cheaper to procure them, and that passes the savings down to the customer.
Another is the nature of hemp as a plant. Hemp is very good at absorbing substances present in the soil, so much so that it’s regularly used as a soil-cleaner. While that’s certainly good news for the polluted areas of the world, it also means that any abuse to the soil hemp grows in can easily affect the crop, and we certainly don’t want pollutants, pesticides, or heavy metals affecting the products we use.
What Do They Make It With?
Beyond the CBD, there are a few things to be concerned about. Most good manufacturers will include an ingredient list on their product page, so if you’re concerned about the ingredients, check the list first.
First is the obvious hindrance for vegetarians and vegans: gummies are usually made from gelatin, which is animal-derived. However, it’s also possible to make vegan gummies using pectin, which is plant-derived. Some manufacturers make their gummies outright vegan in the first place, while others choose to provide a vegan option.
There will be flavoring. CBD can taste bitter, and you don’t want to make munching gummies a chore! That’s why most manufacturers add flavoring, to make the gummies a lot more palatable. Most go for sweet, but some prefer a sour, or sweet and sour mix, for their gummies.
Allergens are also a concern. Cross-contamination is difficult to avoid in a facility that processes multiple ingredients, and warnings will be posted on a product page if these should be a concern.
Infusion vs Coating
One thing to look out for is how a manufacturer adds CBD to their gummies. Not all gummies are made the same way!
Some manufacturers will use coating. That is, they make the gummies first, the same way you’d make a typical non-CBD gummy, then give them a spray of CBD or roll them in isolate before being packaged. The problem with this is that it’s inconsistent and uneven. It’s possible to end up with some gummies that are barely coated with CBD, and others with a lot more than the listed concentration.
A better, more consistent method is infusion. CBD oil is mixed in with the other ingredients, with the gummy then being shaped as normal. This means a more consistent amount of CBD oil in the gummies, and it’s more protected from heat and light, meaning more CBD is preserved over time. An infused product is more likely to have the concentration of CBD that it claims on the label.
Types Of CBD Oil
You’ll run into three terms that describe the type of CBD oil that goes into your gummies. These are:
- Full-spectrum CBD oil. This type of oil contains the full range of cannabinoids as extracted from the plant, including THC.
- Broad-spectrum CBD oil. This oil contains a similar range of cannabinoids as full-spectrum but specifically excludes THC.
- CBD isolate. This is pure CBD, with no other substances present at all.
Full-spectrum oil may also be called whole-plant oil, but they’re the same. Note that by law, industrial hemp may not contain more than 0.3% THC, so even full-spectrum CBD isn’t carrying enough to get you high. So why bother with full-spectrum oil at all?
The entourage effect describes the phenomenon where multiple cannabinoids acting together work better than pure substances with no additions. Full-spectrum oil aims to take advantage of that effect to its fullest, while broad-spectrum oil has the same aim while avoiding any possibility of THC intake.
Currently, there’s insufficient scientific evidence as to whether the entourage effect actually works, and thus it’s up to you if the current anecdotal evidence is sufficiently persuasive.
A more relevant concern is that you may wish to avoid THC intake for certain reasons. THC is notoriously difficult to clear from your body, and if you regularly consume a full-spectrum product, a drug test might detect its presence. Those with a diagnosis of bipolar or panic disorders may also wish to avoid THC. In all these cases, broad-spectrum or isolate will be better for your purposes.
Potency and Concentration
As with all medicines, you have to consider dosages. Novices should start with a lower concentration like 5mg or 10mg first, to get used to the effects of CBD. Once you get a feel for the effects, then you can go on and switch to a different concentration. Generally, the highest concentration you’ll find is 30mg, and most gummies tend to range between that and 5mg. If necessary, you can always cut a gummy in half to also cut the dosage in half, or take multiple to get the right amount of CBD.
There has been little research into the appropriate doses of CBD for certain conditions. For now, we recommend careful experimentation with the gummies you eat to see what quantities work best for your purposes.
Product Quality And Transparency
Right now, the problem with the CBD industry being so young also means it has no regulation. That means that pretty much anyone can set up a store and sell CBD products of any type. Hopefully, proper regulation and standards will come soon; in the meantime, exercise maximum caution and always do your research into a product or manufacturer before you dive in.
Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
- Be very cautious of anyone selling their products at cheaper rates than others. It takes money to source good hemp, to extract the oil, and to ensure it’s pure and uncontaminated. Of course, cost alone is also no guarantee of quality; it doesn’t take much effort to make a low-quality product and sell it at a hideous markup. In all things, never neglect your due diligence.
- Consider what claims the manufacturer makes, and in general, how transparent they are. A manufacturer boasting about their product should always be treated with more caution than a manufacturer that makes simpler claims that are easier to back up. Also, consider how much they disclose. You want a manufacturer that makes it very clear where they get their hemp from and what ingredients they use.
- Above all, look for third-party lab tests. These are just about the most reliable indicator of quality you can find before regulation. These will show if the product contains the amount of CBD it claims it has, as well as any possible pollutants or contaminants in the product (remember, hemp takes in everything from the soil it grows in). Until the CBD industry gets more eyes looking over its shoulder, they’re the best regulation we have.
CBD Gummies And Children
Before further discussion, we must stress: speak with your pediatrician first. Treat CBD just like any other medication, and consider that side effects may come up, and it may interact with other medications your child is taking. Using substances willy-nilly can endanger your child; even if CBD has relatively few side effects as drugs go, it’s still irresponsible parenting to answer every problem with a CBD gummy.
Of course, since CBD has reportedly proven effective against some ailments that conventional medicine has had a hard time with, it’s understandable that worried parents with children afflicted by these conditions have attempted administering CBD to their children. For some conditions, it works; Epidiolex is targeted towards children, after all.
Some parents have reported that CBD has proven effective at treating autism and ADHD (specifically for those forms of ADHD that are based in anxiety). And pain relief is something many people take CBD for, and this extends to children, especially those suffering from migraines.
Relatively little research has been done with administering CBD to children, hence why a consultation with your doctor is highly advised before you start giving your children CBD. And of all the methods to administer it, gummies are the best: they’re chewable, the flavoring avoids the medicine taste, and you can adjust the dosage as needed. It’s not the answer to everything, but CBD can help with some conditions.
Gumming It All Up
The world of CBD might not yet have the regulation it needs, but it’s not all uncharted territory. There are good manufacturers and bad ones, and we’ve sorted through both to bring you ten of the best. After all, CBD gummies are useful in so many ways.
Whether you need them for a good night’s sleep, or to ease your joint pains, or to center and focus your mind, CBD gummies are a delicious and unobtrusive way to make your day a little bit easier. Whether you prefer a light, CBD isolate bear for a small pick-up in the middle of the day, or a larger, full-spectrum gumdrop right after your exercise, there’s a gummy for you.