Adding CBD to Coffee

Coffee is a favorite and a necessity to several Americans. With approximately 280 million cups consumed in the country daily, it’s safe to say that everyone loves their cup o’ Joe. No wonder then, that long time coffee drinkers often experiment with the way they take their coffee. No longer is it just cream or no cream, whole or skim milk – the range of additives to coffee include MCT oil for a keto-friendly boost, or collagen peptides for wellness. One trend that’s taken off across the country is adding CBD oil to coffee. For avid coffee drinkers or CBD enthusiasts, the combination might be something you want to try.

Why add CBD to coffee?

If you’re perfectly satisfied with your cup of coffee, why change anything about it? For starters, because it could enhance the experience. Even those who have been drinking coffee for decades may, from time to time, experience some of its side effects: jitters, nausea, headaches and sometimes diarrhea. CBD works as an soothing agent, and thus by helping the ECS, can reduce the intestinal irritation that accompanies caffeine. CBD can also provide some relief in stress, which makes it perfect for post-coffee jitters. If you’re a chronic worrier, you may no longer have to give up on coffee if you combine it with CBD. Users report that adding CBD drops to coffee gives them a natural peacefulness while still being alert. A little-known fact about coffee and CBD is that they are both antioxidants. Adding CBD oil to coffee can compound these effects for a health boost.

How do caffeine and CBD interact?

You may be rightly concerned about the interaction of CBD and coffee, particularly because most people see cannabis and its components as sedatives, while caffeine is a stimulant. Would adding CBD to coffee just undo the effects of caffeine? While the research is lacking because of heavy legislation around hemp until the 2018 Farm Bill, here’s what we do know:

CBD comes from hemp, not marijuana

Most effects that people associate with cannabis, for instance drowsiness or a feeling of being ‘high’, are the result of THC, CBD’s psychoactive cousin. THC is more concentrated in marijuana plants, which is one species of cannabis. However, hemp is more CBD rich and very low in THC (less than 0.3%). This is why most CBD companies use hemp plants. Brands may also go a step further to make sure their CBD is THC free, like Hempure does. This ensures that you will feel none of the effects of THC when you add CBD to your coffee.

CBD can be a stimulant

Experts on cannabinoid therapy have stated that at low doses, CBD can be a stimulant, and at high doses it can be a sedative. Essentially, this means that if you choose your dosage correctly, adding CBD to coffee can make you more alert, more focused and less sleepy.

CBD and coffee may share some neural pathways

A study published in The Journal of Internal Medicine revealed that some neurotransmitters related to the endocannabinoid system (the system that CBD affects) decrease after consuming 4-8 cups of coffee a day. One could then hypothesize that taking CBD with coffee could maintain a balance of the neurotransmitters that get affected by coffee intake.

How to add CBD to coffee

There are several ways to go about mixing CBD and coffee. You could head over to a café that offers CBD coffee and try it out for yourself if you’re curious. However, this isn’t the best way to combine CBD and coffee in the long term. This is because most CBD coffees aren’t made with specific accurate dosages in mind. If you ask your local barista how many grams of CBD go in each cup of coffee, there’s a good chance they wouldn’t know. Some coffee shops serve up to 200mg of CBD in their coffees, which is far more than most people would need in a day. That’s not how you’d want to take a wellness product.

More importantly, there are several considerations when it comes to CBD. Does it come from a reputable company? Does the brand use organically-grown hemp? Do they lab-test their products for quality and potency? With the vast amounts of misinformation in the CBD industry, it’s important to know what CBD oil is being used in your coffee, or you could be doing more harm than good to your body. This leaves you with two options for getting your CBD coffee combo:

Buying pre-made CBD coffee

Some coffee companies have begun adding CBD to their blends. You can find these in most supermarkets, either in the form of coffee grounds or pre-made drinks. You’d still need to do some research on the company to make sure the CBD in their coffee comes from a good source. Next, check the label to see if the amount of CBD in the drink fits your needs. The catch with buying pre-made CBD coffee is that you can’t separate the two, even if you wanted to. Which brings us to the second, more convenient option.

Adding your CBD tincture to coffee

The most versatile way to add CBD to coffee is to buy your own CBD oil drops, also known as CBD tinctures. You can take this with you to coffee shops, or add it to your home-made coffee. You can choose the dosage and flavor exactly to your liking. Like everything else CBD related, there are best practices you can follow:

What coffee works best with CBD?

Ideally, cold coffee. Some studies have suggested that CBD degrades when exposed to heat, which means adding CBD to your hot coffee may reduce its potency. To counteract this, use your CBD with iced coffee, or simply wait for your coffee to cool a little before you add CBD to it.

What CBD works best with coffee?

As previously mentioned, the best CBD for your coffee (or in general) is one derived from organically grown hemp and lab tested. A broad-spectrum blend with several cannabinoids might give you better results than CBD isolate, as some studies have shown that these compounds work together to increase CBD absorption. Choose a CBD that is water-soluble. CBD is fat soluble and hydrophilic, which means it dissolves better in oils than water. However, companies like Hempure use nano-emulsification in MCT oil to make CBD as water soluble as possible. This ensures that when you add CBD to coffee, every sip of contains a uniform amount of CBD.

How much CBD should I add to coffee?

For beginners, a good CBD dosage is 10 mg a day. However, when you drink CBD with coffee it may reduce the bioavailability of CBD to an extent. Because the CBD has to make its way through your digestive system, some amount of it is lost. You could start with adding 20mg of CBD drops to your coffee to begin with, and scale up after a week if you like.

What CBD flavor should I use with coffee?

You may have concerns about whether adding CBD to coffee will change the flavor, which is why purchasing your own allows you to experiment and find out. For instance, Hempure makes CBD oil drops in different flavors: natural (or unflavored), peppermint and lemon. Natural works best for people that want their coffee to taste like… well, coffee. Peppermint goes great with hot chocolates and café mochas, while lemon is an excellent addition to black coffee. Play around to find what you like!

CBD is revolutionizing the way people think about healthcare, skincare, and now food and drink. Nevertheless, being informed about CBD is still a top priority. CBD can interact with certain pharmaceuticals, so if you’re on prescription medication, consult your doctor before adding CBD to coffee. You can also check up on the legality of CBD in your state before you combine CBD and coffee. Once you’re in the clear on these points, go ahead and enjoy your new caffeinated CBD bliss!