In the year 2022, it feels like everyone and their stressed-out mother has at least tried CBD. You can now find the plant-derived hemp compound in grocery stores, pharmacies, and even coffee shops, under a variety of brand names. CBDistillery is one of the largest of the bunch, with a reported 2 million+ customers and nearly 60 products in its repertoire. To help take some of the guesswork out of the hemp CBD buying experience, I took their most popular products for a test run. This is my review of CBDistillery, the products I would definitely order again, and the ones I would skip. In the years since, the company has sold to over two million customers and developed dozens of new products. CBDistillery’s parent company, Balanced Health Botanicals, was acquired by Village Farms International, Inc., a large greenhouse agriculture company, in 2021. They package hemp extracts with CBD in capsules and softgels, gummies, topical oils, other topicals (e.g., balms) and powders and drink mixes, making it easy for customers to find a form that works for them. They also sell a few different versions of CBD, including: And while CBD is the star of most of their products, the company also offers options that showcase some of those other phytocannabinoids—each with its own unique benefits to bring to the table. For example, some of its nighttime products contain higher percentages of CBN (cannabinol), which has been found to improve sleep quality1 in clinical research.* You can also find CBDistillery products containing higher percentages of CBG (cannabigerol)—which is thought to have anti-stress effects—and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid)—which may be useful for promoting stomach comfort2.* Two of their products—an unwind gummy and a sleep gummy—contain 5 mg of THC (again, still within the 0.3% THC limit per hemp standards). For those with furry friends, they also sell products with lower doses of CBD that are suitable for dogs and cats. CBDistillery also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee for those who are not satisfied with their products. As Bonni Goldstein, M.D., a California-based physician and author of the upcoming book Cannabis Is Medicine, previously told mindbodygreen, “The studies show that for CBD to get to a steady-state level in your bloodstream, it takes about two to six days. So taking one dose and ruling it out at that point is not scientifically valid.” On average, I took one or two products at different points of the day. The Sleep Synergy tincture also comes in an extra-strength blend, which has 300 mg of CBN and 900 mg of CBD (i.e., 10 mg CBN and 30 mg CBD per 1 ml tincture serving) for those who could use some extra sleep support. As mindbodygreen’s vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, explains, “While CBD-dominant hemp oil at low to medium doses is going to primarily promote calm and relaxation via the balancing master thermostat known as our endocannabinoid system, high enough doses of hemp oil and CBD are known to tip the balance to sleep. That dosing is highly individual.”* The capsules also come in a broad-spectrum version (no THC) and blends that leverage other functional additives like mushrooms. The balm also comes in an extra-strength (1,000 mg CBD) version, but regular was plenty for me. My one gripe with this product is that its packaging is not as aesthetically pleasing (or environmentally friendly) as other oil I’ve tried in glass and amber bottles.
