CBD Edibles and gummies are just a small part of the overall CBD offerings that will actually make you feel something on first try. According to Statista, in 2020, CBD gummies were the second most popular CBD product type in the United States, at 28% market share. Perhaps one reason people who are interested in CBD products flock to edibles is because they are often delicious and easy to dose. 

Ultimately, if you’re looking for CBD gummies, the flavor is not the most important factor. CBD Effects, and how the CBD gummy interacts with your endocannabinoid system is the most important factor in determining if a CBD gummy is premium, or not worth your time. 

The trouble with CBD and CBD edibles/gummies is that quality can vary depending on the producer. Some producers take shortcuts to increase their margins, while others aren’t experienced enough to know how to make their CBD premium. If you ask our team if they feel the effects from CBD, each one of us would say yes! However, this is only because we understand how to take the right CBD that is formulated appropriately so that it actually works. Let’s go deeper into how to make sure your CBD edible or CBD gummy is actually going to make you feel that desired effect, so that you’re never patiently waiting for CBD to inevitably do nothing. 

Bioavailability Of CBD Gummies And Edibles

Bioavailability of CBD and in cannabis refers to its pharmacokinetic properties, which simply means the rate at which supplements are being absorbed by the body. In order for us to have any idea of how much CBD we are absorbing by consuming CBD edibles and gummies, we have to understand how our bioavailability can change regularly. This means that there is a high chance that every time a consumer eats a CBD gummy, they will most likely absorb a different level of CBD each time. 

There are many variables that affect our bioavailability for CBD. Some are within our control and can be studied to understand how to increase the absorption of your CBD gummies so that they have more potency. 

One study from the University of Minnesota looked at how Bioavailability of CBD changes when looking at people eating CBD gummies on an empty stomach vs. a full stomach. This study was interesting because usually researchers ask participants to make sure they have an empty stomach before the medical tests begin - a step that reduces variability. The study found that starving patients before consuming CBD edibles left their bodies with very low bioavailability of CBD. The results of the test actually found that the fact content of the meal prior to the test can lead to significant increases in bioavailability. 

The results from this test do not surprise us. CBD is a fat soluble compound, and an empty stomach contains no fat. This is why CBD oils are sold suspended in fatty oils, or why most cannabis edibles use a base ingredient of cannabis cooked into fatty butter. 

Our advice for increasing the rate at which you can absorb CBD using CBD edibles or gummies is to incorporate more fat into your diet. For this reason we’ve measured out a ratio of CBD and sugar in our CBD gummies to make sure that there is enough “fat” present to offer good bioavailability to consumers. 

Full/Broad Spectrum Gummies & Entourage Effect

A full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD gummy typically has more profound effects than a CBD isolate based gummy. Full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD gummies contain an array of cannabinoids and plant compounds that have a synergistic effect often called the Entourage effect. The Entourage Effect is the suggested positive contribution derived from the addition of cannabis compounds to the effect of cannabinoids. 

CBD isolate based CBD gummies are theorised to be less potent than full-spectrum and broad-spectrum CBD gummies because CBD isolate contains only one cannabis compound - CBD. The Entourage Effect stands no ground because there are no cannabis ingredients to have a positive contribution to the effect of the CBD. 

It is important to check the ingredients list on any packet of CBD gummies you are thinking about trying. Before reading into anything beyond foods you might be allergic to, check the type of cannabis extract that is used to make your gummies. If the CBD gummies are isolated based, they wouldn’t be something the team at Hemp Elf would consume!

Using Terpenes With CBD Edibles And Gummies

Often CBD edibles might contain a range of other cannabinoids, qualifying them as full-spectrum or broad-spectrum, but they might not include terpenes. Terpenes are one of the most interesting compounds found in the cannabis plant, as they are closely associated with the effects and flavours of different strains. Can terpenes be used with CBD edibles though?

We are fond of involving terpenes in all aspects of our cannabis consumption, be that CBD edibles, CBD vapes or CBD flowers. However, applying terpenes to CBD edibles is not something we recommend. 

Oral terpene consumption is not bad for our health, in fact, we’ve been consuming terpenes for thousands of years without adverse events as they are found in fruits and vegetables. But they can be very foul if the concentration of terpenes is too high, leaving a rancid lingering flavor in your mouth for hours. Due to the risk of applying too large a volume of terpenes to a gummy, we much prefer to consume our terpenes via a vaporiser alongside consuming the CBD edible. For this we use CBD vape pens containing a blend of terpenes and cannabis extract to deliver the terpenes through the lungs, after eating a full CBD gummy. This allows the CBD gummy to begin digesting while the direction for the experience could potentially be set by the terpene profile of the CBD vape pen. Additionally, CBD vapes are much faster acting than CBD edibles - however their effects end sooner too. We typically find that this method can help sustain good CBD coverage for an entire day if done correctly.

Why A Few People Won’t Feel Anything From CBD Edibles

Unfortunately, some people feel no effects from CBD and THC edibles. It’s very rare to find these cases, but they exist and studies are being done on them to understand the reason.  Studies have found that there are certain enzymes in the body that assist with the breaking down of cannabinoids like THC in the liver. What differentiates which enzymes people have is the CPY2C9 gene that they are born with. Some people are born with enzymes that break down cannabinoids very quickly, others can’t break them down at all. 

People born with the wrong enzymes won’t be able to break down cannabinoids in their liver, and inherently won’t feel anything from CBD gummies. Another finding the paper referring to enzymes discovered was that there is a noticeable correlation between people that can absorb fat well, and people that feel more potent effects from cannabis.