Do CBD drinks and edibles have the same effect? Let's find out.
Edibles have been a big hit among CBD users, but CBD drinks could be the next frontier. People wonder whether CBD drinks and edibles have the same effect, so let’s answer that question.
It’s easy enough to answer this question in one single word: No.
Well, it depends on the drink.
A well-formulated CBD drink will offer similar effects to a sublingual CBD product. A poorly produced drink will have its bioavailability sacrificed. But it still is not likely to be similar to an edible.
If that sounds complicated, let's get into the gritty details.
Why does the quality of the CBD drink matter?
The quality of CBD drinks matters if we compare its effects to a CBD edible. Here’s why.
The compounds in the cannabis plant are insoluble in water, making it difficult to infuse the drug into beverages. CBD is a fat-soluble compound, and when it's added to water, it forms an emulsion.
This means it's impossible to get the full benefits of CBD in your body if you add CBD oil to any drink.
Shaking or mixing can break down the emulsion, but this causes the CBD to separate from the water and float to the surface. The result is an oily layer on top of your beverage that looks unappealing and tastes terrible.
To solve this problem, marketers are creating new products that allow consumers to consume CBD without worrying about it separating from their drink. But we’ll get to that a little later.
Edibles and baked goods are popular CBD products since they can easily incorporate cannabinoids into fatty oils or butter.
CBD oil and water do not mix well. So creating a CBD drink is often inconsistent in its dosage—depending on where you sip from the bottle. Moreover, drinking CBD oil also leaves a strong taste in your mouth for an extended period.
It wasn’t until recently that new technology made it possible to create a consistently good-tasting CBD beverage.
The CBD beverage market is small, but it’s growing
The CBD-beverage market has grown dramatically over the past two years. It doubled in value from $1.5 million to $3 million, according to analytics firm Headset's 2019 report.
As the legal CBD market grows, consumers are looking for alternative ways to consume their favorite hemp-based products—like vaping and edibles.
CBD-infused beverages are an appealing option for people who want to enjoy the benefits of CBD without having to smoke or vape. CBD-infused drinks hit the market in early 2018, and they’re gaining popularity fast.
Beverages are perceived to have functional value — that is, they can satisfy a particular need. CBD drinks can quench thirst. But they now have the added benefit of calm nerves and decreased stress to your day.
In recent years, technological advances have enabled beverage companies to create more-flavorful drinks that appeal to a widening audience. And CBD companies are jumping on the bandwagon, making the most of new technological advancements.
Nanotechnology, or more specifically nano-emulsification, helps CBD become more water-soluble. The CBD breaks down into tiny particles and mixed with an emulsifying substance. This emulsifier helps the CBD oil and water to become a compelling mix without floaty oil at the top of the beverage.
Here’s why all this matters when comparing CBD drinks and edibles:
It all boils down to bioavailability.
Drinking CBD water-based drinks will allow the cannabinoids in them to enter your bloodstream within five minutes and leave it after a few hours. Conversely, Edibles will take between 60 and 90 minutes until you feel their effects. This is because the digestive system has to break down the food you eat before your bloodstream can absorb it. This process takes time, which is why edibles take more time than other forms of CBD products.
A CBD drink is a great way to take CBD and enjoy it all day long. You can add it to your morning smoothie, drink it on its own or use it as an ingredient in other drinks. It’s also an excellent option for those who don’t like to eat edibles because they are too strong for their liking.
On the other hand, CBD coffee passes through the digestive system and takes longer to absorb into your bloodstream than CBD Sparkling Water.
Let's examine CBD water and how they work in comparison to edibles
Since water is absorbed in the stomach and reaches our bloodstream quickly, we know that we can feel CBD Sparkling Water within minutes. This is different to other types of drinks or edibles. This is because the water-soluble CBD enters the bloodstream and starts working immediately.
CBD edibles need to be digested before they can enter our bloodstream, and so it takes longer to feel its effects.
The amount of time CBD (cannabidiol) stays in your system is less than the amount of time it takes for edibles to leave.
Like vaping CBD or oils, it will take a few hours for the effects of drinking sparkling water infused with CBD to wear off.
The amount of time it takes for CBD to leave your system depends on dosage and what type of product you use. There is no official limit on how long CBD stays in your body. But some users report feeling the effects for up to 48 hours after taking a single dose.
Different absorption rates
CBD edibles are absorbed into the bloodstream through the digestive tract. But before that, enzymes in the liver metabolize them. This process can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more, depending on how quickly your body absorbs them.
However, if you take CBD edibles, they will stay in your system longer than if you had vaped or smoked them. This is because the body needs to digest the edible before you can feel its effects.
Our body's enzymes must first metabolize CBD to enter your bloodstream and start working. In a sense, this breaks down the active ingredients in CBD-infused products into their smallest parts, so they’re easier for our bodies to absorb.
Once the enzymes have broken down the CBD, it can pass through the intestinal wall and into your bloodstream. From there, it travels to your liver. It is then broken down again by enzymes into its individual compounds before being metabolized by our bodies.
Edible effects last longer
CBD edibles tend to have longer-lasting effects than other CBD products. This is because CBD edibles are absorbed into your bloodstream through digestion. This means that it takes longer for active ingredients to be metabolized by our bodies and start working.
The CBD edible is broken down into their smallest parts before entering the bloodstream. This also means that they can have a more potent effect on your body than other types of CBD products.
The Bottom Line: Comparing effects of CBD drinks and edibles
The quicker the effect of CBD begins, the faster it will end.
At the end of the day, CBD drinks have different effects than CBD edibles because of how the body metabolizes the products. Nano-emulsion technology has revolutionized the process by which CBD is infused into drinks. This technology produces a stable, bioavailable solution that allows for the rapid absorption of CBD into your body. This means you can quickly enjoy CBD's positive effects without waiting for several hours.
Visit CENTR today, and find a quality CBD drink that you'll love.
