In the few years since CBD debuted in everything from lattes to cocktails, what started as an experiment has, for some, become routine. People are brewing up CBD coffee for a few reasons:
They already drink coffee regularly, and this is a convenient way to bring CBD into their routine. (Same goes for tea.)
CBD can take the edge off coffee’s jittery, anxious effects.
If CBD-infused drinks have become a coffee shop habit, brewing at home can be a bit friendlier on the pocketbook.
Responses to CBD coffee range from people who know for certain they’re experiencing positive effects to those who don’t get the point (won't they just cancel each other out?).
Here’s what 5 people had to say.
1. The Researcher
“As someone who loves the taste (and antioxidants) of cold brew but can't drink it without feeling a little manic, I've realized that mixing CBD into my cup slightly mitigates those side effects,” writes Erin Magner of Well + Good.
Magner cites a popular hypothesis that this balancing effect has to do with adenosine, a chemical in the nervous system that helps you feel tired when your mind and body need rest.
“Both caffeine and CBD inhibit adenosine signaling,” neuroscientist Leigh Winters told Magner. “Adenosine acts as a central nervous system sedative, which is super useful in regulating our wake/sleep cycle. When you have a cup of coffee in the morning, it makes you feel awake and more alert because the caffeine actually blocks adenosine receptors in your brain.”
CBD is also believed to impact adenosine receptors. Rather than blocking them, CBD delays “re-uptake” (elimination) of adenosine by your body’s neurons.
In layman’s terms from neuroscientist Winters, “Without getting too technical, [this] is greatly connected to reducing inflammation in the body and heart. That’s why CBD is being studied in MS, heart disease, and other inflammatory-rooted conditions.”
2. The Enthusiast “It’s the perfect combination, because the CBD oil can make you a little drowsy, so drinking it with your coffee kind of balances it out,” Dan Guy of Michigan told Cooking Light. “You feel a nice, natural peacefulness while still feeling alert.”
Guy, who owns a coffee shop and roastery in Traverse City, initially started taking CBD capsules for chronic pain. Soon it was an indispensable part of his morning routine, allowing him use fewer prescription pain meds.
At his coffee shop, Espresso Bay, Guy started offering a CBD latte made with steamed milk, espresso, CBD oil, honey and cinnamon. It was an immediate hit with customers.
3. The Tentative Experimenter “The truth is, I still haven’t noticed much difference in anything relating to my mind or body due to my CBD consumption,” Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner wrote for Real Simple. Kravitz Hoeffner’s experiment was based on a relatively low dose of the CBD-coffee combo.
Anyone who has hesitated to try CBD-infused drinks for fear the effects will be too strong may actually find this reassuring.
4. The Unimpressed “I’ve had my fair share,” wrote Jeremy Glass for High Times in the early days of the CBD coffee trend. “At best, it makes you feel weird, like waking up from a nap. It’s a feeling where your body and your brain try to fight each other for dominance and you’re left all logy and confused. You don’t feel relaxed, you don’t feel alert, you just feel like a hunk of fat in clothing.”
Some people just aren't feeling it.
5. The Anxious Experimenter
“It was as if someone spiked my latte with teeny tiny bits of Xanax,” Melissa Malamut wrote for Healthline. “Just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to make you feel like you’re under the influence of a drug.”
Ultimately, Malamut decides CBD coffee is probably best as an occasional treat.
“I think when it comes to CBD, it may take a few tries to find the proper dosage that works for you,” she said. “Talking to your doctor could help.”
Survey Says?
Like CBD itself, perceptions and experience seem to vary widely. Those who favor the combo seem to be people who would take CBD anyway, because they’re living with chronic pain, anxiety or another condition they feel cannabinoids relieve. For them, CBD coffee can help reduce drowsiness associated with cannabinoids, and balance anxiety associated with caffeine.
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