We founded our new company in January of this year. We hope Anavii Market will become the most trusted retailer for premium verified CBD oil products in the nation.

Currently the CBD market is filled with questions and consumers don’t have all the proper information to make educated choices on which brands and which products to choose.

Most people seeking CBD for its many benefits have experienced the CBD dilemma: people want to try this “miracle” supplement, but get frustrated when trying to select the best quality CBD oil brand on the market. It is not surprising that this occurs, because this industry is unregulated, allowing bad actors to thrive.

Anavii Market was established to counteract the quality control issues in the growing hemp CBD oil market. Read on to learn more about our story and why a trusted CBD marketplace is so important for consumers.

INACCURATELY LABELED PRODUCTS SOLD AS CBD ENDANGER CONSUMERS

70% of CBD products mislabeled or misbranded, lacking stated CBD content or containing undisclosed ingredients. Consumer protection needed The CBD industry has a problem: 70% of products mislabeled, leaving consumers disappointed and overcharged.

These mislabeled products contained naturally occurring CBD and other cannabinoids, but did not contain the quantities marketed on the brands’ labels.

To make matters worse, in early 2018, reports sprang from North Carolina and elsewhere of consumers purchasing CBD oil products laced with synthetic cannabinoids. Better known as synthetic marijuana, K2 or spice, synthetics can cause major health concerns. These instances have sparked controversy in the growing CBD oil market, where quality hemp-derived CBD companies have been working hard to legitimize the industry.

These problems inspired us to start an online CBD marketplace where consumers could shop with confidence.

ANAVII MARKET: AN ONLINE CBD MARKETPLACE WITH ONLY TRUSTED PRODUCTS

We started Anavii Market to counteract the quality control issues in the growing hemp CBD oil market.

Anavii Market ensures the best CBD oil by requiring manufacturers to complete an application before representing their brand. This application requires proof of third-party laboratory testing within the five major areas of concern (phytocannabinoids, microbiologics, residual solvents, heavy metals, pesticides/herbicides) as well as information regarding batch record processes and recall procedures. Anavii Market also ensures the products they sell are only federally legal hemp-based products and are not derived from hemp’s cousin, marijuana.

Once we approve the brands, Anavii Market sells them through our transparent, informative website. We offer clear information regarding the cannabinoid spectrum, extraction method, source of hemp, and more. Some of the brands Anavii Market carries include: Ananda Hemp, Plus CBD Oil, Palmetto Harmony and Green Remedy. These brands and others combine to provide a unique mix of ingestion methods. Customers can find tinctures, salves, capsules, patches and even suppositories.

MEET THE INNOVATORS BEHIND THE CBD MARKETPLACE

Creating Anavii Market is the culmination of a decade’s work to legalize and improve access to hemp. Annie Rouse, a U.S. Fulbright Scholar who studied hemp in Canada, and Jason Amatucci, founder of the Virginia Industrial Hemp Coalition, co-founded Anavii Market. After we spent over a decade with research and legislative reform in our respective states, Kentucky and Virginia, we decided to partner on a mutual entrepreneurial dream — a one-stop shop for quality American-sourced hemp.

We are making large strides to improve this industry, and our hearts are in the right place. We’re ensuring that bad players just trying to make a fast buck with poor-quality mislabeled products do not taint the emerging hemp industry.

Instead we focus on the good actors verifying that the consumers have positive experiences with up-and-coming hemp products, while providing sustainable growth to the industry that we both care for deeply.

Many people who use CBD are seeking balance and wellness in their life and many struggle with stress. We don’t want to add to that stress when it comes to trusting the products they are purchasing.

Our company’s motto is “the products we sell are the products we know.” We always want the customer to know that they can trust Anavii Market when it comes to their hemp derived CBD oil and wellness needs.

The post Online CBD Marketplace Provides Trust & Verification In An Unregulated Industry appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

• What Is CBD?
• Why Do People Use Topical CBD?
• How We Reviewed Best CBD Creams & Topicals
• Official Reviews of CBD Topical Products

While CBD tinctures are still the first CBD product many people encounter, CBD topicals are increasingly commonplace. A variety of CBD-infused creams, balms and salves are widely available today, even in some everyday drug stores.

Topical CBD is a great choice whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, inflammation or just the aches and stiffness of everyday life. CBD creams and balms are often a convenient and fast-acting way to bring relief to sore muscles or other parts of your body that hurt.

This review of the best CBD topicals is the latest in Ministry of Hemp’s product review series. Periodically, we review the best products in a category and put them together in a guide like this. You’ll find more of our Best CBD reviews in the “CBD Reviews” menu at the top of our site.

This category grew a lot since we first wrote this article. These reviews focus on the best topical CBD creams for soreness, inflammation, and other body ailments. Other, separate articles focus on CBD skin care and beauty products.

Keep reading to learn more about CBD and why people use CBD topicals. Or, scroll down to read our reviews of the best CBD creams, salves and balms.

What is CBD?

CBD is an extract of industrial hemp. Many consumers report CBD offers significant relief from pain and inflammation. CBD is seeing tremendous popularity today. CBD has few side effects and seems to work especially well in topical form. While most commonly found in a tincture or capsule, many brands offer CBD in a salve or cream for application to the skin. You can even find CBD topicals in drug stores and other brick and mortar stores.

Quality matters. CBD is unregulated and there are too many fake products out there. Always research your products, and avoid buying from a vendor like a gas station, where you wouldn’t normally buy wellness products.

At Ministry of Hemp, we maintain the highest standards when it comes to CBD and hemp products. You can trust that we’ve carefully reviewed each of these products, and sampled them ourselves before including them here.

Why Do People Use Topical CBD Creams?

The main advantage of CBD topical form is you apply it directly wherever your body needs help. While we still don’t fully understand how CBD creams work, most users report rapid, even instantaneous effects.

There’s a growing body of scientific evidence to support the use of topical CBD products to ease pain, inflammation, and the symptoms of arthritis. One study using rats found that topical CBD has “therapeutic potential for relief of arthritis pain-related behaviours and inflammation without evident side-effects.” More scientific research on humans is needed to confirm all of CBD’s benefits, but the initial research into topical use in humans is also promising.

Hemp and CBD oil are also increasingly popular skin care ingredients. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, CBD can reduce rashes and irritation in the skin just like it eases muscle aches and stiffness.

Quality matters: How we picked the Best CBD Creams and Topicals

For our review of the best CBD topicals available online, we focused only on companies which make third-party, independent lab results available to consumers. Lab results are available online, included in the order, or on request. It’s vitally important that consumers know exactly what products they’re consuming: how strong it is, and whether it has any impurities.

We focused on brands that are transparent about the source of their hemp, and make it easy to find out what other ingredients were included. All of these CBD brands also have fast, friendly customer service and easy to use websites. We rated each brand on their price, strength, and the cost of shipping.

Our reviews also include the ingredients and a description of the scent and texture of each CBD topical. We tried to remain neutral in our descriptions of each product, since each consumer’s experience is subjective.

These are all high-quality CBD creams, balms and salves, but you may find you prefer one scent over another. While many of the products below contain added ingredients that ease sore muscles, others focus on CBD alone. Experiment to find out what you like. You might love or hate menthol. Some people prefer a light texture, while other buyers are looking for heavier CBD topicals to use in a massage.

Best CBD Cream [Official Reviews]

After careful review, we believe these are the best CBD topicals for sale online.

• Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD Balm
• Populum Cold Therapy Hemp Rub
• Charlotte’s Web Unscented Hemp Infused Cream
• Medterra CBD Rapid Cooling Cream
• Plus CBD Oil Gold Extra Strength Hemp Balm
• Ananda Hemp Spectrum Salve 125
• Hemp Luxe Hemp Extract Balm
• Catskills Comfrey with CBD & Arnica
• DaCrema Botanicals CBD Healing Salve

Click above or continue reading for our complete review of each brand.

Ministry of Hemp received free products from in return for writing this review. We may receive a percentage of sales if you buy products from some of the brands below. We only selected the best CBD topicals for inclusion in this top product roundup, and we always promise to give you our honest opinion.

Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD Balm

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• Highlights: Lazarus Naturals Full Spectrum CBD Hemp Balm is one of our all time favorite CBD creams featuring just full-spectrum CBD. This topical is available in a variety of incredible scents or a simple, unscented form.
• Price: $15.00 – $50.00
• Special: Use coupon MOH10 for 10% off this topical
• Strength: 300 mg of full spectrum hemp/CBD extract per 0.5 oz tin, also available in a 2 oz, 1200mg tin
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free 3-day shipping on all orders.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: This topical feels luxuriously smooth on the skin. A little greasy at first it absorbs quickly. The scents are natural and delightful.
• Ingredients: (for Lavender variety) CBD oil / Full-spectrum Hemp Extract in Organic Mango Butter, Organic Beeswax, Fractionated Coconut Oil, Lavender Oil, Oleic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate

Populum Cold Therapy Hemp Rub

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• Highlights: Populum Cold Therapy Hemp Rub goes to work fast cooling sore muscles thanks to the added menthol. Very light, non-greasy texture.
• Price: $45.00 (20% off with subscription)
• Strength: 100 mg of full spectrum hemp/CBD extract per 3 oz. tube
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free standard shipping is available, with faster options available for an additional fee.
• Independent Test Results: Included with every order.
• Texture & Smell: This rub has a noticeable smell of menthol. Our review team appreciated the light, non-greasy texture of this Cold Therapy Rub.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full-spectrum Hemp Extract in Water, Aloe Barbadensis leaf extract, Carbomer, Chamomile extract, Arnica extract, Emu oil, Isopropyl Alcohol, L-menthol, Propylene glycol, Diazolidinyl urea, Methlyparaben, Triethanolamine

Charlotte’s Web Unscented Hemp Infused Cream

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• Highlights: Charlotte’s Web Unscented Hemp Infused Cream can be used anywhere & has a pleasant, lotiony feel. Perfect for anyone who prefers unscented products.
• Price: $49.99
• Strength: 750 mg of full spectrum hemp/CBD extract per 2.5 oz tube
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Standard shipping starts at $8.99.
• Independent Test Results: Contact CW Hemp directly.
• Texture & Smell: This CBD topical has a soft, creamy texture that easily absorbs into the skin. There is a very faint, lotiony smell.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full-spectrum Hemp Extract in Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Purified Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Oleosomes, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shae) Butter, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Lactobacillus Ferment (from Cabbage), Lactobacillus, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Cimicifuga Racemosa (Black Cohash) Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate (Palm Oil Derived), Xanthan Gum, Panthenol (Vitamin B5), Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Cyamopsis Tetragonolobus (Guar) Gum, Sodium Benzoate, and Potassium Sorbate.

Medterra CBD Rapid Cooling Cream

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• Highlights: Medterra CBD Rapid Cooling Cream cools down inflamed muscles while offering fast, effective CBD relief.
• Strength: 300mg per 100ml bottle (also available in 750mg strength)
• Price: $49.99 – $77.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $99.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Scent & Texture: This topical instantly cools the skin, and can cause a mild tingling sensation with heavy use. This topical has a pleasant but medicinal scent.
• Ingredients: CBD isolate in Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Stearic Acid (Vegetable Derived), Cetyl Alcohol (Coconut Alcohol/USP), Sodium Hydroxide (Mineral Salt/USP), Vitis Vinifera (Grape Seed) Extract, Aloe Barbadensis (Inner Fillet) Leaf Juice, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Glycerin (Vegetable Derived), Potassium Sorbate (Mineral Salt/USP), Xanthan Gum (Vegetable Derived), Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Menthol (Mentha Arvensis)(USP), Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Ocimum basilicum (Basil) Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Oil, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Salvia Sclarea (Clary) Oil, Phenoxyethanol.
• Other: Medterra offers a generous 30-day return policy for unsatisfied customers.

PlusCBD Oil Gold Extra Strength Hemp Balm

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• Highlights: Plus CBD Oil Extra Strength Hemp Balm offers powerful topical relief with a peppermint twist, from one of the most well-known CBD brands on the market.
• Strength: 100mg per 1.3 oz jar
• Price: $39.95
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Scent & Texture: This is a thick balm but not overwhelmingly greasy, with a strong, refreshing peppermint scent.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp Extract in Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond Oil), Cera Alba (Beeswax), Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Tocopherol, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Equisetum Hiemale Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate

Ananda Hemp Spectrum Salve 125

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• Highlights: Ananda Hemp Spectrum Salve 125 has cooling menthol and a smooth, slightly oily texture. Great for targeting sore muscles.
• Price: $23.95
• Strength: 125 mg of full spectrum hemp/CBD extract per 1 oz jar
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free standard shipping is available, or faster options for an additional fee.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: This salve has a smooth, slightly oily texture from the coconut oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter. It smells of minty essential oils and the other botanical ingredients.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp Extract in Organic Coconut Oil, Organic Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Beeswax, Organic Menthol Crystals, Boswellia Extract Powder, White Willow Bark Extract, Organic Cayenne, Organic Calendula Flowers, Organic Ginger, Arnica Oil, Capsicum Oil, Sunflower Oil, Essential Oils: Wintergreen, Organic Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lavender, and Ginger

Hemp Luxe Full-Spectrum Hemp Extract Balm

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• Highlights: Hemp Luxe Full Spectrum Hemp Extract Balm quickly became one of our favorite CBD topicals with a great scent and offering powerful pain relief.
• Strength: 700mg per 60ml tin (also available in 225mg and 935mg strengths)
• Price: $29.99 – $89.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $75.
• Independent Test Results: Available on request.
• Scent & Texture: This topical is a little bit greasy but quickly absorbs into the skin. The balm has a wonderful smell, heavy on the rosemary and other herbal notes.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp extract in Organic Beeswax, Organic Olive Oil, Organic Hemp Seed Oil, Organic Arnica, Organic Rosemary, German Chamomile, Organic Peppermint, Organic Pine, Organic Clove, Frankincense, Organic Lavender, Sweet Marjoram.

Catskills Comfrey with CBD & Arnica

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• Highlights: Catskills Comfrey with CBD & Arnica offers seed-to-shelf quality at a low cost, with the added anti-inflammatory powers of comfrey and arnica.
• Price: $28.00 – $44.00
• Strength: 200 mg of full spectrum hemp/CBD extract per 1 oz jar, also available in a 2 oz, 400mg jar
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Standard shipping starts at $5.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: This is definitely a thicker ointment, with a sweet, pleasant unique herbal smell. It’d be great for giving light, soothing massage.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp Extract in Coconut Oil, Greek Olive Oil, Comfrey, Arnica, Beeswax

DaCrema Botanicals CBD Healing Salve

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• Highlights: Da Crema Botanicals CBD Healing Salve is very light, with a non-greasy texture that makes this salve easy to apply anytime you need relief of sore muscles or irritation. It consists of a proprietary blend of essential oils including lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus & other botanical ingredients that give it a unique herbal scent.
• Price: $35.00 – $45.00
• Special: Use coupon code MOH for 10% off!
• Strength: 240mg or 360mg (Extra Strength) full spectrum hemp/CBD extract per 1.3 ounce tin
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $100.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: Beeswax, shea butter and natural oils combine to create a smooth, very light texture that is not greasy. Herbal ingredients create a pleasing botanical scent.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full-spectrum Hemp Extract in Beeswax, Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Grapeseed Oil, Essential Oils of Lavender, Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Marjoram, Basil, and Vetiver

Types of CBD topicals

There are two reasons why people use CBD topicals: skincare, and deep tissue relief. These two types of concerns are ideal for CBD topicals for these three reasons: 

CBD topicals for skincare are perfect for people fighting skin conditions or inflammation.

1. CBD topicals attack the problem at its source; 
2. Most of the cannabinoids from a topical preparation do not enter the bloodstream; 
3. Topicals start working immediately.

CBD topicals for skincare are perfect for people fighting skin conditions or inflammation, or for people whose hands are raw and chapped from excessive hand washing. For these types of issues, a water-based lotion is far superior than a salve. That’s because a salve’s oily residue can stay caked on a person’s problem skin, while a lotion absorbs easily. 

For those looking for relief from aching muscles and joints, CBD topicals are also a popular option. Formulations for these topicals are different, and often contain a secondary ingredient like menthol to help the CBD penetrate deeper into the tissue.

A buying guide for CBD topicals Creams

When shopping for any CBD product, consumers should be skeptical. The CBD industry does not deserve consumers’ trust yet. But there are some things to look for to give you confidence that a CBD brand is looking out for its customers. 

What to look for to know you’re buying a quality CBD topical product: 

1. QR codes on the packaging that link to lab reports are a must;
2. The lab report should test for potency to ensure the same level of CBD as the packaging claims, as well as a full panel of safety tests to ensure the sample is free from pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, and etc. 
3. The fewer ingredients the better, but with lotions, this isn’t always possible. Look for lotions that are free of parabens. That’s a good indicator the lotion is a premium product. 

Why topical CBD cream Is a promising option for Arthritis, Inflammation & Joint Pains

You can vape it, take an extract, or swallow a pill … there are so many different ways to take CBD, but some people find CBD is best applied directly to the skin.

We were curious to learn more about why some CBD consumers are choosing topical applications, such as lotions or massage oils, over other forms of this supplement and found a surprising number of ailments it may help.

While CBD oil, a non-psychedelic extract of industrial hemp, seems to offer healing benefits when ingested almost any way, for some types of chronic pain, skin conditions, and other localized problems, topical applications allow users to go right to the source. Topical CBD can also work faster since it doesn’t have to travel through the digestive system first.

Just as with our investigations into whether CBD can help chronic pain and anxiety, we’ve looked at the scientific literature on the topic but also looked at reports from everyday people who’ve benefitted from hemp extract.

‘Therapeutic Potential For Relief Of Arthritis’: Science Examines Topical CBD

There’s a lot of research into the overall benefits of CBD in humans, but when it comes to topical applications most of the studies we found used animals.

In July 2016, a team of 7 researchers from the University of Kentucky published the results of their successful study of CBD for relieving arthritis symptoms in rats in the European Journal of Pain. Scientists artificially induced arthritis in the rats’ knee joints, then studied whether CBD improved their mobility and reduced their pain.

“Transdermal CBD gel significantly reduced joint swelling,” the researchers wrote, noting other indicators of pain, including how the rats positioned the affected joints, which also seemed improved.

“Exploratory behavior was not altered by CBD indicating a limited effect on higher brain function,” they added, further evidence that CBD has few side effects.

“These data indicate that topical CBD application has therapeutic potential for relief of arthritis pain-related behaviours and inflammation without evident side-effects,” the scientists concluded.

Although perhaps less applicable to everyday applications, other animal studies suggest CBD could reduce many different kinds of inflammation. It’s also worth noting that there are already at least two patents on specific formulations of topical CBD. (Reference here and here.)

‘It’s Reasonable To Think Cbd Might Have Benefits’ But More Research Needed

An April 2016 investigation into topical CBD and cannabis by Medical Marijuana, Inc. summed up some other promising research. “The topical application of cannabinoids allows them to be absorbed directly into the affected area for faster and more focused relief.”

“The topical application of cannabinoids allows them to be absorbed directly into the affected area for faster and more focused relief.”

One benefit, the site noted, was that even topical formulations based on psychoactive cannabis are not mind-altering, because they “bind to CB2 receptors near the skin, activating the endocannabinoid system, and are never absorbed into the bloodstream.”

Beyond simple chronic pain issues, “the topical use of a combination of THC and CBD has been reported as effective against the ‘central pain of multiple sclerosis.'” It may also help with skin conditions, including “burns, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, and skin infections.”

But Medical Marijuana, Inc. also admitted “little research has been done into the application of … cannabinoids transdermally.”

Rachael Schultz, a freelance fitness writer, took a more cautious approach to topical CBD in a January 2017 report for Shape magazine. “There’s practically no scientific data to support the idea that a CBD-infused topical cream is any more effective than other topical pain relievers, like Tiger Balm, BenGay, or Icy Hot,” she warned.

Schultz also speculated that other herbal ingredients found in topical CBD creams could be just as, or more effective than the CBD itself. But the experts she consulted admitted CBD is promising, just largely unproven in human-based laboratory testing.

“The pain and stiffness that comes post-workout or from overexertion certainly has a pro-inflammatory component to it, so it’s reasonable to think CBD or other cannabinoids might have benefits, but we have no research to support this yet,” Gregory Gerdeman, a neurophysiologist and cannabinoid expert at Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg, FL., told Schultz.

‘CBD Has Been The Only Thing That Helped’: CBD users tell us why they go topical

When we asked the Redditors of /r/CBD/ about the topical use of CBD, many were quick to praise its benefits.

Dr. Ranga Krishna, a neurologist from Brooklyn, told us he both prescribes and holds a patent in topical CBD because of its incredible promise.

“Topicals are a fantastic option as they’re easily measured in terms of ingredient compositions, and are higher in bioavailability than orally ingested compounds; this being because they are able to skip liver metabolization,” he wrote.

While he hopes “CBD can really shine” through topical application, he added “we are still doing studies in regards to that.” Eventually, he said he hopes to combine it with other topical pain relievers.

Of course, since everybody is different, topical CBD hasn’t worked for everyone.

“I tried for a stubborn chronic pain problem,” wrote pursehook. “It helped a little, but really not enough for that spot and my pain level.”

Instead, pursehook wrote that they returned to other methods of ingesting CBD that seem to help more. And though topical creams didn’t help with chronic pain, they discovered another, unexpected benefit instead. “I was completely skeptical, but it works like a miracle on [menstrual] cramps. Who knew? Amazing.”

But other Redditors were enthusiastic about the benefits of topical CBD products. “CBD has been the only thing that has helped,” wrote onwardtomanagua, who suffers from postherpetic neuralgia, a lingering form of chronic pain that can be caused by shingles.

“I use topical salves because I stopped ingesting cannabis, but they still help my muscles and joints when tense or knotted,” wrote kaizoku.

In a separate discussion posted in February, a Redditor named ValiumKilmer suggested topical CBD can even help with hemorrhoids.

Topical CBD Needs More Research, But Don’t Wait To Try It Yourself

Many people have already experienced the benefits of CBD, but science is clearly still catching up. Unfortunately, that’s not unusual: the medical establishment is also still arguing about whether CBD can benefit epilepsy sufferers despite decades of positive research.

That shouldn’t stop you from giving topical CBD a try if you think it might benefit you.

Even Rachael Schultz, Shape’s skeptical CBD investigator, admitted “Science hasn’t confirmed creams with CBD will have any greater benefit than those without, but there’s little-to-no risk in trying it out.”

As with all CBD products, it’s important to investigate your source and make sure they have a proven track record of offering reliable supplements. Whether you have chronic pain, post-workout soreness, or just want better skin, we hope you’ll give hemp and CBD a try.

Leif Hayman and Paul James contributed to this guide.

The post Best CBD Cream For Pain: Reviews & Buying Guide appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

The medicinal and therapeutic benefits of CBD (cannabidiol) are well-documented. Both scientific studies and anecdotal evidence abound, resulting in a huge spike in the popularity of the extract. CBD is useful for conditions ranging from arthritis to seizure disorders, but with so many options available on the market right now, how do you know what’s right for your condition? Ultimately, it may depend on how quickly you need it to work.

Should you try CBD gummies? A vape? Tinctures? Different methods of administration have different onsets of effect, or the amount of time until they begin to work.

Let Ministry of Hemp walk you through the most popular forms of CBD and how quickly (or not quickly) they work so you can decide what’s best for your situation.

CBD oil tinctures

Easily portable and fast-acting, CBD oils, also known as sublingual drops or hemp extract, are gaining ground in the popularity contest with edibles. Extracts are combined with a carrier oil, usually coconut-based MCT oil or hemp seed oil, and flavoring to provide a fast-acting, easy-to-consume supplement.

Placing a few drops under the tongue introduces CBD to the bloodstream quickly. The area beneath the tongue, or the sublingual area, is full of blood vessels and the tissue covering them is very thin allowing CBD to be absorbed into the bloodstream almost immediately. Effects are generally felt quickly, making tinctures an ideal treatment for anxiety and other mood disorders. Many users report long-lasting effects from regular ingestion of tinctures.

Many tinctures have added flavor, commonly peppermint, citrus, or other strong flavors, to mask the naturally occurring hemp taste that some people find objectionable. 

Vaping Cannabidiol

Taking CBD through a vape pen is the quickest way to feel the effects.

There are a couple different types of vapes available, pen-style and tank-style, and while the mechanism in each works differently, the gist is the same. CBD extract is heated to become a vapor, then inhaled. Inhalation introduces cannabidiol directly into the bloodstream through your lungs, resulting in rapid, almost instant, onset of effect. This method is ideal for people with acute conditions who need the effects immediately.

However, vape pens can be cumbersome to use and carry around and may attract unwanted attention in public spaces. There are also some lingering health concerns about the potential side effects of vaping. Since most studies center on vaping nicotine-based products, it’s hard to determine if CBD vaping poses the same or similar risks.

People who live with anxiety or panic disorders may benefit from carrying a vape pen. The rapid onset makes them a great choice to use as a rescue when feelings of anxiety or panic surface.

Capsules, gummies & other edibles

Edibles are one of the most popular forms of CBD on the market. After extraction, CBD oil is added to food or capsules to make it more palatable.

Whether it’s a tasty gummy or an easy to swallow CBD capsule, many users appreciate the ease, discretion, and palatability of edibles. No one is going to think twice about someone eating a gummy or taking a capsule, which makes them a good choice if you plan to be out and about and don’t feel like fielding a thousand questions about why you take CBD. It’s also easy to control the dosage.

One drawback is the time it takes for the supplement to make its way into your bloodstream and begin working. Anything we swallow enters the stomach and, like food and drink, goes through the laborious process of digestion. Enzymes in the stomach break down what we ingest to make it easier to for the intestines to process. Chemicals like CBD are filtered through the liver where they then enter the bloodstream where they begin their work.

It doesn’t take long, usually 20 minutes to an hour, depending on your metabolism and how recently you ate. Edibles are a great choice to start your day, as an addition to your vitamin regimen or for treatment of headaches or other pain, but if you’re using CBD to treat acute conditions, edibles may not be your best option.

CBD Topicals

CBD lotions, massage oils, and creams are a great choice for skin conditions, muscle pain, or joint pain.

The question of how long it takes for a CBD topical to work is a complex one. What little research that exists suggests cannabinoids can be slow to pass through the skin, taking as long as 5 hours to go into effect. But many everyday users of CBD topicals report a much quicker onset. One expert, Keith Butler from LifePatent, told us he thinks CBD may have a unique ability to rapidly cross the skin into the body. But right now we just don’t know enough to scientifically separate the placebo effect, or the effect of other ingredients commonly found in these topicals, from the effect of CBD.

Regardless of how quickly topicals actually work, many CBD consumers find that they offer a valuable form of relief. We recommend applying the topical before the pain becomes especially severe, and reapplying as needed throughout the day. You may want to combine them with other forms of CBD for maximum relief.

How long does it take for CBD to work? It depends … 

CBD is both versatile and effective in managing a multitude of conditions. The fact that it’s available in several different forms allows you to tailor your treatment to your specific condition.

We expect that in the near future, there will be more research into how long it takes for CBD to work. We’ll have a better understanding of how different forms of CBD work differently. In the meantime, mix and match methods and find what works for you.

The post How Long Does It Take For CBD Oil To Work? How Fast Acting Is CBD? appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

The CBD market is exploding, with sales of CBD products hitting $1 billion in 2019. We’re seeing new products on the scene, from CBD infused seltzer water (great in mixed drinks) to CBD infused pillows (probably just hype). Consumers need to be careful too, because CBD products are currently unregulated.

Despite the hype, there’s good reason to put CBD on your skin.

“Most problems related to skin care have to do with inflammation, irritation, and bacteria — think acne, dryness, redness, etc.,” noted Britni Jessup, owner of Hatshe, an active lifestyle CBD brand. “CBD has been shown to be effective against those triggers.”

The hemp plant has natural anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and other healing compounds in it which can help improve the health and appearance of your skin. Even without extracting and refining specific cannabinoids like CBD, hemp seed oil has been prized for years by skin care experts for its nourishing properties.

Read on, and we’ll explain a bit more about why CBD and hemp are a good match for your skin care routine. Or you can scroll down to see our picks for the best 12 CBD and hemp skin care products available.

Why use CBD & hemp in your skin care routine?

The compounds found in the cannabis plant have the capability to tap into our body’s “endocannabinoid system” by mimicking chemicals that our body naturally produces.

“Our skin is our largest organ and it’s full of cannabinoid receptors!” said Maggie Frank, a national educator at PlusCBD Oil. “Putting hemp extracts rich in CBD on topically allows us to immediately and locally deposit the benefits of CBD, other phytocannabinoids, terpenes, amino acids and fatty acids directly to those receptors.”

While scientists are still studying the workings of the endocannabinoid system, and how it interacts with the compounds found in hemp, it’s increasingly clear that they help our bodies maintain homeostasis, a healthy balance. In addition the ability of CBD and other cannabinoids to reduce inflammation seems to work on our skin as well.

Hemp seed oil makes great skin care, too

“Different compounds are found in each part of the hemp plant,” said Sharon K. Christie, founder of Cannafloria Essentials. “Hemp seeds are rich in healthy fats that moisturize the skin and promote healthy aging.”

While CBD and other cannabinoids are extracted from the leaves and flowering tops of the plant, hemp itself has a long history as a valued ingredient in beauty and skin care products. Hemp seeds are full of nourishing compounds like amino acids and omega3s and omega6s.

“The compounds found in hemp have hydrating, healing and protective properties,” said Christie. “Hemp also works as an antioxidant that protects your skin from free radicals and sun damage, and it can help to improve inflammatory skin conditions.”

Buyer beware: Use caution in an unregulated industry

The 2018 Farm Bill fully legalized hemp and took CBD out of the control of the Drug Enforcement Administration. This allowed for an explosion of new and innovative CBD-based products on the market. However, while the Farm Bill put regulation of these products in the hands of the FDA, the FDA hasn’t issued any regulations.

“Due to lack of regulation the CBD market is flooded with products that at best, contain little to no CBD, or at worst, are contaminated with molds, mycotoxins, and heavy metals,” warned Frank.

Consumers need to do a little more work when they’re buying CBD or other hemp products. Learn a little bit about where the hemp was grown and how the products were made.

“Make sure the brand uses third-party lab-tested CBD, and ask to see their certificates of analysis if you really want to do your due diligence,” said Tess Taylor, owner of Taylor + Tess, which makes CBD-infused beauty products.

While we’ve done our best to pick only quality products from the best brands, we’ve also made sure to only work with companies that make it easy for you to look deeper into their products.

Best CBD Skin Care & Hemp Beauty Products: Official Reviews

Some CBD oils intended for internal use are pure enough to put on your skin. Maggie Frank told us she sometimes opens PlusCBD softgels and applies them topically for “itchy, icky, dry and flaky skin.”

However, each of the products below is specifically formulated for use on skin. These brands combine carefully sourced hemp and CBD with selected ingredients designed to enhance your skin’s softness, health and appearance.

These brands are transparent about their ingredients, and offer third-party lab tests proving the strength and purity of the the products. We’ve also personally tested them, to ensure they made us look, feel, and smell good. Every body varies, so try some of these products and see which ones can help you.

Here are our current favorite hemp-infused beauty products:

• Ambary Gardens Full Spectrum Skin Repair
• Populum Lavender + CBD Face Oil
• Prima The Afterglow CBD Face Cream
• Taylor + Tess “The Quickie” Facial Toner
• Medterra CBD + Manuka Honey Cream
• PlusCBD Oil Hemp Body Lotion (Grapefruit)
• HATSHE Sandalwood Healing Cream
• Kino Coconut Mango CBD Lip Balm
• Cannafloria Be Refreshed Hemp Mood Mist
• Cornbread Hemp CBD Lotion
• DaCrema Botanicals Salt Scrub
• Petal Revive CBD Face Mask

Click above or continue reading for all our reviews.

Ministry of Hemp received free products in return for writing these reviews. We may receive a percentage of sales if you buy products from some of the brands below. Only our favorite CBD & hemp beauty products qualified for this roundup. We always promise to give you our honest opinion.

Ambary Gardens Full Spectrum Skin Repair

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• Highlights: Ambary Gardens Full Spectrum Skin Repair is a powerful treatment for damaged skin, making it a great choice for healing the aftereffects of sunburns.
• Price: $65.00
• Strength: 250 mg per 4 oz jar
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping on orders over $85.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: This is a thick lotion with a smell of shea butter and other healing oils, with sage and other botanical undertones.
• Ingredients: CBD Oil / Full-Spectrum Hemp extract in Shea Butter, Almond Oil, Coconut Oil, Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil, Calendula, Arnica, Essential Oils of: Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Geranium, and Clary Sage.

Ambary Gardens also has an entire line of therapeutic topicals as well as more options for CBD beauty products. Check out our interview with Jess Reynolds, their CBD Specialist or our review of Ambary Gardens Nano CBD.

Populum Lavender + CBD Face Oil

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• Highlights: A perfect addition to an evening routine, Populum Lavender + CBD Face Oil oil has simple ingredients, absorbs quickly, and leaves your skin glowing.
• Price: $79
• Special: 20% off with monthly subscription.
• Strength: 250 mg per 30ml
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping on all orders
• Independent Test Results: Included with every order.
• Texture & Smell: Light texture with a luxurious lavender scent.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp Extract in Grape Seed oil, Hemp Seed oil, Lavender oil.
• Other: Populum offers a 30-day return policy for first time buyers.

Populum is one of our Top CBD Brands for their premium CBD quality and top customer service. Their hemp CBD extracts are triple tested for potency and purity to deliver a complete full-spectrum profile to its customers. The Lavender + CBD Face Oil is a dual action product — with the full-spectrum hemp extract providing anti-inflammatory properties and lavender contributing antioxidants to improve overall skin health.

With 100% of their hemp grown in Colorado and their commitment to high quality ingredients, we are happy to see them try something new with this face oil. Populum also has another topical line intended for sore muscles.

Prima The Afterglow CBD Face Cream

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• Highlights: Prima The Afterglow CBD Face Cream quickly became our Editor’s favorite night cream. This cream combines broad spectrum CBD with multiple vegan butters and botanicals that leave our skin feeling calm and healthy, so we wake up glowing in the morning!
• Strength: 500mg per 50ml bottle
• Price: $96
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Scent & Texture: This cream has a thicker, but not greasy texture that absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving our faces feeling soothed and healthy. It has an earthy, mildly floral scent.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Broad-Spectrum Hemp extract in Water (Aqua), Squalane, C13-15 Alkane, Behenyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Lauryl Laurate, Garcinia Indica Seed Butter, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate SE, C26-28 Alkyl Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Hedychium Coronarium Root Extract, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Flower/Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Astrocaryum Vulgare Kernel Oil, Platonia Insignis Seed Butter, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Levulinate, Fructose, Fusanus Spicatus Wood Oil, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Sclerotium Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Lecithin, Octyldodecanol, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
• Other: A generous 30-day money back guarantee is available for unsatisfied customers.

We love Prima’s commitment to sustainability, both in their farming practices and recyclable packaging throughout the product line. We’ve also selected Prima “The Daily” capsules as one of our Best CBD Softgels.

Taylor + Tess The Quickie Facial Toner

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• Highlights: Taylor + Tess “The Quickie” Facial Toner is a perfect pocket-sized skin pick-me-up that leaves your skin feeling tight and fresh. It’s vegan, gluten free and free of other common allergens like parabens.
• Price: $28.00
• Strength: 10mg per sprayer
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Shipping started at $7.00.
• Independent Test Results: Available on request.
• Texture & Smell: This is a light spray you can apply to your fingers or spray directly onto your face, with a strong citrusy smell.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Broad Spectrum Hemp Extract in Water, Aloe Leaf juice, Witch Hazel distillate, Vegetable glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Blueberry Fruit extract, Pomegranate Fruit extract, Oat extract, Kakadu Plum Fruit extract, Cucumber Fruit extract, Grapefruit oil, Bergamot Fruit oil, Caprylyl Glycol.

Taylor + Tess is a family run, black owned brand located in Dallas, TX. They offer a refill bottle, which makes this a sustainable choice for those who want to take care of their skin and the environment.

Owner Tess Taylor said she uses, “‘The Quickie’ to to remove residual dirt, hydrate, and prep my skin to receive face oils, serums, and moisturizer” such as “The Nightcap,” another great Taylor + Tess product.

Medterra CBD + Manuka Honey Cream

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• Highlights: Medterra CBD + Manuka Cream makes a great night cream, combining CBD isolate with Manuka honey, another popular skin care ingredient.
• Price: $34.99 – $49.99
• Special: Use coupon code MOH for 15% off!
• Strength: 250 mg (also available in 125mg strength)
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping on orders over $99.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: This is a thick, satiny lotin with a beeswax smell with cocoa undertones.
• Ingredients: Hemp-derived CBD isolate in Aloe Barbadensis (Inner fillet) Leaf Juice, Elaeis Guineensis (Palm) Fruit Oil, Carota Sativa (Carrot), Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Beeswax, Glycerin (Vegetable Derived/USP), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Manuka Honey 12 (New Zealand), Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Seed Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Seed Butter, Garcinia Indica (Kokum) Seed Butter Illipe Butter, Hippophae Rhamnoides (Seabuckthorn) Oil, Arnica Montana Flower Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Potassium Sorbate (Vegetable Derived/USP), Sodium Benzoate (USP), Ethylhexylglycerin (Vegetable Derived), Sodium Hydroxide (Mineral Salt/USP), Citric Acid (Fruit Derived/USP).
• Other: Medterra offers a 30-day return policy for unsatisfied customers.

Medterra is one of our Top CBD Brands and our review team loves Medterra CBD Rapid Cooling Cream for sore muscles. This product uses both quality CBD from Kentucky hemp and carefully sourced Manuka honey from New Zealand.

PlusCBD Oil Hemp Body Lotion (Grapefruit)

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1. Highlights: PlusCBD Oil Hemp Body Lotion is silky smooth and absorbs quickly, making it the perfect anytime body lotion, especially for dry skin.
2. Price: $29.99
3. Strength: 200mg per 3.7oz bottle
4. Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping on orders over $75.
5. Independent Test Results: Online.
6. Texture & Smell: This lotion has a very smooth and silky texture but doesn’t leave skin greasy. The grapefruit scent we tested is very sweet, almost like a grapefruit candy.
7. Main Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp Extract in Water, Carthamus Tinctorium (Safflower) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Hemp Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Fragrance, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernal Oil, Glycol Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol Acetate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate

PlusCBD is one of our Top CBD Brands. We are excited to see them venture into CBD beauty with their new line of products! This lotion became a favorite, daily use product to use on dry hands and elbows from cold winter air.

HATSHE Sandalwood Healing Cream

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• Highlights: This vegan Sandalwood Healing Cream from Hatshe feels thick and luxurious with that wonderful warm sandalwood smell. Try it on any irritated or inflamed skin.
• Price: $30 – 58.00
• Special: Use coupon code HEMP15 for 15% off your order!
• Strength: 500mg per 2 oz jar (also available in 250mg 1oz jar)
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Shipping available or a $10 flat rate.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Smell: This cream has a thick, soothing texture and a warm smell of sandalwood and other botanicals that lingers pleasantly on the skin.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp extract in Copaiba Oil, Organic Aloe Leaf Juice, Avocado Fruit Oil, Organic Jojoba Seed Oil, Emulsifying Wax, Glycerin, Organic Palm Fruit Oil, Stearic Acid, Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Neem Seed Oil, Organic Rosemary Leaf Extract, Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Rose Flower Water, Rosehip Seed Oil, Carrot Seed Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Vitamin A Ester, Vitamin C Ester, Provitamin B5, Allantoin, Organic White Willow Bark Extract (Salix Alba), Organic Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sandalwood Vanilla Essential Oil
• Other: HATSHE offers a 30-day return policy for unsatisfied customers.

HATSHE is a woman-owned brand created by former athletes looking for quality products that could help them feel better.

“When your skin has prolonged exposure to extreme weather — sun, wind, cold, salt water, — it can end up dry and irritated by the end of a long day,” said Britni Jessup about using this product.

Kino Coconut Mango CBD Lip Balm

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• Highlights: Kino Coconut Mango CBD Lip Balm heals angry, chapped lips with a combination of full spectrum CBD and other vegan, plant-derived ingredients.
• Strength: 15mg per tube
• Price: $10
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $75.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Scent & Texture: This is a long lasting tube of smooth lip balm that coats your lips with a hint of coconut mango sweetness.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp extract in Cera Alba (Beeswax), Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecyl Stearyl Citrate Crosspolymer, Cocos Nucifera Flavor Oil, Mangifera Indica Flavor Oil, Theobroma Grandiflorum Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Astrocaryum Tucuma Seed Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Octyldodecyl Behenyl Citrate Crosspolymer. 
• Other: A generous 30-day money back guarantee is available for unsatisfied customers.

Check out Kino’s other CBD skin care products like their face, hair and body lotion.

Cannafloria Be Refreshed Hemp Mood Mist

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• Highlights: It was hard to pick our favorite scent of Cannafloria Hemp Mood Mist, which combines hemp seed oil and hemp terpenes with essential oils to give you the perfect reset when you’re feeling tired or sweaty.
• Price: $18
• Special: Use coupon code MOH15 for 15% off!
• Strength: Not applicable, this is a hemp-infused, non-CBD product.
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping on orders over $35.
• Texture & Smell: This light spray is perfect for refreshing your room, your sheets or yourself. This has an earthy, woody aroma with some citrus sweetness.
• Main Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Water (Aqua), Citrus Sinensis Hydrosol (Blood Orange), Saccharide Isomerate (Active) Aqua, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense (Horsetail) Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sea Salt/Maris Sal/ Sel Marin, Natural Essential Oil Blend, Cananga odorata, (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil, Humulus lupulus (Hops) Oil, Cannabis sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Citrus nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus limon(Lemon) Peel Oil, Valeriana officinalis (Valerian) Extract, a-Humulene, Limonene.
• Other: Available in 7 scents and we love all the ones we’ve tried. Cannafloria offers a 30-day return policy for unsatisfied customers.

Cannafloria helps to create a total bath and beauty experience with their line of hemp products. Besides their mood mists, they have luxurious hemp milk baths and lotions available. Owner Sharon K. Christie is proud of their attention to detail:

“Our manufacturing facility is proudly certified organic, 100% wind powered, cruelty-free and women-owned. All Cannafloria products are synthetic-free, dye-free and vegan.”

Cornbread Hemp CBD Lotion

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• Highlights: Cornbread Hemp CBD Lotion in their special “skin formula” is a wonderful cure for dry skin, anywhere you need some potent moisturizing. This paraben-free skin cream is made with USDA organic hemp extract grown in Kentucky.
• Strength: 200mg per 60ml bottle
• Price: $29.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $99.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Scent & Texture: This is a thick lotion with a very mild, clean scent of olive oil with notes of cotton and rosemary.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp extract in MCT Oil, Water, Capric Triglycerides, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cotton Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Olive Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, EDTA, Rosemary, Phenoxyethanol, and Caprylyl Glycol.
• Other: A generous 30-day money back guarantee is available for unsatisfied customers.

Cornbread Hemp founder Jim Higdon appeared on our podcast to talk about Kentucky hemp, and wrote this great guide to the history of CBD topicals for us, too.

DaCrema Botanicals Salt Scrub

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• Highlights: DaCrema Botanicals Salt Scrub is perfect for exfoliating tired feet, and it leaves you smelling refreshed and feeling calm.
• Price: $35.00
• Special: Special: Use coupon code MOH for 10% off!
• Strength: 200 mg per 8 ounces
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $100.
• Independent Test Results: Available on request.
• Texture & Smell: Soft to touch, gritty and exfoliating on the skin, with a fresh peppermint scent.
• Ingredients: CBD oil / Full Spectrum Hemp extract in Peppermint essential oil, Jojoba and MTC oils, Himalayan pink salt, Hawaiian black salt.

DaCrema Botanicals products are handmade in small batches using U.S.-grown organic hemp. The company was founded by a former health industry professional.

Petal Revive CBD Face Mask

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• Highlights: Petal Revive CBD Face Mask Sheet combines qualty CBD isolate with rosemary, green tea, licorice root and other natural extracts that soothe, mositurize and smooth your skin. Lay back and relax for a while with this wonderful mask from Petal!
• Strength: 10mg per sheet
• Price: $10 (also available in discounted packs of 5 or 10)
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available on orders over $65.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Scent & Texture: A cooling, soothing facemask that smells of green tea, rosemary and other botanical scents.
• Ingredients: Hemp-derived CBD isolate in Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene glycol, 1,2-hexanediol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Sodium benzoate, Chlorphenisn, Sodium hyaluronate, PEG-60 Hydrogenated castor oil, Disodium EDTA, Butylene glycol, Tiger grass extract, Japanese Knotweed extract, Chinese Skullcrap root extract, Green Tea extract, Soap Bark Extract, Licorice Root extract, Chamomile Flower extract, Rosemary Flower extract, Natural fragrances
• Other: A generous 30-day money back guarantee is available for unsatisfied customers.

Petal products are vegan and free of parabens. This facemask is suitable for all skin types.

Kit O’Connell contributed reviews and reporting to this guide.

The post Best 12 CBD Skin Care & Hemp Beauty Products: Create A Hempy Skin Care Routine appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Healist Naturals believes that the human body’s ability to heal is powerful, and that their product amplifies our natural healing powers. Like all their product line, this lotion combines high-quality broad spectrum CBD with carefully selected ingredients to enhance its benefits. 

Healist Naturals Body Relief Lotion provides a smooth and soothing effect when applied. We appreciated that smooth texture, especially combined with its mild scent (smelling just a little of menthol). The cooling and warming effects are subtle too. You can apply this lotion without having to worry about a particularly strong smell or a jolt of cooling, like with inferior products. The packaging is discreet and compact, ready-made to take with you wherever you need to go. 

The lotion itself is made with all-natural ingredients, first and foremost coming from the broad-spectrum hemp extract that Healist uses. Menthol is added for its smell and cooling properties, then they use camphor to help against inflammation. Finally, arnica extracts and botanical oils add more anti-inflammatory, soothing and moisturizing effects. 

Healist paid us a fee and offered us free products in return for our honest opinion. If you purchase a product from one of these links, we’ll receive a percentage of sales. Read more about sponsored content on Ministry of Hemp.

Healist Naturals wants to help your body heal itself

Healist’s goal is to amplify our bodies’ natural healing powers. Their products reflect that same philosophy, even down to their beautifully designed biodegradable packaging. They believe that our modern lifestyles leave us overstimulated and exhausted. For these modern problems, Healist has made a modern solution with their CBD. 

Healist Naturals divides their products up into four main categories: calm, relief, sleep, and well-being. All with the focus of helping bring your body back into balance. Their product range includes gummies, tinctures/drops, topicals and patches. They even offer trial size “Discovery Drops,” which let newcomers to CBD experiment with different formulations.

Easing the aches and pains of working life

For this review, we sampled the “Extra Strength” formula of Healist Naturals Body Relief lotion, with 300mg of broad spectrum CBD. They also sell a regular strength formula, with 150mg of CBD.

Our reviewer works as a part-time barista, videographer, video editor and journalist. As a result, he’s always either on his feet serving customers and shooting videos or spending long hours looking at a computer screen. This lifestyle leads to tight & sore muscles in his neck, wrists, legs and feet.

Healist Naturals Body Relief Lotion provided a fast-acting soothing effect, while healing muscles and joints to get him through the day and eventually through the week. It’s comforting to know that Healist Naturals Body Relief Lotion supports his body when he pushes himself too hard.

Healist Naturals Extra Strength Body Relief Lotion (Ministry of Hemp Official Review)

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• Highlights: Healist Naturals Body Relief Lotion is a great option for busy, highly active people who are looking for an effective yet all-natural solution to their aches & pains. With quality bio-degradable packaging, smooth texture and mild smell, this is a great product from Healist Naturals’ fabulous product line.
• Size Options: 300mg of CBD per 2.8oz bottle (also available in 150mg strength)
• Price: $34.99 – $49.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Healist Naturals offers free shipping on orders over $50.
• Texture & Scent: This lotion comes out in a light texture with a mild scent consisting of a mix of menthol, arnica extract and pleasant botanical oils.  
• Key Ingredients: Full Spectrum CBD, menthol, camhor, arnica extract and botanical oils and terpenes. 
• Full Ingredient List: CBD oil / Broad Spectrum Hemp extract in Water, Olive Oil Polyceryl-6 Esters, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol denat., Menthol, Glycerin, Menthyl Lactate, Cinnamomum Camphora (Camphor) Oil, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Squalane, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Extract, Tocopherol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii (shea) Butter, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Pullulan, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate.

On July 30, 2020, Ministry of Hemp conducted our own lab test of Healist Naturals Body Relief Lotion using Analytical 360, our trusted lab. Download test results here.

Healist Naturals uses hemp grown in the U.S. in all their products. Check out all our other Healist Naturals product reviews and collaborations!

The post Healist Naturals Body Relief Lotion Eases Everyday Aches & Pains appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

Designed to soothe sore muscles and joint discomfort, not only were we satisfied with the results, but also impressed by the Healist Naturals mission and standards. The quality is apparent even just holding the beautiful packaging.

Packed with 150mg of CBD, the Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm‘s 1.7 oz jar is full of a blend of menthol, camphor, arnica, and botanical oils that quickly absorb into your skin, providing you with up to four hours of relief. When placed on the skin, it gives a cooling and heating sensation to your body as it absorbs. After applying, there isn’t an oily feeling. It takes just a moment to absorb completely into your body.

Healist Naturals paid us a fee and offered us free products in return for our honest opinion. If you purchase a product from one of these links, we’ll receive a percentage of sales. Read more about sponsored content on the Ministry of Hemp.

Read on for our full review of the Healist Advanced Naturals Joint Relief Balm to learn more about what makes this topical stand out in a crowded CBD marketplace.

Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm eased back pain after outdoor sports

Our reviewer tested Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm on their back after experiencing lingering pain from stand-up paddle boarding at a family event the week before that wouldn’t go away.

After applying the balm, there was a noticeable difference in pain relief after a few moments. That relief was consistent. If she felt pain again during the day, she would reapply as needed, and the issue would dissipate.

The Healist Natural Joint Balm is a product that can be used anywhere on the body experiencing pain. While the reviewer also had a sunburn, it is advised on the packaging not to place it on healing or broken skin. So she waited until that area healed and applied to other parts of her back and body.

Beautiful Mission, Packaging, and Results

Healist Naturals‘ is committed to sustaining our oceans through manufacturing and reclaiming ocean waste plastic. They believe it is their responsibility to support the environment in restoring its natural balance.

By taking responsibility to provide sustainable packaging to its customers, Healist transforms a traditional pain alternative into a modern example of how to incorporate sustainability into customers’ lives. Not only does the Healist give a solution to the amount of plastic waste, but they do it in style with their sleek design and elegant educational illustrations on each package.

This blend of advanced natural ingredients comes in a sleek box displayed with elegant formatted information. The package is sleek, soft, and recyclable.

If you’re looking for the certificate of analysis (COA), you will find it on the box’s bottom section. Using your phone, scan the QR code to find the COA. The code will take you to both the formulation and the hemp extraction results. Our review team found this impressive because when scanning QR codes, it usually just takes them to the single product tested. We appreciated the extra information.

Based on our own independent lab report, It is worth noting that this is a true full spectrum product. There are small amounts of CBDA & CBG. Both have anti-inflammatory effects. So you are getting extra care from Healist through their product.

Certified to the highest standards, when purchasing the Healist Joint Relief Balm, you can trust they are clean, vegan, and cruelty-free. If you’re looking to try a CBD Joint Relief Balm, the Healist has a money-back guarantee and offers free shipping. 

Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm

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• Highlights: Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm is a great option to reduce physical and joint relief pain. It’s great for day and night time use. It cools and warms as it quickly absorbs into the skin, offering immediate relief while the CBD goes to work.
• Strength: 150mg of CBD per 1.7oz pot of balm.
• Price: $34.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available. A 30-day money back guarantee is available for unsatisfied customers.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Scent: This CBD topical has a light oily texture. It reminded the reviewer of a vapor rub by combining potent menthol smell with soothing CBD. It’s not greasy, making it perfect for application anytime.
• Key Ingredients: Broad spectrum hemp-extract plus Camphor & Menthol.
• Full Ingredient List: CBD Oil / Full-Spectrum hemp extract in Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed oil, Canola oil, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) starch, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran wax, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed wax, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed oil, Menthol, Menthyl Lactate, Cinnamomum Camphora (Camphor) oil, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed oil, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran extract, Rosemarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) extract, Tocopherol, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root oil, Boswellia Serrata extract, Piper Nigrum (Pepper) Fruit extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grapeseed) oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) butter, Arnica Montana Flower extract, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) oil

On July 30, 2020, Ministry of Hemp conducted our own lab test of Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm using Analytical 360, our trusted lab. Download test results here.

Healist Naturals uses hemp grown in the U.S. in all their products. Don’t miss our other Healist Naturals reviews and collaborations!

The post Healist Naturals Joint Relief Balm: Fast-Acting CBD Eases Your Discomfort appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

If you do workouts consisting mainly of bending, jerking, and lifting movements, you are well aware of the joint pains that come with them. Specifically, lifting weights can affect the wrists, knees, elbows, and your back. So, when we heard of the chance to review the CBDMEDIC ointment that targets those sore areas, we jumped at the opportunity.

Our reviewer tried CBDMEDIC Active Sport Ointment for about a week and reported great results. While they didn’t completely eliminate his aches and pains, they reduced them so much he no longer had “any excuse” to skip going to the gym, even on the next day after a workout. This ointment even reduced the pain in our reviewer’s thumbs and hands after marathon “Red Dead Redemption 2” video game sessions.

In addition, we loved the light, non-greasy feel of CBDMEDIC Active Sport Ointment. It absorbed into our skin easily, and didn’t leave a residue behind unlike some other muscle ointments we’ve tried.

CBDMEDIC paid us a fee and offered us free products in return for our honest opinion. If you purchase a product from one of these links, we’ll receive a percentage of sales. Read more about sponsored content on Ministry of Hemp.

Read on for our full review of CBDMEDIC Active Sport Ointment and to learn more about what makes their topicals stand out in a crowded CBD marketplace.

CBDMEDIC combines CBD with specialized active ingredients

The CBDMEDIC brand focuses on top-quality topicals. Each of their products contain proven, active ingredients that take the benefits of these products to the next level.

CBDMEDIC recently joined the family of Charlotte’s Web, probably the best known CBD brand and one of our selected Top CBD Brands. It’s easy to see why these two are a good fit. Charlotte’s Web is famous as a leader in the industry, while CBDMEDIC creates unique FDA-registered over-the-counter products that add active pharmaceuticals. CBDMEDIC makes their topicals in “cGMP compliant” facilities insuring they maintain top industry standards for purity throughout the manufacturing process.

They designed each topical to target a different kind of pain. CBDMEDIC Active Sport Ointment is specially designed to increase blood-flow and get you moving again. In contains two special active ingredients: camphor and menthol. These ingredients provide advanced, temporary pain
relief for tired and aching muscles and joints while CBD helps soothe irritated skin.

FDA registration and proven active ingredients opens new doors to these products, letting them be sold in some pharmacies. Of course, you can order them online whenever you want.

CBDMEDIC Active Sport Pain Relief Ointment Official Review

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• Highlights: CBDMEDIC Active Sport Ointment provides joint & muscle pain relief in a long-lasting, natural, and effective fashion. It’s great to apply before, during, or after your workout.
• Strength: This ointment features about 200mg of CBD per 1.4oz tube.
• Price: $39.99
• Customer Service & Shipping: Fast, friendly customer service. Free shipping available.
• Independent Test Results: Online.
• Texture & Scent: This CBD topical has a light texture. It reminded us of  vapor rub by combining potent menthol smell with soothing CBD. It’s nongreasy and perfect for quick application.
• Key Ingredients: Broad spectrum hemp-extract plus Camphor & Menthol
• Full Ingredient List: CBD oil / Broad-spectrum Hemp extract with Menthol, Camphor, Ccottonseed oil, Beeswax, Frankincense oil, Jojoba seed oil, Myrrh oil, Honeysuckle oil, Sorbic acid
• Other: Also available as a “sport stick” for more portable application

CBDMEDIC products use hemp grown carefully in the U.S. along with other natural ingredients. They also make several other CBD topicals designed for arthritis pain, relieving back & neck pain, and more.

We love the quality of these topicals, and we noticed that CBDMEDIC’s product labeling improved since we first checked out these products in June 2019. It’s now even easier to see how much CBD and other ingredients you’re getting, and easier to find third-party lab results for these products. This is a good product that seems to be getting even better with time.

Kit O’Connell contributed to this review.

The post CBDMEDIC Active Sport Ointment Relieves Aches & Pains To Keep You Moving appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

This article will help address the different methods used to make cannabinoids bioavailable. We’ll also look at CBD industry claims around water soluble CBD.

First, we’ll start with a brief video introduction to the topic of bioavailability and why it matters to CBD consumers, before taking a deeper dive into the science and inner workings of this subject.

Table of Contents

• A video introduction to CBD bioavailability
• The science behind bioavailability
• What the CBD industry claims about bioavailability
• What CBD delivery methods are the most bioavailable?
• CBD industry innovations
• What about making CBD water soluble?

CBD bioavailability: A video introduction

Let’s take a closer look at CBD bioavailability: how much CBD are you really getting when you take a tincture, eat a gummy, or vape?

Bioavailability is the degree & rate at which a substance is absorbed into the bloodstream, in this case, CBD. There are several different methods of dosing CBD and each one has a different bioavailability. So, how much CBD are you really getting?

In this video, we compared bioavailability for the most popular methods of taking this supplement.

The Science behind CBD bioavailability

To understand these terms and their meaning within the context of hemp-based cannabinoids, it would be helpful to start with some basic science.

First, cannabinoids are lipophilic molecules (i.e., oil-based compounds that are not soluble in water). This means that when you place extracted hemp oils into water, they float. Cannabinoids in their natural lipophilic state do not mix with water and they act exactly as if one poured motor oil onto water—they will not dissolve in the water. This has always been the problem for oil-based compounds—because our bodies are up to 60% water, they have difficulty dissolving, and more importantly, absorbing these types of molecules.

The term “water solubility” refers to a compound’s ability to dissolve into water at a specific temperature. The term bioavailability refers to the amount of active ingredient (AI) in the compound which makes it into the bloodstream. If one injects an AI directly into the bloodstream, this is called 100% bioavailability. If a compound is ingested, in almost all cases that compound is subjected to what is known as a first pass metabolism, or first pass through the liver, where the contents from our stomachs are “cleansed” by the liver on the first pass of digestion.

It is here where most of the degradation of AI takes place as enzymes process digested material within the liver. The chances of ANY ingested lipophilic compound passing 100% of the AI into the bloodstream by ingestion is almost zero percent. Decades of pharmaceutical science have tackled this subject with relative success, but no pharmaceutical company claims 100% bioavailability of active ingredients in their formulations of lipophilic compounds.

Bioavailability and CBD industry claims

Why, then, does the CBD industry continue to tout claims of 100% bioavailability of cannabinoids, or other inflated claims about bioavailability?

The simple answer is because they can. The marketing of unregulated products like CBD “allows” companies to print what they want to believe or what they want you to believe. This is simply the nature of an unregulated industry, and unfortunately the hemp CBD industry is overflowing with overzealous assertions and outright misinformation when it comes to water solubility and bioavailability claims.

Vitamin and pharmaceutical companies have developed methods over time which allow lipophilic molecules to be more readily absorbed by our water-based bodies. These methods have included micro and macro emulsions; liposomes; nano particles; and nano emulsions. While each of these methods has its place in the world of solubility, the truth is to date, this author is unaware of any certified research trials testing the resulting efficacy and bioavailability of compounds associated with each of these cannabinoid formulation methods.

Certified research is available on every form of conversion by the pharmaceutical industry for their products, but few in the hemp industry have done this important work. Very few players in the hemp space have considered blood plasma testing for AI and those who do are mainly working with their own products. There are no independent studies available on this subject without product bias designed to prove one product is better than another. There have been no governing bodies for the industry to guide or implement these studies, and as a result, the public hears unverifiable information created primarily for marketing purposes and providing little insight into the actual efficacy of a product.

Bioavailability and CBD delivery methods: Evaluating the claims

What is the truth about bioavailability? How do our ingestion methods correlate to the amount of active ingredient our bodies process when we ingest hemp-based cannabinoids?

To begin, there are a few basic ways to introduce hemp cannabinoids to the body: through inhalation, ingestion, or application.

With bioavailability as the desired target, the most effective and proven delivery method is inhalation. Studies have shown that combustion, be it smoking or vaporizing cannabinoids, produces bioavailability levels from 2%-56% depending on the study and the smoker, with averages leaning towards the higher side. The high discrepancy in availability is attributed to the experience of the test subject—novice smokers versus experienced smokers who inhale deeper and longer. So simply put, on the higher side of the scale, smokers get a high average bioavailability of cannabinoids around 40% (i.e., less than one half of what they ingest becomes available or quantifiable in their bloodstream). Now that we know this best-case scenario of actual high bioavailability (56% on the highest end), some claims by CBD (cannabidiol) and THC manufacturers may become a little harder to believe.

The truth becomes even more apparent as we move onto other methods.

Sublingual CBD

Ingestion (sublingual) offers much lower bioavailability than inhalation, but the effects are longer lasting. Sublingual delivery is when a tincture is absorbed into the body by delivery into the bloodstream through the soft palate located under the tongue. This is considered the preferred method for bioavailability by mouth as the CBD can absorb through the mucosal membrane and enter into the bloodstream more rapidly than by swallowing. It is this action that many “water soluble” claims are based upon to increase the bioavailability to 100%.

But here is the trick: there are no independent published studies (that I am aware of) testing the transfer of CBD sublingually into the bloodstream by evaluating blood plasma test results to assess an increase in availability. There is a published article where sublingual techniques of cannabinoid delivery are discussed in comparison to known oral delivery bioavailability where the scientists believe that sublingual bioavailability is only slightly higher than oral ingestion. However, almost all the known studies involve THC (with exception of the work by GW Pharmaceuticals). With THC, there is a different outcome when ingested. Since the THC molecule undergoes changes in the digestive tract and transforms to 11-OH THC which is believed to be as much as 5 times more psychoactive than Delta 9 THC (the byproduct of D9 THC), the resulting effects—such as a long-lasting high associated with edibles—are magnified.

So, sublingual is perhaps marginally better than oral delivery.  Oral delivery (ingestion by swallowing) is verifiably known to have bioavailability levels ranging from 4% to 20%, with most studies and outcomes falling within the lower range below 10% bioavailability. As a result, we can theorize (because we have virtually no data to confirm this) that sublingual administration of cannabinoids may yield a range somewhere between 10% and 20%, but not much more.

What about rectal CBD?

There is another way for cannabinoids to enter the body: through rectal administration.

Anecdotal evidence and articles would suggest that this method is the most bioavailable as many cancer patients choose this route of administration. However, the only science available was conducted on monkeys and showed about 13.5% availability, much lower than one would expect given the popularity of this method in large dosages. The truth is, rectal administration is basically location specific. Based on the veins and arteries in the rectal area, absorption into the bloodstream is minimal according to existing scientific publications.

Topical CBD and bioavailability

What about the skin? How and why do topical cannabinoids seem to work? Is the skin capable of transferring CBD to the bloodstream to create bioavailability, and if so how much?

You might be surprised to find that, in reality, transdermal delivery of cannabinoids is only a theory, at least for now, but clinical tests are underway. Eventually, science will prevail as topical CBD products proliferate and inquiring minds prioritize this as an area of study. However, testing the transfer of a lipophilic molecule into water-based skin can’t truly be done without complicated scientific practices which are currently rare in the hemp industry. There is only one company that I am aware of (CV Sciences) who has created a transdermal delivery method with any strong science behind it and who was recently granted a patent for this invention.

Topical CBD vs. topical THC

There is one thing we do know: THC and CBD act differently as far as the epidermis is concerned, and CBD seems to be far more absorptive through the epidermis than THC.

There is also another reason why cannabinoid topicals seem to work so well for so many people. The skin is the body’s largest organ and is filled with CB receptors, as are our muscles, bones, nerves and tissues. So, it is possible the cannabinoids, given the proper carriers, can cross the epidermal layer and directly affect CB receptors by absorption.

If this is true, it would support the massive collection of anecdotal evidence which supports the general consensus that topicals work. But as a formulator, I can tell you that there is a big gap between those components required to make products that just work, and those that work really well. In developing LifePatent’s topical formulations, I am focused on making sure our products work really well as opposed to the ‘whatever works mentality’ that is prevalent in the industry and that is often opposed to exploring the possibilities of what could work better through dedicated research and development.

CBD Innovation, efficacy, And alse claims

Now that we understand how cannabinoids get into our system in different concentrations dependent upon administration methods, we can now start to develop an understanding of the current water solubility methods employed to increase availability, efficacy, or both. We can also now take a look at some of the claims made by certain product lines, and better understand the challenges that consumer’s face when trying to evaluate and differentiate cannabinoid products in the marketplace.

One popular CBD website claims that their ‘Nano Particle Water Soluble CBD’ has a bioavailability of 90% or more. Really? Let’s look at this claim. Our industry is plagued by false or unsubstantiated claims. I have seen no science showing that this company conducted clinical trials comparing their product to others, or comparing blood plasma levels showing their product is 90%+ as effective as an injection into the bloodstream. In addition, this company claims a “patent” on this technology, but do they actually own the patent? Would it be safe to assume the technology is patented and they are buying it from a third-party source who owns the patent and did the blood plasma tests to make the claim that this product works 90+% as well as an injection?

But let’s first understand what this claim is for—it is for a “new” technology which is claimed to be “better” than Nano-Emulsion technology (which this company claims offers an absorption rate of 10-30%). If Nano-Emulsion CBD has a bioavailability rate of 10-30%, and we know that sublingual oil-based tinctures already have a bioavailability rate of 10-20%, where do these claims of increased bioavailability leave us? Confused.

Is anybody confused yet?

If these claims are true, the Nano-Emulsion technology that everybody claimed increased bioavailability by ten-fold is now less than two-fold according to the claims of this particular company because their new “patented” technology claims to be superior to Nano Emulsion. The new science? Nano Particles, which producers claim are smaller and therefore work better.

That seems to be the ‘science’ in our industry: if its particles are smaller, they absorb better—which is somewhat true. A glass of shaved ice, which has a much higher surface area than a glass of ice cubes, will cool down and melt faster due to the greater surface area. Translating this into the skin-blood barrier, smaller particles may pass through the skin easier, but this does not ultimately change the way the body metabolizes or digests lipophilic compounds. Smaller particles just allow a greater surface area in which to transfer the active ingredients through carriers into the body where they still undergo the ‘first pass metabolism’ and where a large percentage of the active ingredients are destroyed by enzymatic processes.

So, is anybody confused yet?

Although it is confusing, now that we have the basics of administering cannabinoids, let’s look at the science behind today’s applications to improve their water solubility.

Making water soluble CBD: How it works

To achieve fine dispersion of oil into water, the water must be kept in a continuous phase while the oil is in a dispersed phase. This requires the use of an emulsifier or surfactant to assist in the dispersal. There are three common ways to achieve this.

1. Macro emulsions, which utilize large 1 micron plus droplets, with the carrier oil and surfactants added. Macro emulsions are rather unstable. Think of this as the mixing of cannabis or hemp oil with lecithin (such as animal fats), and mixing it in a drink at home. This method probably works as well as a good sublingual dosage, and maybe even a little better.
2. Micro emulsions are done on a smaller scale, with droplet sizes 1/10 of the size of a macro emulsion. Micro are more stable than macro. Unfortunately, like macro emulsions, the current science is lacking. Additionally, the number of surfactants used can overwhelm the taste buds or can exceed allowable limits for consumption.
3. Liposomic transfer by spherical structures that are either man made, or available in nature, which have a water attractive (hydrophilic) outer layer and in inner cavity which is capable of encapsulating the cannabinoid molecules and pass them literally “inside” themselves. There are a variety of carriers out there available in the pharmaceutical industry which are approved to do this job. I expect over time there will be CBD manufacturers who reach out to the pharmaceuticals for help, or technology.

I’m excited to be a part of all of this! I can’t wait to one day unveil what my team and I have been able to create in our labs, starting with our solid dose pill. I’m sure others out there have great dedication for the cannabis sciences and are creating the future as well.

Nano particles and nano emulsions

Probably the most well-known method of enhancing solubility is through the use of Nanoparticles or Nano Emulsions. These two terms are completely different things, so let’s first discuss the differences between emulsions and particles.

Nano particles are generally carrier and active ingredient particles dispersed or disrupted with the use of sound waves or frequencies where the particle size of the intended target (the CBD and carrier) is disrupted into smaller and smaller pieces by ultrasonication (sound waves). Nano-sized particles are created by this process. These very small (nano) particles composed of carrier and active ingredients are much smaller than their non-disrupted selves. They’re capable of passing through membrane walls easier as a result of the highly diminished particle size.

Nano emulsion is a mixture of those nanoparticles with emulsions of surfactant droplets, which are also extremely small, and are designed to enter the body more efficiently. Nano emulsion is currently (theoretically) the most bioavailable option out there. But how much better is it? If you listened to some of the companies who sell it, they claim the bioavailability of nano emulsions is over 90%. By now, I’m hoping we all realize that this is doubtful. Considering known administration types, like sublingual or oral ingestion, can be boosted from 20% bioavailability in a best-case scenario to 90+% of that through an intravenous injection, I would be really surprised if a study could ever prove such efficacy for traditional delivery methods.

Water soluble CBD: Can anything be 100% bioavailable?

Returning to nano water soluble claims of 100% absorption, we can see this simply cannot be true unless the water-soluble products on the market today could be (and were) injected directly into the bloodstream. As a result, how do we express the relative bioavailability of products that our industry supplies comparative to the science?

Firstly, we do the science and get the answers before we make claims. LifePatent filed patents in 2017 for water solubility and bioavailability of cannabinoids. We’ve still yet to make a claim of any kind other than the discovery of “nature’s delivery method” for cannabinoids. Our technology has been in testing for over a year. Once all the evidence is in and verified we will speak.

Final thoughts on bioavailability: Do your research

At LifePatent, we encourage all CBD and hemp cannabinoid users to do the research. The unregulated marketplace is the ‘Wild West’ but eventually the Wild West was regulated.

As time passes, we expect to see changes from both consumers and regulatory agencies. This will encourage the proliferation of real science and genuine products. Unfortunately, in our world today we only have the word of mouth and product reviews to make our choices. Tomorrow we may have science and technology to support those referrals and reviews.

Jessica St. Cyr contributed to this guide.

Additional sources

• Bruni, N., Della Pepa, C., Oliaro-Bosso, S., Pessione, E., Gastaldi, D., & Dosio, F. (2018). Cannabinoid delivery systems for pain and inflammation treatment. Molecules, 23, 2478.
• Elsohly, M. A., Stanford, D. F., Harland, E. C., Hikal, A. H., Walker, L. A., Little, T. L., Rider, J. N., & Jones, A. B. (1991). Rectal bioavailability of Δ-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol from the hemisuccinate ester in monkeys. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 80(10), 942-945.
• Hazecamp, A., Ware, M. A., Muller-Vahl, K. R., Abrams, D., & Grotenhermen, F. (2013). The medical use of cannabis and cannabinoids-An international cross-sectional survey on administration forms. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 45(3), 199-210.
• Huestis, M. A. (2007). Human cannabinoid pharmacokinetics. Chemistry & Biodiversity, 4(8), 1770-1804.
• Khadka, P., Ro, J., Kim, H., Kim, I., Tae Kim, J., Kim, H., Min Cho, J., Gyiae, Y. Jaehwi, L. (2014). Pharmaceutical particle technologies: An approach to improve drug solubility, dissolution and bioavailability. Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 9(6), 304-316.
• Rashid, M., Malik, M. Y., Singh, S. K., Chaturvedi, S., Gayen, J. R., & Wahajuddin, M. (2019). Bioavailability enhancement of poorly soluble drugs: The holy grail in pharma industry. Current Pharmaceutical Design, doi: 10.2174/1381612825666190130110653

The post CBD Bioavailability & Why It Matters: Exploring The Science Of CBD appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

First off, our podcast host Matt talks about the difficulties of reading and understanding CBD labels. The good news is MOH’s new videographer, Desiree Kane, just dropped a fantastic short video about How to Read CBD labels.

This episode’s conversation is with Ed Donnelly of AmourCBD. Ed has 35-years of experience in healthcare as everything from a burn unit nurse to a CEO. Donnelly got into the CBD business after his wife was injured and found pain relief in topical CBD but it was stinky and slimy. So Ed decided to start his own line of CBD for pain relief and make a better FDA registered product.

You’ve got hemp questions? We’ve got hemp answers!

Send us your hemp questions and you might hear them answered on one of our Hemp Q&A episodes. Send your written questions to us on Twitter, Facebook, matt@ministryofhemp.com, or call us and leave a message at 402-819-6417. Keep in mind, this phone number is for hemp questions only and any other inquiries for the Ministry of Hemp should be sent to info@ministryofhemp.com

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FDA Registered Topical CBD Products: Complete episode transcript

Below you’ll find the complete transcript of episode 49 of the Ministry of Hemp Podcast, “FDA registered topical CBD products”:

Matt Baum:
I’m Matt Baum, and this is the Ministry of Hemp podcast, brought to you by ministryofhemp.com, America’s leading advocate for hemp and hemp education.

Matt Baum:
Welcome back to the Ministry of Hemp podcast. My name is Matt Baum. I’m your host, and today on the show, we are going to talk to Ed Donnelley of Amor CBD. Now, I apologize for this. When I talked to Ed months ago, but there was some audio problems and I want to thank my friend, Ben, who helped me out with this one and rescued the audio. So we’ll get to that in a little bit. But before we do talk to Ed, we should talk about labels for a minute. Because there is no current FDA rules on CBD, there’s no hard and fast rules on what the labels need to say to let you know what you’re getting, and that can be very confusing.

Reading CBD product labels

Matt Baum:
I just got sent a sample today. It’s a CBD tincture that’s supposed to help with sleep, and it says it’s 25 milligrams per dose, which that’s very cool. I like that. As opposed to a label that just says, here’s 1500 milligrams of CBD or here’s 200 milligrams. Well, that’s tough when it comes down to how much is the dosage? It’s hard to read. It’s hard to know what you’re getting. Like I said, there’s no hard and fast rule from the government that says, you need to make it say this so people know exactly what they’re getting. Now we’re moving towards that. It’s going to happen. But for now CBD labels can be a little tough to read. Fear not, we have a new videographer. She’s awesome. Her name is Desiree Kane, and she just put out a video on how to read CBD labels.

Matt Baum:
She talks about what to look for, what to avoid, and all kinds of other stuff in a new video we’ve done up on ministryofhemp.com. I’ll have a link to it in the show notes for this episode, but you’ll be able to find it featured on ministryofcom.com right now. Desiree is awesome. We’re thrilled to have her as a part of the team, and she does such a fantastic job just breaking down how to read different labels on different CBD products. She does a great job touching on a few of them and helps you to understand what they’re saying.

Matt Baum:
It sucks that we even have to make a video like this right now, but until the FDA rules exactly how these labels should look and what they should say, good to have someone like the Ministry of Hemp and Desiree to help you navigate the wilds of these different CBD labels.

Meet Ed Donnelly

Matt Baum:
My conversation today is with Ed Donnelly. He’s the founder and CEO of Amor CBD. Ed worked in healthcare for 35 years. He’s been the CEO of three different related companies as well. He was a registered nurse, worked in a burn unit for five years. Ed first discovered CBD not too long ago when his wife was injured and he decided that he wanted to make the product even better. I spoke to Ed in his home city of Chicago. Here is my conversation with Ed Donnelly.

Matt Baum:
Ed, so your story starts back on September 11th, 2001, if I’m correct?

Ed Donnelly:
There is a story that starts there, yeah. No, that was a bad day. My brother was a fireman. He was with Ladder Company 3, 20, 21 years on the job, and he got killed in the Trade Center.

Matt Baum:
Wow.

Ed Donnelly:
So if you go to the museum, the ladder truck that’s crushed in the center of the museum?

Matt Baum:
I’ve been there.

Ed Donnelly:
[inaudible 00:03:53] truck. That’s his, and he was the senior officer.

Matt Baum:
Wow. Wow. That is …

Ed Donnelly:
It was a Green Beret company.

Matt Baum:
They were all military guys is what you’re saying?

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah. This was a heroic group of guys. My brother had three department medals.

Matt Baum:
Wow.

Ed Donnelly:
Not unit citations, three personal medals. They give out 12 a year, and he had three.

Matt Baum:
You couldn’t have kept these guys out of there if you wanted to.

Ed Donnelly:
Absolutely. Then my brother, we got a report that he was on the 65th floor of the North tower and a woman coming down offered him a Diet Coke, and he smiled at her and said, “That would just be a tease, dear.” She remembered his smile, but absolutely he was going up to the floor.

Creating a better CBD topical

Matt Baum:
Wow. After that, you basically create your own CBD company.

Ed Donnelly:
I’ve been in healthcare for 35 years, the last 25 as CEO of three different companies, one being a public company. So, 2017, my wife takes a fall, hurts her back, doesn’t want opioids, so I go out and I find CBD and it works tremendous for her, but the problem is, it had a terrible odor, the cream, and it contained THC. So I looked at this and, again, with my background as a medical company CEO with FDA experience, I said, this could be done better.

Ed Donnelly:
So I went out and did Amour. It’s odorless, it has zero THC, and it’s not greasy. So that was our pain relieving cream, and as I dove into it, I realized this needs to be registered with the FDA.

Matt Baum:
Absolutely.

Ed Donnelly:
But nobody’s doing it.

Matt Baum:
That’s the biggest problem we’re facing right now.

Ed Donnelly:
Nobody’s doing it. So I took a year and spent a lot of money and a lot of time to get Amour CBD cream FDA registered, which in my view, it’s not FDA approved-

Matt Baum:
It’s registered.

Ed Donnelly:
It’s registered. It gives people the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval that they know that this is a safe product manufactured to standards. Because you can buy CBD today in a gas station, and you don’t know if that CBD oil is coming from China, from Russia, they have THC, they have solvents in them.

Matt Baum:
Or do they even have CBD in them at all? You have no clue.

Ed Donnelly:
100% right. We do all the independent third party testing, and I told somebody in one other interview one time, my goal, I guess, was to do CBD right. I was very successful in my career as public company CEO, and if I’m going to do it and put my name to it and we have no outside funding, I’m funding it all, I’m going to do it right.

Getting FDA registered CBD products

Matt Baum:
Tell me real quick about FDA registration. So this is not approval. This is registration. That basically means, what kind of hoops did you jump through? You said, you laid out this is how we will create it. This is how it’s made. This is what goes into it. Is it stuff like that?

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah. If you go to Walgreens, CVS, wherever, Target, and buy cough syrup, buy Tylenol Cold and Flu, whatever you buy, there is an NDC number, National Drug Code, and it’s given a number, meaning that they’ve gone through the FDA registration process. You’ve told them what’s in it. You’ve done an independent analysis. You’ve told them that it’s being manufactured in an FDA certified facility, not in the back of some guy’s garage or basement. So you go through all these FDA good manufacturing standards to prove that the product is what you say it is.

Matt Baum:
Fair enough.

Ed Donnelly:
Then they approve the labeling, they approve the claims, which generally there are no claims. We’re able to say advanced pain relief, but you can’t say that it cures cancer.

Matt Baum:
Of course, which is good. We shouldn’t be.

Ed Donnelly:
We shouldn’t. Absolutely, we shouldn’t.

Matt Baum:
Correct me if I’m wrong. But your cream includes lidocaine, which is typically used for burn victims. This comes from your background working with burn victims. Is this correct?

Ed Donnelly:
That is correct. As scary as it seems, I’m a registered nurse. I had training. You wouldn’t want to get sick in front of me, but I am a registered nurse. I’m clinically trained and I did work in burn unit for five years. Lidocaine is using in burn centers, but lidocaine is used every place. Novocaine in the dentist office is a form of lidocaine. Lidocaine is absolutely the number one topical pain reliever on the market. Lidocaine. It’s in Neosporin. They sell Neosporin with lidocaine. So it’s, without a doubt, the best pain reliever. But yes, I’m a nurse in my undergrad. It’s very important to me.

Matt Baum:
Absolutely.

Ed Donnelly:
It’s who I am. I’ve got a patient sensitivity.

Matt Baum:
Absolutely. So you took your nursing undergrad and from there, you went straight into opening businesses? Or you said, “You know what, I’m tired of this nursing thing. I need to make some money?”

From nurse to CBD entrepeneur

Ed Donnelly:
I was working as a nurse in a burn unit, working all the overtime I could get because back in 1980, nurses didn’t pay that great. But I went to business school at the same time. So I was taking care of the sickest people in the burn unit with the curtains drawn and read some books there. I was reading and I was typically one to one patient care. Got out of a business school. I worked as a nurse for five years, so it’s not like I just did it part time. Then I went and worked for big Fortune 100 medical companies, so I didn’t just go out and start businesses. I went and started as a sales rep, ran a region, moved to Dallas, ran half the country, moved to the headquarters, ran the whole country, big company, and then recruited away to be a president of a good sized company, which I made a big company. There’s another one that I took public on the NASDAQ.

Matt Baum:
Tell me how you came to find CBD and hemp. You said your wife had an accident.

Ed Donnelly:
My wife fell. My wife fell and hurt her back and she had chronic back issues to begin with. So again, she didn’t want opioids. Again, dangerous nurse medical guy. I’ll go find something, and I found CBD. Now, we put this greasy, smelly stuff on her, but it worked. It absolutely worked for her.

Matt Baum:
It just didn’t smell good.

Ed Donnelly:
We also had her taking some drops too. She would take the drops under her tongue and maybe even chew some gummies. Suddenly she was getting comfort and relief, not a cure, but able to get through her day. Then I said, “This could be done better.” These products, thank you for being there, but they’re not as good as they could or should be. The THC. There are horrible stories here in Chicago about a bus driver taking CBD, takes a urine test and fails it.

Matt Baum:
Then blacklisted forever.

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah, and then she got fired. Terrible.

Matt Baum:
It’s just ridiculous.

Ed Donnelly:
There’s no reason to have the THC. It takes another couple hours of processing per tube to get rid of the THC. So in some ways, like everything else, it’s all about money. Guy wants to be selling it cheap in a gas station, so he’s giving you China grown marijuana with THC, might not be tested, but they get it out there and they put it out for 9.99. CBD, it’s the old story. You get what you pay for it.

Matt Baum:
Absolutely. Tell me about the hemp that you’re using.

Ed Donnelly:
Ours is US grown only. Colorado grown, but it’s absolutely US grown. We use independent third party labs-

Matt Baum:
Nice. That’s important.

Working with the FDA

Ed Donnelly:
… To test for THC and everything. So we’ve got all of the necessary proofs to demonstrate exactly what we say. Then again with the FDA, you darn well better do what you say. Otherwise, they’re going to be ringing your doorbell.

Matt Baum:
Was that difficult when you came to the FDA and you said, “Look, I want to register.” I would guess their first reaction would be to say, ‘No, we don’t deal in that.” What was that conversation like?

Ed Donnelly:
It’s interesting. It’s a great question. The conversation was easy because the FDA registration part is not difficult. It’s laborious and time consuming and expensive. Everything you’d expect from a government process.

Matt Baum:
Of course. Yeah. It wouldn’t be a government process otherwise.

Ed Donnelly:
That’s right. Fill out this long form and then take close to a year, submit multiple drafts. So that wasn’t hard. What was interesting was then going to the trademark office and trying to trademark Amour CBD. The government trademark office wouldn’t even listen to it because CBD is illegal, they say.

Matt Baum:
You may as well trademark heroin! What, are you crazy?

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah. But the FDA process wasn’t difficult. It was just it’s normal, tell us what you have. We have a pain relieving cream. Tell us what’s in it. Lidocaine and CBD. Okay, lidocaine, it’s a regulated drug, so it needs to be registered. So it was all just checking the boxes and taking the time, being patient and paying fees.

Matt Baum:
Fair enough. So as long as you are-

Ed Donnelly:
We’re the only one that does it. We’re the only one that’s done it. Why? Because it takes nine to 12 months and tens of thousands of dollars to do it.

Matt Baum:
You’re the first person I’ve talked to that has done it. I didn’t even know it was possible before I spoke to you about this, honestly.

Ed Donnelly:
For me, it’s because, again, as a previous CEO of medical companies, I dealt with the FDA all the time. So maybe for me, it was easier to get done, because the first thing I did was go to a FDA lawyer who was an expert on this and paid his ridiculous fee. But I knew the straight path.

Matt Baum:
This is all part of the game, right?

Ed Donnelly:
It’s a game of sorts. Absolutely.

Matt Baum:
Yeah.

Ed Donnelly:
It’s just checking the box and doing it right. It’s funny. Before this pandemic, I had interviews going where people asked me to make predictions for 2020 and what CBD was going to be all about, and every other person who was interviewed said it’s going to be a $20 billion business.

Matt Baum:
It’s going to be huge.

Ed Donnelly:
[crosstalk 00:16:11] billion-

Matt Baum:
Farmers are going to be millionaires!

Ed Donnelly:
All I said to the interviewer, because I’m sort of a regular guy. I said, “It’s going to be big. But the news flash for 2020 is, watch the FDA get involved.” Because the end of last year was when Juul and the vaping companies had already issues of people dying of respiratory problems and they tied it all back to THC.

Matt Baum:
Right, and that it’s the same thing as CBD, right? Must be the same. I guess that’s [crosstalk 00:16:47] people too.

Ed Donnelly:
Absolutely. THC is THC. They were just smoking it and ingesting it. That was why, when that happened, I was sickened for the individuals. I wasn’t happy because it cast a shadow on the CBD climate.

Matt Baum:
Yeah. It was really too bad.

Ed Donnelly:
But I was very happy that I had the foresight to go no THC in any of my products, either the cream, the liquids, the gels, or the pills. No THC whatsoever.

What’s next for AmourCBD?

Matt Baum:
So let’s say, tomorrow the FDA, best case scenario of course, tomorrow the FDA says, “All right, we’ve got rules in place. We get it, and full spectrum is fine. If you want to have THC, it has to be below whatever, but it’s fine.”, are you going to switch or are you going to stay the way you are?

Ed Donnelly:
I’m going to stay the way I am. I’m going to say we’re broad spectrum, and I’m also going to take the position, which is the one I’ve been taking, is we’re a medical grade. We are a medical CBD. We’re not recreational. If people want the best, if they’re having difficulty with chronic pain in their shoulder, knee, I use it on my rotator cuff, it’s great. If people are having anxiety related issues due to COVID, they take the drops. I’m making sure my wife takes them twice a day.

Matt Baum:
Fair enough.

Ed Donnelly:
Because she’s stir crazy with this. I’m not going to change. We’re doing broad spectrum, no THC, medical grade. We’re not trying to compete with the 9.99. We’re putting out the best, safest, FDA product.

Matt Baum:
It’s sounds to me, the way that you’re talking. And I’m not demonizing anyone, I don’t think, but it sounds to me like you see your products in a pharmacy, not so much in a specialty CBD shop.

Ed Donnelly:
I think that’s a fair description with one caveat. I think we’re really looking for that educated consumer that does their homework, because our website is our number one source of getting it, amourCBD.com. But pharmacies are absolutely carrying our products.

Matt Baum:
Oh really?

Ed Donnelly:
Pharmacies, pro shops in the golf courses. They carry it because they know it’s the high quality. But certainly we’re not looking for that person who’s just experimenting with trying to be recreational with gummies. We have gummies, they’re broad spectrum and they’re more expensive than the other gummies.

Matt Baum:
Right now, you do the drops, you do the cream, and you do the gummies. What’s next for Amour? Where are you guys going?

Ed Donnelly:
And pills.

Matt Baum:
Pardon me, and the pills, capsules.

Ed Donnelly:
We do pills for those that don’t like it. I can see it evolving into patches.

Matt Baum:
Oh really?

Ed Donnelly:
Pain relieving. You can embed it in a patch. Right now, we’re not going there, but there are many other personal products that can have CBD infused in them. So right now, we’re trying to stay that high road of medical grade. I think we might find ourselves taking the cream into different sizes. So this is 1.5 ounces. We might go to seven or eight ounces or we might go down to one ounce.

Matt Baum:
That cream that you’re holding up, let me stop you real quick. How many milligrams of CBD are in there? What’s the dosage like?

Ed Donnelly:
It’s 1.5 ounces of cream, and there’s 200 milligrams of CBD.

Matt Baum:
That’s a good amount.

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah. We don’t cut corners. It’s not placebo. It’s a good amount. Then our pills, we’ve got them in 500 and 1500 milligrams. So again, those are the most popular. My son has a business, he’s been selling competitive CBD products and those were the most popular sizes. Then the gummies, the gummies are the gummies. 10 milligrams in a gummie.

Matt Baum:
Right. You take a couple of them when you need them and you’re good.

Ed Donnelly:
Some people say they help with the putting.

What’s coming next from the FDA with CBD

Matt Baum:
Fair enough. Yeah, I can see that. So I’m not going to ask you to speculate here, but you are a guy that’s been in the business for awhile, and I think you’ve got some insight that a lot of people working in CBD right now might not have coming from the drug world. We’re in a very weird place with the USDA and the FDA right now. How do you see this shaking out as far as government action, national action? Right now, there’s a bunch of different statewide regulations that are making it very difficult for people in other states everywhere because your labels got to look like this in one state, and it’s got to say this in a different state and it can only have this in one state. How do you see this shaking out, and how long do you think it’s going to take before we have real federal guidelines behind this?

Ed Donnelly:
When the vaping crisis took place in, what was that? Fourth quarter of last year, October, November, December, when that horrific thing was going on, I was fully expecting the FDA to come cracking down. In fact, I had heard that some of the bigger companies had gotten FDA letters.

Matt Baum:
That was the rumor.

Ed Donnelly:
[crosstalk 00:22:27] they’ll publish that there were letters, cease and desist, et cetera. So I expected 2020 to be the year of the FDA and I was going to sit back and enjoy it because we had done the work. I expected it to be very beneficial to my business. Then the pandemic hit and the FDA went completely a whole different direction.

Ed Donnelly:
I don’t think the FDA is at all focused on CBD now, and I think some of the bad behavior is going to be allowed to continue probably for this full 2020, if not most of 2021. I think they’re just elsewhere directed. Will they get back on it? Probably. They should. God forbid, there’s an incident like THC, where somebody gets injured or hurt. I don’t want to see that. But I think unfortunately the FDA’s eyes are off the ball. They’re elsewhere directly now.

Matt Baum:
If you have to guess, how long do you think we have? Just shot in the dark. No one’s going to hold you to this.

Ed Donnelly:
End of 2021, second half of 2021 or 2022, unless something happens.

Matt Baum:
That’s a ways off too. But guys like you, it sounds like you have taken the steps you need to, to get ahead of the curve by making sure you’ve stood in line and you paid the money and you showed them I’m doing it the way you want it done. I’m putting this in it.

Ed Donnelly:
It would have been happening now, if not for this whole COVID issue.

Matt Baum:
It sure does seem like that.

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah. Because they were like … You obviously were aware that some companies had gotten letters and there were things happening, but now that’s not the priority.

Matt Baum:
Yeah. Ed, before I let you go, can I ask, where does the name Amour come from?

Ed Donnelly:
The name Amour came from my 10 year old granddaughter who had two heart transplants.

Matt Baum:
Oh my God.

Ed Donnelly:
She’s 10 years old, and she’s had two heart transplants, the most recent one this past Christmas. But I think of her all the time, every day, and Amour just came. That’s her.

Matt Baum:
That’s beautiful.

Ed Donnelly:
[crosstalk 00:25:02] her name, and that’s how I came up with the name Amour.

Matt Baum:
That’s beautiful. Is she doing okay?

Ed Donnelly:
She’s doing great.

Matt Baum:
That’s great. That’s really good news.

Ed Donnelly:
Doing great. She’s a miracle, but I’m not trying to … I’ve been very lucky in my life. I’m having fun with these products. We’re doing good, but I’m not trying to cheat, borrow, and steal. We’re making good medical grade products that are helping people. The FDA thing is a big deal.

Matt Baum:
Yeah. Now that I know that and when people start asking me about it, I’ll definitely push that. It’s just sounds like, even if you’re not approved, at least you have everything done. You’ve got 90% of what they need done, and then when they do say, “Okay, you can have approval,” you got 10% more work to go as opposed to 100.

Ed Donnelly:
Yeah. The guys that don’t have it, when the FDA gets annoyed, they crack down, they take you off market. I don’t know how CVS’ of the world and Walgreens can be selling these products that are not FDA registered.

Final thoughts from Matt

Matt Baum:
I want to thank Ed for coming on the show. He was a lot of fun to talk to, and FDA registration was not something that I have heard of, but it sounds important and extremely beneficial. I would hope that more smaller CBD companies are looking into this, because FDA regulation is coming and it is going to affect every aspect of this industry. Just like I talked about earlier, from the labels all the way to how this stuff is made and what goes into it and what is allowed and what is not and what we can and can’t say that it does. That’s good, and people like Ed, it sounds like he’s ready. He’s done the hard work. He’s done the research. He’s putting out a quality product, and when the FDA does come knocking, he’s going to be ready for them. You’ll be able to find links to Amour CBD and all their products in the notes for this episode.

Matt Baum:
That brings us to the end of this episode, but there is still so much more Ministry of Hemp to keep you busy while you wait for the next one. Head over to ministryofhemp.com, and we have got some new CBD reviews from Well Care Botanicals Hemp about their new extract. It’s a high potency CBD without the hempy flavor if you don’t care for that earthy, hempy flavor. Personally, I like it, but some you don’t and that’s fine. Check us out on medium.com, at Ministry of Hemp, where you can find a new article we have about the science of mixing CBD and caffeine. Back in episode 43, I interviewed Alan Mortada of Ott Coffee out of Austin, Texas, and we both gushed about how much we like CBD and caffeine mixed together. Turns out it works pretty well, and there doesn’t seem to be many side effects.

Matt Baum:
If you need even more than that, follow us on all your favorite social media at Ministry of Hemp/ministry of hemp, and speaking of /ministry of hemp, if you go to Patreon/ministryofhemp, you can become a Ministry of Hemp insider, and directly help us to spread the good word of hemp to other people. Any amount you can give makes you a Ministry of Hemp insider, gets you access to podcast extras. We’ve got a great video up right now featuring the Harney brothers, who I interviewed a couple episodes ago, planting their own hemp. It’s actually pretty hilarious. You get early access to articles. You get Patreon exclusive articles and stuff too, but best of all, you’re helping us help spread the word of hemp. So if you care about this and you want to hear more, become a Ministry of Hemp insider. I can’t stress how cool it is and how much it really helps us.

Matt Baum:
Here at the Ministry of Hemp, we believe that an accessible world is a better world for everyone, so you can find a full written transcript of the show in the notes as well. It’s time for me to get out of here. I like to end the show the same way every time. I like to say, remember to take care of yourself, take care of others, and make good decisions, will you? This is Matt Baum with the Ministry of Hemp signing off.

The post FDA Registered Topical CBD Products, With Ed Donnelly of AmourCBD appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.

This explosion of interest happened for good reason. Whether for skin conditions or pain in muscles and joints, CBD topicals work, according to anecdotal reports of consumers who swear by them. How did CBD creams, lotions, and salves suddenly become the next must-have hemp-derived cannabinoid product? It didn’t happen overnight. 

Topically applied cannabis products have a very long history. Understanding that history can help a consumer become better informed as to what products might be right for them.

A brief history of CBD topicals

In the ancient Near East, cannabis-infused topicals like myrrh were popular for centuries. But these products did not make it into modern Europe, and over time the knowledge of their value was lost. 

The rediscovery of cannabis topicals began in 2003 in Nova Scotia, Canada. That’s where an engineer named Rick Simpson gave the world Rick Simpson Oil. Also called RSO for short, it’s a topical preparation made from full strength cannabis with high levels of THC. 

Rick Simpson wasn’t the first person to apply cannabis topically, but he soon became the face of it for the contemporary western world. From his work making RSO, a rush of imitation topicals flooded the medical marijuana market in states where that is legal. 

When the Farm Bill passed in 2014, that led to a rush of CBD topical products across America. The first round of CBD topical products were salves and balms. They were oil based, blended with bees wax, and they left a greasy residue after use. These CBD salves had their supporters. But they weren’t good enough. 

A few years later, when it became clear that the 2018 Farm Bill was going to legalize hemp for good, the CBD market took another leap forwards with lotion made from CBD isolate. You have likely heard that products made from CBD isolate are not as effective as full spectrum CBD. And that is true, according to research conducted in Israel. But CBD lotion made from CBD isolate was a step in the right direction. 

Full spectrum CBD lotion— the truest expression of CBD topicals — took some time to develop. It didn’t happen overnight. It took patience and timing to emulsify full spectrum hemp distillate into a water-based lotion. Once this process has been mastered, like we did at Cornbread Hemp, then CBD lotions become elevated even further. 

Types of CBD topical

There are two reasons why people use CBD topicals: skincare, and deep tissue relief. These two types of concerns are ideal for CBD topicals for these three reasons: 

CBD topicals for skincare are perfect for people fighting skin conditions or inflammation.

1. CBD topicals attack the problem at its source; 
2. Most of the cannabinoids from a topical preparation do not enter the bloodstream; 
3. Topicals start working immediately.

CBD topicals for skincare are perfect for people fighting skin conditions or inflammation, or for people whose hands are raw and chapped from excessive hand washing. For these types of issues, a water-based lotion is far superior than a salve. That’s because a salve’s oily residue can stay caked on a person’s problem skin, while a lotion absorbs easily. 

For those looking for relief from aching muscles and joints, CBD topicals are also a popular option. Formulations for these topicals are different, and often contain a secondary ingredient like menthol to help the CBD penetrate deeper into the tissue.

A buying guide for CBD topicals

When shopping for any CBD product, consumers should be skeptical. The CBD industry does not deserve consumers’ trust yet. But there are some things to look for to give you confidence that a CBD brand is looking out for its customers. 

What to look for to know you’re buying a quality CBD topical product: 

1. QR codes on the packaging that link to lab reports are a must;
2. The lab report should test for potency to ensure the same level of CBD as the packaging clams, as well as a full panel of safety tests to ensure the sample is free from pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, and etc. 
3. The fewer ingredients the better, but with lotions this isn’t always possible. Look for lotions that are free of parabens. That’s a good indicator the lotion is a premium product. 

Why we love Kentucky hemp in our topicals

What state grows the best hemp in America? The same place that has grown America’s best hemp since 1775 — Kentucky. For nearly 250 years, hemp has grown in Kentucky when it was legal, and even when it wasn’t. Hemp has been growing naturally in Kentucky for a very long time, and for good reason. 

What makes Kentucky so special as a hemp-producing state? It’s grown with the same water that makes Kentucky bourbon the best whiskey on Earth, and from the same soil that makes Kentucky racehorses the fastest in the world. And by sitting on the 37th parallel — the same line of latitude that runs through the Hindu Kush mountains — Kentucky receives the perfect light cycles for cannabis plants. 

These factors make Kentucky a perfect micro-climate for cultivating hemp, on par with the hemp grown in Oregon and Colorado, but more sustainable at scale.

That’s why a brand like Cornbread Hemp is an attractive choice for consumers looking for CBD topicals they can trust. Made entirely from hemp grown in Kentucky, and blended into lotions that are paraben-free, Cornbread Hemp’s CBD creams prove they are trustworthy. 

Want to experience Kentucky hemp? Use promo code MOH15 for 15% off at CornbreadHemp.com. We’ll bring you the best hemp products that Kentucky has to offer, right to your doorstep in just a few days. Cornbread Hemp’s CBD lotions are a perfect companion to their USDA certified organic CBD oils, which are also some of the best CBD products on the market. 

The post CBD Topicals: A Closer Look At Topical CBD & Why People Use It appeared first on Ministry of Hemp.