The popularity of CBD continues to rise, and with that has come many new ways to enjoy it. CBD is widely recognized for its ability to treat various issues, from general pain, stress, and insomnia, to more severe conditions as well. If you’re a beer drinker, there are plenty of companies now offering CBD-infused beer that is proving to deliver a variety of significant effects. Not only this, but CBD allows you to enjoy the taste and relaxation beer has to offer without consuming any alcohol. However, you may be hesitant to try it if you’re unfamiliar with CBD or the effects of CBD beer.
Not only can CBD beer help you feel relaxed, but research suggests it can protect your liver and brain against cell damage, fight against addiction, and reduce inflammation – all without producing an unwanted high or a nasty hangover. That being said, CBD beer is a promising alternative to regular alcoholic beverages. Keep reading to learn more about CBD, what it is, the effects of CBD beer, and where you can currently find the best CBD beer to try.
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What is CBD?
CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the many natural compounds found in the cannabis plant. Unlike THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), this compound doesn’t produce a psychoactive effect.
CBD oil is derived from the hemp plant, a cousin of the cannabis or “marijuana” plant. More specifically, it is sourced from hemp seeds. Hemp plants contain a very low amount of THC (less than 0.03%), so you will not experience a high. However, trace amounts of THC can still be beneficial, as many believe you maximize the benefits of the plant by allowing the compounds to work in unison.
The way cannabis affects our bodies is quite fascinating – and very scientific. To summarize, our bodies have what are called endocannabinoid systems that contain cannabinoid receptors throughout our bodies. The main cannabinoid receptors are called CB1 and CB2. When you ingest cannabis, the cannabinoids bind to these receptors and send a signal to your endocannabinoid system to start. Considering this information, you might say our bodies were meant for cannabis.
CBD, however, doesn’t bind to these receptors in the same way THC does. Many experts believe that CBD prevents the endocannabinoids from being broken down and producing a high. Others believe it is also possible that CBD binds to a receptor that we are not aware of yet.
Your endocannabinoid system is a complex system in your body that is active whether you use cannabis or not. It plays an integral role in maintaining homeostasis – regulating sleep, mood, appetite, memory, reproduction, fertility, and much more.
What are the Effects of CBD Beer?
CBD is popular in its ability to treat various issues, from general things such as pain, insomnia, and stress, to more severe issues including PTSD, arthritis, and anxiety.
One interesting thing about the CBD molecule is that it has adaptogenic properties – meaning that it can help your body adapt to stress and biological changes. Essentially, the effects of CBD can vary depending on what your body needs in that given moment. Overall, CBD consumers tend to report a calming and relaxing effect, so you can expect the same results with CBD beer.
It takes roughly 15 minutes to an hour to feel the effects of CBD. However, you won’t experience any sort of high, but rather a subtle feeling of calmness and relaxation – CBD beer is non-intoxicating. In addition, drinking CBD beer allows you to maximize the positive effects of CBD without having to inhale any unnecessary smoke like you would if you smoked or vaporized hemp.
Even more interesting, there is also lots of promising research that suggests CBD can help prevent some of alcohol’s adverse side effects, including:
- Prevention of cell damage and disease. Research suggests CBD may help reduce liver and brain cell damage caused by alcohol. A particular study on lab rats found that applying CBD to the skin reduced alcohol-induced brain cell damage up to 49%.
- Intervention for addiction – Research strongly suggests that CBD may help ease the symptoms of addiction to drugs and alcohol, such as anxiety, mood swings, insomnia, and pain. In addition, drinking a CBD beer may help lessen your desire to consume alcohol or other drugs.
- Hangover prevention. Drinking CBD beer won’t produce a nasty hangover the next day as you might experience with regular beer or alcohol. In addition, cannabis is often credited for its ability to ease hangover symptoms such as nausea, headache, and anxiety.
- Reduce blood alcohol levels. Some research suggests that consuming CBD while drinking alcohol can help keep your blood alcohol levels down.
While this research is undoubtedly promising, more research will need to be conducted to conclude these findings. Nonetheless, a cool and crisp CBD beer will certainly have you feeling relaxed and at ease without the excessive munchies, paranoia, and couch-lock you may get from THC products. You will wake up the next day refreshed, hangover-free and ready to take on the day.
Where Can You Get CBD Beer?
The only CBD beer currently available in the US is from a brand called Outbound Brewing. This non-alcoholic beer maker is based out of San Diego, California, and currently sells its products in southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. They offer a variety of interesting and delicious hemp-infused beers with unique flavors to try including Pale Haze, Blood Orange Haze, and Grapefruit Haze.
Each bottle contains 20mg of broad-spectrum hemp extract. Even better, each bottle is only 30 calories – allowing you to kick back, relax, and drink your beer completely guilt-free.
While other CBD beer companies have come and gone, Outbound Brewing is setting the stage for what a successful CBD beer company should look like. We will likely see a lot more CBD beer brands pop up as time goes on and people grow more comfortable with CBD.
Does CBD Beer Contain Alcohol?
You may be surprised to know that CBD beer doesn’t contain any alcohol. The 2018 Farm Bill maintains the FDA’s authority to regulate hemp products – and currently the FDA has banned the addition of CBD or THC into federally-regulated substances. However, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is processing applications for formulas or labels of alcoholic beverages that contain CBD derived from strictly hemp oil or seeds. This is due to the fact that hemp has been recognized by the FDA as safe.
However, this requires these brands to provide detailed laboratory analyses of their products that demonstrate the ingredients are not controlled substances under federal law. Until more research has been done, it is not likely we will be seeing CBD or THC-infused alcoholic beverages in the United States anytime soon.
CBD beer consists of a non-alcoholic flavor base that is typically created by de-alcoholizing a traditionally brewed beer. This provides the familiar taste of beer that appeals to beer drinkers without any of the negative effects from alcohol. After the beer has been removed of any alcohol, a cannabis nanoemulsion is then infused into the beer. According to the Chief Operating Officer of Outbound Brewing, Lyden Henderson, this method is an ideal delivery system for cannabis products and allows it to be suspended properly into the beer.
That being said, CBD beer is an excellent choice for anyone who is looking to utilize the many benefits of CBD, cut back on their alcohol or drug consumption, and still enjoy the delicious taste of beer while hanging out with friends. By drinking CBD beer, you will feel blissfully relaxed with the peace of mind that you aren’t doing damage to your body, nor will be waking up with a hangover the next day.
Final Thoughts – The Effects of CBD Beer
CBD beer is proving to be a fantastic alternative to alcoholic beverages, eliminating the risk of addiction, cell damage, and hangovers. As time goes on, we can certainly expect more brands to release their own CBD beers for us to enjoy. Now that you understand CBD, the effects of CBD beer, and where you can currently find CBD beer, you are ready to start trying some! Happy tasting!
Related Posts
- How Do Beer and Cannabis Affect the Body When Taken Together?
- What’s all the Hype About Marijuana Beer?
- Top 5 Best Marijuana-Based Brews
References:
- https://www.brewbound.com/news/outbound-brewing-launches-cbd-thc-and-non-alcoholic-beer-alternatives/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4444130/
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-and-alcohol#recommendation
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13311-015-0373-7
- https://www.healthline.com/health/endocannabinoid-system
- https://weedmaps.com/news/2020/05/cbd-beer-the-bar-has-been-set-high-but-like-just-a-body-high/
- https://www.outboundbrewing.com/https://ritterspencer.com/cbd-infused-alcohol-still-awaiting-a-toast/#:~:text=The%20FDA%20maintains%20that%20it,%C2%A7%20331(ll).
- https://greenlightlawgroup.com/blog/cannabis-infused-beer