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Derived from the hemp plant, CBD is a natural extract that has become popular in the wellness market as it’s linked to numerous potential therapeutic benefits. Recent evidence suggests that CBD may help promote relaxation, relieve stress, and ease anxiety.
CBD gummies are a convenient and discreet way to get a daily dose of CBD. Furthermore, they come in a variety of flavors and potencies, so there is something to suit individual tastes and needs.
With the CBD market booming, there are hundreds of CBD gummies to choose from, and with no FDA regulations, how do you know you’re getting a quality CBD supplement?
We’ve researched dozens of premium CBD brands to round up a list of the best CBD gummies for 2023. Plus, we’ve included more information about the plant compound so you can make an informed decision about the right CBD gummy for you.
- Best Overall CBD Gummies for 2023: CBDfx Original Mixed Berry CBD Gummies
- Best Vegan CBD Gummies: Batch CBD Gummies
- Best Organic CBD Gummies: Cornbread Hemp Organic CBD Gummies
- Best CBD Gummies for Beginners: Joy Organics CBD Gummies
- Best Tasting CBD Gummies: FOCL Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
- Best Variety of Flavor CBD Gummies: Soul CBD Gummies
- Best CBD Gummies for the Sunday Blues: Sunday Scaries CBD Gummies for Chillin’
- Most Potent CBD Gummies: Medterra Keep Calm Gummies
- Best Low-Sugar CBD Gummies: Keoni CBD Gummies
Best CBD Gummies in 2023
These are our favorite CBD gummies to try.
Best Overall CBD Gummies for 2023: CBDfx Original Mixed Berry CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Broad-spectrum CBD
- Organic, vegan, and gluten-free
- All-natural ingredients
Specs:
- Size: 60 count
- Strength: 50mg of CBD per serving
- Flavor: Mixed berry
The Original Mixed Berry CBD Gummies from CBDfx are packed with organic, broad-spectrum CBD — 50mg per serving — are a great way to enjoy the calming potential wellness benefits of CBD. Broad-spectrum CBD also provides all the potential benefits of the minor cannabinoids and terpenes of the hemp plant without detectable levels of THC (the psychoactive compound).
Sweet and fruity, these mixed berry gummies use all-natural flavoring. In fact, the entire formulation consists of natural and organic ingredients, as well as being vegan, cruelty-free, and gluten-free.
You can pop one of these gummies anytime you’re feeling stressed, knowing that each batch is extensively tested in independent labs for quality, potency, and purity. However, if somehow these gummies don’t meet your expectations, you’re protected by a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Best Vegan CBD Gummies: Batch CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Full-spectrum CBD extract
- Non-GMO
- Vegan and gluten-free
Specs:
- Size: 30 count
- Strength: 25mg per gummy
- Flavor: Blueberry, raspberry, and mango
For CBD gummies with a superior taste, check out the offering from Batch. These CBD gummies come in three fruity flavors — blueberry, mango, and raspberry — while maintaining an all-natural, vegan, and gluten-free formulation. There are no hidden nasties to be found here.
Each gummy contains 25mg of full-spectrum CBD, which means you also get the additional potential benefits of all other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the hemp plant. Cannabinoids and terpenes work synergistically to boost the overall benefits, potentially helping to ease pain, boost sleep quality, and relieve stress.
Proudly crafted in Wisconsin, every CBD blend from Batch is tested both in-house as well as in third-party labs to verify potency and purity. So confident are Batch that you’ll love its CBD gummies that they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Best Organic CBD Gummies: Cornbread Hemp Organic CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Full-spectrum hemp extract
- Certified organic
- Vegan and gluten-free
Specs:
- Size: 30 count
- Strength: 20mg, 25mg, or 50mg of CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Berry or peach
Certified USDA organic, the CBD Gummies from Cornbread are packed with full-spectrum CBD and up to 2mg of THC per serving to amplify the potential effects of cannabinoids.
There are three potencies available — 20mg, 25mg, or 50mg of CBD per gummy — so you can choose a strength that suits your needs. You also get a choice of two fruity flavors — berry or peach — derived from organic ingredients.
You won’t find any high-fructose corn syrup, gelatin, or artificial colors in these gummies, just the highest quality domestically-grown hemp extract and clean, natural ingredients. You can verify the quality of the gummies for yourself by checking the third-party lab report, which shows the potency of CBD is as advertised and that the gummies contain no impurities or toxins.
Best CBD Gummies for Beginners: Joy Organics CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Broad-spectrum CBD
- Certified organic and vegan
- Medically reviewed
Specs:
- Size: 30 count
- Strength: 10mg or 25mg of CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Strawberry lemonade or green apple
Melt away the stresses of the day with the great-tasting CBD Gummies from Joy Organics. They are available in a sweet strawberry lemonade flavor or a refreshing green apple flavor, making them a tasty way of potentially calming the mind without losing focus.
The gummies come in two potencies, 25mg and a more moderate dose of 10mg, which is a great option for beginners. Whatever potency you choose, you’ll have a gummy that is vegan, cruelty-free, and made with all organic ingredients.
Joy Organics craft their hemp extract to maintain a variety of hemp-derived products — like terpenes and minor cannabinoids — to help trigger the entourage effect without THC. Every batch of the Broad-Spectrum CBD Gummies is rigorously tested for potency as well as for over 50 pesticides and other contaminants.
Best Tasting CBD Gummies: FOCL Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Available with full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD
- Non-GMO, vegan, and cruelty-free
- All-natural ingredients
Specs:
- Size: 30 count
- Strength: 25mg of CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Sour watermelon, tropical punch, or mandarin orange
With three delicious fruity flavors, the CBD Gummies from FOCL provide a delicious dose of potential stress relief and relaxation whenever you need it. Each sweet and fruity gummy contains 25mg of premium full-spectrum or broad-spectrum CBD, which may help support focus, calm the mind, ease aches and pains, and improve sleep quality.
Both the broad-spectrum and full-spectrum of the gummies contain all the minor cannabinoids, including CBC (which is believed to act as an anti-inflammatory) and CBN (which is linked to potentially promoting sleep).
You can check the entire cannabinoid profile of the gummies by checking the results of independent lab testing. They show that the potency of CBD matches the packaging and that the gummies are free of contaminants like pesticides, heavy metals, and molds.
Best Variety of Flavor CBD Gummies: Soul CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Organically-farmed hemp extract
- Vegan and gluten-free
- All-natural ingredients
Specs:
- Size: 30 count
- Strength: 25mg or 10mg of CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Seriously sour, pineapple mango, strawberry, raspberry, orange cream, piña colada, passion fruit, or mystery
The CBD Gummies from Soul CBD come in a huge variety of flavors. With so many to choose from, there is sure to be something to suit your taste. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, you could choose the mystery flavor, a brand-new, completely-secret flavor.
These gummies come in two potencies — 25mg or 10mg per gummy — so you can tailor your dose to your level of stress. If you need a little help to calm the mind so you can focus, 10mg should do the trick, but if you’re feeling extra stressed or are struggling to relax at the end of the day, the 25mg gummies are probably the better option.
Vegan and gluten-free, the gummies are made with all-natural ingredients, including CBD extracted from organic hemp plants. Third-party testing confirms the gummies contain no THC, the CBD potency is as advertised, and they are free of contaminants and impurities.
Best CBD Gummies for the Sunday Blues: Sunday Scaries CBD Gummies for Chillin’
Pros:
- Full-spectrum CBD
- Boosted with vitamins
- Subscribe and save 20%
Specs:
- Size: 20 count
- Strength: 10mg CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Orange, cherry, apple, and lemon
When the Sunday blues kick in, reach for the Gummies for Chillin’ from Sunday Scaries. Each gummy contains 10mg of full-spectrum CBD to give you all the soothing potential benefits of the hemp plant, including sleep-promoting CBN and calming terpenes, linalool, pinene, and caryophyllene.
The gummies are also fortified with vitamins to boost the benefits. Vitamin B12 helps stabilize energy levels and ease anxiety, and vitamin D helps reduce inflammation, boost immunity, and enhance mood.
Each bottle includes a variety of fruity flavors — orange, cherry, apple, and lemon — to tantalize the taste buds. However, if you don’t like the flavors, the brand offers a 100% money-back guarantee, so you can purchase worry-free. Extensive third-party testing for potency gives extra peace of mind.
Most Potent CBD Gummies: Medterra Keep Calm Gummies
Pros:
- Broad-spectrum CBD
- Boosted with amino acids and botanicals
- 100% natural ingredients
Specs:
- Size: 30 or 60 count
- Strength: 25mg or 50mg of CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Strawberry lemonade
Medterra’s Keep Calm Gummies have recently been upgraded to provide an ever more soothing and nurturing experience. A potent dose of 50mg of broad-spectrum CBD per gummy may provide a range of enhanced potential therapeutic benefits, including calming the body and mind.
Furthermore, each gummy contains 125mg of Sensoril Ashwagandha to help reduce stress and 75mg of l-theanine to help ease tension. The rest of the formulation is all-natural, including the sweet and zesty strawberry lemonade flavor.
If you’re newer to CBD supplements, the Keep Calm Gummies are also available in a potency of 25mg of CBD per gummy. No matter the potency you choose, you can be sure the gummies are of the highest quality with third-party testing verifying the potency and purity of each batch.
Best Low-Sugar CBD Gummies: Keoni CBD Gummies
Pros:
- Full-spectrum CBD
- 100% natural ingredients
- Cruelty-free and vegan
Specs:
- Size: 20 count
- Strength: 20mg of CBD per gummy
- Flavor: Fruit flavored
Keoni’s CBD Gummies pack a real burst of fruity flavor while managing to keep the sugar content low. With just 2.2g of carbs per gummy and a cruelty-free formulation, you can enjoy these tasty CBD edibles without any guilt.
Each gummy contains 20mg of full-spectrum CBD, meaning you also get a boost from terpenes and minor cannabinoids to potentially help with pain relief, relaxation, and stress.
Proudly made in the USA, the gummies are solvent-free and have a verified potency thanks to independent lab testing.
How We Picked the Best CBD Gummies
When recommending supplements, we have strict criteria that need to be met, which take into account several key factors.
Production Process
We researched how CBD brands manufacture their products, ensuring that they use facilities with cGMP (current good manufacturing practice). Following cGMP guidelines helps to guarantee the potency, purity, and quality of CBD supplements.
How cannabinoids are extracted from hemp plants is also worth looking at. There are two primary extraction methods: CO2 extraction and solvent extraction.
The cleanest and most efficient method is CO2 extraction, whereby a pressurized CO2 chamber is used to extract cannabinoids from the plant material. Solvent extraction is a cheaper process but carries the risk of residual solvents in hemp oil. Therefore, we favored brands that use the CO2 extraction method, but if a brand does utilize solvent extraction, we checked independent test results to check the supplements were solvent free.
Reviews
Verified customer reviews provide great insights into how trustworthy a brand is and how effective its products are. It’s easy to get sucked in by the promises a brand makes, so it’s worth checking customer reviews to check how they responded to CBD supplements in terms of benefits, flavor, texture, value for money, and customer service.
Testing
The FDA doesn’t currently regulate CBD supplements; therefore, there are sure to be substandard and inconsistent products on the market. One way to help guarantee we’re recommending only safe, quality CBD is by checking the brand sends its entire product line to third-party labs for testing.
The results of these tests should be readily available to the consumer in the form of a Certificate of Analysis (CoA), which verifies the following:
- The potency of CBD is as advertised
- The potency of additional cannabinoids
- The terpene profile
- That the CBD used is free of toxins and impurities, such as heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, solvents, and potentially harmful microbes
Quality ingredients
For a CBD supplement to be of top quality, the hemp extract must also be of the finest quality.
Therefore, we only considered products from CBD brands that source their hemp extracts from domestic hemp growers. Extra favor was given to brands that use organic farmers, as this guarantees a non-GMO hemp plant and a CBD extract free of pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides.
We don’t limit ingredient quality to just CBD. We stuck to CBD supplements that have natural formulations without additives and fillers, as these can increase the risk of an adverse reaction.
What to Look For When Buying CBD Gummies
Potency
If you’re a first-time user of CBD, we recommend starting with a lower dose to check your tolerance and reduce your risk of side effects. A good starting dose of CBD is between 5mg and 15mg, so look for gummies with a lower potency or ones that can be easily cut into smaller sections so that you can get the right dose.
Flavor
The majority of CBD gummies are flavored with sweet and fruity flavors, including the likes of blue raspberry, watermelon, strawberry, and more. Whatever your personal preference, there is sure to be a gummy for you. Just make sure you’re choosing a gummy with natural flavorings to minimize your risk of a bad reaction.
Price
It’s hard to accurately measure value for money when there is so much variety in the CBD gummy market. However, if the cost of a CBD gummy seems to be too good to be true, it’s likely to be a lower-quality product, potentially containing artificial ingredients and poorer quality cannabinoids and made in a facility that doesn’t follow cGMP guidelines.
Checking the ingredient list will give you a good indicator that you’re paying for quality. If the gummies are made with a simple formulation (i.e., a short list of ingredients) from 100% natural and organic ingredients, you can be confident it’s a premium CBD gummy.
Additionally, if you’re a regular user of CBD gummies, many supplement brands offer significant savings when you sign up for a subscription. Plus, some brands have a “buy more, save more” option.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol, usually referred to as CBD, is one of the 100+ cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. It is a major cannabinoid, meaning that it is one of the most abundant found in hemp and cannabis plants. Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive for most people, and it is generally considered to be non-habit-forming.
CBD is increasing in popularity in the supplement market as it is associated with numerous health and wellness benefits. Furthermore, as a natural supplement, CBD doesn’t have the same harsh side effects as some over-the-counter and prescription medications.
Potential Benefits of CBD Gummies
CBD works by interacting with receptors in the body’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for maintaining homeostasis (i.e., balance) in many key biological systems. By working on the endocannabinoid system, CBD has several potential benefits, which include:
- Possibly relieving pain and reducing inflammation
- Reducing the symptoms of arthritis, i.e., stiff and painful joints
- Easing the symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Promoting improved sleep quality and quantity
- Helping to reduce PTSD symptoms
- Possibly protecting against neurological disease
The first CBD-based drug was approved by the FDA in 2018. Epidolex is used to treat seizures resulting from two rare forms of epilepsy – Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome – in patients over two years of age. The CBD drug is shown to decrease the frequency of seizures.
Types of CBD
CBD gummies can contain one of three types of CBD, which are:
- Full-spectrum CBD: Contains CBD, as well as all the other phytochemicals of the hemp plant, including over 100 other cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and a trace amount of THC (up to the legal limit of 0.3%), which is the psychoactive compound of the hemp plant.
- Broad-spectrum CBD: Contains CBD and all the other phytochemicals of the hemp plant but undetectable levels of THC.
- CBD isolate: The pure form of CBD, i.e., CBD and nothing else.
Other forms of CBD
CBD gummies are a great option for you if you don’t enjoy the earthy and slightly bitter taste of CBD. Furthermore, they have the added convenience of providing an exact dose of CBD and being easy to take on the go. However, with the CBD market booming, there are many other forms of CBD, including CBD oils and tinctures, topical formulations, capsules, and more:
- CBD topicals: Lotions and creams infused with CBD can provide fast and targeted relief right where you need it. Rub into the affected area to help relieve pain and improve the symptoms of skin conditions, such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
- CBD oils and tinctures: These liquid formulations are typically made up of a carrier oil that’s been infused with CBD. They are administered under the tongue with a pipette applicator, where cannabinoids are absorbed directly into the bloodstream via a network of tiny capillaries under the tongue. As CBD doesn’t have to bypass the digestive system before being absorbed, oils and tinctures typically take effect more quickly than gummies. They are a good option if you find it difficult to take capsules, and you’ll find many flavored options.
- CBD pills and capsules: Pill formulations offer a convenient way to take an exact dose of CBD discreetly on the go. They typically take longer than other forms of CBD to take effect as the capsule needs to break down to release the CBD, which then has to go through the digestive system before it reaches the bloodstream.
- CBD vape liquids: Becoming an increasingly popular method to take CBD, vape liquids are the fastest way to feel the effects of CBD. Vaporized CBD is inhaled via a vape pen and is absorbed quickly into the bloodstream via the lungs. CBD vape liquids are available in a wide variety of potencies and flavors.
Potential Side Effects of CBD
Generally speaking, CBD is typically well tolerated by most people, but there are some potential side effects, which include:
- Drowsiness
- Gastrointestinal issues, such as diarrhea or nausea
- Reduced appetite
- Dry mouth
Thankfully the side effects of CBD are usually temporary and can be avoided by starting with a low amount of CBD and by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
The FDA advises those who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or using certain forms of contraception against taking CBD or any other cannabinoid products. This is because CBD can affect the regulation of certain hormones, which are key to maintaining reproductive health.
Furthermore, you should speak to your healthcare provider before starting with CBD supplementation, as it can interact with certain medications and is unsuitable for use for those with some pre-existing medical conditions.
FAQs:
Is CBD legal?
The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the legal definition of cannabis. This means that hemp-derived CBD supplements are legal at the federal level as long as they contain less than 0.3% by weight of THC (the psychoactive compound of hemp).
However, while CBD is federally legal, state laws on cannabinoids vary`. Therefore, be sure to check individual state laws before buying and traveling.
Will CBD make me high?
No, CBD will generally not make most people “high.” While CBD can help potentially promote relaxation and an improved sense of well-being, it is non-psychoactive for most people.
In full-spectrum hemp products, the concentration of THC is legally limited to 0.3% by weight, which is too low of a potency to trigger a “high” for most people.
Can I take CBD every day?
Absolutely. The potential effects of CBD are often improved when it is taken regularly. If you do intend to take a CBD supplement every day, many brands offer subscriptions on CBD gummies for large savings on regular deliveries.
Best CBD Gummies – In Conclusion
CBD is a natural compound sourced from the hemp plant. It’s growing in popularity in the supplement market thanks to its wide range of potential health and wellness benefits. One such therapeutic use of CBD is promoting potential relaxation and easing stress, but there are many other possible benefits, such as pain relief, reduced inflammation, and improved mood.
As a natural supplement, CBD doesn’t have the sometimes unpleasant side effects of over-the-counter medications. The potential side effects of CBD are typically mild and temporary and can be avoided by starting with a low dose and following the manufacturer’s dosage instructions.
CBD gummies are a convenient, discreet, and tasty way to get your daily dose of CBD. Plus, they have the added benefit of providing an exact dose of the therapeutic compound. CBG gummies can be taken during the day when you’re feeling a little stressed out, or they can be taken in the evening when you need some extra help winding down after a long day.
We do recommend that you talk to your doctor before you start taking CBD gummies, as they can interact with certain prescription medications and are not suitable for people with some pre-existing medical conditions.
Hearst Newspapers participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may earn a commission when you purchase products featured here. Please consult your doctor before starting any new supplement to see it is right for you.