If you live in L.A. and you’ve left the house in the last three months, there’s no chance you haven’t seen a CBD billboard, CBD products filling up the shelves at all your favorite natural goods stores, and the topic of this of-the-moment product becoming regular discussion among your peers, on radio stations and online.
Sure, hemp-derived CBD (aka Cannabidiol) has been around for decades, but its widestream popularity only took off recently. Legalization of stores like MedMen have definitely been key in introducing the world to this phenomenon, which is said to aid in sleep, anxiety, multiple sclerosis pain and epilepsy.
As someone who generally steers clear from marijuana products (they give me terrible anxiety), I didn’t take an initial interest in CBD, nor did I really understand what it does. It wasn’t until June, when I attended the Bloom Summit wellness expo in Beverly Hills, that I was exposed to CBD products firstand. My extravagant gift bag, worth well over $500, happened to include several products from Plus CBD Oil: drops, capsules and extra strength balm. I didn’t think too much about it, until one day I decided to slather some of the balm onto my body after chatting with a pal who said it helps you sleep.What followed was a month of using the products, mixed in with some use of Botanika CBD + Melatonin sleep spray.
Before you start using CBD products to help you catch some Zzzs, here’s everything you need to know, based on my experience:
1. Not Every CBD Product Works the Same
When I started using the balm at night, I also started taking the morning capsules. After about a month of use, the capsules didn’t make me feel any different. I didn’t feel any less stressed, but I also didn’t feel tired. I felt exactly the same from what I could tell. The balm and spray, on the other hand, put me to bed. I still have yet to try the under-the-tongue tincture drops. But I’ve spoken to other people who said the capsules knocked them out. I think it really is a case-by-case (and brand by brand) basis, so before you purchase or try any CBD product, properly consult with an expert or salesperson (seriously, because you never know!).
2. The Sleep Products Will Knock You Out Cold
In the middle of a movie that you really want to finish? Don’t apply CBD balm or sleep spray until approximately five minutes before you’re ready to get to bed. The products are intense, and once you’re about to doze off, you’re in it to win it. Also, I don’t advise using the extra strength balm for short-term sleep. So, if you have time in between coming home from work and nighttime plans, this is not the occasion to use it. The extra strength balm, in particular, will give you a very deep sleep (which is great), but you need to make sure you have your timing figured out. I’ve been using the balm or spray on weeknights before I go to bed and I’m getting much more sleep than I would have otherwise. I normally have to wake up to use the restroom in the middle of the night, and I find this has prevented me from having to get up as much. And I usually feel refreshed by the time morning rolls around.
3. Your Dreams Will Be Very Vivid (and Likely Strange—Possibly Disturbing)
Melatonin in general is known to cause very strange dreams, so whenever I use anything that includes it, I kind of know what I’m signing up for. That said, I don’t exactly have the best dreams to begin with, so when I use melatonin or CBD products (which produce greater Rapid Eye Movement), I dream more frequently and more vividly. I’m going to be honest: Most of the time I use these products, my dreams involve death or murder (fun times!). Now, I can’t speak for everyone. I don’t know what your dreams are like (though I have spoken with others who have had bizarre dreams from this). I just know that mine are super intense when I use these products and I always remember them in the morning. It’s weird and a little disturbing, but I get through it. It doesn’t take away from the fact that I’m still getting some decent hours of legitimate sleep.
4. No, CBD Does Not Make You Feel High
One of the biggest reasons people have their doubts about giving CBD products a try is their fear of being affected by THC—the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis. There’s no THC in CBD, which is what makes it its own entity. If I were to get high off these products, I would not be using them.
5. These Products Are Expensive
CBD in any form is no cheap purchase. They must be high quality, because no matter where you go, you’re bound to find them all in the $50-$100 range, depending on the specific item. Balms and tinctures tend to be most costly. It’s only been a month and I’m already out of my balm. The Botakina sprays contain 240 spritzes per tube, with eight suggested sprays per use.
