Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll have heard of CBD – otherwise known as cannabidiol – which is the active ingredient in marijuana that doesn’t produce a high (free of THC – tetrahydrocannabinol – the psychoactive component of cannabis).
A shame, maybe, but luckily for you the legal chemical is said to contain a crop of health benefits that can be enjoyed without the hallucinogenic effects - or, indeed, finding yourself at the bottom of a bag of Doritos. From easing chronic pain to reducing inflammation, supporting autoimmune diseases to alleviating depression, CBD is widely credited as the secret weapon in an ever-increasing arsenal of alternative medicine, and it can now be enjoyed on-the-go in many convenient forms.
Arguably, CBD oils are the star of the show. They’re made by extracting their namesake from the sativa plant and diluting it with a ‘vehicle’ such as coconut or hemp seed oil. They provide the quickest and easiest way to administer cannabidiol with a drop or two under the tongue.
Lotions and potions offer an alternative format, although minimal amounts are said to reach the bloodstream, which is most efficient for non-skin-related conditions like insomnia or anxiety. Capsules, too, can be taken, but there’s a delay in the effects, as they must be processed by the digestive system first – also true of other edibles such as candies, brownies, cookies or drinks.
And that brings us to gummies – the latest (and greatest?) way to get your CBD dosage.
Packaged like sweets, they’re simple and fun, as well as being largely tasty. Better still, they can be flavoured with pretty much anything, meaning those who typically don’t like the earthy taste of CBD needn’t endure its hempy, bitter notes.
How to shop for CBD gummies
Tom Bourlet, media partner for the World CBD Awards and author of the CBD Sloth blog, says: “Personally, I prefer the results of CBD oils over gummies, but I’m also aware that not many people like the taste of the latter, therefore gummies offer a great alternative that’s convenient and speedy to consume while tasting unbelievably nice.”
Bourlet continues: “You’re spoilt for choice when picking the right CBD gummies, so there are several things you should consider before taking the plunge: look at the milligrams of CBD per gummy; the reputation of the brand and online reviews; and where the hemp is grown to ensure it meets certain legal requirements and quality standards. As with CBD oils, you should always check third-party lab tests – sometimes labelled as certificates of analysis – to guarantee products contain the stated level of cannabinoids.
These lab reports will also check products don’t contain any pesticides, as hemp is highly porous, so if it’s not grown organically then pesticides will be present. Finally, check that the batch codes for lab reports match up with the products you’ve ordered – you don’t want to see a lab report from two or three years ago with an irrelevant batch code as this doesn’t prove anything.”
Equipped with an education in CBD, its various formats and how to shop it, go forth and discover the best gummies in our round-up, all personally tried and tasted.
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Kloris Full Spectrum CBD Gummies
You’ll second guess whether these delicious tasting gummies do, in fact, have CBD inside - and that’s the beauty of these treats from Kloris. Incorporate into your daily routine to combat chronic pain, calm anxiety or encourage a moment of pure relaxation.
While the citrus and hemp flavour doesn’t give the game away, the dietary add-on is packed with natural ingredients as well as 10mg of cold-pressed full-spectrum CBD extract. This cold-pressing techniques preserves the nutrients and goodness so you can be sure to feel their soothing effects.
Buy now £24.00, Kloris
Goodrays Mixed CBD Gummies
Promising to keep you calm and balanced throughout the day – something we could all do with in increasingly stressful times – these brightly-coloured gummies from Goodrays come in assorted flavours including mango, raspberry, lemon-lime and strawberry.
What’s more, they claim to contain ‘the highest-quality Colorado-grown CBD’ – all THC-free, of course – while they’re delicious and all-natural to boot. Better still, they come in a neat and tidy pack, making it convenient to get your fix on-the-go.
Buy now £17.45, Waitrose
Orange County CBD Gummy Bears
“Taste shouldn’t be a deciding factor,” says Bourlet, “but it’s hard to deny just how tasty these Orange County CBD Gummies are.”
There are 25 cute-as-a-button bears of varying colours and flavours in a small tub, each with 16mg of CBD sourced from the very best fields in the Golden State, meaning a generous 400mg a pop.
They’re award-winning for a reason, with an impressive six-month shelf-life, while customers can scale up their CBD concentration to 1,200mg per tub to satisfy even the most intense of routines.
Plus, with everything third-party tested, you can be assured of absolute quality. In short: bite-sized brilliance.
Buy now £20.00, Orange County
Bio-Synergy Chill™ CBD Gummies
There’s a gummy for every occasion, as it turns out, and these tasty treats from Bio-Synergy promise to ‘boost your gaming.’
Gamer or otherwise, though, we’re fans with 10mg of THC-free CBD delivered in 60 delicious mixed-berry sweets. As with all gummies, no measuring is necessary, making them a convenient way to chill out.
Plus, they’re vegan and GMO-free, and made without any artificial sweeteners.
Buy now £44.99, Very
Blockhead CBD Gum
Giving the traditional gummy format a twist, confectionery brand Blockhead has created a CBD Gum, offering its namesake ingredient in the format of a chewing gum.
There are seven pieces in a single pack with 3mg of high-quality CBD per gum featuring a tasty peppermint and menthol flavour that masks the bitterness of the raw ingredient.
While it may not contain the dosage of a gummy, the constant chewing that’s required of a gum means the CBD is delivered faster into the bloodstream via the inside lining of the cheeks and lips. Who knew?
Buy now £4.99, Blockhead
Starpowa Premium CBD Vegan Gummies
Third-party tested and THC-free, these gummies from Starpowa are truly top-shelf, and are made using the best naturally-grown hemp with no additives, chemicals or impurities. A refined mix of carbon dioxide extraction and filtration results in CBD of the highest quality to help relieve anxiety, stress and pain.
There are 60 apple-flavoured gummies per bottle – each containing 5mg of CBD – and every batch comes with third-party testing.
Buy now £39.99, Holland & Barrett
Why So CBD? Bubblegum Bottles
Lingering hemp leaving a bad taste in your mouth? There’s no sign of it in these fun and flavoursome bubblegum bottles from Why So CBD?. They’re a spin on the traditional sweet of your childhood, packing USA-grown, vegan-friendly, non-GMO hemp into each gummy, with everything third-party tested to ensure purity and potency. Expect 100mg in a small jar.
Buy now £44.99, Vape
JustCBD Sugar Free CBD Gummies
With the belief that cannabidiol is Mother Nature’s secret miracle (an ethos we can certainly get behind) JustCBD serves up the active ingredient across a range of edibles, tinctures, capsules and even soaps.
Those concerned with watching their waistlines while enjoying the benefits of CBD can do so in this sugar-free version which uses a syrup to offer the same sweetness but without the calories.
There are around 50 mixed-flavoured bears in a 500mg pot that make for an enjoyable and guilt-free treat.
Buy now £29.40, JustCBD
The London Dispensary Boost High Strength CBD Gummy Bears
Blended with brain-boosting nootropics (natural supplements) such as lion’s mane, chaga mushroom, ginseng and lemon balm – believed to aid cognitive function and reduce oxidative stress levels – the high-strength gummies from The London Dispensary are proof that you really do get what you pay for.
Each gummy is packed with a whopping 33mg of US-certified CBD, all ethically-sourced and grown, while every recyclable tin contains no less than 60 gummies for a whole month’s supply.
Great pre-workout, or pre-work, for boosting energy and sharpening focus.
Buy now £45.00, The London Dispensary
Smoko CBD Broad Spectrum CBD Gummies
Offering plenty of bang for your buck, these gluten-free and vegan-friendly gummies from Kent-based Smoko CBD use hemp from sativa plants organically-grown and responsibly-farmed in Oregon, with 250mg and 10 edibles in every pack. They use an extraction process that’s free of THC but packed full of natural chemicals and amino acids to make for a broad-spectrum CBD gummy that’s as nutritious as it is delicious.
Buy now £14.99, Smoko CBD
Honey Heaven
More yummy bears than gummy bears – with fun and fruity flavours of strawberry, orange, pineapple, lemon, blackberry and apple – these playful CBD edibles from Honey Heaven provide an all-natural pick-me-up.
Providing fast and effective relief for anxiety and pain, as well as boosting your mood, they come in recyclable jars (also something to look out for) and contain 25 bears and 500mg per pot.
The hemp itself is high-quality, grown in Switzerland by experienced and licensed farmers, and is free of nasties such as artificial colourings and preservatives. There’s currently an offer – buy one, get one half-price – so strike while the iron’s hot.
Buy now £25.00, Honey Heaven
ZenBears CBD Gummies Pouch
Coated with CBD instead of being infused with the stuff, ZenBears promises a higher percentage of CBD is absorbed through the gums and under your tongue thanks to its unique production method, making for a quicker, more effective dosage than much of the competition.
The pouch packs 200mg of pure CBD into 10 mixed-fruit gummies that are vegan-friendly, UK-made and THC-free. All CBD is sourced from hemp grown using organic farming practices in Oregon and extracted in an ISO-certified facility using carbon dioxide for the most advanced removal method.
Crucially, everything comes with an all-important batch number, so you can look up those essential third-party lab results.
Buy now £13.49, Miracle Leaf
Vitl CBD Gummies
Packaged up in a smart glass bottle, the new-format gummies from Vitl – the personalised nutrition platform – are a tasty and fruity way to get your CBD intake with flavours of lemon, watermelon, raspberry and tangerine. Each of the 30 gummies contains a generous 25mg of organic THC-free CBD with no nasties and proven third-party testing.
Buy now £35.95, Vitl
Canax Life CBD Mummy Gummies
Choose from sour apple or strawberry with the cleverly-named Mummy Gummies from Canax Life.
A relative steal at £25 per pouch – each packed with 25 large sweets – they’re available individually or on a monthly rolling subscription for just £20. Not only are they vegan and palm oil-free, but each gummy comprises 25mg of CBD, all sourced from Oregon with every batch lab-tested.
Elsewhere, the brand also offers Zero Gummies – free from sugar, gluten, gelatine, you name it – as well as the brand-new Yummy Gummies in watermelon sugar and cherry pop flavours (so good it’s hard to limit your dosage).
But the best bit? The brand is proudly female-owned and run by friends Jess and Sophie – one of whom has drawn on her profession as a nurse to develop the product.
Buy now £25.00, Canax Life
Pollen Powerbank CBD Gummies
As one of the smartest-looking CBD offerings on shelves – packaged up in a striking yellow milk carton that looks more designer Selfridges bag than kid’s pick ‘n’ mix – Pollen Powerbank CBD Gummies are a premium pick.
Ingredients such as lemon, orange and coffee make them as flavoursome as they are effective, too, while there’s 300mg of powerful CBD per pack.
Plant-based, pesticide-free and vegan-friendly, they’re soft to chew but not too sweet to taste, and are made with quality Swiss-grown hemp. A fashionable way of getting that full-tank feeling.
Buy now £24.04, Amazon
