With the growing popularity in CBD oil (the Centre for Medicinal Cannabis believes the UK CBD market is currently worth £300 million) manufacturers are looking for more ways to present the product to customers, and gummies are just another way to consume CBD oil.
With new information shattering stigmas, more and more people are incorporating CBD into their daily lives with high street stores now selling a wide range of products. New products and CBD companies are popping up what seems like every day to capitalise on the frenzy as consumers struggle to differentiate between the good and not so good companies in the UK.
If you believe the mounting anecdotal evidence, then CBD has massive potential. There are many stories on the potential health benefits, however across the Atlantic in the USA the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have banned companies from making any health claims, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has done the same in the UK. The FDA even provides a list of CBD companies on their site that have been warned, fined or shut down for violating their policy.
This may seem contradictory, but it may be wise to avoid CBD companies that promote it as a miracle cure or make health claims. Finding the best CBD gummies means looking for safe and legal products.
What is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol: it is one of the 110 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plants and is also abundant in hemp plants. There is often confusion between cannabis and hemp, the key difference is that cannabis plants contain more of the compound THC – tetrahydrocannabinol – the compound that provides a psychoactive effect. Hemp, on the other hand, contains a lot more CBD, for this reason, hemp plants are used to create CBD products, and it’s also the reason why only CBD that comes from hemp plants is legal in the UK.
Is CBD legal in the UK?
Yes, if it meets certain conditions. In 2018, the Home Office said that CBD derived from European industrial hemp is legal if it contains less than 0.2% THC. If you buy gummies or oils that are manufactured outside the EU, then you are buying an illegal CBD product so make sure that your products are made in the UK or the EU.
What is the difference between CBD gummies and CBD oil?
CBD products can be consumed in many different forms. The most popular in the UK is currently CBD oil, however it can be ingested via edibles such as gummies and capsules, be infused in water through squash and even applied topically via creams.
CBD gummies are an alternative method to oil, and they’re increasing in popularity here in the UK. They provide a daily dose of CBD that’s delicious and discreet and many companies offer gummies in a large selection of flavours and strengths. They are more convenient to consume, unlike a CBD oil tincture you do not need to administer drops under your tongue, and then hold it for 60 seconds to allow for absorption, you simply just eat a gummy as you would with any sweet.
What are CBD gummies used for?
Worldwide, people are sharing stories about the benefits of CBD gummies, however, as mentioned, the FDA and the FSA advise against buying CBD from companies that make health claims so you should avoid companies that say CBD will help with the following:
– CBD gummies for anxiety
– CBD gummies for pain
– CBD gummies for stress
– CBD gummies for sleep
– CBD gummies for depression
There’s no scientific data that verifies any of these claims and you should speak to your doctor before taking CBD, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medications.
How to buy CBD gummies in the UK?
There are many companies that sell CBD gummies in the UK, however a lot of these are imported from the USA, which makes them illegal. In the USA the THC limit is higher than the UK, so you could experience some unwanted side effects. As mentioned earlier, if a company does not manufacture their products in the UK or the EU, then you should steer clear from them.
When buying CBD gummies in the UK, make sure the company adheres to the following criteria:
– Third-party tested and independently verified
– Choice of flavours
– Vegan options
– Source of CBD
– THC-free options
– Organic and all-natural
– No added sugar
– Made in the UK
In the UK it’s common to find CBD products on the high street, but as a recent BBC investigation showed, sometimes the contents of the packaging are not what they are made out to be.
One of the best ways to buy CBD products is online – buying gummies and oil online means that you are able to verify a company’s product by looking at their lab results before you buy. So, with these criteria in mind we’ve shortlisted the best CBD gummies that you can buy in the UK today.
Best CBD gummies – UK edition
1. Balance CBD
Number one on our list for the best CBD gummies to buy in the UK is Balance CBD. You can get ten gummies with your choice of either 10mg or 25mg of CBD in each gummy. 10mg is great if you’re new to CBD, if you’re looking for stronger effects then go for 25mg per gummy.
Balance CBD tops our list because they are vegan and organic, they also have no gluten, allergens, THC, artificial flavours, sweeteners, colours, or preservatives and they’re made right here in the UK!
A customer favourite is their variety pack which contains a mix of great tasting gummies including organic fruits and vegetable juice flavour Balance CBD gummies. If you like a particular flavour more than another then you can buy gummies in candy floss, orange, apple, strawberry or raspberry flavours. All of their products are lab tested and you can see the results before you buy.
If you’re looking for other products, Balance CBD offers CBD topicals, CBD oils, CBD pet products and CBD Squash! Their CBD muscle relief cream was selected to be included in the 2020 Golden Globe Awards gift bag, and they’ve also been featured as the number one company to buy CBD oil from by the Manchester Evening News.
2. CBDfx
CBDfx is another good company to buy gummies from; they use hemp grown to organic standards and their unique flavours include spirulina and turmeric.
The vegan formulation uses non-GMO, organic ingredients with no filler ingredients, corn syrup, animal gelatin, artificial sweeteners, or toxins. Each bottle contains 60 gummies, and each one has 5mg in each gummy, while there is also a wide range of CBD oils and CBD creams to purchase too.
3. Koi
Koi CBD come in flavours such as açai pomegranate, lime and tangerine with each one containing 10mg of CBD, and you have the choice of either sour or tropical style coming in packages of six or 20. Koi CBD gummies go through numerous tests for potency and purity that include third-party ISO-accredited lab testing and they post batch test results on their site.
4. Pollen
Pollen offers four choices of gummy packages: starter kit, powerbank, no pressure and soothe you, with each gummy containing 10mg of full-spectrum CBD.
The starter kit includes all three types of CBD gummy that they offer with six powerbank (morning focus), six no pressure (midday relief) and six soothe you (end of day balance) gummies. They are vegetarian and infuse CBD into each gummy – similar to Balance CBD – though they are pricier when compared to other brands, with a lower dose of CBD.
5. ZenBears CBD Gummies
ZenBears CBD gummies are vegan and made with all-natural ingredients with 5mg of CBD in each gummy and each bottle containing 100 in mixed fruit flavours. They use non-GMO, organic, European hemp to make the CBD contained in each gummy and their products are created in a British GMP-certified facility. Each gummy gets third-party lab tested to ensure consumer safety and that each batch contains the amount of CBD, as is claimed on the label. The tests verify that there is nothing harmful in any of the gummies.
