There are numerous ways to consume CBD, but gummies are the most popular because they're tasty and easy to eat on the go.
The problem is, some gummies contain gelatin, which is obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, and ligaments of cows or pigs.
As a vegan, you certainly don't want to eat that. Moreover, there can be other animal ingredients too, like beeswax.
Tinctures are also pretty handy, especially for those who don't like chewy-sweet-type things.
With so many brands on the market, it can be difficult to to know which is the best quality vegan choice.
But don't worry, I've got you covered!
Here's my handpicked top 4 brands to get started:
Top Vegan CBD Gummies Picks:
- Joys Organics Gummies: Available here (use coupon plantway20 for 20% off)
- CBDFX Gummies: Available here (use coupon FXSAVINGS for 20% off)
- Kanibi Gummies: Available here
- Nirvana CBD Gummies: Available here
If you want some more information, I'll run you through some must-know stuff, and cover the gummy companies in greater detail, including 4 more you may be interested in.
Gummies are just like sweets!
What Is CBD?
There is often some confusion over CBD and exactly what it is.
The confusion arises over the difference between CBD and THC, and whether hemp oil is the same as CBD oil.
Moreover, because CBD is a component of marijuana, there can also be some negative associations and misconceptions about its use.
CBD stands for ‘cannabidiol', an active ingredient in cannabis / marijuana. However, it can also be extracted from a hemp plant, which is related to the marijuana plant.
Hemp and marijuana are both from the plant species Cannabis sativa L. The hemp plant has a different genetic makeup that makes it a “different version” of the same plant
Some people think that ingesting CBD will give a similar high to that of marijuana when consumed. However, when taken by itself CBD will not give you a feeling of being “high.”
Instead, it eases anxiety and is ideal for those looking to relax and unwind.
Some products may contain a small amount of THC. Generally, however, this is at such a low level that you will not feel any psychoactive effects. Although most companies operate at a guaranteed 0.0%.
If you didn't know already, THC stands for Tetrahydrocannabinol, one of at least 113 cannabinoids identified in cannabis, and the principal psychoactive constituent of cannabis.
Is CBD Safe?
In a nutshell, yes. The World Health Organization reports that CBD does not have the potential to be addictive or abused.
They have also stated that they don’t have any evidence that using CBD is associated with health problems.
The WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) concluded that, in its pure state, cannabidiol does not appear to have abuse potential or cause harm. As such, as CBD is not currently a scheduled substance in its own right (only as a component of cannabis extracts), current information does not justify a change in this scheduling position and does not justify scheduling of the substance (1).
Although cannabidiol can be found in most states, many of the laws which make it legal do come with various restrictions and limitations. At the federal level, CBD is still classified the same as marijuana, although it may not be policed as strongly.
The landscape for the legality of CBD is constantly changing and, recently, regulations were changed to make it easier to study CBD through scientific trials.
Sometimes the legality may depend on the source of the CBD and whether it was extracted from hemp instead of the marijuana plant. The products you will find in the list below of best vegan CBD are extracted from the hemp plant.
In the future, it is expected that growing hemp will be legalized in most states and countries, which would make CBD sourced from hemp plants easier to access and difficult to make illegal.
This is great news because hemp is a versatile and environmentally sustainable product. It can also be used for clothing and paper and as as alternative to plastic, as well as other uses such as making building bricks.
Health Benefits of CBD
CBD research is broad and shows many benefits, particular for anxiety, pain relief, sleep, and seizures.
For example, it is currently used to treat certain epilepsy syndromes in children who do not respond to standard medications.
Several studies have showed that CBD helped minimize the number of seizures or even eliminate them completely.
A new CBD seizure medicine called Epidiolex, which is cannabis-based, recently received approval from the FDA because of its effectiveness (2)
CBD is popularly used to help patients with anxiety and insomnia.
In one study, researchers found a reduction of anxiety in 80% of the patients they studied (3).
Another study found that CBD promoted better sleep within a month in a majority of the patients (4).
There is also evidence for using CBD as a treatment for panic and social anxiety disorders (5).
Research is also being conducted to see how effective CBD can be for the treatment of a variety of chronic pain.
Topical applications of CBD may help with arthritis or other inflammatory conditions, but research is ongoing.
Although CBD is considered safe by WHO, as with all medicinal products, natural or not, if you are on medication, you should consult your doctor before taking CBD products.
CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile. Reported adverse effects may be as a result of drug-drug interactions between CBD and patients’ existing medications (6).
At the moment, the most important consideration regarding CBD is to ensure that all active ingredients are clearly listed and that the product is as pure (no toxins) as possible (7).
8 Best Vegan CBD Gummies
Note: Although the terms hemp oil and CBD oil are sometimes used interchangeably, they are different compounds.
They come from different parts of the hemp plant and have have different makeups.
If you want a vegan CBD product, then make sure you check the ingredients for CBD first.
The products sold on Amazon, for example, are generally hemp oil and not CBD.
For high concentration CBD gummies, choose from premium brand companies in the list below.
1. Joy Organics Vegan Gummies
Joy Organics is renowned for its vegan CBD products, providing softgels, gummies, tinctures and more.
The CBD gummies come in two flavors: Strawberry Lemonade and Green Apple, the latter made with organic apple juice.
The gummies contain no refined products, with organic cane sugar used as a sweeter.
Each BPA-free jar contains 30 gummies, and each gummie contains a 10 mg dose of CBD with no THC content.
In addition, the Joy tinctures are fast-acting and shelf stable for 18 months, so you can use them at your own pace.
+ Click here to Visit Joy Organics (Use coupon plantway20 for 20% off)
2. CBDFX Vegan Gummies
CBDfx is based in California and their line of made in the USA products includes cool hemp gummy bears.
Each pouch contains 8 gummies with a light dose of 5 mg of CBD per gummy; ideal for keeping a balanced mood throughout the day.
In addition to being vegan and gelatin-free, these gummies do not contain corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. Instead, the company uses natural flavoring for a delicious berry flavor.
Organically grown, full spectrum and yummy!
+ Click here to visit CBDFX (Use coupon FXSAVINGS for 10% off)
In addition to the gummies, the CBDFX tincture range comes in 500, 1000 and 1500 mg. Beginners might choose to start off on the 500 mg and progress to the higher doses going forward.
The bigger bottles have a stronger concentration of CBD while remaining quite affordable.
The oils do not include any additives or filler ingredients.
3. Kanibi CBD
Kanibi CBD Gummies are manufactured using Organic PCR Hemp. The growing process uses only soil, water, and sunlight, before the plants undergo their extraction by CO2.
Kanibi is GMP compliant and doesn't use artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Each gummy contains 10mg of CBD, putting them on a par with Joys Organics, and more potent than CBDFX.
The gummies are super tasty, and if you don't think so, Kanibi offers a 100% Money Back Guarantee, which is very reasonable.
4. Nirvana Gummies
The most potent gummies on the list, Nirvana is produced in the US from premium-grade hemp-derived cannabinoids – containing no THC.
Branded as “Sugary-sweet and always a treat” (made sweet by corn syrup), Nirvana gummies contain 25mg of broad-spectrum CBD in each fruit-flavored gummy.
The bottle contains 20 servings and a mixture of Pineapple, Grape, Green Apple, Mixed Berries, and Watermelon flavours.
5. NuLeaf Naturals
NuLeaf Naturals CBD softgels aren't gummies, of course, but they are similar and very popular.
They are made from whole-plant extracts using organic and sustainable farming practices.
Nuleaf uses CO2 extraction to obtain the CBD, which does not require heat or solvents. This means that the entire spectrum of cannabinoids are retained in the blend.
Each softgel provides 30mg per serving of CBD.
The ingredients include Full Spectrum Hemp Extract, Organic Virgin Hemp Seed Oil, Cassava Root Extract, Purified Water, Vegetable Glycerin.
The NuLeaf range also includes CBD oils from 5ml to 100ml, and 240mg – 4850mg of CBD respectively. 1 drop is equal to 2.4mg of CDB.
NuLeaf is widely considered a high end product because of its extraction methods and purity. The brand has been popularized by the support of vegan influencer James Aspey.
Shipping is free within the USA.
6. Vegan AF – Sunday Scaries Gummies
These vegan CBD gummies are aimed at those suffering from anxiety, who also want a plant-based formula without any animal products.
Containing no THC and only full spectrum CBD oil along with organic sugar for sweetness, these gummies are also laced with vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3.
A great gummie and daily vitamin option.
Additionally, the SS tincture contains 10 mg of CBD per ⅓ dropper. They’ve also added in stevia to give it a little bit of sweetness while keeping it sugar-free.
You can add the tincture to your favorite smoothie for oral ingestion, or mix it into a cream or lotion for a topical application.
7. Green Gorilla Vegan Gummies
These pure hemp gummies provide 5 mg of CBD per gummy, and 60 chewable gummies per bottle.
You can choose from a variety of flavors, including strawberry, wild berry, and gorilla berry.
Each flavor uses organic fruits, extracts, and vegetable juices for a natural taste, without any artificial preservatives or additives.
CBD Gummies Vs. CBD Oil
CBD oil comes in a bottle and is often labeled as a tincture. It is taken sublingually, which means under the tongue. CBD gummies do contain oil but in a chewable, sweet type form.
Gummies have more ingredients, too, so if you have allergies you should check the label. Here are some of the differences and things to look out for:
- CBD gummies take longer to take effect than CDB oil. This is because the CBD oil is automatically absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Gummies generally taste better than oil because they are sweetened, either with sugar or natural sweetener such as sorbitol. The CBD oil can taste a little bitter, though some companies use flavorings to help with this.
- CBD gummies may contain sugar, whereas CBD oil does not. This might be an issue if you are diabetic.
- CBD gummies may contain gelatin, which is an animal derived product. A gummie could also contain beeswax or a colouring agent derived from ground up cochineal (a bug). All gummies on the list above are vegan.At the same time, you can find some similarities between them, like the inclusion of additives like melatonin or L-theanine, as well as a variety of different flavors to dilute hemp’s bitter flavor.
CBD Gummies In Summary
There are many studies emerging that support the effectiveness of CBD for generalized anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and sleep issues such as insomnia (8) (9) (10).
CBD has also been shown to help block negative memories, making CBD gummies a good option for those struggling from post-traumatic stress disorder (9).
The safety of this natural product makes it an ideal plant-based alternative to prescription medications, with which many side effects often occur.
Like all alternative, natural therapies, results will differ from person to person, and some may need a higher dose than others.
It's wonderful though that we are in a place where everyone has access to CDB products and can self-treat some of the most common conditions at a reasonable price.
Don't forget, if you're buying Joys or CBDFX, grab my promo codes to get an even bigger discount.
I just visited Kush Queen, and their gummies have gelatin in. Not vegan. 🙁
Jun 26, 2019 at 2:22 am
Hi Kat, the gummies are being upgraded to vegan but haven’t been released yet sadly. I just reached out to them again. Their tinctures are vegan. I have updated the list with this information. It’s great to hear that they are conscious of this and making the transition. Go for one of the others on the list in the meantime.
Jun 28, 2019 at 3:35 pm