CBD is a cannabinoid compound, but it's not the chemical in cannabis that causes a high. CBD is a cannabinoid compound, but it's not the chemical in cannabis that causes a high.
There is CBD wine, skin care, oils and drops and now the cannabis-derived product is appearing in jelly beans.
The product, a mash-up of an "adult" chemical compound - CBD - and a staple of childhood, has been so popular that the company that created it, Spectrum Confections, helmed by Jelly Belly inventor David Klein, sold out.
CBD is a cannabinoid compound, but it's not the chemical in cannabis that causes a high. Short for cannabidiol, it acts on different parts of your nervous system than does THC, which is the chemical associated with a marijuana high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In short, CBD: no high. THC: potential for high.
The product has grown in popularity in the past few years and has been touted as a potential treatment for anxiety, seizures, insomnia and even cancer. One study published in 2017, found that children with Dravet syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy, saw the number of seizures drop from 12.4 to 5.9 over the course of a month.
The Food and Drug Administration responded in June by approving a purified form of the drug for use to treat these conditions.
Klein, who did not respond to requests for comment sent to his company, told Cannabis Aficionado, which first reported the story, that he had recently learned of the popularity and benefits of CBD.
"And I said to myself, 'Is anybody doing a jelly bean with CBD?'" he told the publication. "I could not find any."
Klein created Jelly Belly in 1976 with an $800 investment and no credit cards, Cannabis Aficionado notes. But he sold his rights four years later - and has recently called the decision a "mistake." In 2016, he was running Candyman Kitchens, an online outlet that sold various candy products and gimmicks, like candy blood, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Klein started a kickstarter to raise $10,000 to market caffeinated jelly beans in coffee flavors like caffe macchiato.
Spectrum Confections sells the CBD jelly beans in 38 flavors such as toasted marshmallow, piña colada and strawberry cheesecake. It also sells sour and sugarless versions. The company's website admits that CBD doesn't always have the "best taste."
Each jelly bean has about 10 mg of CBD in it.
"If people want a small dose, they eat one," Klein told Cannabis Aficionado. "If they want 20 mg, they can eat two. They can decide what their proper dosage is."
Klein told the website that he doesn't want to make any unfounded health claims about his new product but is sure that it "will help the world."