A Cannabis Skeptic's Guide To CBD

One of Playboy’s go-to cannabis experts sifts through the over crowded CBD market

I’ve been smoking weed every day for more than a decade to manage anxiety and depression. Plus, I love the feeling. There’s no greater relief than your first inhale of great-tasting bud and the giggly relaxation that follows. So when CBD came on the scene, I was skeptical from the get-go.

What do you mean this is “high-less” cannabis? Wasn’t the high the point and the medical benefits a lucky bonus? But in the age of COVID-19, when the whole world mirrors my sweat-soaked anxiety dreams, I figure it’s finally time to give CBD a shot. After all, “weed lite’s” most popular use is for stress, so maybe it could help us all stop clenching our jaws and imagining the end of days.

Not all CBD products are created equal, but there are a few helpful things you can do while seeking the good stuff. As you explore, remember that the CBD experience is subtler than a difficult-t0-ignore THC high.

“This is definitely hard for people to wrap their heads around—especially THC consumers who typically equate cannabis with an immediate ‘feeling,’” Degelis “Dege” Tufts, CEO and co-founder of TribeTokes, tells me when I express my CBD skepticism. “An analogy I use to help people understand better is that you can’t always ‘feel’ Advil; you just feel generally better.” I’m intrigued; anything to help me cope with this new dystopian reality.

If you’re intrigued as well, consider following these five steps toward CBD mastery.

1. Investigate third-party testing.