Is it me, or are all of my friends eating gluten-free as of late? First, it was just my one friend with celiac disease, and now almost all of them have joined the trend. Whether they cut gluten for overall health or due to an intolerance, I just couldn’t get my gluten-free friends to try one of my CBD gummies!
Until they pointed it out, I had no idea there was gluten in the CBD products I was buying. After a lot of research, I finally found out everything I needed to know to help my friends and others find gluten-free CBD solutions for pain, anxiety, overall wellness and more.
What is Gluten?
If you’re gluten-free already, you probably know this already so feel free to skip ahead. If you’re curious or considering, this may be worth reading. Simply put, gluten is a general categorization for any of the proteins commonly found in:
- wheat
- rye
- barley
- semolina
- durum
- farro
- farina
- and more…
While it may sound as simple as avoiding a bowl of Beef Barley soup, it’s not. Due to their cheap cost, food producers love using these products in everything. It’s not just bread, pasta, and breakfast cereals you need to watch out for, because gluten is hiding in products ranging from salad dressings to CBD gummies!
What is CBD?
If you already know the difference between THC and CBD, you could probably skip ahead. If you’re curious or considering, this may be worth reading. While tetrahydrocannabinol, a.k.a. THC is the naturally occurring compound in marijuana that gets the most attention since it’s responsible for the high feeling, it’s not the only useful compound in the plant. The major non-psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is called cannabidiol, a.k.a. CBD, and it’s one of over 100 different cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.
In recent years, CBD has been the subject of a ton of medical research regarding its ability to fight pain, inflammation, anxiety, seizures, and more. Just like most over the counter remedies, it’s available in many forms, offering CBD consumers a ton of choice when it comes to picking products.
Common Types of CBD Products
When it comes to getting your daily dose of cannabidiol, there are a few common ways to ingest it, including:
- Isolates
- Sublingual drops, tinctures, and strips
- Edible gummies, chews, and snacks
- Topical creams, salves, and lotions
- Vaporization of oils, herbs, and concentrates
- Drinkable waters, sodas, and teas
Since the focus of this guide is to help consumers find the best gluten-free CBD options, we’re going to go one by one through the various consumption methods.
Gluten-Free CBD Isolates
While CBD isolates may sound really scary, CBD isolate is essentially just cannabidiol in its purest chemical form.
When isolate products are purchased from or manufactured by trustworthy companies, CBD isolate products contain no additives, no contaminants, and literally nothing but what you’re looking for – CBD. That means no THC, which means no psychoactive high feelings whatsoever. The best thing about isolates, however, is that you have the flexibility to make your own CBD anything!
Gluten-Free Sublingual CBD Drops, Tinctures, and Strips
Sure, pure CBD capsules are available, but not everyone likes swallowing pills. If you don’t take them with a meal you can get an upset stomach, and it makes others feel like they’re going to choke. These reasons, and the fact that flavorless CBD drops can be mixed into almost anything make sublinguals, a.k.a. tinctures the most popular way to consume CBD.
When it comes to gluten-free CBD drops with flavor, there are a couple different products I like. If you’re the CBD consumer that likes a drop in the morning or a drop before bed, you can never go wrong with Remedi’s peppermint flavored CBD Essential Drops which come in three different dosages.
If you’re looking for sublingual strips, you’ll want to go with CanaGel’s Hemp Oil Gel Melts. Lab tests have shown them to be one of the most bioavailable CBD products on the market, and their fresh minty flavor makes them almost like a Listerine strip.
Not only have I tried and tested all of the products above, but my gluten-free friends have approved them all given their simple, all-natural formulations.
Gluten-Free CBD Edible Gummies, Chews, and Snacks
If you’re the type of adult that still takes Flintstones vitamins, this may be the CBD consumption method for you. CBD edibles come in all shapes and sizes, offering consumers a variety of CBD-infused products to help them get their daily dose.
For those who eat gluten-free, however, this category can be one of the most dangerous given the widespread use of glutenous ingredients in foods these days.
If you’re looking for gluten-free CBD gummies, be sure to steer clear of Diamond CBD’s Chill Gummies. In addition to the high amounts of sugar and corn syrup, there’s wheat in them! Try checking out Remedi’s Organic Daytime CBD Gummies and Nighttime CBD Gummies. Each gummy has approximately 5 mg of 99% pure CBD isolate, and absolutely no gluten!
If gummies are too boring for you though, you may want to look at other CBD-infused snacks. Sure, there are snacks out there like CBD cake pops, but anyone who’s passed Gluten 101 should know that these are a no-no. Instead, you’ll want to look towards snacks like Jay’s CBD Potato Chips if you want a gluten-free CBD snack that’s to die for.
Gluten-Free Topical Creams, Salves, and Lotions
If the products above don’t tickle your fancy, creams, and salves may be the way to go. For those wondering how there can be gluten in beauty products, it’s hiding in confusing ingredients like Triticum vulgare which comes from wheat and Hordeum vulgare which comes from barley.
For those wondering if gluten can be absorbed through your skin, the answer is no according to the Mayo Clinic. That being said, gluten in beauty products can be a huge problem if they’re accidentally ingested or if the person using them has a gluten-linked skin disorder like dermatitis herpetiformis.
If you’re a gluten-free risk taker who wants to run the risk of accidental ingestion, then Biotech CBD Cream products should be fine. Those looking for something truly gluten-free should beware though, as a deeper dive into the ingredients shows the presence of a form of Vitamin E called Tocopherol Acetate which is often derived from wheat.
To be truly safe, check out Alpha Natural Health’s Organic Hemp Extract Pain Relief Cream which is an analgesic formula organic hemp extract as well as other ingredients that help to stop you from hurting. If you aren’t looking for pain relief, but rather just a CBD topical lotion with a high rate of absorbency and bioavailability, check out the blood orange scented topical CBD lotions from Remedi.
Gluten-Free CBD Concentrates, Vapes and Herbs
These products should all be extremely pure. If a CBD concentrate is truly a concentrate (such as CBD isolate mentioned above), then there shouldn’t be a trace of gluten.
Just because they’re all gluten-free doesn’t mean they’re all good! So, while you’re here, I might as well walk you through my favorite CBD vapes and concentrates. When I want a CBD-infused pick-me-up, I go with the White Remedi Plus essential vape pen. When I want a CBD-infused wind-down helper, I switch to my Black Remedi Plus essential vape pen.
Then there’s also high-CBD hemp buds, which look like marijuana but contain almost 0% THC. While hemp buds tend to appeal to the doobie smokers of yesteryear who want the looks of a joint but the benefits of CBD, more and more people are taking a toke now that they’re more readily available.
If you’re interested in trying hemp buds but don’t know how to roll, try Plain Jane’s odorless Hemp PreRolls.
Gluten-Free CBD Waters, Sodas, and Teas
Last but not least, there are CBD-infused drinkables. They’re newer and less widespread than edibles, but the same risk of stumbling across hidden gluten still applies.
As most gluten-free folks are extremely health conscious on all fronts, you’d probably reach for the water bottle even if soda were an option. If that’s the case, you’ll probably like Gridiron BioNutrient’s CBD H2O.
If water is too boring for you, maybe one of the blends of CBD tea from Buddha Teas will do the trick.
If hot beverages aren’t your thing and soda is what you really crave, then reach for a can of Rocky Mountain High’s CBD Energy Drink. They’re totally gluten-free and contain no high fructose corn syrup.
Conclusion
The number of people eating gluten-free is on the rise, no matter the reason behind it. As these trends develop, it’s nice to see that some companies in the CBD space are taking notice and offering products that gluten-free consumers can enjoy without worrying. That being said, the majority of CBD companies use cheap ingredients just like other food and snack companies do, leading to a perilous environment for anyone looking to purchase gluten-free CBD. To be safe, stick to the products above, and there won’t be a problem.
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