I Drank CBD Coffee for a Week. Here’s What It Did to My Anxiety. The highs and lows you should know about before you try it. Health and wellness touch each of us differently. This is one person’s story. Even if marijuana is legal in your state, it continues to be illegal under federal law. Cannabidiol (CBD), the compound in cannabis that doesn’t get you high, is popping up in everything from salads to sundaes. According to studies, CBD may tout several therapeutic benefits, including decreasing anxiety, reducing seizures, and minimizing inflammation. As someone who lives with anxiety, I’m personally most interested in the anti-anxiety factor. Although you can take CBD several ways, from vaping to gummies, one unique way to consume CBD is through coffee. Proponents, like Craig Leivent, PharmD, co-owner of Flower Power Coffee Co. (a maker of CBD-infused coffee and edibles), say that the combination of CBD and coffee will give you the alertness of coffee but without the jitters.

But High Times magazine, which covers all things marijuana-related, thinks the idea was ridiculous. Their logic makes sense: If CBD is known to make you sleepy, wouldn’t it fight with the caffeine and leave you groggy? Bonni Goldstein, MD, a California-based physician who specializes in cannabinoid therapy, is also skeptical. Especially when it comes to proper dosage and the temperature of coffee. "Those who want to use CBD for serious medical conditions, such as seizure disorders or inflammation from autoimmune disorders, should not take CBD in this manner, as accurate CBD dosing is extremely important for efficacy in these types of illnesses," Goldstein says. Goldstein also adds that a recent study looking at CBD stability in cannabis tea found that temperature affects CBD content, "meaning the milligram amount of CBD someone might require for his or her condition will not be consistent when delivered in a heated drink," she explains. But some people are really loving CBD coffee. Ian Ford, owner of Caffeine Underground, a coffee shop in Brooklyn, New York, says that since he started selling the brew, business is booming.

It’s becoming so trendy, even Willie Nelson has launched his own CBD java. So we decided to test it for ourselves. If I drink CBD coffee for five days, will I be able to work? Will it still curb anxiety, even though coffee may increase it? Can I stay focused? For this trial, I used CBD-infused ground coffee from Flower Power Coffee Co. I made this decision completely based on convenience. There are two nearby cafes in Brooklyn serving and selling bags of the Vitality Vibes Brand. However, there are numerous CBD coffee products on the market I was interested in trying, including the Wellness Blend from New Hampshire-based Vera Roasting Company, which was founded by a professor of organic chemistry. It’s also important to note that as part of my daily routine, I strictly limit my coffee intake to two or three medium cups a day and absolutely no coffee after 2 p.m. Since instilling this strict cut-off time what happened yesterday and how I may have taken too much. She suggests spacing out the doses more, waiting at least three hours between each serving. As I finish my latte, I feel great: super alert, but surprisingly calm. And I figure out what the sensation was that I couldn’t nail down from yesterday. Just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to make you feel like you’re under the influence of a drug.