CBD Coffee: Everything You Should Know

What’s better than waking up with a full-bodied cup of dark-roast coffee? How about a full-bodied cup of dark-roast CBD Coffee? You heard me right. CBD isn’t just for soft gels and oils anymore. You can now get your daily dose of CBD with your morning (and mid-afternoon) cup of coffee. The result is crisp alertness without the jitters normally associated with caffeine. 

Intrigued? In this post, we’re going to be answering a few questions, like,

• What is CBD?
• What is CBD coffee?
• How does it work?
• Where to find the best CBD-infused coffee

What is CBD?

CBD is short for cannabidiol one of the 113 known cannabinoids, or chemical compounds, present in cannabis and hemp plants. 

Cannabis? Doesn’t that have THC? 

Sure. While cannabis, and specifically marijuana, is famous for delta-9 THC’s intoxicating effects, hemp and CBD are non-psychoactive. That means consuming pure CBD won’t get you high.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD interacts with our bodies in a number of ways— the main being its effect on our endocannabinoid system— a network of receptors that helps our bodies regulate: 

• Sleep 
• Mood
• Stress
• General appetite and metabolism
• Memory and learning
• Inflammation

CBD mimics the endocannabinoids (endo- meaning internal) that our bodies naturally produce. Some believe that consuming CBD may help the endocannabinoid system run more efficiently.

What Is CBD Coffee?

CBD coffee is coffee, either whole-bean or ground, that’s infused with CBD extract and can be made in any number of ways. 

In coffee shops, you may see options to “add CBD shot” to your drink. This entails adding CBD oil to your drink, whatever that may be— espresso, cold brew, latte, you name it. It’s easy enough to do, but you may notice oil slicks on the surface of your drink because oil and water famously do not mix. You can also find CBD coffee available from certain retailers. A majority of products that you’ll find online are made by adding powdered CBD isolate to ground coffee. 

At Sunset Lake CBD, we infuse full-spectrum CBD extract into whole-bean coffee so that you reap the benefits of whole-plant cannabinoids and edible CBD!

What Does CBD Coffee Do?

Think about CBD coffee as a balancing act. Caffeine is a powerful stimulant (and one of the main reasons that we all get out of bed in the morning.) But, if you overindulge, you may find yourself jittery and overly anxious. 

CBD, on the other hand, helps us mellow out. Too much may make you feel sluggish and ready for a nap. 

The two complement each other quite well. CBD-infused coffee can give you the boost you need to start your day but without the jitters of normal coffee.

Related: CBD Chocolate: A Match Made In Heaven

How To Dose CBD Coffee?

Adding CBD Post-Brew

If you want to make your own CBD coffee, you’re going to need your very own CBD, whether it’s

• CBD Kief 
• CBD Oil 
• or CBD isolate powder for those wary of the trace amounts of THC in full-spectrum products

Measure out the amount you want to add to your coffee; we always recommend starting with a 25mg dose. Add the CBD to your cup prior, and pour your coffee. (Note: if you’re using kief to infuse your coffee— you need to make hot coffee. Otherwise, the necessary decarboxylation reaction won’t occur.)

Using Infused Beans

Some CBD-infused coffees are created with the perfect cup in mind; meaning each serving of ground coffee will contain roughly the same amount of CBD. No oil droppers or kitchen scales are required. Just grind, brew, and enjoy.

How To Find the Best CBD Coffee

To find the best CBD-infused coffee, you’re going to want to do a little bit of homework before you buy. First, ask yourself…

How did the roaster source these beans?

• Is your coffee packaged ground or whole bean? 
• Was it roasted as part of a small batch? 
• Is it from a single source or does the packaging not indicate it? 

Coffee connoisseurs will tell you that to truly experience coffee you should brew a single regional bean at a time and only grind your beans right before brewing.

How did the roaster source the CBD?

Finding out where your CBD comes from is just as important as making a good cup of coffee. You’ll want to make sure that the CBD originates from the United States. And, if you want to be more environmentally conscience, you should look for sungrown hemp. 

Do your research into the hemp farmer’s growing and labor practices. Made with love may be a cliché nowadays, but made with dignity certainly isn’t.

What Does the Certificate of Analysis Say?

When perusing coffee products, you’ll want to have a look at their certificate of analysis. This report, preferably produced by a neutral, third-party laboratory, will tell you if the amount of CBD advertised on the package is accurate or not. This is important, as a 2017 University of Pennsylvania study found that nearly 70% of CBD products were mislabeled when it came to their advertised potency. 

Read more: How To Read Your Certificate Of Analysis

About Sunset Lake’s CBD Coffee

We created our CBD coffee with the perfect morning cup in mind. Each 12-gram serving of whole beans contains 24mg of CBD. 

Not only that, but we grow our own hemp which we then use to infuse the coffee beans. And, as farmers, we take great care to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our soil, meaning we never use pesticides or harmful chemicals on our hemp. That’s why we partnered with a local coffee roaster that sources all of its beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified Farms. 

Read more: Rainforest Certified Coffee

How Do You Brew Sunset Lake’s CBD Coffee?

You can brew with any traditional method— drip, French press, pour-over, but we do recommend avoiding paper filters as they can filter out a portion of CBD before it reaches your cup. We recommend using reusable, metal mesh filters.

Sunset Lake’s CBD Coffee Lineup

Our CBD coffee availability is subject to change. Because we work with a local small-batch roaster, the availability of single-origin sourced beans changes. This does allow us to introduce new and exciting limited releases constantly— each with its own flavor profile and mouthfeel. You can now sign up for a CBD Coffee Subscription! 

We make our CBD coffee with help from Good Luck Coffee Roasters. With their extensive sourcing network, roasting knowledge, and determination, we’ve dialed in a roast that gave us a nice morning dose of CBD and tasted amazing.

Sources:

1. Marcel O. Bonn-Miller, Mallory J. E. Loflin, Brian F. Thomas, Jahan P. Marcu, Travis Hyke, Ryan Vandrey. Labeling Accuracy of Cannabidiol Extracts Sold Online. JAMA, 2017; 318 (17): 1708 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2017.11909