2022 buyer’s guide to CBD gummies available in the UK
Feel like you’ve been hearing CBD mentioned more and more over the last few years? You’re not imagining it.
Since bursting onto the UK scene after its legalisation in 2018, its popularity as a food supplement has exploded, with Brits consuming CBD to treat a range of ailments from chronic pain to depression and anxiety, to insomnia.
What is CBD - and will it get me high?CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is a cannabinoid extracted from the hemp plant. Unlike the cannabinoid THC - the type found in marijuana - it has no psychoactive effects, so it won’t get you high (or make you want to dive into a packet of crisps).
Rather, it’s said to work with the body’s endocannabinoid system to regulate functions like motor control, mood, and sleep. While there are trace amounts of THC found in the hemp plant, CBD products have to contain less than 0.2% THC to be legally sold in the UK.
Broad spectrum CBD vs isolate - what’s the difference?
Depending on how the CBD in your gummy has been extracted from the hemp, there may be other cannabinoids present in your dose. If there are, your CBD will likely be labelled ‘broad spectrum’ CBD.
These additional cannabinoids will work with the CBD to create a more noticeable effect, also known as the ‘entourage effect’. However, some people prefer to take CBD isolate, which means they’re taking pure, crystallised CBD, with not even trace amounts of THC.
While this can be a comfort if they’re frequently undergoing drug testing for sport or work, this means they won’t experience the entourage effect.
What are the benefits of CBD gummies?
CBD comes in a range of formats, from tinctures, to gels, to oils. However, as a food supplement, gummies have a range of benefits that cause many CBD users to choose them over alternative options:
- As with CBD capsules, you know exactly how much CBD you’re getting per sweet
- They’re easy to take, with no measuring required
- They don’t have the botanic, herbal taste that other hemp products can be known for
- They’re portable, so good for consuming on-the-go
How much CBD should you take?
The FSA recommends maxing your dose at 70mg of CBD per day. When starting out, it’s best to begin with a lower dosage, then slowly adjust depending on how your body responds. Of course, be sure to check with your medical professional before jumping in.
Which CBD gummy should you buy?
Due to their growing popularity, there’s an increasing number of CBD edibles to choose from. This can make it difficult to know where to start with the shopping process.
To point you in the right direction, we’ve worked through the options and weighed up the various selling points to bring you eight options for high-quality CBD gummies in the UK for 2022.
CBII CBD Gummies - 30 gummies - £34
CBII’s gummies come in a glass jar, with each sugar-coated cube containing a 25mg dose of broad-spectrum CBD. Fully vegan, and with no artificial preservatives, these gummies balance taste, texture and potency for a form of CBD that’s as clean as it is delicious.
Each jar contains 30 gummies in a mix of four flavours: watermelon, raspberry, tangerine, and lemon. Rather than relying on artificial colours, the sweets’ bright hues are gleaned from foods like turmeric, beetroot and carrot.
CBII’s CBD is extracted from Oregon-grown hemp. With Oregon being the most strictly regulated CBD market in the US, you can chew with ease knowing you’re consuming CBD from hemp that meets the highest standards.
From there, CBII uses a patented process to extract the CBD. Said to be gentler and cleaner than alternative methods, this process prevents damage to important parts of the plant, resulting in an extract that’s as close to nature as possible.
At £34 for 30 gummies, it’s easy to see why CBII tops the list for highest quality CBD gummies.
Read what others say here, here, here and here. Plus check out this article, and this review too.
Cannaray CBD Gummies - 30 gummies - £18
At just 10mg per gummy, Cannaray’s CBD edibles offer a dosage that’s lower than many alternatives on the list. However, if you’re just starting out with CBD, or you already use other CBD formats and simply use gummies as a top-up, they could be a good choice.
With a zesty orange flavour and a pleasant chewy jelly texture, these gummies are vegan, and come free of sulphates and GMOs. A triple-testing process ensures quality and safety, with the third-party lab reports available on Cannaray’s website.
It pays to note that instead of broad-spectrum CBD, these gummies contain CBD isolate. While this can be appealing for people who have to undergo drug testing, it means the gummies don’t include the beneficial mix of accompanying cannabinoids - such as CBN - that are responsible for producing the ‘entourage’ of potential benefits you’ll find with broad spectrum products.
Zen Bears CBD Gummies - 30 gummies - £39.95
Zen Bears has just one product in its line-up, and the clue’s in the name.
Their CBD gummy bears, which come in a mix of colours, offer 20mg of broad-spectrum CBD per sweet. They’re flavoured with natural extracts from ingredients such as elderflower, lemon, orange, raspberry and sour cherry. Sweep the reviews, and you’ll see that users consistently praise the delicious taste and authentic gummy bear texture.
But it’s not all about taste and looks: Zen Bears prides itself on its rigorous production process, labelling each jar with a unique batch number, so you can search their website for third party lab results that apply specifically to your batch.
Medterra CBD Gummies Keep Calm - 30 gummies - £34.99
With their fuss-free cube shape and singular tropical punch flavour, Medterra’s CBD gummies may look simple. However, within each sweet comes 25mg of CBD isolate, as well as beneficial ingredients turmeric and L-Theanine, with the aim of enhancing a sense of calm.
The taste and texture are also wholly pleasant, with a soft chew and gentle, not-too-sweet flavour. They’re also fully vegan, gluten-free, and devoid of artificial ingredients.
Excite CBD Gummies - 30 gummies - £54.95
Excite CBD is a family-run business based out of Glasgow, with a mission to make CBD as accessible to as many people as possible. As well as their offerings of CBD oil, vape liquid and cooling cream, they make brightly coloured gummy bears pumped with 25mg of CBD.
Using hemp sourced from organic farms in Colorado, the bears are infused with a tropical flavour. Fully vegan, the gummies use broad spectrum CBD to deliver a strong CBD experience. The one drawback is that, at £54.95 per jar, Excite CBD’s offering is one of the more expensive on the list.
CBDfx Multivitamin for Women/Men - 60 gummies - £50
These simple gummy discs, available for both men and women, might not offer the novelty shapes or fun flavours of other options on this list.
However, not only do they come packed with 25mg of broad-spectrum CBD; they’re also loaded with supporting vitamins specifically formulated to support the unique health needs of men’s and women’s bodies. Think vitamins A, C, D3, and E, as well as minerals like calcium and zinc.
Lab results are available on CBDfx’s website, guaranteeing consistency and quality from sweet to sweet.
Orange County CBD Gummy Bottles Grab Bag - 12 gummies - £10
Made with broad-spectrum CBD sourced in California, Orange County’s convenient ‘grab bag’ of bottle-shaped gummies is a good option for those who are perhaps new to CBD, and are wary of over-committing to a larger purchase.
With 16.6mg of CBD per bottle and just 12 bottles per bag, the gummies are flavoured with a mix of natural ingredients including elderflower, pineapple, blackberry, strawberry, orange, and lemon.
Orange County prints lab results on each pack for complete transparency, so you can easily check your specific pack’s potency and chemical make-up.
Swiss Peak CBD Gummy Strawberries - 25 gummies - £19.99-£28.99 (depending on strength)
Swiss Peak’s range of CBD edibles is packed with fun flavours and shapes, from cherries to bears, but it’s the strawberry sweets that we preferred. With a pleasant, sweet flavour and enjoyable, moreish chew, it’s difficult to stop at only one.
The gummies are available in three different strengths: 10mg, 25mg, and 50mg, meaning there’s an option for a range of CBD users’ preferences.
You’ll find lab analysis on Swiss Peak’s website.