It was our monthly ladies’ dinner, and I’d come with a fun new party favor. Some people might have brought a bottle of mezcal or, in certain circles, some pot. Me? I brought a bottle of CBD oil to put on the celery-date salad.
You’ve probably been hearing a lot about CBD oil recently. The THC-free cannabis sativa oil, derived from the hemp plant, has been purported to reduce anxiety, pain, and inflammation, fight cancer and Alzheimer’s, and basically chill you out—but not get you high. I heard about it through the women at CAP Beauty, my source for superfoods, matcha toys, and pricey-but-worth-it organic skincare.
The Daily Hit, their entry to the CBD category, is cannabis sativa oil in an avocado and coconut oil base, laced with adaptogenic herbs and mushrooms like reishi and schisandra berry to boost immunity, sea pearl for glowy skin, and mucuna puriens for a glowy mood. At $96 for 3.3 oz., it might make you levitate for other reasons. They recommend a half-teaspoon a day in smoothies, on soups or salads, or “your favorite tonics.” (Cool, except I don’t have one.)
Back to the ladies. Perhaps because of the oolong-gin cocktail made by the hostess, I forgot to bring it to the table with the salad. (I didn’t feel comfortable dosing the whole bowl without asking everyone’s permission.) And so, before dessert, one friend and I did micro shots. For those used to the sour flavors of herbs, the musky dustiness of Chinese herbs, and the flax-like flavor of hemp, this wasn’t so bad. Had I put it on the salad, no one would have noticed.
The next morning, my co-doser texted to say that she’d had the best sleep in ages. Come to think of it, I’d slept through the night, too, which never happens anymore. And so, for the last month, rather than drizzle this precious oil into and on things, I’ve taken a half-teaspoonful before bed. My sleep has been deeper, and I’ve been rolling with stress-y things more easily during the day. I haven’t had the appetite bump that some mention, since I take it before bed, though I have had some of the tummy, um, moments that I’ve read about online. Inspired by this article about how the oil got one man off of painkillers, I’m going to buy a bottle for my mom, who has chronic pain and inflammation. And if you come over for dinner, you might just get some on your salad. Remind me.