Regarding trends in formats, Nicole Brown, chief innovation officer at US cannabinoid supplier Open Book Extracts (OBX), has seen some significant shifts. “Tinctures were the foundation for the sector,” she says. “But now, nothing is more popular than gummies. Here, there’s been an explosion of growth, with different flavours, but also in combination with companion ingredients, such as vitamins or nootropics. Of course, there are capsules and tablets, too,” she adds, pointing out that these formats, like gummies, help to make the dosage very clear to consumers.
now, nothing is more popular than gummies
“The other large category to watch is beverages, from energy drinks to sports beverages,” says Brown. “Whether ready-to-drink or soluble tablets, I think beverages are going to be one of the largest categories for CBD.” Another major shift has taken place around dosage levels. “A 10mg dose used to be fairly standard,” she says. “But now, 20-30mg is more standard, and is closer to an efficacious dosage.” On this question of dosage, Reeves, who is also a consultant to OBX, does identify one potential risk, as the awareness and popularity of CBD grows. He sees examples of the ingredient being declared on a product, and being used to sell it, where the dosage level is far from being efficacious. “I’m keen to see CBD used in meaningful ways, in a meaningful dosage, not just as a way of marketing other products,” he says. In the future, other options for effective formulation might include the use of CBD in combination with another cannabinoid, cannabinol (CBN). Reeves reports that the UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) looked at this recently, and concluded that the compound is ‘not intoxicating’. “Consumers may derive some benefits from this pairing, which could be relevant across the EU, too, where it is already available to consumers,” he says.
Consumers turning to CBD gummies for sleep