It’s been a long time since we’ve witnessed an innovation in the CBD industry that would make such big headlines as CBD honey sticks.
We’ve already seen some fruits of the creative minds on the market — with products like gummies, vape pens, and bath bombs grabbing CBD users by the throat.
But mixing honey with CBD?
Somebody really deserves a medal for that.
Hemp and honey are two well-known superfoods that provide a plethora of health benefits on their own. When you combine them in one product, you’re getting a 100% guilt-free CBD edible that doesn’t come with any artificial flavorings, colorings, and whatnot.
It’s just pure honey mixed with CBD to offer you the best of both worlds.
But what exactly are CBD honey sticks? How are they different from CBD oils and other formats?
And finally, where should you look for the best CBD honey sticks near you?
Scroll down to find out!
What Is a CBD Honey Stick?
As you may guess by the name, a CBD honey stick is a straw-filled with CBD-infused honey that you can suck directly from the tube or add into beverages such as tea, coffee, cocktails, drinks, and more. You can even infuse a whole meal with CBD honey sticks — it’s versatility at its finest.
There are two types of CBD honey sticks depending on the type of honey: the liquid kind and the solid one.
Solid CBD honey sticks are like hard candy, while the liquid kind is basically just CBD-infused honey contained in a tube. In this article, we’ll focus on the liquid CBD honey straws, as they come with fewer additives and are easier to find online or somewhere nearby.
CBD Honey Sticks: Effects & Benefits
Let’s break down this section into three parts: the benefits of CBD, the benefits of honey, and the perks that come with using CBD honey sticks in your daily routine.
The Health Benefits of CBD
CBD modulates the functioning of arguably the most important regulatory network in humans — the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS helps the body maintain the balance between its essential functions, including memory, mood, pain perception, sleep cycles, reproduction, body temperature, appetite, immune response, and more.
When you take CBD in a honey stick, it will signal the ECS to produce more of its natural chemical messengers (endocannabinoids) that repair imbalances in the aforementioned functions. Since the ECS is not a self-reliant system — endocannabinoids have a short lifespan and aren’t stored for later — it uses CBD to strengthen its structures and improve performance. This, in turn, contributes to our well being.
Studies show that CBD can:
- Reduce anxiety (1)
- Improve your response to stress
- Mediate psychotic behaviors (2)
- Lower inflammation (3)
- Relieve pain (4)
- Reduce swelling
- Regulate appetite
- Reduce nausea and vomiting (5)
- Prevent neurodegeneration (6)
- Suppress seizure activity (7)
- Enhance focus
On top of that, CBD interacts with other cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp, creating the ‘entourage effect’ and making whole-plant extracts more effective than their isolated counterparts.
The Health Benefits of Honey
Honey has been used in folk medicine throughout history thanks to a wide range of health benefits and therapeutic users. Many of these health benefits are attributed to unpasteurized (or raw) honey.
Here are some health benefits honey has to offer:
- A decent source of antioxidants
- Has antibacterial and antifungal properties
- Can speed up the healing of wounds
- Contains impressive amounts of phytonutrients
- May help with digestive issues
- Soothes a sore throat
What Perks do CBD Honey Sticks Offer?
Aside from giving you the best of both worlds when it comes to the therapeutic value of CBD and honey, CBD honey sticks offer a few practical benefits.
First, they are easy to throw in a bag and carry around when you’re on-the-go. People live in a rush today, so many of us are looking for a convenient solution to deliver our daily dose of CBD. Honey sticks are perfect for the job.
This is also one of the most versatile CBD products on the market. You can eat straight from the tube, but if you like cooking with cannabis, you will discover the whole world of opportunities when it comes to using CBD in meals. CBD honey sticks are a decent source of infusion, especially if your recipes don’t contain fats and call for other forms of CBD than cannabutter or CBD coconut oil.
Last but not least, CBD honey sticks are simply delicious. If you don’t like the taste of CBD oil and prefer healthy snacks, this form of CBD will be your best bet.
What is Better: CBD Honey Sticks or CBD Oil?
It depends on individual factors, so we’ll break them down for you here.
Why Some People May Choose CBD Oil over CBD Honey Sticks?
There’s a reason why CBD oil is the most commonly chosen product. Since cannabinoids are fat-soluble (they dissolve in fats), and CBD extracts are suspended in carrier oils, they offer higher bioavailability than oral forms. While capsules, which also use carrier oils to increase the product’s volume, offer up to 20% bioavailability, products like gummies come with 6–8%. The bioavailability of CBD oil has been measured at around 35%.
CBD oil is taken under the tongue, so by absorbing it into the tiny capillaries in your mouth, it avoids the first-pass metabolism in the liver. This means you’re getting more CBD into your bloodstream, but you’ll also experience the calming effects of CBD faster than with honey sticks. CBD oils usually produce their effects within 15–20 minutes after consumption.
Besides, CBD oil offers you more freedom when it comes to dosing. This form of CBD uses a glass dropper to help you measure out a precise amount of milligrams, leaving less room for error.
Why Some People May Choose CBD Honey Sticks over CBD Oil?
Speaking of dosage, one person’s blessing can be another person’s curse. If you live a busy life, CBD oils may be problematic when it comes to your daily routine. Playing with the dropper each time you need to take your dose is anything but convenient, so some people may prefer a less messy form such as CBD honey sticks, capsules, or gummies. Such products offer a fixed-dose per serving, taking away a lot of guesswork.
Another reason why people may choose CBD honey sticks over CBD oil is the lack of botanical aftertaste. Honey does a decent job at making it so that you can actually enjoy your treat. And if you don’t like to eat honey on its own, CBD honey sticks can spice up your cooking sessions. Just make sure not to exceed certain temperatures if you want to preserve the health benefits of honey. On the other hand, if you use it only as a sweetener, you can use it for baking, as CBD has a degradation point of approximately 180 degrees Celsius.
As an oral product, CBD honey sticks have a slower onset than oil, but on the other hand, the effects are longer lasting because CBD is gradually released by the liver into the bloodstream. Most people use them twice a day for consistent results.
Where to Buy CBD Honey Sticks Near Me?
CBD honey sticks are a relatively novel product. You can find them locally in cannabis dispensaries, CBD specialty stores, vape shops, and head shops. However, most CBD honey sticks are available online, which is our preferred way of shopping — and for a good reason.
Online stores have a few advantages over local retailers. To begin with, they don’t have to deal with the costs of running a traditional storefront, which allows them to offer better prices for their products. Online shops provide regular discounts, bulk pricing, reward programs, and seasonal coupon codes, making CBD more affordable.
When you shop for CBD locally, you usually need to go from one store to another if you want to compare different products and prices. This isn’t a problem with online retailers; when you shop for CBD online, you can do it even at 2 am in your pajamas, placing orders in the comfort of your home. Of course, it may take 3–5 days before your honey sticks are delivered, but the quality is usually worth the time if you find a trustworthy source.
Speaking of which, it’s easier to do your research on any company selling CBD online. You can read user reviews, check third-party lab reports, or read expert blogs if you want to get a bigger picture of your potential supplier. When you buy CBD locally, you need to rely on the store owner’s recommendations, so your research options are limited.
Our Favorite CBD Honey Sticks: Gold Bee
CBD is a hot topic these days due to its massive range of health benefits. Everybody wants to capitalize on the booming market, but not everybody wants to play the game by the rules. There are a lot of great CBD brands out there, but there’s an equal number of fly-by-night companies looking for a quick buck.
According to statistical reports, around 70% of CBD products sold online are mislabeled. Some of them contain less CBD than advertised, while others are downright dangerous due to the presence of contaminants.
Finding a trustworthy source of CBD is paramount for the product’s efficacy and safety.
Gold Bee is a relatively young CBD brand that has already made big headlines due to how it makes its products. The founders of the company are both cannabis advocates and superfoods entrepreneurs; after spending several years in the superfoods industry, they have decided to carry their experience over to the CBD market in order to raise its quality standards.
Gold Bee specializes in making all-organic CBD products, from oils to capsules to edibles like gummies and CBD honey sticks. The honey sticks are the company’s signature product. They contain a broad-spectrum CBD extract and organic honey sourced from Brazillian rainforests. Each honey stick carries a convenient dose of 10 mg CBD; the flavor is spot on, the sticks taste delicious and natural. The ‘broad-spectrum’ means that the extract contains all the non-psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes from hemp but without any traces of THC.
The product’s CBD content and purity are confirmed by the batch-specific Certificate of Analysis (CoA), which the company provides on request.
How to Use CBD Honey Sticks?
It’s simple, you can eat them right from the straw or add them to your favorite beverages, such as tea, coffee, or herbal infusions. As mentioned, if you use CBD honey sticks as a sweetener, you can make your own CBD edibles. They will be much healthier than most commercially available CBD gummies or cookies.
Raw CBD honey sticks can be drizzled over a salad, mixed into cereal or yogurt, moisturize your lips, and even reduce the pain of stings and burns when you apply them to the skin.
When do CBD Honey Sticks Start Working?
It depends on how you eat your honey sticks. When you suck the CBD-infused honey straight from the straw, some of the CBD may absorb into the bloodstream through the blood vessels in your mouth. From there, the first effects should take hold within 15–30 minutes. However, you won’t experience the entire potential of CBD until most of its content gets metabolized in the liver and released into the circulatory system. As an oral product, CBD honey sticks have an estimated onset of 40–90 minutes.
How Long do CBD Honey Sticks Last?
When you vape CBD liquid or take CBD oil, the CBD is absorbed in once and the effects act faster. However, they also last shorter than those provided by oral products. That’s because the CBD from honey sticks is released into the bloodstream gradually. Thus, the effects may last up to 10 hours. A similar pattern applies to CBD capsules and gummies.
Dosage: How Many CBD Honey Sticks per Day?
CBD products aren’t regulated, so there are no official dosage guidelines in place. CBD brands provide their own recommendations based on the serving size of the product and its potency; you can use them to get a point of reference when it comes to your initial dosage.
Because CBD honey sticks are prepackaged, you know the exact amount of CBD you’re getting in each straw. Using dosage instructions from the package should help you figure out the right dosage for yourself.
It is generally recommended to start with 1–5 milligrams of CBD per every 10 pounds of the body weight. These recommendations are based on the guidelines for people who want CBD use to improve the overall quality of life.
Long story short, a systematic trial-and-error-method is the best way to find a precise dose that works for you.
Side Effects: Are CBD Honey Sticks Safe?
CBD and honey are both safe and beneficial for humans. CBD is well tolerated in doses of up to 1,500 mg daily, with no life-threatening side effects.
That being said, taking large amounts of CBD at a time may result in:
- Dry mouth
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Changes in appetite
- Diarrhea
In addition, CBD can interfere with your liver’s ability to break down the active ingredients of pharmaceutical medications. It does it by inhibiting the CYP450, which is a system of enzymes involved in breaking down these pharmaceuticals. We strongly advise you to consult a doctor experienced in CBD use to avoid the potential interactions and find the best dosage for your situation.
Final Verdict: Should You Try CBD Honey Sticks?
Much as we’re skeptical towards certain ‘innovations’ on the market, we must admit that CBD honey sticks really deserve the hype they’re getting. Not only do they provide a fun way to consume CBD, but they also make your sweet treats guilt-free. There are no added sugars, no colorings, no preservatives — just two organic superfood ingredients.
CBD honey sticks are also easy to make at home, but before you put all the time and effort into making your own CBD edibles, we suggest buying the premade version first. Your local dispensary or a trusted online store should carry some high-quality CBD honey sticks. This way, you can see how often you actually use honey sticks and if this consumption method suits you in the first place.
Be sure to check for third-party lab reports each time you’re shopping for CBD. It’s the only way to weed out poor-quality products from the top-shelf CBD.
Did you try CBD honey sticks? What is your stance on this type of CBD: thumbs up or thumbs down? Let us know in the comment section.
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- Fernández-Ruiz, Javier et al. “Cannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid?.” British journal of clinical pharmacology vol. 75,2 (2013): 323-33. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04341.x
- Lattanzi, Simona et al. “Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol in Epilepsy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Drugs vol. 78,17 (2018): 1791-1804. doi:10.1007/s40265-018-0992-5