As a writer covering the cannabis space, a trend I have been especially leery of is CBD. In hipster-friendly NYC, CBD is EVERYWHERE. Yoga class, spas, makeup, smoothies, pop-up shops, mocktails, CBD dinners, the list goes on and on and people are shelling out a bunch of bones to jump on the bandwagon.
For example, a co-worker recently told me about a friend of hers who had attended a canna-yoga class (a bit of a lie from the top since only medical cannabis is legal in NY), and that all they did was put on CBD cream and do yoga. But, that friend of hers had paid a lot of money for that yoga class.
While researching this piece I did for Civilized, Hemp CBD is Now Legal, But Is It More Than Just A Trend, I confess, I caved. I bought one of the products, an eyebrow gel mentioned in the article because, as long as I’m confessing, finding an eyebrow product that matches my hair is a real chore, so I’m always on the hunt.
The reviews were glowing. Women were so excited for their new CBD eyebrow gel and mascara to help their eyebrows and eyelashes grow, and to make them thicker and more lustrous. And the mainstream press slobbered over it as a new and daring CBD product.
But guess what? There is no CBD at all in the product I bought, or the mascara. It’s hemp seed oil, which I can buy in a giant bottle at Whole Foods for ten bucks. And my eyebrows, while I cannot say that they haven’t grown more full and lustrous, I also can’t say that they have.
Now that the 2018 Farm Bill has been signed, I’m hoping that there will finally be some smart oversight on the hemp CBD industry, and customers can actually know what they’re paying for.