I am not a doctor. Please do your own research before deciding if CBD is right for you, and talk to your doctor.
I became aware of CBD for chronic pain through an acquaintance who was kind enough to give me a small bottle of CBD tincture to try. This started me on a journey to figure out whether CBD works for me, and also to figure out the most effective way of ingesting it.
This post goes over the products I’ve tried and which ones I liked. To cut to the chase: My favorite CBD products are the vape pens from Select CBD.
(if you are new to CBD, I encourage reading this informative post on the CBD subreddit)
I tried the following products:
- Lazarus Naturals Standard Potency CBD Tincture
- Lazarus Naturals 25mg CBD Capsules
- Lazarus Naturals Lavender CBD Balm
- CBD Distillery Lavender Vanilla CBD Vape Pen
- Select CBD line of CBD vape pens (lavender, spearmint, peppermint and lemon)
I review these products under the cut.
Lazarus Naturals CBD Tincture
Does it help: yes, it makes my flares easier to deal with by making them more gradual, as well as helps some with fatigue and memory issues.
Pros: easy to use, easy to adjust dosage up or down depending on need
Cons: the taste. Making a smoothie is time consuming and not really what you want to drink in the middle of winter.
Lazarus Naturals CBD Capsules
How I used it: Take one every morning
Does it help: I did not notice the same level of difference as I did with tinctures. Because of this I did not restock once I was through my supply.
Pros: incredibly easy to use. Just take a capsule with water – can easily be incorporated in routine.
Cons: Difficult to adjust dosage unless you buy multiple packs of different potencies, which gets pricey. Also, did not really work for me.
Lazarus Naturals CBD Balm
How I use it: rub a small amount on my hands (fingers, wrists) on days when they hurt.
Does it help: the lavender scent is soothing but I don’t notice a decrease in pain. Also, the balm hardens to the point of being very difficult to work when it gets cold, which is also when I am most likely to be in pain. It’s sometimes not worth it to try and use it.
Pros: smells good, a little lasts a long way.
Cons: hardens too much when it gets cold for easy use. Not effective for me.
CBD Distillery Vape Pen (lavender vanilla)
How I use it: take a single hit up to three times a day, starting at around 9am. If I have a particularly challenging task that day, I will vape right before that task.
Does it help: YES. This was my first foray into vaping and I was surprised at how much this helps me. My mind was clearer and my focus was back.
Pros: easy to use and carry
Cons: does not really taste like lavender vanilla. Also, this may just be because I don’t smoke but it’s rare for me to be able to take this without getting some throat irritation. It’s just a mild inconvenience though.
Select CBD Vape Pens (lemon, lavender, spearmint, peppermint)
How I use it: a single hit up to three times a day, starting at around 9am. If I have a particularly challenging task that day, I will vape right before that task.
Does it help: Yes. There are different flavors based on what you need (revive, focus, relax) and they do seem to make a difference. The revive (lemon) flavor has helped me get through a couple of difficult days.
Pros: easy to use and carry, actually tastes as advertised, does not irritate my throat as much as the other vape pen I have tried.
Cons: Still irritates the throat a little if you’re not used to smoking/vaping. Also, all the pens look alike so if you have many, you can’t differentiate between flavors. I put stickers on mine but they fall off easily.
