The Big Problem With CBD-Infused Alcoholic Drinks
CBD (or cannabidiol) is currently all the rage. The "second most prevalent of the active ingredients of cannabis," CBD is derived from the hemp plant and is loved for its many medicinal uses, though it does not cause a "high" on its own (via Harvard Health). CBD is used often for treating epilepsy and seizures, but is also used for less severe afflictions, such as anxiety and chronic pain.
Aside from readily available CBD products like gummies, tinctures, and powders, you've probably seen the option to add CBD to your coffee at your local shop, which can be beneficial in helping you relax and focus (via Chicago Tribune). Adding CBD to juice or coffee is a great way to incorporate it into your life. But a newer and not-so-healthy trend takes CBD, which is considered a wellness product, and combines it with other products that are not symbols for wellness.
Why marketing CBD-infused alcohol as healthy is a problem
It seems that no matter where you look, healthier living trends are everywhere, and big brands have taken notice. Products traditionally not associated with wellness are now incorporating CBD to try and appeal to those with wellness in mind. Examples of this include hard kombucha and CBD-infused alcohol. The problem is that simply adding CBD doesn't make a product or ingredient any healthier, so it shouldn't be marketed as such.
Alcohol by default is not healthy and does not promote wellness — adding CBD doesn't change that fact. The issue, aside from what is essentially false advertising, is that by encouraging people to purchase CBD-infused alcohol with the premise that it's "healthier" can negatively affect their relationship with alcohol and cause some serious problems down the road. "Alcohol is alcohol is alcohol—it doesn't matter what's in it," Dr. Mark Willenbring, psychiatrist and medical director of Alltyr Clinic, told Thrillist. "These drinks are trying to sell something that's essentially unhealthy and put a healthy veneer on it." As always, the best idea is to know exactly what's in whatever you're consuming, how it may or may not affect you, and to consume it responsibly.