9 Best CBD Capsules for Pain
Updated: May 19, 2021
Capsules make it easier to get the right dose of CBD. Here are CBD capsules that meet our experts' quality standards.
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Using CBD capsules
Considering CBD oil for pain? Capsules are arguably the most convenient way to take it. Unlike CBD oil and CBD tinctures, CBD capsules offer a standard dose of cannabidiol without the hassle of calculating or measuring.
“There’s a lot of control over the product and it’s easy for a consumer to control and utilize,” says Martin A. Lee, co-founder and director of Project CBD, a California nonprofit that promotes CBD research, and author of Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana–Medical, Recreational and Scientific.
“Overall, we’re not hearing that people are taking CBD-rich gel capsules and having problems,” says Lee, adding that capsules are his preferred method for taking CBD.
Track your progress
“Before anyone pours CBD onto their entire life, you should really think about what you’re taking it for, why you’re taking it, and when you’re taking it,” says Jahan Marcu, PhD, founding partner of cannabis consultancy Marcu & Arora and editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Endocannabinoid Medicine.
Marcu and other experts suggest you should keep your doctor in the loop if you decide to start taking CBD capsules for pain.
Consumers should “approach CBD and these products as they would other medications, in the sense that they may work and they may not,” says Kevin Boehnke, PhD, a research investigator at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Center at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor.
Boehnke recommends working with your doctor to set treatment goals, and keeping track of your CBD dosage and your day-to-day symptoms.
What to look for
If you live in a state where marijuana is legal and regulated, you can be confident that CBD capsules and other products sold by licensed businesses have been tested for potency and thoroughly screened for contamination, Lee says. “If you’re not in a state with those laws, you still have options,” he adds. “You just have to do your research.”
Most importantly, you want a product that can prove it’s been third-party tested, and can produce a recent Certificate of Analysis (CoA) demonstrating that it contains what it says on the label, experts say.
You should also decide which type of CBD product you want:
- Full spectrum, meaning it contains all of the other components of the hemp plant, including up to 0.3 percent of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. This isn’t enough to get you high, but it could make you flunk a drug test for marijuana. It also can contain plant compounds known as terpenes.
- Broad spectrum, which have been processed to remove THC, but still contain other components of the hemp plant including CBD but no THC
- CBD isolates, which contain CBD only
Broad-spectrum CBD products and CBD isolates may be a better choice if you’re concerned about being drug tested.
Also look for CBD products that are:
- Made from U.S.-grown hemp
- Certified organic
- Extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide, a high-tech method that doesn’t leave toxic solvents behind, or with food-grade ethanol
- Free from pesticides, heavy metals, mold, and other contaminants
- Produced in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Current Good Manufacturing Practices
Best CBD capsules for pain
Here are nine CBD capsules that meet our experts’ quality standards. We’ve included the total CBD content of each bottle to help you compare prices.
Papa & Barkley Releaf Capsules
$60 for 30 30-mg capsules, 900 mg CBD total
These capsules are gluten-free, soy-free and vegan. They’re made with full-spectrum hemp extract mixed with coconut oil, and are free from added chemicals or solvents. While the company doesn’t provide a link on its website to third-party test results, they can be requested by emailing its customer service department.
CBDfx CBD Soft Gel Capsules
$50 for 30 25-mg capsules, 750 mg CBD total
These full-spectrum capsules contain a small amount of THC, according to the most recent lab test results posted on the company’s website. CBDfx also offers a 60-count bottle for $100, now on sale for $80, containing 1,500 mg of CBD.
Cheef Botanicals Vegan CBD Capsules
$24 for 30 10-mg capsules, 300 mg CBD total
These capsules come in strengths ranging from 10 mg CBD (300 mg total) to 100 mg CBD (3,000 mg total), with prices ranging from $24 to $125. Cheef makes it easy to access lab test results, which confirm the product is THC-free and contains a little more than 25 mg CBD per capsule. But the company doesn’t include information on contaminant testing.
cbdMD CBD Oil Softgel Capsules
$36 for 30 15-mg capsules, 450 mg CBD total
In addition to CBD, these capsules contain the terpenes limonene and alpha bisabolol, along with cannabigerol and cannabinol—cannabinoids that may offer their own health benefits, according to the up-to-date lab test results on the cbdMD website. The company also sells 33 mg and 50 mg capsules.
Charlotte’s Web 15 mg CBD Oil Liquid Capsules
$40 for 30 15-mg capsules, 450 mg CBD total
Made with hemp oil and organic olive oil, these capsules are additive-free and, according to the company, have thin capsule walls that break down faster than typical softgel capsules. You can look up a product’s CoA by lot number, and also check out examples of recent product CoAs on the website.
CBD Living Nano CBD Capsules
$50 for 30 25-mg capsules, 750 mg CBD total
These capsules are rich in terpenes and omegas 3, 6, and 9 fatty acids, are THC-free, and are also available in 5 mg and 50 mg doses. According to the company, its proprietary technology speeds up absorption from the stomach, for “fast, sustained relief.” An easy-to-access link lets you download a recent CoA.
Hemp Bombs CBD Capsules
$60 for 30 15-mg capsules, 450 mg CBD total
These gel capsules contain calcium and magnesium in addition to CBD, along with a “proprietary blend” of the amino acids L-theanine and GABA. There’s an easy-to-find link to a recent CoA on the web site. The company also sells capsules containing 30 mg CBD.
Upstate Elevator Supply Co Organic Full Spectrum CBD Capsules
$45 for 30 30-mg capsules, 900 mg CBD total
These vegan, gluten-free capsules are made from organic hemp grown in Vermont. They contain full-spectrum hemp extract, and have about 1 mg THC per capsule, along with small amounts of cannabichromene and cannabigerol, according to batch-specific CoAs on the website.
CBDistillery Full Spectrum CBD Softgels
$60 for 30 30-mg capsules, 900 mg CBD total
These capsules are mixed with coconut oil in a gelatin shell. CBDistillery also sells broad-spectrum capsules containing no THC. You can access batch-specific CoAs by scanning the QR code on the product label.
- Martin A. Lee, co-founder and director of Project CBD, a California non-profit that promotes CBD research and author of Smoke Signals: A Social History of Marijuana–Medical, Recreational and Scientific
- Jahan Marcu, PhD, founding partner of cannabis consultancy Marcu & Arora, editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Endocannabinoid Medicine
- Kevin Boehnke, PhD, research investigator at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Center at Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor
Medically reviewed by Originally Published: December 24, 2020
