Finding Temporary Bliss In CBD Beverages

As I inch closer to my 30s, I have come to the harrowing conclusion that the chapters of my life can be categorized by beverage trends. Here’s a brief recap of what’s transpired thus far : my pomegranate juice phase bled into a coconut water era followed by a misguided attempt to become Portland’s #1 kombucha sommelier which inevitably led to me getting baptized in a sea of overpriced seltzer. But during the last few years, to my dismay, I have struggled to fill the void with a sexy, refreshing elixir. 

That is until I have stumbled into the world of CBD-infused drinks. 

In 2018, as part of the Agriculture Improvement Act, Congress removed hemp from the controlled substance list, subsequently making products that are derived from hemp legal for sale and consumption. The following year, Kim Kardashian, the canary of Calabasas’s coal mine, hosted a baby shower with a CBD bar and activities like chillaxing sound baths and group meditation. 

According to evangelists, the ingredient can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia,  and pain — the Four Horsemen for millennials and zoomers. Though these claims are still being studied, the industry, which includes everything from topical creams to oils to beverages, made $9.1 billion in 2021 and potentially, may hit $59.3 billion by 2030. Reading these headline-grabbing statistics, I am reassured that this new habit of mine is contributing to something larger and more important than my mortal existence. 

At first, I was skeptical. Having lived in California for nearly three decades, I have witnessed how marijuana has transformed into a behemoth unrecognizable from its countercultural origins. Once upon a time, weed edibles would induce a light and silly high but now with legalization and spread of upscale shops and with that, capitalist incentives to increase potency, you have to be extra careful. Now, eating one too many bites of a THC-laced red velvet cupcake can send you down a whirlwind of existential terror that’s straight out of  an A24 slasher. 

But instead of promising to catapult you into wonderland, CBD-infused beverages aim to be practical integrations to your daily life. It’s numbification-on-the-go; a small, albeit satisfying, wave of serenity.

“But instead of promising to catapult you into wonderland, CBD-infused beverages aim to be practical integrations to your daily life. It’s numbification-on-the-go; a small, albeit satisfying, wave of serenity.”

There are a myriad of options, many with enticing slogans — Recess (“We Canned A Feeling”),  VYBEZ (“Drink Your Peace of Mind”), Miraflora (“At Miraflora, we believe you reap what you sow”), and Wynk (“Welcome To A New Way to Unwind”). 

Photo: Jeremy Sachs Michael

Despite stiff competition, my all time favorite — for now — is  Unity Wellness (“Calm The F* Down”) because of their dynamic range of flavors — Strawberry Lemonade, Blood Orange Hibiscus, Elderflower Rose (yum!) — and also, due to their branding. 

The back label for Unity Wellness’s “Strawberry Lemonade” flavor contains a mini-manifesto that I find aspirational as both a human and copywriter: We wanted to take a mental break from writing and decided to sit this one out. You should prioritize your mental health, too. We know what a great first step would be… take a sip and unwind. CHEERS TO U.

Image via Instagram: @takearecess

To gain a more well-rounded perspective on the CBD phenomenon, I jumped on a Zoom call with Phene Wardlaw, the co-founder of Unity. She told me that she was initially drawn to the ingredient because of her own mental health struggles. After trying CBD, she realized that for her, it was a good treatment for anxiety. 

“It felt like a yoga class,” she said. “You’re not tired but you're just feeling like at a homeostasis.” 

The founder explained that prior to CBD beverages, there wasn’t a “friendly, approachable way” to consume the ingredient, noting how taking “tinctures and pills”  and smoking it weren’t “mass-marketable” options. Her drink also contains three adaptogens —Ashwagandha, Gingko Biloba, Rhodiola Rosea —  which have been used for hundreds of years as part of Asian medicinal practices. Since CBD is still not fully federally regulated, Unity can’t pay for marketing on social media platforms. To bypass that limitation, they lean into influencers and “liquid to lips”  marketing aka relying on people like me who can’t stop preaching about why CBD beverages are manna from heaven. 

Unity’s brightly colored, minimalist bottle presents a break from the constant  stimulation cluttering our feeds. The subdued back label copy (which is unique to each flavor), gives off a nonchalant vibe that’s the stark opposite of the hustle-until-you-pass-out-at-Barry’s-Bootcamp ethos of our time. When I drink this mildly sweet concoction, I achieve a state of chillness that I once thought was genetically out of reach because of my “99% Ashkenazi Jewish” 23&Me results. 

And now, after I’ve waxed poetic, a chorus of naysayers are going to chime in to gaslight, I mean, explain to me that I’m merely experiencing the placebo effect. Sure, CBD needs more scientific backing and it’s highly unlikely this is some miracle cure for my anxiety and OCD. Maybe, I’m just reacting to Unity’s  other ingredients that have been used for hundreds of years. 

Photo courtesy: Unity

However, none of that particularly matters because my trendy beverage fixation isn’t logical. It’s always been about searching for a new ritual. 

My favorite part of consuming gallons of pomegranate juice wasn’t the highly acidic flavor, but rather, the mania of listing and researching all of its alleged antioxidants. For coconut water, it was hopscotching around convenience stores to compare and contrast the miniscule differences of taste and consistency between products. And with kombucha, I can warmly recall making pilgrimages to Portland’s Townshend's Tea’s shop, where I’d sample varying shades of tangy, fermented liquid from tiny handcrafted porcelain bowls as Tame Impala played in the background.  Sipping on CBD beverages and taking a second to pause and just be is a streamlined, more time-conscious routine for a new phase in my life.

I take a swig of Elderflower Rose and let the light, syrupy taste coat my tongue. After a strategically brief moment of serenity, I dive back into the Google Doc to continue writing. No matter what, I keep Unity close by — what’s life without the Esc key?