Nano CBD: Does it Work Better?

A cheeky fellow at the University of Basel described “nano” on the university’s website saying, “The term ‘nano’ comes from ancient Greek and means ‘dwarf’… However, the nanosciences deal not with garden gnomes but with tiny nanostructures…”¹ So what is CBD nano?

It’s easier to answer this question by telling you what it’s not. Despite the term “nano” being used, nano CBD does not mean “dwarf CBD.”

According to Dr. Itzhak Kurek, Ph.D., the co-founder and CEO of Cannformatics, a Northern California biotech company, “Nano CBD is a CBD molecule coated with very small particles, such as liposomes or lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), that stabilize the CBD and can move in our blood faster than 'naked' CBD, to effectively reach the target.”² So, the CBD molecules themselves are made “nano-ly” bigger by the presence of these particles.

You can’t make a CBD molecule “smaller” by putting the word “nano” in front of it. A CBD molecule is a CBD molecule. If you break it down into smaller “nano” CBD particles, it will not act like CBD should.³

According to a survey of research by Ganjapreneur, Confidence Analytics Operations Director Pat Reynolds said that, the term nanotechnology is largely misused when it comes to nano CBD and that the correct term is usually “nanoemulsion.” He said, “Nanoemulsions are produced by high-shear mixing… I guess you could call that a form of nanotechnology, but to my mind, that is a bit of a stretch.”⁴

Nanoemulsion is used to help make something typically not soluble in liquid soluble. Similar to how oil and vinegar salad dressings are made, except the tiny size of the molecules lets them remain stable for longer. This is the technology used to create nano emulsified CBD waters and other similar CBD products. Controversy has occurred surrounding these products; multiple third parties have tested an array of products and found that most have no or negligible amounts of CBD detectable.⁵

Some companies that create these products have attested that standard CBD oil tests do not pick up on nano emulsified CBD.⁶ But the fact of the matter is, it’s the wild west out there—none of these technologies or products is regulated enough for firm conclusions to be made on either side of the controversy.

Reynolds comes down on the side of the testers. He said, “Even if a beverage is presented as a nano emulsified CBD, when the lab adds a solvent as part of their extraction process, this causes the emulsion to break and anything encapsulated in the nanoemulsion will be visible to the lab’s instruments.”

Some companies who make nano CBD products claim that nano CBD passes through the cell membrane to the bloodstream faster than natural CBD. Studies on this phenomenon have been very limited and inconclusive. Also, human studies on nano CBD are nonexistent.

Some studies that have backed up the claim that nano CBD has a faster absorption rate to the bloodstream, have also found that it leaves the bloodstream faster. If that’s the case, is there really any benefit to using nano CBD oil? The Chief Science Writer at Project CBD seems skeptical. “Practically speaking, is that much different than taking a stronger dose? I don't know that consumers would find [nano CBD] much different,” writes Adrian Devit-Lee.⁷

No, it’s a CBD isolate technology. That means you’re getting CBD molecules by themselves rather than in the company of other cannabis compounds that operate together with the CBD to achieve maximum effectiveness.

When all of the THC and CBD compounds work together it is called the “entourage effect.” This effect encourages the endocannabinoid system (or ECS for short) to function at its optimum level. A THC free product, like isolated and broad spectrum CBD oil, does not have the same effect that a full spectrum CBD oil product does.

That is why all of Cornbread Hemp’s CBD oil products have the full range of cannabinoids. We believe in making effective products that work — we won't make inferior products just to be trendy.

Nano technology —nanoemulsion, specifically— is what allows CBD isolate to be water soluble. CBD waters that depend on this nano tech can be found at truck stops right alongside sketchy packets of supplement mixes claiming to help you keep your erection longer, and teeny tiny energy drinks.

Typically, CBD products are sold in amber-colored bottles and jars to protect the CBD inside from being damaged by light. Would you buy a supplement water in a brown bottle?

Erin Hiatt of Weedmaps made this observation: “Clear CBD water bottles that could sit on store shelves for weeks or even months under the blazing lights of a grocery store aisle might be CBD-free by the time they're purchased and consumed.”⁸

A study conducted by Leafly tested 47 different CBD products and found that CBD nano water was “the least reliable form factor.”⁹ Zero out of the four water products the scientists tested passed the study—none of them delivered CBD as advertised within a 20 percent margin.¹⁰ Tinctures and gummies, like those sold by Cornbread Hemp, were the most reliably adherent to the claims on their packaging.

The US Food and Drug Administration is preparing to regulate CBD products. Until those rules are in place, CBD manufacturers — including those using nano CBD — are free to put whatever they want in their products.¹¹

You may be surprised when you hear what we have to say about Tommy Chong’s turn as a spokesperson for full spectrum nano CBD products.

Yes, that Tommy Chong who starred in all those weed-infused movies with Cheech Marin and recently appeared as “The Pineapple” in TV’s “The Masked Singer.” He has his own line of nano CBD products and has been promoting the heck out of them, especially on social media.

His marketing message is hardline and simple: he wants you to chuck your CBD oil in favor of his, which he says is better. But that claim is hard to back up. Even without regard to the sketchy science surrounding nano CBD, when compared to Cornbread Hemp’s products, Chong’s products fall short.

Chong’s CBD is not organic, unlike Cornbread Hemp’s CBD oils which are USDA certified organic from the hemp, to the extraction process, to the coconut oil carrier oil. And the Canadian-American actor's CBD product contains no THC, so it doesn't produce the "entourage effect" like Cornbread Hemp's products.

Is Tommy Chong’s CBD free from additives? No, it’s not. Can you check out Chong's certificate of analysis for each product on his website? No, but Cornbread Hemp creates small batch CBD products with third-party test results on each batch available to view right on our website.

As one of Cornbread’s co-founders, Jim Higdon, said, “Tommy Chong was great in those old stoner movies with Cheech, but selling THC-free CBD oil with added ingredients and no lab reports just makes us sad.”

The United States Department of Agriculture is the only federal government agency to approve CBD products organic. In order for broad spectrum CBD products to attain the USDA organic seal, all ingredients must be certified organic. Every ingredient that goes into Cornbread Hemp's CBD oils has been certified organic from seed to bottle.

Our hemp is sustainably sun-grown in Kentucky with crop rotations instead of fertilizers, and our oil has no preservatives or fillers. The same limestone water that makes Kentucky's world famous bourbon waters our hemp which is grown without toxins like pesticides.

Cornbread Hemp’s labels include a QR code that leads you to our website where you can view third-party lab tests from every single one of our small batch products. By reading these lab reports, also known as a certificate of analysis, you will know what’s going into your oils and gummies and you know the exact potency.

The fact is, no nano CBD producer can make these same claims. The technology is under-studied. The packaging can be misleading and indeed detrimental to the products’ shelf life. There’s no organic nano CBD—it can’t be certified organic because of the technology used to produce nano products. And it turns out Tommy Chong, the most visible spokesperson for nano CBD, is a great performer, but he’s not much of a scientist.

If you’re putting a supplement into your body with the expectation of favorable results—whether it’s for potential relief of discomfort or stress or for help kicking back after a long day’s work—you want to make sure that your supplements are what they say they are and do what they claim to do. There’s just not enough science to back up the claims made by nano CBD producers—and what science there is frequently disputes those claims.

Cornbread Hemp’s products are exactly what their labels claim to be. You know what you’re getting. So how do you get it? Use our retail store locator to find “CBD near me.” Cornbread Hemp is sold at a variety of boutiques, health food stores, head shops and more across the United States.

Of course, you can always order our Organic CBD gummies with THC and other CBD products online to be safely and legally delivered to your door by the United States Postal Service. Ordering online gives you the time and freedom to look over reviews and third-party lab test results that are published right on Cornbread Hemp’s website.

1. “What does nano mean?” University of Basel. Accessed: 21 Dec. 2020. https://nanoscience.ch/en/about-us/nanosciences/what-does-nano-mean/.

2, 7, 8. Hiatt, Erin. “WTF is nano CBD? We asked some experts.” Weedmaps. Pub: 20 Feb 2020. Accessed: 21 Dec 2020. https://weedmaps.com/news/2020/02/wtf-is-nano-cbd-we-asked-some-experts..

3, 4, 5, 6. Wietstock, Cara. “Murky waters: how ‘nano’ CBD misleads consumers.” Ganjapreneur. Pub: 6 Jan 2020. Accessed: 21 Dec. 2020. https://www.ganjapreneur.com/how-cbd-nanotechnology-misleads-consumers/.

9, 10, 11. Barcott, Bruce, Ian Chant, and David Downs “Are you getting the CBD you paid for? We put 47 products to the test.” Leafly. Pub: 18 Nov. 2019. Accessed: 22 Dec. 2020. https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/cbd-oil-test-results