I would like to start by saying, I’ve never been high from THC (or anything else!) and I was slightly skeptical of CBD when the hype began. That judgment has passed. I’m sold on its impressive benefits.

About a year ago, I was suffering from some really big anxieties. I was in a weird life/work transition and I was being poked with some stuff from my past I thought I had successfully buried. Jared, the best husband ever, was also affected by my overall mood. He knew that getting my anxiety under control was a place we needed to focus.

CBD was starting to become a “thing” in pop culture and a few shops started to pop up around Wichita, but I didn’t trust the locations and didn’t know anything about making sure what I would pay a pretty penny for was clean CBD.

I ended up buying oil from a company recommended by an LA content creator/influencer I follow. She often spoke about her own anxiety and how she would remedy it. I don’t remember that brand, but I know I bought a tincture for 50 or 60 dollars.

It was OK, but I still did not feel confident and clear headed.

Getting my personal anxieties under control ultimately took a diet change. But I still faced relapses where anxiety would pop it’s dirty little head back into my life. All I could do was deal with it and try to move on. 

•••

My mom began to look into CBD in the last year for her own pain. She came across a newer shop in Wichita called Joy Organics, and they had a CBD drink product. I am not lying when I say, this is the only CBD product I’ve ever used where I actually FEEL a difference.

I did my first test on New Year’s Eve day. I was starting to get anxious about having to go back to work after our 12-day shutdown. After consuming the CBD drink, it didn’t feel like a zenned-out, sit on the couch, all-day feeling. I just simply felt the tension in my body release and I was able to focus on my normal day.

An added bonus: I don’t think I’ve ever slept better in my life than I did after consuming the CBD drink. 

It says it’s a caffeine drink and can be used as a pre-workout. I sip on it all day, so I didn’t feel the effects of the caffeine. I do think if you drink it quickly, it would provide the energy boost.

It tastes exactly like Flintstone Vitamins. We took those as kids. Kinda fruity and a little bit minerally. I don’t mind it at all. It is sweetened with sucralose and stevia, so if you don’t like sweet, you probably won’t love the drink; but, you can always water it down. I make it in a reusable, venti Starbuck cold cup. It’s nearly perfect for my taste.

One downside is the lack of nutritional facts on the packaging. I wish I knew, since I live a Keto lifestyle, the carb count per package. I count it as two carbs since that is what my other fizzy drinks (ZipFizz) are counted at.

The price is pretty steep. It’s nearly $5 per drink sleeve. Oof. I am not at the place in my career where I can purchase these on a regular basis. I’m hopeful the CBD market will soon hit the supply-demand threshold where prices go down.

Final note: CBD is a great supplement to help with a variety of aches, pains, anxieties, etc. I hope that soon it will become more financially accessible to all people.

IMBHO Contributor: Alyssa C.