The 6 Best Hemp Derived CBD Capsules Of 2023 + How To Choose One

As national stress levels continue to hover at all-time highs, calming tools like hemp-derived CBD capsules, are in demand.* Curious to try them out for yourself? Here's your guide to choosing an effective one.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a botanical compound found in the industrial hemp plant, or Cannabis sativa L1.—a fast-growing and ancient crop that can thrive in many conditions.

Different sections of the versatile plant can be used to make everything from clothes to cooking oils. In its aerial parts—that's the leaves, flowers, and stems—you'll find hemp's CBD, along with an array of other healthy plant compounds called phytocannabinoids (of which CBD is one of many, but a star player), terpenes, and flavonoids. Once distilled from the plant, the hemp CBD can be turned into its own supplement known as an isolate product. Or, it can be combined with those other phytocannabinoids and beneficial plant compounds.

When a hemp supplement product contains this full array of phytocannabinoids, it's considered full-spectrum. By U.S. law, all hemp plants must be bred to contain less than 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). That's considered trace amounts (i.e., negligible) of this phytocannabinoid. In the European Union, they are more strict, at less than 0.2% THC2 by dry weight.

This means that, unlike other cannabis plant cultivars that are much higher in THC, truly agricultural hemp products should not lead to psychoactive effects. Instead, they can be taken to promote a more subtle, levelheaded sense of calm.* And broad-spectrum hemp extract varieties are like full-spectrum, minus the THC altogether (so, you technically lose the full entourage of plant compounds).

In full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate hemp products, CBD is the protagonist of the hemp storyline, as it's the phytocannabinoid found in concentrated amounts. Hemp-derived CBD supplements usually come in oil tinctures or capsules (i.e., gelcaps/softgels).

While both delivery formats are useful, capsules allow for more precise dosing, greater convenience (take anywhere, no liquid dropper required), and don't have the grassy flavor and mouthfeel of hemp oil tinctures that some find off-putting.

They can also include other botanical ingredients that can further their relaxing benefits.*

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Hemp CBD, as well as the plant's other phytocannabinoids, can be taken to support a healthy endocannabinoid system (ECS).* The ECS is an important regulatory system that runs throughout our entire bodies to keep various organs and cellular processes in balance. Compared to other body systems (think cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, immune, etc.), the ECS is the semi-new kid on the block.

Research only picked up on it within the last few decades. Even so, some promising research has come in to show how hemp's botanical compounds work to nurture this essential system3.*

In a 2020 clinical study published in the Journal of Dietary Supplements4, 65 overweight but otherwise healthy men and women consumed a supplement of 15 milligrams of hemp-derived CBD for six weeks.

By the end of the randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, hemp supplementation was found to promote stress resilience and improve perceived life pleasure.* And in a 2019 trial in 72 adults5, hemp-derived CBD in capsule form was found to reduce stress and promote sleep at doses around 25 mg—and it came with few side effects or safety concerns.*

In fact, one of the "side effects" of hemp oil (although typically at higher doses), in capsule or tincture, is sleepiness (some would call that a benefit).* Given its ability to help ease stress, it would make sense that hemp products come with some other perks of a calm state of mind, like a brighter mood, less reactivity, and higher productivity.*

Not all supplements are created equal, and this is especially true with hemp. Here, mbg's vice president of scientific affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, touches on some of our markers of a high-quality product:

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The following six products fit our criteria and then some, and we consider them to be the best hemp-derived CBD capsules on the market right now.

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These hemp-derived CBD capsules should support a calmer mood and brighter outlook at any time of the day.*

If you're new to the phytocannabinoid world, be sure to read our expert-approved recommendations for finding your ideal dose, fitting the product into your lifestyle, and gauging how it's working for you before trying your first capsule. Happy hemping!