By now, someone or other has gone over to the ‘dark side’ and ordered a CBD infused cocktail or mocktail while out and about. And this got you thinking, what is CBD and why are they so interested in it?
That question and a few others should be answered and who better than myself to expose the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of adding CBD to your craft cocktail program. First of all, is it legal to add cannabis to a cocktail? Yes, it is but evidently not CBD, which in the larger extent of the word, not from the plant that has THC, that stuff that is illegal.
But what is it? Illegal or legal? That certainly needs explanation. And the ones who can explain it best are your local ABC or liquor board. They would be able to guide you. After all, they issued your liquor license, so they would certainly be the ones to take it away from you, should you not have the proper guidance on what is legal or illegal in cocktail mixology with CBD.
If your bartender is using THC in his/her craft cocktail program, no matter how innocent they seem, this action is breaking the law. It must stop immediately. Your liquor license is at risk. You must practice tough love. First offense? It’s pretty bad. Second? Fire the offender. What I do in the real world is not anyone’s business. But bring THC into a cocktail or restaurant and you face serious penalties. Like the loss of your liquor license. Not cool!
CBD in the broader context has been shown to relieve pain in small amounts. It also can stop a particularly evil hangover from ruining your day. I use CBD on my meniscus (yep, a bartending injury, and you thought all I did was write about liquor!) the lotion has proven itself to do a fine job. My go/to for that varies, always look for whole plant extractions. AND no Chinese hemp, it’s pretty bad for you.Â
I’m clear on the fact that CBD is being used in craft cocktails and I wonder why. After all, CBD is mostly negated by alcohol, but who am I to blow the lid off this whole trend. If it works for the good of some, then it should be effective for all? Far from, with actual dosage amounts still mostly unknown. But as a placebo against pain, as an aspirin can lessen a headache, I see nothing wrong with it.
But a quick recap: There are two different types of CBD. One comes from hemp. Hemp is an industrial ingredient. It is used mostly in building materials and some forms of cosmetics. Sailboat line is made from hemp, very durable stuff, as well as paper and even pain relief lotions that go on the skin. The kind of CBD that comes from the cannabis plant has psychoactive properties, they have a ‘feeling’ to them. That ‘feeling’ substance is called THC. THC came from the same plant that supplies CBD. There are also high and low CBD strains. They both can come from plants that have THC/CBD mixes. My own cannabis DNA testing revealed that I should use low THC and high CBD strains in my own healing. That certainly changes the way the budtenders speak at the dispensary. They are always promoting high THC strains, when low THC and high CBD is healthier. But I digress.
CBD in craft cocktails is here to stay. It is non-psychoactive. You won’t get high. You won’t fail your drug test. You won’t be labeled a stoner. You’ll feel relaxed. Happy perhaps. Anything is better than being angry. CBD makes everything better. One drip under your tongue at a time.
