Making a CBD, THC or Hemp Beverage
So you want to bring a CBD product to market? We don't blame you, the market is hot right now and CBD products are gaining steam as each day passes. There are several options of CBD products including CBD flower, cartridges, edibles, pain creams, CBD beverages, lotions, salves, balms, soft gels, tincture oils, pet products, soaps, bath bombs and more!
The Differences Between CBD, THC, and Hemp - A Little More About the Three
Hemp is a plant. The hemp plant contains over 100 different cannabinoids the most well known of the cannabinoids are CBD and THC.
CBD or cannabidiol and is one of the many compounds within the C. sativa plant that does not create the high sensation and it is not psychoactive. CBD is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant.
THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is also a compound in the C. sativa plant and is the psychoactive component that creates the high sensation. It is federally legal as long as the product contains less than .3% by weight. If your product has more than .3% THC, it may be legal in the state you are selling it in. It’s best to research your state laws with CBD products. As of April 2023, there are 38 states that allow the medical use of cannabis products. As of November 2023, there are 24 states that regulate cannabis for non-medical use in adults. The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) has put together a data base to help you understand the state cannabis legislation. Looking for state cannabis laws, click here.
Cannabinoids are products that contain THC and CBD.
CBD extracted from hemp is defined as cannabis sativa with total THC of less than 0.3%. The only difference between marijuana and helm is the concentration of THC.
Hemp is an organic plant. CBD is found in cannabis plants. Hemp has low amounts of THC and high amounts of CBD.
Big Brands can help you with your custom CBD formulation, custom THC formulation, or custom hemp beverage formulation. We can also help formulate your CBD, THC, or hemp powdered product, soft gel or CBD pet product.
Steps for Making a Mass Produced CBD, THC, or Hemp Beverage
Step 1 - Creating a custom formula for your CBD, THC, or hemp product
There are several options when it comes to the beverage formulation of your CBD product and custom cannabinoid formulation. The first is determining if your CBD product will be a CBD Isolate, Broad Spectrum, Full Spectrum or Whole Plant product.
CBD Isolate - A CBD isolate is a purified form of cannabidiol (CBD) where all other components of the hemp plant are removed. The CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD.
Broad Spectrum - Is a type of CBD extract and contains several cannabis compounds but is normally free of THC or contains very small amounts of THC.
Full spectrum - Is a type of CBD extract and it has many cannabis plant extras including terpenes, essential oils and other cannabinoids like cannabinol and THC. Full spectrum CBD products include more than 100 cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. The product must be less than 0.3% THC for FDA regulations on full spectrum CBD products.
Whole plant - More of the cannabinoids are preserved in this CBD product.
From there, we look at what cannabinoids are needed to achieve your desired product and whether or not you want to utilize the 0.3% THC content for your product. Our team will work with you to solidify the perfect blend of cannabinoids and terpenes for your CBD product and come up with a manufacturing ready formula for mass producing your CBD product.
One of the main reasons to choose Big Brands as your CBD manufacturing partner is that Big Brands is both a formulator and copacker. That means, we understand how to apply your formula in a manufacturing setting.
Step 2 - Packing options for your CBD, THC, or hemp product
What type of packing material are you wanting for your cannabis based product? If you are wanting a soft gel CBD product, packing would include a canister. If you want a ready to drink (RTD) CBD beverage, a can or glass bottle would be the best option. The benefits of a can for your CBD product is that a can is lighter than glass. This is something to consider if you are selling your product online or if you are wanting the consumer to enjoy your cannabis based beverage on the go. A glass bottle for your CBD beverage gives a higher end feel to it and level of sophistication. Another packaging option or your CBD based beverage would be a shot bottle. A CBD shot bottle is a smaller option and gives more of a single dosed product. If you wanted a CBD powdered product, a stick pack for your CBD powdered product would be an option.
For an extra level of safety, with your packaging options, you may want to think about child resistant packaging like tamper evident seals. If you are selling your CBD product online, you may also want to include a warning label on your shipping box.
Step 3 - Label design of your CBD, THC or hemp beverage
The creative process starts. You may want to sample your beverage as your creative juices flow. We take your logo design and add it to the packaging your’ve selected for your product. With label design, the label created should match the brand’s message. The design team at Big Brands works with you on your brand vision and maintains that your vision for your CBD based product matches the label design.
With your label design, we also work with our customers on label regulations for cannabis products such as warnings, dosing instructions and product information.
Step 4 - Copacking of your CBD products
Once your CBD formula is approved, packaging design decided upon, and the label created and applied to the packaging, the final step is copacking of your CBD product. This is the final step with making your CBD product. For the CBD, THC or hemp co-packing process, Big Brands handles the whole process for you and makes creating your CBD product an easy process for you. We take care of the manufacturing process so you can wait for the product to be delivered strait to your door and ready for you to sell to your customers. It really is that easy!
Reported Benefits of CBD Products
CBD drinks are said to help people reduce stress, relieve anxiety, promotes relaxation, helps you sleep better, is anti inflammatory, and aids in pain management. CBD beverages are not that well regulated. Like herbal supplements, the FDA does not regulate these products. Therefore, it is important to have a credible beverage manufacture make your CBD beverage to assure the quality of your CBD product ingredients. Big Brands uses credible suppliers who are experts in their industry.. Also, if your CBD beverage is made by someone who is not familiar with the different forms and types of CBD, hemp or THC, your beverage may be mislabeled. That is why it’s important to use a knowledgeable and experienced beverage formulator like Big Brands to make your CBD infused beverage.
CBD Beverages and CBD Powdered Stick Packs On The Market
Below we've highlighted some CBD brands that are in the marketplace.
Flyers is marketed as a zero proof THC cocktail. Their THC Margarita is just one of their flavored ready to drink CBD beverages. I like how the combined the flavor of an alcoholic beverage, but made it non-alcoholic and added THC. Customers are familiar with the taste of a margarita. It was a fun and playful idea for Flyers to call their drinks Sunset Spritz cocktails. Flyers also took other popular alcohol drink flavors and made them non-alcoholic. They have an Old Fashion, Aperol Spritz, and their 3 flavored Sunset Spritz drinks in guava, grapefruit lime and watermelon mint.
Flyers’s product uses hemp derived THC, which is THC that comes from hemp plants. They say their product hightens the sense of joy, calmness, or relaxation. They do have disclaimers on their FAQ page saying, “However, it's important to note that hemp-derived THC can still cause side effects such as dry mouth, red eyes, impaired coordination, and an increased heart rate. In higher concentrations, it may also produce stronger psychoactive effects, including feelings of euphoria, altered perception of time, and changes in mood.”
Artet
Art is an aperitif. It is non-alcoholic and infused with botanicals and THC. They call their product a cannabis aperitif. Thye also have a cannabis infused sparkling beverage. They say, “Our dream was to make a beverage that honors everything we love about drinking, then upgrade it by replacing the booze with Delta-9 THC.”
Boldt
Boldt is a THC infused iced tea. Boldt says, “Onset time for THC beverages is characterized by a relatively rapid initiation of effects, typically within 15 minutes of consumption.” They have 3 different flavors - black, peach and blueberry pomegranate.
Nowadays
Nowadays is “cannabis in a bottle.” This product stands out to me because of the classy bottle, clean label and different doses. They have a high dose version with 10 mg THC, a low dose version with 5 mg THC, a micro dose (2 mg) and a 5 mg shot bottle that is perfect for on the go.
Weller has 10 mg of CBD and comes in a stick pack. Stick packs are great options since your customers can take them on the go. They are very portable and easy to ship. With these stick packs, the customer can mix the CBD stick pack with their beverage of choice. To diversify their product line, Weller has sparkling water CBD canned products too.
SunMed
Like Weller, SunMed has a stick pack CDB powdered product. This CBD powdered product is advertised to be poured directly into your mouth. This is a different and creative way to have a CDB powdered product.
If you are looking to formulate a CBD, hemp, or THC product, let Big Brands help with your CBD, THC or hemp product. The variety of CBD products and the process of bringing them to market can be overwhelming. When you partner with Big Brands for the development of your CBD products, we work with you each step of the way, from concept to fulfillment. Contact Big Brands for your ready to drink beverage or powdered project.
