Iftikhar Alam
Author
Reviewed by Cannabis Experts
Published on: August 3, 2022 | Updated on: September 11, 2024
Cannabis products of all kinds were only recently legalized in several states and countries, giving way to overpriced and often illegal distribution. However, with the rise of recreational use and medical research on the matter, CBD products have not quite suffered the same fate. As sort of a ‘cheat code’ to buying cannabis products, CBD has many fewer hurdles to jump through in terms of legalities because it does not contain the illegal amount of THC.
Where to Buy CBD?
As we have discussed before in different contexts, CBD is non-psychoactive and CBD products are often entirely free of THC (or do not contain enough to show up in a drug test). Because of this, CBD products have become, by far, the most accessible cannabis products on the market. To put into perspective, Walgreens is one of the most well-known pharmacy chains in the country with over 9000 stores nationwide: Today (as of March of 2021), you can just walk into a Walgreens and buy CBD oil.
The one surefire way to avoid overpaying for CBD is to buy your products from licensed sellers and dispensaries. Anyone outside of these parameters can up the price(s) whenever they want to whatever price they want: None of this makes for a positive experience for the buyer.
So, for the safety of both yourself and your finances, stick to the main retailers and the licensed professionals: This is by far the safest and most straightforward of buying your CBD as it is now legal in all 50 states.
Where Is it Prescribed by Doctors?
Knowing that it is legal across the country and celebrated as a natural medicine, CBD cannot be prescribed by licensed doctors because it is not (yet) officially recognized as medicine. Its current categorization allows CBD to be sold all over the counter but not prescribed as that would still be considered allowing the possession of marijuana, which is federally illegal.
Currently, the only physicians who can actually prescribe CBD are those in highly-specialized and regulated cannabis clinics; A bit like traditional cannabis, CBD may be legal but is highly regulated until said regulations start to pull back. You may not be able to pick up your prescription at a Wal-mart pharmacy but you can ask your dispensary what clinics offer CBD.
How Much Does CBD Cost?
The number of factors that determine the price of CBD in general (brand, availability, dosage, location, etc.) may be quite a few, but that does not stop the price from exceeding $0.20 per mg. Now this changes slightly across different types of CBD products such as oils to gummies or gummies to capsules but any of these products can get you an adequate fix at a modest price.
CBD Oil
To begin, we are going to look at the most widely used CBD product outside of straight flower: CBD oil. You can determine a pretty median number of $0.11 per mg based on the average range of about $0.02 to $0.20 per mg, but to get the exact cost of your next batch of CBD oil, you simply need to divide the total price (before tax) and by the number of mg per container and you will see the price of CBD per mg that you are paying for this product.
Gummies
The next item, also growing in popularity, is the CBD gummy: Why swallow or smoke what you can chew? Not to mention, a variety of flavors. Gummies tend to be a little more expensive than something like oils or tinctures because the extra ingredients and ‘cooking’ times make them a bit more expensive to produce.
A container of 30 CBD gummies for example can range in price from about $30 to $60 while the cost of the actual CBD as an ingredient comes out to about $0.06 per mg or per serving. Meanwhile, a larger container of 1500mg of gummies would be about $100 or less depending on the brand and quality of products.
Capsules
If you are looking for something that could easily be taken but fast enough to take down with a sip of water, look no further than CBD capsules. Many pills and capsules are made for literal pennies a piece and there is no exception with these capsules. On average, it costs about $0.09 per every mg of CBD capsules.
While bottles of CBD capsules can go up to $150 for what is essentially a 4-to-5-month supply (10,000 mg to provide an exact number), they still end up being one of the most inexpensive CBD products on store shelves.
Why Does Insurance Not Cover CBD?
While Epidiolex made headlines as a breakthrough in medicinal legalization, CBD is otherwise considered a New Dietary Ingredient or NDI, and is therefore not approved by the FDA. This approval, or lack thereof, has obviously shown that it is only a small part of the legalization process as by that same logic, a Substance I product can be sold legally in dispensaries placed in the center of heavy tourist hubs in the states that allow it.
There is no way of determining that CBD is less effective at treating conditions of its likeness as a medicine (some data would actually say the opposite), so its inability to be covered by insurance is not a way of saying that it is unfit product to use altogether.
Can it Be Insured in the Future?
Living in a post-prohibition world (but especially during), it was difficult for skeptical critics to imagine that any kind of cannabis would reach the level of legalization that it has now. Nevertheless, legal prescriptions of CBD could still become a widespread reality. Being one of the only cannabis products not recognized as a Schedule I or II drug by the FDA and Epidiolex being the first approved CBD product, the next 5-10 years will be critical in shaping CBD as something for doctors across the country to prescribe as opposed to ‘recommend’.
The content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Cannabis use is subject to local laws and regulations, which vary widely by jurisdiction. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment or altering an existing treatment regimen. The authors and publishers of this blog are not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided herein. Use cannabis responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws. This blog is intended for adults aged 21 and over. The Sanctuary Dispensaries D186, D187.