What Ingredients Are in CBD Gummies?
Summarize
CBD gummies are among the most popular CBD products, with 2025 revenues projected at $4.7 billion. There are many reasons for their popularity, ranging from convenient dosing to their taste and texture, which are similar to candy. While they may look and taste like candy, each CBD gummy is made with a carefully balanced blend of ingredients to meet a user’s needs, such as potency, flavor, and dietary restrictions. Reviewing a CBD gummies ingredient list and learning to interpret what you read will help you select the best product.
TL;DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read):
CBD gummies are made from a gummy base (gelatin or plant-based options like pectin), sweeteners, hemp-derived CBD, and functional ingredients such as emulsifiers and stabilizers.
Knowing how to read a gummy label and how to check a COA helps ensure quality, safety, and accurate dosing.
Table of Contents
What Are Gummies Made From?
A CBD gummy may look like candy, but it is formulated to serve a special purpose: delivering a consistent amount of CBD (cannabidiol). However, more than CBD is in a gummy formulation. High-quality CBD gummies are made with various ingredients to achieve the desired texture and taste and to offer targeted wellness benefits, such as better sleep quality.
- Contains full spectrum, broad spectrum, or isolate CBD in different potencies
- A thickener, like pectin or gelatin
- Flavorings from fruit extracts
- Coloring from natural ingredients
- Sometimes a carrier oil, usually MCT oil
- Other ingredients like herbs, amino acids, natural chemicals like caffeine, vitamins, etc.
The additional ingredients added to CBD gummies are selected based on the benefits the brand wants to offer, such as wellness, feelings of calm, faster muscle recovery, more energy, etc.
1. The Gummy Base
Do CBD gummies have gelatin or pectin as their base? Some brands use gelatin, and some use pectin. Gelatin comes from animal collagen, so it is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.
Pectin vs. Gelatin: What is in Your CBD Gummies?
So the companies making CBD gummies for those who do not consume animal products sell CBD gummies made with pectin. Pectin is derived from fruit and is the same ingredient used to make jellies and jams. Agar-agar and tapioca starch are other natural gummy bases used because they do not come from animals.
The gummy base affects texture, shelf stability, and the product’s suitability for specific diets.
2. Sweeteners
Some common sweeteners in gummies include tapioca syrup, cane sugar, honey, corn syrup, and agave. CBD gummies are also available as sugar-free or low-sugar options. They are usually formulated with something like stevia, sugar alcohols, or monk fruit.
The type of sweetener can influence calories, blood sugar response, and overall flavor, making it an essential ingredient on the CBD gummies ingredient list.
3. CBD
CBD (cannabidiol) is a major cannabinoid extracted from the industrial hemp plant. Hemp is a special cultivator of the cannabis plant that meets the federal law requiring there be no more than 0.3% THC on a dry weight basis. CBD is not psychoactive.
The CBD processor will produce one of the CBD spectrums.
Full spectrum CBD
Full spectrum CBD gummies are made with CBD extract, no more than the legal amount of THC and all the flavonoids, terpenes, minor cannabinoids and other compounds found naturally in the hemp plant.
Broad spectrum CBD
Broad spectrum gummies contain the same compounds as full spectrum CBD, except the THC is removed to make a THC-free extract.
Isolate CBD
Isolate CBD gummies contain pure CBD.
The amount of CBD per gummy (dose amount or potency) and the total amount of CBD in the package should be clearly and accurately stated on the label.
Manufacturers use different methods to add CBD to gummy formulas: dipping, spraying, coating, infusing
CBD-infused, Coated and Sprayed CBD Gummies
4. Emulsifiers and Stabilizers
To ensure CBD oil is blended evenly with the water-based ingredients in the gummy, emulsifiers are added to the formula. Oil does not naturally mix with water. The emulsifier is a binding agent that coats CBD oil, ensuring even dispersion of CBD throughout the gummy and consistent dosing in each gummy.
Sunflower lecithin is one of the most common emulsifiers. It is an approved FDA food additive derived from sunflowers and is non-GMO and soy-free. Other emulsifiers may include soy lecithin or proprietary blends. Stabilizers are also used to maintain texture, prevent separation, and extend shelf life.
5. Flavors, Acids and Colors
A CBD gummy may have artificial or natural flavoring. Most high-quality gummies are made with natural fruit flavors. Acids are also used in CBD formulations. Citric or malic acid helps preserve freshness and adds the tangy taste that you expect in a gummy.
Do CBD gummies contain artificial colors? Some may contain synthetic dyes. If the brand is selling an all-natural CBD gummy, the coloring will come from natural sources. For example, turmeric and beet juice are common sources of color.
Allergens and Dietary Flags to Watch For
It is important to check for allergens when shopping for CBD gummies. Some of the allergens in the CBD gummies include:
- Gelatin
- Soy
- Coconut oil
- Gluten
- Corn
- Nuts
Reputable brands will provide accurate labeling and indicate whether the product is vegan, sugar-free, and/or gluten-free.
How to Read a CBD Gummy Label?
Knowing how to read a CBD gummy label and verify its accuracy is essential for choosing a quality product. Accurate labeling is vital to your safety. The following is some of the information you should find on a CBD label.
- Total amount of CBD in the package
- Amount of CBD in each gummy
- Type of CBD spectrum
- THC content
- Complete ingredient list
- Manufacturer information and batch number
The batch number should link to a Certificate of Analysis (COA), and you should know how to check a CBD gummy COA to assess product quality. The COA is an independent, third-party lab report that verifies the potency of CBD and THC, as well as other measurable cannabinoids. It also shows if there are contaminants in the CBD gummy, such as pesticides, heavy metals, and solvents.
A reputable brand always provides a QR code or batch number that takes you to the COA. Companies that do not make the COA available should be avoided.
CBD Gummies are More Than Candy
CBD gummies may look and taste like candy, but they are specially formulated products that people take to promote wellness. Quality CBD product producers take a scientific approach to developing their formulations, ensuring the gummies have accurate potency and blend ingredients to deliver maximum benefits. As you shop for CBD gummies, you will find a wide selection of brands, CBD per serving, CBD per container, and product ingredients. Being an informed consumer makes it easier to determine which CBD gummies will work best for you.
Sources
1. https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Lecithin_-sunflower#section=FDA-Generally-Recognized-as-Safe-GRAS-Notices
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