Hitting the Bottle: Parents, Professionals Seek Pandemic Relief with CBD

The Martha Stewart CBD line of gummies, oil drops and softgels.
By Carolyne Zinko

Wellness is always top of mind for active Californians, and even more so in recent months with economic, political and social tensions running high and affecting mood, anxiety and sleep. Instead of sleeping pills or other drugs, San Francisco Bay Area residents are turning to bottles and jars of cannabis and hemp tinctures, gummies and balms for relief. 

One of the newest products is a surprise from 79-year-old mainstream domestic maven Martha Stewart, whose Martha Stewart CBD launched in September. The line of intensely flavored citrus and berry-flavored gummies, oil drops and softgels is a partnership with Canopy Growth Corporation of Canada, and products (with no trace of skunky aromas) are made with hemp-derived cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive substance said to have anti-anxiety and anti-inflammatory properties. The gummies and oil drops come in at 10 mg per dose, while the softgels (unflavored) run 25 mg each ($34.99-$44.99, shopcanopy.com). 

Martha Stewart, seen in her kitchen, shows off her new Martha Stewart CBD line of gummies, oil drops and softgels.

The Lemon Jack gummy, an exclusive collaboration between Plus, a leading edible maker co-founded by Palo Alto’s Jake Heimark, and Airfield Supply Company in San Jose, is so popular it sells out as fast as it can be stocked. The gummies (5 mg THC per piece, $18 for a 20-count tin, airfieldsupplyco.com) are an under-the-radar way for parents to calm themselves while home with the kids, explains Airfield founder and CEO Marc Matulich. Thanks to expansion in delivery, San Franciscans should soon be able to enjoy the gummies, made with a proprietary strain of Jack Herrer sativa that Airfield, located near the Mineta San Jose International Airport, grows on site. 

But edibles aren’t the only ways consumers are looking for relief. The H. Hemp Company, known for its hemp-derived CBD tinctures, is also helping customers massage their tensions away. “Our Magic Soothing Balm is great for sore muscles and stress and works well for headaches,” said Los Angeles-based founder and CEO Hilary Morse (½ ounce, $19.99; 2 ounces, $49.99, hhemp.com). Since the pandemic hit, she notes, “sales have doubled.”

Similarly, the Missouri-based CBDWorx offers pain relief cream (1 ounce, $24.99; 2 ounces, $39.99), along with a variety of gummies, cinnamon and mint tinctures and soft CBD chews for dogs, all made with CBD isolate (cbdworx.com).

Meanwhile, Flow Kana, a cannabis brand that works with Emerald Spirit Botanicals, a Humboldt County grower specializing in sun-grown crops, has been popular with consumers concerned about sustainable farming and zero carbon footprints—especially its new limited edition of Pink Boost Goddess flower. The hybrid, with 12.7% THC,  also contains THCV, a cannabinoid said to suppress the appetite and curb panic attacks without disturbing emotion ($54, 3.5 grams, flowkana.com). A spokeswoman says Pink Goddess’ intoxicating effect has been described as “a big warm hug.” 

Sounds pretty comforting right about now.

Photo credits: Courtesy Martha Stewart.

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