Ben And Jerry’s Really Outdid Themselves This Time – CBD-Infused Ice Cream

Ben and Jerry's CBD-Infused Ice Cream

Ben and Jerry’s is doubling down on bringing CBD-infused ice cream and it couldn’t be a more brilliant plan.

“We’re doing this for our fans,” said Ben & Jerry’s CEO Matthew McCarthy. “We’ve listened and brought them everything from Non-Dairy indulgences to on-the-go portions with our Pint Slices. We aspire to love our fans more than they love us and we want to give them what they’re looking for in a fun, Ben & Jerry’s way.”

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With ice cream flavors such as ‘Half Baked’ and ‘Bob Marley’s One Love’, Ben and Jerry’s have long been active supporters of legalizing marijuana. It doesn’t come to us as any surprise that they are looking to infuse CBD into their ice cream. Earlier this year on April 20th (also commonly referred to as 420, a national weed day) Ben and Jerry’s gave away free ice cream to those who purchased weed legally at select stores.

At this time though we are solely talking about infusing CBD with ice cream, which has many health benefits. CBD is NOT the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that gets you “high” like THC. We will get into the differences in a little bit.

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Is CBD (Cannabidiol) Legal?

As of this year the use of CDB derived from hemp is legal across all 50 states. However, just because CBD is legal doesn’t mean anyone can just infuse it with ice cream. The FDA ( The Food and Drug Administration) has regulations in place that prevent the use of CBD in food and beverages.

So why is Ben and Jerry’s making a public announcement for CBD infused ice cream if they can’t legally add it to any food or beverages?

Well we are glad you asked. Big things are shaping up in the CBD market as this article is being written literally right now (May 31st, 2019). A public hearing with the FDA is taking place today to potentially lift the restrictions of CBD in food and beverages, and discuss in-depth full legalization of CBD in this category. With pending approval, Ben and Jerry’s already has a Vermont based source for CBD and is locked and loaded to put the infused ice cream in a freezer near you.

Whether you agree or disagree with the market place moving forward to allow CBD to be used in food and beverages you can leave the FDA a comment of your thoughts on the issue right here.

Now To Get Technical: What Is The Difference Between CBD And THC

CBD is short for Cannabidiol and THC is short for Tetrahydrocannabinol and both are cannabinoids that are found in Cannabis plants. They are near identical twins with the exact same chemical make up. They both have 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. However, there is a single atom that is arranged differently that allows the compound to bind with your system or not to bind at all. This binding is what makes the two have completely different affects.

Your endocannabinoid system controls vital functions of the body. The interactions between your system and cannabinoids such as CBD and THC can have significant health benefits such as pain relief, anxiety relief, mood management, appetite stimulation and much more. Although both offer great benefits, THC binds with your CB1 receptors in your endocannabinoid system in a way that has psychoactive effects of getting high. CBD does not bind and therefore provides the benefits of THC without the psychoactive effects.

THC offers a wide range of medical benefits but may not be for everyone due to the mind-altering effects. With that in mind we can see why Ben and Jerry’s is trying to make a push to infuse CBD into their ice cream.