Boosting your health with CBD can come with some side effects as well, especially if you’re vegan. Checking if CBD drinks are vegan goes way beyond the CBD label. In theory, CBD is vegan. After all, it’s derived from hemp. But things go further than that when you consider the full supply chain.
For example, many manufacturers rely on natural manufacturing processes, as well as fully natural ingredients. This isn’t a general rule, as some of these additional ingredients could be derived from animals.
So, while CBD is generally vegan, you need to pay attention to a few things to make sure you don’t get any animal-derived ingredients. Here’s what to pay attention to ensure your drink aligns with your ethics.
Check the Certification
This isn’t about certifications regarding the manufacturer, but about certifications regarding the vegan profile of a drink. As a general rule of thumb, you should look for vegan logos. Sometimes, you could have a “V” with a leaf from The Vegan Society Trademark.
You can also find the Vegan Awareness Foundation mark, which is a “V” designed like a heart. The European Vegetarian Union uses a “V” with a leaf.
Now, this “V” isn’t everything. If you’re not familiar with some certifications, some of them could refer to the vegetarian profile of the drink. In other words, animal-derived ingredients could still be included, even if the drink is vegetarian. Always look for the word “Vegan” explicitly to be safe.
Apart from the certification, it’s also worth noting that some brands or manufacturers don’t require too many checks. There are vegan CBD drinks out there made by brands with a solid dedication to veganism.
Cruelty-free labels are also important, yet there might be a catch. Normally, a cruelty-free label should indicate that the product doesn’t have animal ingredients, but also the fact that it wasn’t tested on animals.
Now, these labels are worth some consideration when you get CBD drinks from popular and reputable brands. You could also get this label on cheap brands, but it may only be a form of advertising to draw vegans’ attention without the rigorous third-party auditing to back it up.
Scan the Ingredients
Take a look at all the ingredients if you’re not 100% sure. And if you see words that you’re not familiar with, don’t make any assumptions, but simply look them up online.
Honey is sometimes used as a natural sweetener, so you’ll find quite a few CBD drinks with it. While they’re still vegetarian, such drinks aren’t vegan, hence the necessity of research.
Other ingredients to look for include:
- Dairy ingredients, which are sometimes found in coffee-based CBD drinks or creamy “latte” style infusions.
- Vitamin D3, which is usually vegan, but it could also be derived from sheep’s wool (lanolin).
- Taurine, which is usually synthetic, but it could also be derived from animals.
- Refined sugar, as some of it can be made with bone char during the whitening process.
- Carmine, which is sometimes used for coloring. It’s not that common in CBD drinks, but you could still find it here and there.
Check the Filtration Methods
This might be more difficult to check, especially since most brands don’t mention anything about it. However, if you go for a brand with a vegan certificate, you can be sure that the process doesn’t involve animals or animal-derived products.
While not always a general rule, animal products can also be used in the production process. With all these, they’re less likely to be listed among the ingredients.
For example, fining agents go in this category. You can check if your CBD drink was filtered with non-vegan fining agents. Some of these agents include egg whites, gelatin or isinglass (fish bladder).
Get in Touch with the Manufacturer
Sometimes, the label could be unclear. Or maybe the manufacturer hasn’t mentioned anything about animal-based products and ingredients. In this particular case, you should check the company’s website for more information. Look through policies, the about section and other articles to find their Certificate of Analysis (COA).
If you still can’t find anything, simply get in touch with the respective manufacturer. Ask if products are vegan-certified. Also, ask if animal-derived ingredients are used in the process, let alone testing on animals.
A reputable manufacturer will be honest about everything. Discovering a lie could cost the brand a fortune in lawsuits and reputation in an age where consumer transparency is everything.
Quick Checklist
Here’s a quick checklist to pay attention to when considering certain CBD drinks.
Things to look for in CBD drinks:
- Plant-based sweeteners are ideal, such as monk fruit or stevia.
- Natural fruit flavours are just as useful, since they don’t involve animals.
- CO2-extracted CBD doesn’t involve animals in the process and is considered the cleanest extraction method.
There are also a few things to avoid or be cautious about, such as honey, dairy, vitamin D3 or generic natural flavors that don’t mention anything else.
In the end, reputable brands and manufacturers produce vegan CBD drinks, but this isn’t a general rule. A little attention to the label or some more information on official websites could give you all the information that you need. Your health and your ethics can easily go hand-in-hand with the right choice.
