The 2021 CBD Awards | The CBD Insider

Welcome to our 2021 CBD Awards!

After dozens of brand and product reviews conducted this year, this is our chance to recognize those who truly outperformed the competition in the following categories:

• Best CBD Oil
• Best CBD Gummy
• Best CBD Topical
• Best CBD Capsules
• Best THC-Free Product
• Best CBG Product
• Best CBN Product
• Best Value
• Best Pet CBD
• Most Innovative
• Best Newcomer
• Best CBD Brand

As always, we promise to uphold real merit as the only currency here; no brand can buy their way onto this list with anything other than high-quality products and practices. 

Since the competition is thickening all the time as industry newbies swagger their way onto the scene while the titans wrestle for supremacy, we had to get a little technical in our ranking methodology to separate some razor-thin margins.

CBD Awards of 2021: Table of Contents

1. Our Ranking Criteria
2. Best CBD Oil
3. Best CBD Gummy
4. Best CBD Topical
5. Best CBD Capsules

Our Ranking Criteria

In the case of individual brand reviews we conduct throughout the year, we use these criteria to provide each brand with an overall score out of 100 points.

Understandably, the more specific superlatives we’re doling out today require modified versions of these criteria, but the heart is very much the same.

To provide a few examples of the factors we borrowed from our brand review criteria, the products listed below are being recognized for their balanced and potent cannabinoid profiles, sustainability and quality of sourcing (organic?), overall value, extract availability (full-spectrum and broad-spectrum?), and more.

Alright, the host has babbled enough, the stage is set, and the nominees are fidgeting in their seats—let’s get to the awards!

Best CBD Oil: Cornbread Hemp Whole Flower CBD Oil

Just when we thought we had the hemp industry giants settled perfectly into their rankings, in saunters relative newcomer Cornbread Hemp, unabashedly slamming their flower-only, full-spectrum, USDA Organic CBD oil on the table as if to say “deal with it” to the rest of the industry. 

After reviewing the brand, sampling the products, meeting the founder, and thoroughly poking through the fine print, we have verified that all of their lofty claims are actually true.

This is one of only two products we’ve ever reviewed to hit all of the “big three” quality indicators at once (flower only, organic, full-spectrum), and like many industry leaders pushing for stronger tinctures, this one provides 50mg/2mg of CBD/THC per serving.

Better yet, the Kentucky hemp farms that Cornbread Hemp partners with are rain-fed, and they sit on a massive limestone deposit that improves soil and water quality.

Best CBD Gummy: Five CBD Daily Buzz Gummies

Like most of their products, Five CBD boast a 5:1 CBD to supporting cannabinoid ratio along with unabashedly generous amounts of THC per serving.

Five CBD’s Daily Buzz gummies are especially potent, providing 25mg of CBD and 5mg of THC each.

Third-party lab reports attest to the strong synergy of supporting cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, and CBC, which approaches a combined 5mg per gummy.

As our team of testers personally experienced, the brand’s claim of “CBD you can feel” is accurate, as these gummies significantly boosted all the major benefits of CBD.

For all this, Five remains well under $0.10/mg for even the smallest size, which is an extremely strong value, gummies or otherwise.

Honorable Mention: CBDistillery Full-Spectrum CBD Gummies

Following closely behind is CBDistillery’s full-spectrum CBD gummies, which boast 30mg of CBD each and a clean ingredient list rife with natural and organic ingredients.

Exceeding 25mg/gummy is commonplace nowadays, but in addition to CBDistillery’s rock-solid pedigree and overall brand value, we chose this product because the supporting cannabinoid presence is still well above average (7:1 ratio of CBD to other cannabinoids).

Finally, at $60.00 for 900mg, these gummies offer a very solid value for the quality.

Best CBD Topical: Receptra Targeted Topical

Where many topical products in the CBD space suffer from puny CBD and/or supporting cannabinoid concentrations, Receptra’s targeted topical excels, and with a wealth of wellness-affirming ingredients to boot.

The 1.25oz tub delivers 400mg of CBD to be applied directly to problem areas for discomfort relief.

As mentioned, the ingredient list is also rife with health-boosting ingredients like jasmine, ylang-ylang, camphor oil, jojoba oil, arnica, organic vitamin E, and more.

In other words, this topical product literally checked every box we have, including ingredient quality, CBD/cannabinoid concentration, reliability (third-party testing), and value.

Honorable Mention: Cornbread Hemp Peppermint + Arnica CBD Balm

As mentioned in our comprehensive review, Cornbread Hemp is the only brand we’ve ever known to offer a CBD topical made with all-organic ingredients and nothing else, including zero preservatives of any kind.

Moreover, the Peppermint + Arnica CBD Balm we’re referring to, like all Cornbread Hemp’s products, is made with full-spectrum hemp, extracted exclusively from the hemp flower (versus the whole plant).

Despite the premium quality, Cornbread Hemp keeps prices reasonable for all their topicals, and we noticed moderate reduction in discomfort that lasted several hours after using the balm.

Best CBD Capsules: Elixinol

Featuring six highly targeted, expertly formulated CBD capsules, Elixinol’s capsule catalog is simply too good to beat at the moment.

The Everyday Daily Balance capsules introduce beta-caryophyllene oil, a wellness-affirming terpene, alongside the more standard MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) “carrier” oil for greater therapeutic potential.

In addition, the best-selling formulation provides a cannabinoid-dense, full-spectrum hemp extract derived from plants grown in the USA.

At less than $0.07/mg for this conscientiously developed CBD capsule (and the five other formulations), the Everyday Balance capsule lands firmly in first for 2021.

Honorable Mention: CBDFX

A brand that has made particularly large strides in the CBD capsule department of late, CBDfx is bringing some nootropic-enhanced, cannabinoid-rich options to the table.

Particularly, their Morning Capsules are an excellent option for those of us looking for a pick-me-up that doesn’t produce jitters or anxiety.

These capsules are fortified with a 6:1 ratio of CBD to CBG as well as a generous terpene presence and caffeine.

The result is a sustainable boost in energy that doesn’t impede your focus or sense of calm.

As is required to make this list, the value is fairly competitive as well (under $0.07/mg).

Honorable Mention: CBDistillery

Though they aren’t out yet, if CBDistillery delivers on their promise of a “functional synergy” CBD capsule line that integrates Kava Root, Reishi and Chaga mushrooms, and more, they will definitely be a contender for next year’s best CBD capsule award.

The Functional Synergy Unwind Mushroom Capsules look especially well-formulated, providing 5mg of CBN, 15mg of CBD, 300mg of Reishi mushroom extract, and 300mg of Chaga mushroom extract per capsule.

In addition to these and the Kava Root capsules, both of which target calm-promoting benefits, the Functional Synergy Focus Mushroom Capsules will use nootropics like Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps (more mushrooms!) for a sustained focus boost.

We’ll keep a close eye on this collection, sampling and reviewing as soon as possible to keep our readers up to date.