Together, our testers have tried more than 125 CBD products for pain, sleep, stress, and more.

Since 2019, we’ve published dozens of articles about cannabidiol (CBD) — from what it is and what it can do to roundups of some of the best CBD gummies and oils.

To make sure we’re bringing you the best options, we follow a standardized product selection process.

First, our Medical Standards and Insights team carefully vets products we think might be a good fit for our content. Then, we put them to the test. Our testers try each product for at least 2 weeks and provide in-depth feedback.

If the product gets a thumbs-up, we’ll include it in our content alongside quotes from our testers.

Because CBD affects everyone differently — and how familiar you are with it can play a role in that — we separate our testers into two categories:

  • Supertesters | Skip to meet them: These testers are super familiar with CBD and have been taking it regularly for more than a year. In general, they may have a higher tolerance for CBD than those are who completely new to it. Our supertesters have tried at least 25 products each.
  • Everyday testers | Skip to meet them: Our everyday testers can range from first-timers to those who have a little — but not a lot — of experience taking CBD. They’ve tried between one and 25 products each.

Everyday testers

Casual CBD users who've tried just a few products

Supertesters

Testers who've been using CBD regularly for at least a year and have tried 25+ products

When matching testers with products, we take into account:

  • their preferences
  • what they’re hoping to get out of CBD, whether that’s pain relief, help sleeping, or something else
  • their familiarity with CBD
  • what products they’ve tried (and liked or disliked) in the past

  • Experience with CBD: has tested over 50 CBD products
  • Has tried: full-spectrum and broad-spectrum gummies, oils, capsules, balms, and creams
  • Uses CBD for: sciatica, anxiety, sleep issues

I’ve been testing and writing about CBD products since 2022. When selecting a CBD product, I tend to go for CBD oil. I don’t mind the grassiness of hemp flavor, though I do consider the flavors when selecting a product. I like when taking CBD is an enjoyable experience, rather than feeling like I’m taking something that tastes super medicinal.

I frequently take CBD at nighttime to help me relax and fall asleep. My favorite thing about it is that it doesn’t make me groggy the next morning. I’m a morning person and do my best work during that time, so it’s important to me to wake up feeling alert and awake.

I like CBD products that are higher in potency, often taking 100 mg to 200 mg of CBD to help with my sleep. I don’t mind some THC, though I aim for no more than 1 mg per serving so that I don’t feel anxious. I also take breaks from ingestible CBD — I don’t want to rely on it, so I use it as needed rather than daily.

When I’m not writing or editing, I love baking, cooking, and cross-stitching. In the past few years, I’ve also started playing video games — it’s fun to play co-op games with my friends.

  • Experience with CBD: has tested over 25 products outside of Healthline
  • Has tried: full-spectrum and broad-spectrum gummies, capsules, and creams
  • Uses CBD for: pain management, stress, anxiety

I’m a newsletter editor, writer, cat mom, thrifter, and gamer who lives in upstate New York.

I’ve always been interested in experimenting with alternative remedies, and cannabis is one of my all-time favorites. I’ve been using CBD for over 10 years as a natural way to help manage my anxiety, chronic pain, and sleep issues. It really works for me! I’ve tried hundreds of products over the years — gummies, oil tinctures, salves, you name it.

I love how accessible CBD has become. Where I live, there are so many awesome dispensaries and farms with high quality, third-party tested, locally grown cannabis products in various forms. CBD has definitely helped me feel better over the years, and I’m always open to trying something new to see how it can improve my well-being.

Marie Rosales

  • Experience with CBD: has tested over eight CBD products
  • Has tried: full-spectrum and broad-spectrum gummies, oils, capsules, balms, and creams
  • Uses CBD for: chronic back and right-knee pain, nerve damage, anxiety, sleep issues

I am a 35-year-old single mother of two, with one being special needs. I am also a disabled veteran, a full-time employee, and a newcomer to ballroom dancing!

I’ve been using CBD products for roughly seven months. I use them for a variety of issues, including trouble sleeping, pain, stress, and anxiety. My favorites are topical creams and bath bombs — those seem to help me relax the most. I love the brand Soul CBD.

I like that CBD products can give me relief, but I don’t feel a “high” from them, and I’m still able to be aware of my surroundings and in control. Some prescribed pain medication will put me to sleep all day and make me feel groggy the next day. Using CBD doesn’t cure my pain, but it reduces it while allowing me to go about my day.

  • Experience with CBD: has tested over seven CBD products
  • Has tried: broad-spectrum and isolate gummies, oils, balms, creams, and capsules
  • Uses CBD for: fibromyalgia, arthritis, myofascial pain syndrome, anxiety, sleep issues

I manage anxiety and fibromyalgia. After years, I finally turned to CBD to help with both during the day, as prescriptions for either condition can often have sedative effects undesirable when I’m working and driving. As a mom of a student athlete, if I’m not doing one, I’m doing the other!

I have had success with R&R Medicinals, CBDistillery, Wyld, Aspen Green, Medterra, and Sunmed.

I quickly found that my system is intolerant to THC; it doesn’t relax me, it gives me a distinct headache, and its psychoactive properties have the opposite effect. Because of that, I opt for THC-free broad-spectrum or isolate products instead of full-spectrum.

Rita Mauceri

  • Experience with CBD: has tested over six products
  • Has tried: gummies and oils (prefers THC-free)
  • Uses CBD for: stress, sleep issues

I’m in my 50s and live in Los Angeles with my husband, two cats, and occasionally my college-age kids dropping in for visits. I take full advantage of the sunny California weather and love to get outside to hike, hang at one of our local parks, or explore the amazing food scene.

My health goals at this stage are getting enough protein and fiber, maintaining strength and flexibility, and managing stress. I initially started dabbling with CBD a few years ago to help with poor sleep, and it has definitely helped calm my thoughts as I’m winding down at night. I also use it when I’m feeling stressed or anxious as well and have found it works really well.

I’ve tried around 10 CBD brands, both oils and gummies. I like both forms, but gummies are definitely convenient and also handy for travel. Full-spectrum tends to sometimes be too strong for me, so I stick with broad-spectrum gummies. My go-to brands are Soul CBD and CBDfx, though I really like Cornbread Hemp as well.

Sydney Samuels

  • Experience with CBD: has tested at least four CBD products
  • Has tried: gummies, capsules, lotions, and oils
  • Uses CBD for: anxiety, minor jaw pain

I’m in my 20s, and although I’m a Florida native, I currently live in Nashville with my husband and dog named Maisie. I work full-time from home, and in my free time, you can usually find me trying new restaurants around town, spending time with friends, working out, or relaxing at home with a good book.

Health and wellness is important to me, and for me, that means moving my body regularly, making sure that I’m getting enough protein in my vegetarian diet, and doing my best to keep my anxiety in check. I’ve found CBD to be a helpful supplement that I can take when I need something extra to relax my mind and body.

I’ve tried 4 or 5 different CBD brands, and a ton of different types of products, including gummies, capsules, oils, creams, and balms. I’ve found full-spectrum products to work best for me, and while gummies are by far the tastiest, high-potency oils seem to be the most effective for my sleep and anxiety.

Heather Riesebeck

  • Experience with CBD: has tried various CBD products outside of Healthline; first time trying CBD gummies
  • Has tried: gummies, oils, creams, candles
  • Uses CBD for: anxiety, sleep disorder, fibromyalgia pain

I’m a 24 year old woman, yogi, cat mom, full-time employee, and amateur baker! I’ve used CBD for several years as a holistic supplement in addition to other treatments for managing my OCD, sleep disorder, and fibromyalgia diagnoses.

My favorite ways to use CBD are with gummies or infused candles — and my all-time favorite is a soy wax candle from a local hemp farm near me.

It’s important to me that my CBD products are third-party tested, but I’m open to trying any flavor, spectrum & brand — I just love that it’s an easy add when I need any extra boost of symptom management for my chronic conditions!

Ren Dias

  • Experience with CBD: has tested one product
  • Has tried: THC-free oil
  • Uses CBD for: headaches, stress, anxiety

I’m a woman in my 30s. I’m originally from the Philadelphia area, but I’ve lived in Key West and now reside in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, toddler, two dogs, and cat. I work full-time from home, but you can find me exercising, reading, or lazing with my pups in my free time.

I have chronic headaches, and I try to find holistic alternatives to pain management, such as CBD! I’m still new to it, though. I’m open to trying anything, but I prefer THC-free products over full-spectrum.

Mary-Kate Butler

  • Experience with CBD: has tried one product
  • Has tried: THC-free oil
  • Uses CBD for: chronic back pain, anxiety, & insomnia

I’m a 30-something woman born and raised in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. After spending some time living in different places across Virginia, I’m back to living in my hometown with my husband and 2 cats. I work remotely full-time, but you’re most likely to find me spending time with friends, exercising, exploring my local trails and botanical gardens, or crafting at home.

I’m new to CBD in any form, and I’m wary of products with THC due to adverse effects on my anxiety levels. I have been interested in trying beginner-friendly THC-free CBD products to help me quiet my mind, manage my stress and anxiety, and get more restful sleep. I had great success with the Bluebird Botanicals THC-free oil — so much so that I’ve become a subscriber of the product! — and look forward to trying more brands in the future.

Although these testers are no longer testing new CBD products for Healthline, you’ll still find some of their feedback in our reviews and roundups.

Connor Rice

  • Experience with CBD: has tested at least four CBD products
  • Has tried: oils and tinctures (prefers full-spectrum)
  • Uses CBD for: anxiety, minor pain, soreness

Candice Abellon

  • Experience with CBD: has tested at least three CBD products
  • Has tried: gummies, oils, and topicals
  • Uses CBD for: aches and pains, help sleeping

Laramy Applekamp

  • Experience with CBD: has tested at least eight CBD products
  • Has tried: gummies, oils, and topicals
  • Uses CBD for: sleep, sore muscles, stress

You’ll find Healthline badges featured across our product reviews and roundups. You can use these to quickly see what type of tester tried each product.