I’m back with another super exciting CBD (cannabidiol) review and I think I have officially found my favourite brand. The CBD industry is booming and with that comes a lot of dishonest brands, products that might as well be placebos, and a huge amount of customer confusion. The Dr. Ed CBD Oil range puts an end to all of this absolute BS with clear dosing guides, high-quality products, and brand transparency.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that this is a sponsored post. I was sent free products and compensated in return for an honest review. I am also part of Dr. Ed affiliate program and this post contains affiliate links to their site. If you buy anything from the Dr. Ed website using this link, it won’t cost you any extra, but I will get paid a small commission to help keep my blog up and running. I am not influenced by the company in any way and all opinions, ramblings, and thoughts are my own and 100% honest. If you’d like to know more, feel free to contact me.
Before I go into my review in full I want to talk a little more about how Dr. Ed came to be and what the founders are fighting for with regards to the CBD manufacturing process, regulations, and laws within the UK. As some of you may be new to my site I’ll also be recapping on what exactly CBD is and how it might be of use to you. Oh, and because Dr. Ed is an absolute legend he’s giving you guys 25% off with the code ‘greens25’.
About Dr. Ed
Dr. Ed is a Manchester (UK) based CBD oil company founded by Alex McMillian and neuroscientist Dr Edward Jones. Alex struggled with long term anxiety and turned to CBD oil to self medicate after prescription drugs left him feeling exhausted and numb. Although he found CBD oil to help the results were often inconsistent, likely due to the poor production of products and their fluctuating levels of CBD and/or incorrect labelling and dosage. The quality control of the production is paramount when it comes to CBD and McMillian saw this worrying gap.
“There are an awful lot of bogus products on the market making wild health claims or not containing the ingredients you expect. We can’t stand that sort of stuff whether it’s to do with cannabidiol or not. We developed our products with science in mind. Our business is based on logic and a strong understanding of the facts surrounding cannabidiol. While CBD isn’t right for everyone it can be useful in many different situations.” – Dr. Ed
Now, both McMillian and Jones operate a large pharmaceutical-grade production facility where they can oversee quality control themselves. This means that as customers there’s no room for confusion over labelling or percentages of the CBD content on the packaging. With Dr. Ed what you see is what you get, there’s no crazy marketing ploy going on whatsoever and although the branding feels pretty crisp it’s trustworthy with that clinical, caring edge. Having a neuroscientist on board to develop the products definitely fills me with hope. For more on Dr. Ed check out this interview from the Manchester Evening News.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring cannabinoid. In fact, our body produces cannabinoids itself. Simply put cannabinoids are the active components of cannabis. In the late 1980s, scientists discovered the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) within the human body. The ECS continuously maintains balance at a cellular level and is, in fact, active in everyone from before birth to the end of life itself. It is responsible for controlling energy intake, nutrient transportation, metabolism storage and regulates your brain, organ, and musculoskeletal functions.
If you don’t have enough endocannabinoids you’re likely to experience pain where you shouldn’t have pain and suffer from anxiety, obesity, and even nausea. In fact, a number of common diseases… are all linked to a deficiency of endocannabinoids.
Basically, the ECS is responsible for a lot of cool stuff that keeps us alive. Your body is a super-smart machine and knows how and when to make cannabinoids but, for some, their ECS doesn’t work properly and so struggles to self-regulate. The result? A deficiency in endocannabinoids and a whole host of health problems ranging from small to big.
If you don’t have enough endocannabinoids you’re likely to experience pain where you shouldn’t have pain and suffer from anxiety, obesity, and even nausea. In fact, a number of common diseases, particularly hyperalgesic ones (increased sensitivity to pain disproportionate to what is truly happening within the body), but also those with no identifiable causes are all linked to a deficiency of endocannabinoids.
Endocannabinoid deficiency can manifest in many ways, from; migraines, IBS, fibromyalgia and inflammatory or immune disorders. This is where CBD might be useful. As CBD is a homeostatic regulator and balances the ECS it could act as a buffer, combatting both deficiency and excess within the ECS itself. For example, if you find yourself anxious or depressed your body is likely to be deficient in the neurotransmitter GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid). CBD interacts with the GABA receptor and amplifies GABA’s natural calming effect.
Again CBD can activate the serotonin receptor (serotonin is the stuff that makes you happy) 5-HT1A and induce a calming effect. Personally, I have found CBD helpful for this. CBD is also an excellent anti-inflammatory that doesn’t come with the same risks or side effects of regular NSAIDs (aspirin, diclofenac, ibuprofen etc.) such as; ulcers, heart attacks, and strokes. This makes it potentially useful for chronic pain management and, as an autoimmune disease sufferer, I can vouch for its effectiveness.
Dr Ed. CBD Oil Review
All of Dr. Ed’s products are full-spectrum and free from pesticides or any other horrible chemicals. They’re made with organic, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients so you are getting the purest product possible. The website provides a full set of lab reports on cannabinoid content, cannabidiol and THC content, and heavy metals content as well as the food safety certificate that comes with a respectable 97.4%. Talk about brand transparency or what?!
The carrier oil used is MCT oil, a coconut-derived oil that these days is usually used by people on the keto or Bulletproof diet as a pure energy source. MCT oil is easily absorbed by the body but it also increases the bioavailability of cannabinoids and terpenes, more so than other carrier oils. It’s often my carrier oil of choice when looking for a CBD oil product so I was definitely to see that this was the case with the product range.
Each product comes with a terpene blend specific to the function it’s marketed for. This is a clever use of science and in fact in the medical cannabis world when purchasing from a dispensary you’ll find that different strains of cannabis naturally have different combinations of terpenes and so are used in a similar way. Sadly in the UK, we don’t have this option and so we have to opt for terpene use through essential oils as terpenes typically comprise up to 80% of an essential oil’s content. For example, limonene is the second most abundant terpene found in cannabis but can also be found naturally in citrus fruits and is what often gives them their citrus scents, in products they’ll probably smell and taste much like orange or lemon.
Each of of the Dr. Ed CBD oil products come in 3 different strengths; 2.5% (250mg/10ml), 5% (500mg/10ml), and 10% (1000mg/10ml). If this sounds confusing to you then don’t worry you won’t be alone, most products state the same information on their label but without any accurate dosage information. Thankfully Dr. Ed has a handy guide for each strength of their product and helps you to figure out each individual dosage right down to the number of drops (take a look from the image above I took directly from the site). I was sent out the 5% strength in both Calm and Relief which I will now go into further…
Dr Ed. Calm CBD Oil, RRP £31.99 – £79.99
Calm is described as Dr. Ed’s “most popular tonic… created with peace in mind… designed to bring balance back to a hectic world.” and boy does it do just that. Out of the two I have been sent this has been the one I’ve used the most. Everyone has their own way of dosing but I like to microdose throughout the day to help manage my stress levels and so I have been taking 2 drops (5mg) every morning, afternoon, and evening.
Having the dosing guide has made micro-dosing a doddle and it has meant that I can also be quite versatile with the way I use my oils. I usually dose sublingually but sometimes it’s nice to pop a couple of drops into my morning coffee to keep me jitter-free..
The effects are fairly instant even when micro-dosing for me, I used to find that I needed a lot of CBD to feel any real effects but this was probably due to an endocannabinoid deficiency. You can dose high at first to cope with severe symptoms but generally speaking, the best approach is low and slow. CBD should be treated like a vitamin supplement – you’re trying to top up your levels and unless you’re suffering from chronic anxiety you don’t need to opt for a high dose. 2.5mg to 10mg is often used for mild cases of anxiety but serious cases with regular panic attacks doses of 40 to 50mg a day have found to be possibly more beneficial. It’s worth noting that with stress and anxiety there is a tipping point with dosing and you could potentially exacerbate the problem. For this reason, I’d advise not going over 70mg a day.
Having the dosing guide has made micro-dosing a doddle and it has meant that I can also be quite versatile with the way I use my oils. I usually dose sublingually but sometimes it’s nice to pop a couple of drops into my morning coffee to keep me jitter-free and leave me feeling calm and collected enough to crack on. The flavour is also lovely and when added to my coffee I loved the citrus notes – I’ve found a real love recently for combining orange or lemon with cold brew.
The flavour is quite strong when dosed orally but not unpleasant by any means – you’re hit with lemon, vanilla and pine, or at least that’s what I think I was both tasting and smelling. To be honest, this would make sense as the terpenes limonene, vanillin, and alpha-pinene have all been found to help reduce anxiety. Other anxiety-reducing terpenes are; beta-caryophyllene derived from rosemary and black pepper, linalool from lavender, and beta-myrcene which is the most abundant terpene in cannabis and imparts a spicy, herbal taste. Beta-myrcene can also be found in lemongrass, eucalyptus, and bay leaves.
I was really expecting to taste some lavender but it wasn’t there for me. Sadly it will have to remain a mystery for me but ultimately it did the job and it tasted great. Oh, and it really smelled like some sort of caramel sweet thanks to the vanilla (if there even is any vanilla?!). The colour of the oil is a really pale yellow, almost clear, so I didn’t have to worry about dropping any on my t-shirt and staining it because I’m pretty clumsy.
You can pick up a bottle of Dr. Ed’s Calm from £31.99 to £79.99 direct from the Dr. Ed website. don’t forget you can grab 25% off with the code ‘greens25’.
Dr Ed. Relief CBD Oil, RRP £31.99 – £79.99
According to the Dr. Ed site “Relief has been carefully designed with the highest-quality ingredients to increase absorption rates” and is one I’ve been keeping in my cupboard to help cope with hormonal migraines and of course, DOMS (after my silly mega kettlebell workouts). I also helped heal a small tear in my hand by using it topically. For my migraines, it really took the edge off and as CBD is naturally anti-emetic it took away the nausea part which I always find to be the worst part of the migraine itself.
CBD might be able to help in so many ways when dealing with pain, in fact, it is thought to sort of reduce our perception of pain as it stops the brain from receiving as many messages about it, reduces inflammation, and reduces anxiety which makes us cope with pain a lot more easily. It may be helpful when used to treat visceral (organ) pain, neuropathic pain (originating from the nerves), and both somatic and deep somatic pain. Somatic being from the skin and deep somatic originating from the muscles and connective tissues.
Case studies have found starting low and slow when using CBD for analgesic purposes as you can always take more if symptoms worsen. 2.5mg per day is favourable however this can go up to a max daily dosage of 25mg.
Flavour-wise out of the two this was my least favourite – it’s super spicy and pungent, and tastes (I think) mainly of black pepper and lavender. As it’s quite spiced tasting I reckon there are high levels of beta-myrcene in there, especially as it’s known to amp up analgesic effects and help ease pain and inflammation and relax the muscles. Beta-caryophyllene which is also anti-inflammatory is most likely contributing to that pungent spicy black pepper taste too. The colour of this oil was a much darker shade of yellow than Calm. I think this might be a clue of the strength of terpenes but don’t quote me on that. Thankfully it’s not so dark that it will leave some sort of evil stain but it was visibly very different.
Other things I thought I could both smell and taste were lemongrass and pine. Taste aside it definitely helped me cope with pain but for some reason, I felt more spaced out when using this one than I expected to. This could, of course, have been due to the after-effects of pain itself.
You can pick up a bottle of Dr. Ed’s Relief from £31.99 to £79.99 direct from the Dr. Ed website. don’t forget you can grab 25% off with the code ‘greens25’.
The Verdict
The Dr. Ed range has been designed impeccably to treat a range of common ailments such as anxiety, pain, and stress as well as boosting cognitive function and energy levels. For me, the combination of the products having been designed by a neuroscientist and the brand’s transparency and easy access to lab reports made me super confident in what I was putting into my body. Another element to take into account is the total control from the supply chain of their Californian hemp all the way through production. This is probably the most trustworthy CBD brand that I have come across in the UK so far.
I’m just thankful that the Dr. Ed Insta feed isn’t slathered in half-naked women and hipsters. They’re all about the product and the customer, not the cool factor… a 10/10 for me on quality, branding, and value for money and I will definitely be buying from Dr. Ed in the future without any hesitation.
Their stance on the need for the government to improve the laws and regulations around CBD oil in the UK just shows how much they care about their customers and the industry. More than I can say for other brands that I have encountered. They even have a section on their site dedicated to educating their customers on everything from using CBD for pets, why CBD might not be working for you, and current CBD scams.
The product range is relatively small but it is easy to navigate and I think an overload of products can be essentially a little too overwhelming. I do know that they are in the middle of the production of something exciting which I can’t wait to see but for now, my lips are sealed.
As for sustainability, the majority of the packaging is recyclable such as the outer cardboard box, the glass bottle, and the glass pipette which should be detachable after use. I can’t sp4eakl for their production processes and carbon footprint and it’s something I’d really like to see more of on the site.
It’s worth mentioning that Dr. Ed to offer a 15% discount to anyone registered disabled or if you’re a serviceman or woman – i.e. in the forces or NHS. Which I think is lovely, however, for now, you can use my code ‘greens25’ for 25% off the full Dr. Ed range.
I’m just thankful that the Dr. Ed Insta feed isn’t slathered in half-naked women and hipsters. They’re all about the product and the customer, not the cool factor, which to be honest doesn’t count for much if your product isn’t high quality. Overall it’s pretty much a 10/10 for me on quality, branding, and value for money and I will definitely be buying from Dr. Ed in the future without any hesitation.
New to CBD? Looking for some inspiration on how to incorporate it into your life? Then check out my CBD recipe section here and reviews here. Oh, and if you want to keep up to date with my deliciousness then sign up for my newsletter and I’ll love you forever – who am I kidding? I already do!
DISCLAIMER: Please note that I am not a qualified health care professional or nutritionist, I only write about my experiences and sometimes include information from scientific studies. CBD products are food supplements, not medicine. They cannot diagnose, treat, or cure diseases. Please consult your GP before taking CBD if you are pregnant, lactating, or taking any medication. Please note that CBD is not intended for children under 18 years old.
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