CBDLifestyle How to talk about CBD at the dinner table Dante Jordan November 26, 2019 (fortyforks/iStock)

With CBD being all the rage, it’s sure to be a topic of family discussion soon. You’ll need to be well-equipped with info to have a productive conversation without things turning into an argument. That can prove challenging when speaking with the older generation or anyone who was fed all kinds of trash propaganda about cannabis.

Here are a few tips to you help productively talk about CBD at the dinner table.

Know the difference between THC and CBD

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the chemical compound in cannabis that gets people high and also has therapeutic qualities. CBD (cannabidiol) is a cannabis compound that does not get people high, but still provides certain wellness benefits.

The stigmas around cannabis come from the effects of THC, not CBD. Those stigmas are part of the foundation of the war on drugs, which criminalizes black and brown people at a much higher rate than white people, though they all consume cannabis. Because of this history, many people are close-minded to the benefits that not just THC, but also CBD, could probably bring them.

Understand the benefits

As we age, our bodies began to change, and by that I mean, we get old and our body’s break because being human is so trash sometimes. Many of the reasons we see doctors and many of the ailments we encounter in life can be relieved with CBD. Some of these ailments include, but are not limited to: anxiety, depression, muscle pains, a sour puss attitude, and the list goes on.

After a little history lesson, try sharing the benefits of CBD with your family members. They should not oppose it, and implementing it in their daily routines may actually help them.

Bring CBD to the dinner table

If you’re a CBD evangelist, you should bring an actual CBD product to the dinner table. It’s like the cannabis version of saying your dog doesn’t bite and then having a baby pet it for evidence.

At this point of the discussion, you’ve probably assumed the unrequested position of CBD salesman. Know what salesmen give potential customers? Samples.

What happens if your Aunt Bernie says “Ya know, maybe CBD would be good for me?” You’ll whip out a bottle of 600mg CBD gummies like “BAM! Chomp on these and let’s see how ya feel.”

Don’t like gummies? Give her a lil’ CBD topical or maybe even a CBD vape to puff on.

Your vapegate response

Your grandmother may have seen something on the news that said vapes are killing people, and now she’s attributed that to all things vape-able or cannabis related. So she may not be ready for that “Hey, maybe let’s stop popping those prescription pills and try this natural herb” discussion that the table should REALLY be having.

Your defense for this will be that each consumer market in the entire world has corrupt participants that do not have our best interests in mind. And just like every other market, the cannabis and CBD markets are FULL of respectable, reputable, high quality producers and products. Fear will only keep you from finding them. Don’t let fear block your grammy’s blessings.

To help your grammy find CBD brands she can trust, check out Leafly’s test of 47 CBD products and their potency levels. This will help weed out the liars from truth-tellers.

Educate, don’t argue

The difference between an argument and a discussion is that arguments seek a right or wrong, while discussions seek information and understanding.

If somehow your CBD discussions get a lil’ too heated (they shouldn’t because it’s just weed, dude), take a deep breath, and remember what Brooklyn philosopher Shawn Corey Carter once said: “A wise man said, ‘don’t argue with fools, cause from a distance, people can’t tell who is who.’”

Dante Jordan Dante Jordan is a former Leafly Associate Subject Matter Expert and current freelance cannabis writer living in Seattle, WA. He specializes in content about cannabis strains, culture, and education. Reach him at dantenetworks@gmail.com or on Instagram: @dante_jordan. View Dante Jordan's articles