CBD oil drinks now available in Japanese vending machines

But is it worth it?

Although laws regarding cannabis use and sales have been gradually relaxing in some parts of the world, Japan has pretty much been maintaining its hardline stance against it. However, about a year ago, the government made certain allowances for cannabis-derived pharmaceutical products, and now we are beginning to see some fruits of that development.

One particularly fruity development is the release of CBDX, a drink that contains 20 milligrams of CBD oil in 250-milliliter (eight-ounce) cans for 500 yen (US$3.69) each. It recently showed up at vending machines operated by Cheerio, a soft drink maker known for its unusual creations like soda that looks like mayonnaise and carbonated choco-mint drinks.

The release made a buzz online with comments such as the following:

“We’re in an age where you can buy that stuff in vending machines.”
“I tried it! It had a fruity flavor reminiscent of a tropical island.”
“A small amount of CBD doesn’t work…”
“A Strong Zero is more cost-effective I think.”
“Whenever I look at these kinds of health drinks, I think if they were really effective, they’d be made into actual medicine rather than just health drinks.”
“You’d have to be a millionaire to buy 500-yen drinks from a vending machine in this economy.”
“Is it OK to drink that at work?”

That last comment poses an interesting question, so let’s find out by drinking some at work! Of course, CBDX is made with CBD oil that contains no THC in accordance with Japanese law, but the substance alone is said to have some health benefits such as pain and anxiety relief.

One credit that I’ll give CBDX right off the bat is that it came out the machine surprisingly frosty, which was perfect on a pretty hot day like today.

After taking it back to the office I cracked it open and had a taste. It was fruity but not especially sweet, kind of like a golden delicious apple. This was also good on an especially hot day in terms of refreshment and not leaving your mouth feeling all sticky afterward.

I suppose it had a taste like an energy drink, though “energy drink” probably isn’t the right word for this since there’s only about 62 calories and little else in terms of stimulating ingredients.

▼ No protein, no fat, no salt, but 6.3 grams of carbs per 100 milliliters

After drinking, I didn’t feel anything resoundingly different. If anything I felt slightly less tired, and yet at the same time slightly more relaxed than before. If that was the effect of the drink and not just my imagination, I guess it’s slightly better than a cup of coffee. Caffeine tends to give more of a rush and then a crash, but this feels like I had a more even and steady focus.

By the way, there’s a very similar drink that came out recently in Japan too, called Chill Out. However, Chill Out uses an unclear amount of hemp seed oil instead of CBD oil, and seems to rely more on other ingredients, such as GABA, for its relaxing effect. CBDX, on the other hand, is pretty much just the straight oil and some flavorings.

▼ Chill Out sells for 200 yen per 185 milliliter can at vending machines

Overall, it was all right, but the 500-yen price tag is just too steep a price to get me back for more. The 500-milliliter Godzilla Energy Drink selling right below it for only 200 yen, looked to have much more bang for the buck…maybe too much bang, actually.

Still, if you’re in Japan and want a delicious dose of CBD oil for whatever ails you, just find a Cheerio vending machine near you, or order some direct from the CBDX website.

Source: CBDX, Hachima Kiko
Images: ©SoraNews24
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