CBD Etiquette: the Dos and Don’ts of CBD

CBD is becoming increasingly popular: around 10% of the British population takes CBD on a regular basis. As people are integrating it into their daily lives, including professional, social, and cultural interactions, it’s good to have a guide on the dos and don’ts of CBD consumption.
This CBD etiquette guide will help you incorporate CBD into your life gracefully and with consideration for other people, whether at work, in public, or among friends.
CBD in the Workplace
CBD has been legal in the UK since 2017, but it takes time for people to fully acknowledge its consumption — especially in professional settings, where the consumption of CBD can be a delicate matter.
Although CBD is non-intoxicating and legal in many places, it is still associated with cannabis, which might raise questions or concerns among colleagues and employers. To be respectful of your workplace, you should be considerate of other people’s feelings.
Understand Company Policies
Before bringing CBD to work, review your employer’s policies on wellness supplements. While CBD is legal in many jurisdictions, workplace rules may vary, especially in industries with strict substance use policies. You can always take CBD at home before leaving for work and top it up when you come back from work.
Choose Discreet Options
If your CBD dosage means you need to take CBD during work hours, opt for odourless and non-obtrusive forms of CBD, such as capsules, pills, tinctures, or gummies, rather than vaping or smoking. This minimises the chance of drawing attention or making others uncomfortable. You get your CBD without causing any stir across your workplace and amongst your colleagues.
Respect Cultural Norms
If your workplace culture is particularly conservative, perhaps you should keep CBD use private. Use it during breaks or in a way that doesn’t draw unnecessary attention.
Be Prepared to Educate
If the topic arises, be ready to calmly and factually explain CBD’s benefits and non-intoxicating nature. Avoid sounding defensive or overly enthusiastic; simply share your experience if asked. You can discuss how CBD helps you personally, whether with stress, anxiety, or pain management, and mention your personal anecdotal evidence to support your case. In any case, be kind and don’t act as a CBD seller.
Public Use and Discretion
If you like to consume your CBD in public spaces, you should be mindful. While CBD is increasingly accepted, not everyone is familiar with it. Because CBD is produced from industrial hemp, which is closely related to cannabis and THC — the intoxicating cannabinoid associated with marijuana — some people may confuse CBD with THC-containing products. They might be thus suspicious of CBD products.
Opt for Subtle Forms
As in the workplace, choose discreet options like tinctures or edibles over vaping or smoking, which may draw unnecessary attention. Pills and capsules are easy to consume and thoughtful of other people’s opinions and sensitivities.
Be Aware of Local Laws
Laws regarding CBD use can vary widely. Before using CBD in public, check whether it’s legal in your location and comply with any restrictions.
Respect Others’ Comfort Levels
If you don’t know people’s attitudes and opinions regarding CBD, there is no reason to make them feel uncomfortable. In close quarters and in closed areas like public transportation, you can take your CBD in pills and capsule form, which is a discreet and unnoticeable way.
Social Gatherings and Conversations
CBD often becomes a conversation topic in social settings, and how you approach it can set the tone for interesting conversations — or misunderstandings. If you feel that CBD has helped your health and mental well-being, feel free to discuss it without sounding patronizing.
Gauge the Audience
Before bringing up CBD or offering it to others, consider their familiarity and openness to the topic. Some may welcome the discussion, while others may feel uneasy. If they ask questions and want to learn more, you can help with facts and your personal experience. Mention how you started with a low dosage and assessed how your body was reacting to it. Discuss various CBD consumption formats and how each product can fit a specific lifestyle.
Introduce It Thoughtfully
If you are hosting an event such as a dinner or wellness gathering and plan to include CBD products, make this clear to guests beforehand. Label items containing CBD and explain their effects so everyone can make a choice based on facts. Remember that some people might be taking medication that interacts with CBD, such as antihistamines, blood pressure medicine, or some antibiotics. They should know that what they eat or consume contains CBD for their personal welfare.
Avoid Pressure
Never pressure others to try CBD or imply that it’s a cure-all. Respect their personal choices and comfort levels. You can talk from personal experience, but you don’t need to proselytise them. If they are interested in learning more about CBD, all the better. If not, respect their life choices.
CBD and Parenting
Many parents take CBD to balance personal wellness with the demands of family life and work. There will come a time when your children will ask about CBD and why you take it.
Use with Discretion
If you choose to use CBD around your children, opt for subtle forms like capsules or edibles rather than anything that might resemble smoking or vaping. If you are trying to teach your children from a young age that smoking is bad for them, you should be the first to act upon your advice. Although smoking CBD is different from smoking a cigarette, children may find it hard to tell the difference.
Communicate Age-Appropriately
If your children notice or ask about your CBD use, explain it in a way that’s appropriate for their age. Focus on its wellness benefits and — if they’re old enough for it — emphasise its difference from THC-containing cannabis. Tell them about the cannabis plant, and even show them pictures. Then, explain how growing selectively industrial hemp made it stand apart from cannabis. It’s a good occasion to discuss plant biology!
Be Mindful of Judgment
Other parents may have varying opinions about CBD. Be prepared to address their concerns calmly and factually, but avoid engaging in debates or feeling defensive. Remember that it’s legal to buy or consume CBD, so you are not doing something forbidden. But there is no reason to start a heated debate about the benefits of CBD.
CBD as a Gift
CBD products can make thoughtful gifts, but gifting them requires careful consideration of the recipient’s preferences and comfort levels.
Choose Non-Personal Products
Confirm that the recipient is open to CBD and aware of its benefits. Avoid gifting CBD to someone unfamiliar with it unless they have clearly expressed curiosity. If in doubt about their familiarity with CBD, choose a CBD product like CBD bath bombs or CBD topicals like body creams and face products.
These products act on the outer layer of the skin and don’t reach the bloodstream, and their effect, as their name suggests, is topical. As they feel less intimate than tinctures or capsules, they make great CBD gifts to help a person get better acquainted with CBD and take their first step in the CBD universe.
Include Information
Provide details about the product, such as its source, dosage, and usage instructions, to help the recipient feel confident and informed.
CBD Etiquette: Respectful but Self-Confident
Some people have heard of CBD and are already taking it. Others know about it but don’t consume it. Some others don’t want to try it yet. If you think CBD is making a change in your well-being and overall living, consider other people’s feelings and handle CBD’s dynamics with thoughtfulness and respect.
CBD etiquette ultimately comes down to respect — respect for personal boundaries, social norms, and individual comfort levels.
You don’t have to hide that you are consuming CBD; it’s legal in the UK, and you have every right to consume it if it makes you feel better. If you are amongst an audience open to CBD consumption, be transparent about your consumption patterns, but keep in mind others’ feelings. Being informative and polite reduces the stigma around CBD and could encourage others to try it.
As society becomes more familiar with CBD, thoughtful practices can help normalize its place in wellness routines and how people view it. It only takes a little bit of consideration and empathy to follow CBD etiquette.
Remember that you used to be a CBD novice, too, but you can now contribute to a culture of openness and respect around it. Keep up your CBD routine, and perhaps other people will follow you soon. Just encourage them to check out our CBD oil reviews and our list of the best UK CBD stores to be sure that the CBD they purchase is as pure and effective as possible!
Nicholas Rossis, PhD is a specialized, NSF-trained writer who has written hundreds of posts on CBD and nutritional supplements. His work combines critical acclaim with the analysis of the latest news, studies, research, and legal developments in the world of CBD, providing readers with valuable data and insights.