We personally test CBD products and may earn a commission if you shop through the links on this page. Here’s how we make money.
Turmeric is one of the only herbs that offer as many potential benefits as CBD. That’s why some CBD brands have begun to add curcumin, turmeric’s main active ingredient, to their capsules.
But these products are only offered by a few reputable companies so they’re not easy to find.
To help you make an informed choice, I compared multiple products based on their third-party lab test results, hemp quality, formula, customer reviews, price, and other criteria. Here are the three best options I found.
Table of Contents
3 Best CBD Turmeric Capsules
Here are my top picks for the best CBD capsules with curcumin/turmeric.
- Best Overall: Joy Organics CBD softgels with curcumin | full review
- Best Value: cbdMD curcumin CBD oil softgels | full review
- Study-Backed: Prima Daily CBD softgels | full review
Terminology
- Curcumin: the main active ingredient in turmeric and the most abundant curcuminoid.
- Terpenes: plant compounds with a wide variety of beneficial properties (1).
- Hemp: a non-intoxicating variety of cannabis with low THC levels (0.3% or less).
- Full-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract containing CBD, THC, and other beneficial hemp cannabinoids and terpenes. This form of CBD is up to 4 times more potent than pure CBD (2).
- Broad-spectrum: whole-plant hemp extract similar to full-spectrum CBD, but with THC removed.
- CBD isolate: pure CBD with all other hemp compounds removed.
Joy Organics CBD Softgels with Curcumin (Best Overall)
CBD/Curcumin Potency | 25 mg/250 mg |
Capsule Count | 30 |
Total CBD | 750 mg |
Cost per mg | $0.11 |
Type | Broad-spectrum |
Third-Party Test | View report |
Pros:
- Broad-spectrum formula
- Comprehensive third-party testing
- Organic Colorado hemp source
Cons:
- Not full-spectrum
The overall best CBD turmeric capsules are offered by Joy Organics. They combine 250 mg of proprietary Novasol curcumin with broad-spectrum CBD sourced from organic Colorado hemp. That’s the highest curcumin dose I’ve seen in CBD capsules.
Founded in 2018, Joy Organics is a popular family-run Colorado brand whose products are made from USDA-certified organic hemp.
My experience: I took four softgels after a weightlifting workout. About 40 minutes later I started feeling noticeably relaxed and calm, with the effects lasting for 4-5 hours.
CbdMD Curcumin CBD Oil Capsules (Best Value)
CBD/Curcumin Potency | 25 mg/200 mg |
Capsule Count | 30 |
Total CBD | 750 mg |
Cost per mg | $0.05 |
Type | Broad-spectrum |
Third-Party Test | View report |
Pros:
- Low price
- American hemp source
- Comprehensive third-party testing
Cons:
- Relatively low in minor cannabinoids
If you want to get the best bang for your buck, I recommend cbdMD’s curcumin CBD oil capsules.
They cost 5 cents per mg of CBD, which is relatively cheap since you’re also getting 200 mg of curcumin and Bioperine, a patented form of piperine (black pepper ingredient) used to improve curcumin’s absorption.
CbdMD is a reputable brand backed by thousands of satisfied customer reviews.
Antonio’s experience: As a regular turmeric consumer and an avid runner, I found the cbdMD Curcumin CBD Oil Capsules to be a synergistic addition to my post-run recovery routine. I took two capsules daily for four days following my 5K runs, and while I didn’t notice any huge effects, my knees and joints felt notably better throughout the week.
Prima The Daily CBD Softgels (Backed by a Study)
Potency | 25 mg |
Capsule Count | 30 |
Total CBD | 750 mg |
Cost per mg | $0.05 |
Type | Broad-spectrum |
Third-Party Test | View report |
Pros:
- Great price
- Organic Oregon hemp source
- Comprehensive third-party testing
Cons:
- Relatively low curcumin content
Prima’s The Daily softgels are one of few CBD products that have been examined in an independent clinical study. They contain a mix of CBD, turmeric oil, clove bud oil, and black pepper berry oil as a source of piperine.
Although the study is yet to be published, it found that taking one of these capsules daily for 60 days helped the 36 participants improve their stress, sleep, and mood.
Prima’s products are sourced from organic Oregon hemp and go through comprehensive third-party testing. Prima is a California-based brand founded in 2018 that stands out for committing 1% of its profits to good causes. The company also undertakes environmental initiatives, such as using sustainable, recycled packaging, and being 100% carbon neutral.
How I Choose CBD Curcumin Capsules
I choose CBD products based on several key criteria, including:
- Third-party testing: these tests prove that CBD products contain the correct levels of CBD and are free of contaminants. I check the third-party test results for all products to verify their potency and purity.
- Hemp quality: high-quality CBD products are made from organic hemp plants grown in the United States or Europe.
- Company reputation: reputable companies are transparent and have many positive customer reviews.
- Product potency: I consider the amount of CBD and turmeric/curcumin to make sure the capsules are strong enough.
- Price: I look for affordably priced CBD products.
How to Use CBD Turmeric Capsules
CBD and turmeric have potent anti-inflammatory properties as well as a wide range of other benefits (3,4). As such, CBD curcumin capsules are best used for supporting your overall health and dealing with inflammatory issues, such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (5).
These capsules can be taken at any time of the day. if you’re looking for the best results, you should take CBD daily. Many people take CBD products in the morning and evening. Alternatively, you can also take CBD curcumin capsules as needed, such as when you’re looking to relieve joint or muscle inflammation.
Keep in mind that CBD capsules usually take 30-60 minutes to start working, although it may take upwards of two hours depending on when and how much food you ate (6). Another downside of capsules is that they have relatively low absorption. If you want to get the best effects, it’s better to go with turmeric-infused CBD oil.
Dosage
There’s no one universal CBD dosage that will work for everyone. It depends on many factors, like your body weight, genetics, the benefits you’re looking for, and the kind of product you’re taking.
That’s why healthcare experts recommend the “start low and go slow” approach to cannabinoid dosages (7).
For example, you can start with one capsule and see how you feel over the next two hours. If you don’t notice any effects, you can try taking two capsules the next time.
Follow this method until you find the dosage that provides you with the desired effects and stick to it. As a general rule of thumb, most people take 20-50 mg doses of CBD.
Safety and Side Effects
Decades of research suggest that both CBD and turmeric are safe substances with few and minor side effects.
CBD Safety
The World Health Organization (WHO concluded in its 2018 report that CBD is “generally well tolerated with a good safety profile (8).
The most common side effects of CBD are: (9)
- Feeling tired or drowsy
- Dry mouth
- Diarrhea
- Low blood pressure
- Lightheadedness
However, these side effects were only found in studies where people took large oral doses of pure CBD. As such, regular CBD users are unlikely to experience them.
Turmeric Safety
Similar to CBD, research has shown that turmeric and its main active ingredient curcumin are safe compounds with a long history of consumption (10).
The FDA considers curcuminoids (curcumin and related compounds) to be “Generally Recognized As Safe” and even daily doses as high as 4-12 grams of curcuminoids were tolerated well by patients in clinical studies (11).
Still, turmeric does have some potential side effects. As with CBD, these effects were linked to high dosages used in clinical studies. They include:
- Constipation, indigestion, stomach ache, and diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- gastroesophageal reflux
- Yellow stool
However, as with CBD, these effects were linked to high dosages used in clinical studies.
Why Combine CBD with Turmeric?
Both cannabis (which contains CBD) and turmeric have been used as medicines by many cultures for thousands of years. This speaks to their effectiveness and safety. Turmeric is also one of the only herbs that measure up to the potential of CBD.
Both of these natural supplements are known for their anti-inflammatory effects, and also share antioxidant, antifungal, antiviral, neuroprotective, and many other beneficial properties (3,4).
On top of that, research has shown that turmeric and CBD may help with many of the same conditions, including arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diabetes, and more (12, 13).
There’s also evidence that both curcumin and CBD interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which regulates virtually all vital functions to keep our bodies in a healthy state of balance called homeostasis (14,15).
Additionally, both CBD and turmeric have been the subject of intense medical research. To date, more than 10,000 studies have been published on CBD, turmeric, and its main active ingredient curcumin, making them some of the most studied herbal remedies known to man.
The bottom line is that it makes sense to combine turmeric with CBD because they share so many potential complementary benefits.
References
- Russo, Ethan B. “Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid‐terpenoid entourage effects.” British journal of pharmacology 163.7 (2011): 1344-1364.
- Pamplona, Fabricio A., Lorenzo Rolim da Silva, and Ana Carolina Coan. “Potential clinical benefits of CBD-rich cannabis extracts over purified CBD in treatment-resistant epilepsy: observational data meta-analysis.” Frontiers in neurology 9 (2018): 759.
- Rahmani, Arshad Husain, et al. “Role of curcumin in disease prevention and treatment.” Advanced biomedical research 7 (2018).
- VanDolah, Harrison J., Brent A. Bauer, and Karen F. Mauck. “Clinicians’ guide to cannabidiol and hemp oils.” Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Vol. 94. No. 9. Elsevier, 2019.
- Burge, Kathryn, et al. “Curcumin and intestinal inflammatory diseases: molecular mechanisms of protection.” International journal of molecular sciences 20.8 (2019): 1912.
- Borodovsky, Jacob T., et al. “Smoking, vaping, eating: Is legalization impacting the way people use cannabis?.” International Journal of Drug Policy 36 (2016): 141-147.
- Lucas, Catherine J., Peter Galettis, and Jennifer Schneider. “The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids.” British journal of clinical pharmacology 84.11 (2018): 2477-2482.
- https://www.who.int/medicines/access/controlled-substances/CannabidiolCriticalReview.pdf ↑
- Huestis, Marilyn A., et al. “Cannabidiol adverse effects and toxicity.” Current neuropharmacology 17.10 (2019): 974-989.
- Soleimani, Vahid, Amirhossein Sahebkar, and Hossein Hosseinzadeh. “Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and its major constituent (curcumin) as nontoxic and safe substances.” Phytotherapy Research 32.6 (2018): 985-995.
- Hewlings, Susan J., and Douglas S. Kalman. “Curcumin: a review of its effects on human health.” Foods 6.10 (2017): 92.
- Singletary, Keith. “Turmeric: An overview of potential health benefits.” Nutrition Today 45.5 (2010): 216-225.
- Pisanti, Simona, et al. “Cannabidiol: State of the art and new challenges for therapeutic applications.” Pharmacology & therapeutics 175 (2017): 133-150.
- Hassanzadeh, Parichehr, and Anna Hassanzadeh. “The CB 1 receptor-mediated endocannabinoid signaling and NGF: the novel targets of curcumin.” Neurochemical Research 37.5 (2012): 1112-1120.
- Bielawiec, Patrycja, Ewa Harasim-Symbor, and Adrian Chabowski. “Phytocannabinoids: useful drugs for the treatment of obesity? Special focus on Cannabidiol.” Frontiers in endocrinology 11 (2020): 114.
Gleb is a CBD & cannabis expert from Vancouver, Canada. He’s read thousands of studies on CBD and other supplements, helping him translate complex science into plain language. Gleb has tried and reviewed dozens of CBD brands and products, written third-party testing reports, and knows the CBD industry inside and out. When not writing, he likes to kickbox, travel, and tell everyone how awesome intermittent fasting is.