Cornbread Hemp CBD Review: Pros & Cons (Nov. 2022)

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Cornbread Hemp continues the rich history of cannabis in Kentucky, growing, processing, and formulating its CBD within the state. It offers full-spectrum products sourced from USDA-certified organic hemp. I tested its full-spectrum CBD oil, gummies, capsules, and lotion, which had noticeable benefits.

Bottom line: Cornbread Hemp is a great choice for organic, full-spectrum CBD products.

Cornbread Hemp Overview

Cornbread Hemp is a family-owned CBD business founded by cousins Jim Higdon and Eric Zipperle in 2019. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, the company is named after the book The Cornbread Mafia written by Higdon, which draws on the rich, 250-year history of cannabis & hemp in the state. 

Cornbread offers full-spectrum CBD oils, capsules, gummies, topicals, and pet tinctures sourced from Kentucky-grown USDA-certified organic hemp.

Most of these products are also certified by the USDA, which means both the ingredients and the processes used are also organic. That’s quite difficult to achieve in the CBD industry. As expected, Cornbread Hemp also offers comprehensive third-party lab test reports.

Did you know? Published by Jim Higdon in 2012, The Cornbread Mafia tells the true story of a group of Kentucky men who grew the largest illegal marijuana operation in the US in the 1980s. Higdon also runs a true crime podcast.

Cornbread Hemp Product Lineup

Cornbread Hemp offers full-spectrum CBD oils, gummies, capsules, topicals, and even a product for pets. Most of these are fully certified organic by the USDA and available in several strengths. 

For this review, Cornbread sent me their whole-flower CBD oil, capsules, gummies, and menthol lotion to try out.

CBD Oil

Cornbread Hemp carries two types of CBD oils in multiple potencies, one for daytime and one for nighttime use. 

Cornbread Hemp Whole Flower CBD Oil 

Cornbread Hemp’s Whole Flower CBD oil is made with USDA organic-certified ingredients. This unflavored CBD oil is recommended for sleep and nighttime use and comes in two strengths. But the third-party tests found no terpenes and low minor cannabinoid levels (~6%).

My experience: I took a full dropper (50 mg) an hour before bed. I felt relaxed after 30 minutes and had an easier time falling asleep. The oil has the standard hempy, earthy taste.

Cornbread Hemp Distilled CBD Oil 

The distilled version uses the same organic ingredients and full-spectrum formula as the regular CBD oil but with lower THC levels. It’s recommended for use during the day and also has 25 mg and 50 mg/ml potencies. Again, the minor cannabinoid levels (5.5%) are low for a full-spectrum product.

Full-Spectrum CBD Gummies

Cornbread’s gummies are also certified organic, which is impressive considering that gummies contain more ingredients than CBD oil.

These vegan gummies are made without high-fructose corn syrup, gelatin, or artificial colors and have a mixed berry flavor. I like the 50 mg strength since potent gummies are hard to find.

My experience: I took one 50 mg gummy after food and started to feel relaxed an hour later. The taste was great: not too sweet but also not bitter.

Full-Spectrum CBD Capsules

Cornbread’s softgels provide 25 mg of full-spectrum CBD+CBDa. Cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) is the precursor to CBD which also has beneficial properties. These softgels are made with gelatin, so they’re not suitable for vegans. They also contain over 10% minor cannabinoids and some terpenes, which is great.

My experience: I took 2 capsules after eating peanut butter and they kicked in about 70 minutes later. I felt relaxed and calm for several hours.

CBD Topicals

Cornbread Hemp sells three full-spectrum, USDA organic CBD topicals: a twist-up stick balm and two kinds of CBD lotion.

Full Spectrum CBD Balm

The twist-up stick CBD balm is formulated with peppermint and arnica to help ease inflammation and pain, particularly from exercise. It contains 500 mg of full-spectrum CBD per container.

I like this simple and effective formula and the convenient stick design for use on the go.

Full Spectrum CBD Lotion

The 2 oz CBD lotions come in two formulas. The menthol one is for cooling pain relief to joints and muscles, while the skin formula uses ingredients like vitamin E, lemongrass oil, and tea tree oil to support healthy skin. But the third-party tests show low levels of minor hemp cannabinoids (~2-4%).

My experience: I used the menthol formula on my sore back, neck, and shoulders, which provided noticeable cooling relief within minutes and lasted for a few hours. But the lotion was watery at room temperature so you have to be careful not to spill it everywhere.

CBD Oil For Pets

Designed for cats and dogs, this corndog-flavored full-spectrum CBD oil has a strength of 17 mg/ml. It also has lower THC levels than Cornbread’s regular CBD oil because dogs are more sensitive to THC (4).

I’d like to see higher levels of minor hemp cannabinoids and another strength for larger dog breeds.

Price & Value

The easiest way to compare CBD product value is to divide the total cost by the amount of CBD. For example, if you have a 1500 mg CBD oil that costs $50, its price per milligram (mg) of CBD would be 50/1500 = $0.03 or 3 cents.

You also have to keep in mind that different CBD product categories (oils, capsules, gummies, etc.) vary in price.

Here’s the breakdown of Cornbread Hemp’s prices:

• CBD oil: $0.07-0.11 per mg 
• Capsules: $0.09 per mg
• Gummies: $0.07-0.13 per mg
• Topicals: $0.10-0.11 per mg
• Pet products: $0.10 per mg

As far as CBD products go, these prices are considered close to average. But you’re still getting above-average value since most of them are certified organic by the USDA and are full-spectrum.

Hemp Source and Production Process

Cornbread sources its hemp from USDA-certified local Kentucky farms The state is naturally suited for growing hemp and has historically been one of the major hemp producers in the country.

The hemp is extracted with organic sugarcane ethanol, a safe and efficient method of creating full-spectrum hemp extracts. The ingredients and processes used to make most of Cornbread’s products are also certified organic by the USDA, which is no easy feat. 

And the company claims to only use hemp flower to make its CBD extracts, highlighted by its trademarked “Flower Only” icon.

Overall, the production process is impressive but I’d like more details about where specifically the hemp is grown and with what methods.

Did you know? The major downside of ethanol extraction is that much of the terpenes are lost, which is likely why Cornbread’s tinctures don’t show any terpenes on third-party tests.

Third-Party Testing

Cornbread Hemp sends its products for third-party testing to Cannabusiness Laboratories, a hemp testing lab based in Kentucky. Some older tests were done by other reputable labs, like Kaycha, Universal Diagnostics, and Blueleaf Laboratory.

The tests not only check for cannabinoid potency but also potential contaminants and terpene levels, with the results posted on Cornbread’s website. That’s about as comprehensive as it gets for CBD testing.

Third-Party Test Results

I always look at third-party lab test results to confirm that CBD companies sell safe, effective, and accurate products. I check:

• The levels of CBD, which should be within 10% of the label (3)
• The levels of minor cannabinoids like CBG and CBC
• The levels of THC
• Whether the CBD type (full, broad-spectrum, or isolate) is accurate
• Whether there are any contaminants

I added third-party test reports for Cornbread’s 1500 mg whole flower CBD oil, 1500 mg distilled oil, and menthol lotion above. Here’s what I found:

• The whole flower CBD oil contained 1625 mg of CBD, which is only 8% higher than the label, which is a great result. 
• The distilled oil had 1535 mg of CBD, which is only 2% higher, another great result.
• The menthol lotion had about 595 mg of CBD, which is 19% more than the label. That’s not the best result, especially since the test didn’t detect any other cannabinoids that should be present in a full-spectrum product. But I did find THC and other cannabinoids in an older test.

All of the tests I looked at passed for pesticides and also detected multiple terpenes, which is a good sign for full-spectrum CBD products. It’s also nice that the tests are up to date.

Overall, the results are pretty good. But some products contain low (and in at least one case, non-existing) levels of minor hemp cannabinoids like THC, CBG, and CBC, so there is room to improve.

Shipping & Returns

Cornbread Hemp offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your product, you can return it within 30 days of delivery and it will issue a full refund.

The company ships throughout the US using a variety of shipping methods, including ground, expedited, and second-day air. There’s also free shipping on orders over $75.

Customer Service & Reputation

Cornbread Hemp offers customer service by email, phone, and live chat, so it’s quite easy to reach. When I sent an email about testing its products I got a reply back quickly. I also like that its founder Jim Higdon is knowledgeable about cannabis, especially in the context of Kentucky.

Although Cornbread is still a relatively new CBD company and doesn’t have the strong reputation of leading brands, customers rate its products and customer service highly. There are over a thousand positive customer reviews posted on its website.

The Verdict: Good Option for Organic, Full-Spectrum CBD Products

Cornbread Hemp is a solid CBD company, especially if you’re a fan of full-spectrum, USDA-organic CBD products. It offers all of the popular types of CBD products in multiple strengths at reasonable prices.

I also like that it’s not afraid to only offer full-spectrum products. While some might consider this a downside, I see it as a testament to the superiority of cannabis as a whole-plant medicine.

Still, Cornbread Hemp has several areas to improve in before being considered a top-tier company. First, the levels of THC and other minor hemp cannabinoids in some products are a little low (less than 10% of the total cannabinoid content). 

I’d also like to see more info about the hemp source, like the names of actual farms or more details about how it’s cultivated. But on the whole, Cornbread Hemp is a solid brand.