Hemp honey is regular honey that has been infused with hemp extract, typically containing CBD and other compounds from the hemp plant. It’s not honey that bees make from hemp flowers. Hemp doesn’t produce nectar, so bees can’t turn it into honey the way they do with clover or wildflower blossoms. Instead, producers take raw honey and blend it with hemp extract or CBD isolate to create a sweetener that doubles as a way to consume cannabinoids.
Why Bees Can’t Make It Naturally
This is one of the most common misconceptions about hemp honey. While honeybees, bumblebees, and other native bees do visit male hemp flowers to collect pollen, hemp plants don’t produce floral nectar. Nectar is what bees convert into honey, so no nectar means no honey. Research from Cornell University’s hemp program confirms that bees ignore female hemp plants entirely and only visit male plants for pollen. Any product labeled “hemp honey” was made by people, not by bees foraging on hemp fields.
How Hemp Honey Is Made
The process is straightforward. Producers warm raw honey gently in a double boiler to make it fluid enough to mix without burning or destroying its natural enzymes. Once the honey is warm, they stir in CBD oil or CBD isolate until the extract is evenly distributed throughout. The mixture is then cooled and jarred. Low heat is critical here: too much heat degrades both the honey’s nutrients and the hemp compounds.
Higher-end products use full-spectrum hemp extract, which retains a range of cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant. Simpler versions use CBD isolate, which is pure cannabidiol with nothing else from the hemp plant. Full-spectrum versions contain trace amounts of other cannabinoids like CBG and CBC, along with terpenes such as myrcene and limonene that contribute to flavor and may have their own biological effects.
What’s Actually in It
Hemp honey combines the nutritional profile of raw honey (enzymes, antioxidants, trace minerals) with cannabinoids from hemp extract. The primary active compound is CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been studied for potential calming, anti-inflammatory, and muscle-relaxing properties. Full-spectrum products also contain small amounts of cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabinol (CBN), among others.
Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give hemp its distinctive smell. Beta-myrcene and limonene are the most abundant in hemp extract, and beta-caryophyllene, another common hemp terpene, has shown anxiety-reducing effects in animal studies. These terpenes carry over into the honey, giving it a slightly herbal flavor on top of the natural sweetness.
A typical teaspoon of hemp honey contains roughly 20 to 30 mg of CBD, though this varies by brand. A jar labeled 500 mg total CBD with 16 servings works out to about 31 mg per teaspoon. Some products are less concentrated, delivering around 10 mg per half teaspoon. The potency depends entirely on how much extract the manufacturer adds, so checking the label matters.
How People Use It
Most people stir hemp honey into tea, spread it on toast, drizzle it over yogurt, or eat it straight off the spoon. It works anywhere regular honey works, with the added benefit of a measured CBD dose. Because it tastes like honey rather than hemp oil, many people find it more pleasant than taking CBD drops under the tongue.
If you’re new to CBD, starting with a quarter to half teaspoon (roughly 5 to 10 mg of CBD) once daily is a reasonable approach. You can increase by 5 to 10 mg every few days until you find the amount that works for you. One teaspoon per day is the standard recommended serving for most hemp honey products.
Safety and Drug Interactions
Hemp honey is generally well tolerated, but CBD is not inert when it comes to other medications. CBD is processed by liver enzymes called CYP450, the same enzyme family that breaks down a wide range of common drugs. When CBD occupies those enzymes, other medications can build up in your system longer than expected, potentially intensifying their effects or side effects.
This is particularly relevant if you take antidepressants (SSRIs, tricyclics, or MAOIs), anti-seizure medications, or blood thinners. For example, CBD can slow the breakdown of certain antidepressants enough to increase drowsiness or other unwanted effects. The interaction profile is similar to grapefruit juice, which affects the same enzyme pathways. If you take prescription medications, it’s worth discussing CBD with your pharmacist, since they can check whether your specific drugs are metabolized by the affected enzymes.
One safety note that has nothing to do with hemp: honey of any kind should never be given to infants under 12 months due to the risk of botulism. This applies to hemp honey just as it does to regular honey.
How to Evaluate Quality
The hemp honey market is largely unregulated, so quality varies widely. The single most important thing to look for is a third-party Certificate of Analysis, or COA. This is a lab report from an independent facility that confirms what’s actually in the product. A good COA includes:
- Cannabinoid profile: Exact amounts of CBD, THC, CBG, CBN, and other cannabinoids, confirming the label is accurate
- THC level: Must be below 0.3% delta-9 THC to be federally legal under the 2018 Farm Bill
- Contaminant screening: Results for pesticides, heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), residual solvents, mycotoxins, and microbial contamination, all showing “Pass”
- Batch number: Should match the product you purchased, so you know the specific jar was tested
- Lab name and accreditation: Confirms the testing was done by a certified facility
If a brand doesn’t make COAs available on their website or through a QR code on the packaging, that’s a red flag. Reputable companies test every batch and make results easy to find.
Legal Status
Hemp honey falls under the legal framework of the 2018 Farm Bill, which defines hemp as any part of the cannabis plant, or its derivatives, containing no more than 0.3% delta-9 THC. Products that meet this threshold are federally legal to sell and ship across state lines. However, some states have their own restrictions on CBD in food products, so local laws can vary. Hemp honey will not produce a high at these THC levels.
The FDA has not approved CBD as a food additive, which means hemp honey exists in a regulatory gray area. Products are sold as dietary supplements or specialty foods rather than FDA-approved health products. This is why third-party testing and COAs are especially important: without formal FDA oversight, the burden of verifying quality falls on consumers and manufacturers.