“CBD is a very promising molecule for many ailments. But because of the legal status of anything involving cannabis, the research lags behind tremendously.... There is FDA approval of CBD as a medicine for seizures...but would you add some anti-seizure medication to your coffee?”

—Beatriz Carlini, senior researcher, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington 

“For the most part, CBD is unregulated, it’s untested, and in a lot of cases, people don’t know what they’re getting.... It’s always buyer beware: Go into it knowing that you’d want to see where that CBD came from.”

—Bryan Smith, spokesperson, Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board

“We made this wellness menu [but] the press zeroed in on the [CBD lattes]...and [King County] reached out and said it’s not on this list of approved additives released by the FDA. I’m not naive about why food additives make their way through the FDA process. I mean, does anybody think that saccharin is good for your body?”

—Brendan McGill, owner and chef, Cafe Hitchcock