An Interview with Equilibria | Best CBD Oil in Chicago

Helloooo friends! After admitting to a little freak out yesterday, it feels fitting to chat about one of my favorite remedies on days like that. For over a year now, CBD oil has helped me when I feel anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed, or stressed. And for a while, I was weary that it was simply a placebo effect. But as I’ve learned more these past few months, I’m convinced that it’s a key to helping me feel more centered and able to keep things in perspective. Plus, the fact that it helps me fall and stay asleep is a pretty big bonus, too 😉

CBD Oil Uses & Benefits

I actually have a big comprehensive post all about this! I talk about what CBD is, the brands I’ve tried, how to take it, etc. That post also covers all of the ways it can help you – from simple things like stress management to more serious conditions like multiple sclerosis. 

Is CBD Oil Legal In Chicago?

Yes! We dive into this a little deeper later in this post. You can purchase CBD oil legally as long as it has less than 0.3% THC. That is the only type of CBD I’ve tried anyway. After all, the point is definitely not to feel high!

*Update: Not only is CBD legal in Chicago, but you can now legally buy cannabis from liscenced commercial dealers as well.

Best CBD Oil in Chicago

If CBD is interesting to you, it’s important to try a quality product. You don’t just want to try one  infused cocktail or buy CBD oil from the cheapest brand at your local CBD shop and base your opinion of the industry on that.

I’ve actually tried a lot of CBD brands and Equilibria is far and away my favorite. Equilibria is a CBD company based in Chicago, founded by women for women. While men can also use the products, I love that they are all about providing a natural product to help women feel their best.

Their attention to detail and quality of the products have blown me away over these past few months, especially because their high quality CBD oil actually WORKS. I take a soft gel at night, a dropper of oil in the morning/throughout the day (usually when I feel stressed or anxious), and the relief cream if I have sore muscles or cramps. Honestly, Adam uses the relief cream more than I do. He is OBSESSED with it!

They also have incredible customer service that includes “Dosage Specialists” who can help you figure out exactly how much to take and when, depending on your needs.

Even though I love learning about this topic, I am far from an expert – which is why I’m so excited that I got to chat with Coco Meers, CEO and co-founder of Equilibria. We discuss the most common questions regarding CBD. Also, how she got involved with this industry, and what’s next on the horizon. I hope you enjoy!

PS. If you want to try Equilibria yourself, use code LAKESHORELADY for 15% off your order!

Interview with Coco Meers, CEO and Co-Founder of Equilibria:

1. How did you discover CBD?

CM: 18 months ago, my now co-founder (fellow tech entrepreneur, Marcy Capron) told me that CBD allowed her to part ways with 3 heavy side effect-inducing pharmaceuticals that she was using for mental health and chronic pain concerns.  Enthusiastic about her own results, she spent a year researching cannabis science, and counseling women in local meetup groups/online forums on how to use CBD and other cannabinoids to achieve their personal health goals. Having spent my professional life creating and marketing beauty & wellness solutions for women, I was deeply inspired Marcy’s story – and the success other women were finding with CBD.  

2. Can you tell us a little bit about how your interest in CBD turned into making a decision to start your own business?

CM: As soon as I tried CBD, I noticed an evenness in my mental state.  I had a longer fuse with my kids. And I was able to take my injectable drug for an inflammatory spine condition a third of the time! 

So, as two serial tech entrepreneurs elated with the results of our high-quality product, we saw an opportunity to align with a pharmaceutical-grade supply chain and provide women the type of 1:1 counsel Marcy was offering, at scale.  In this unregulated market, quality varies considerably from brand to brand. And even when using a high quality product, dosage and delivery techniques are highly personal. Finding balance through CBD is our mission, and delivering on that promise requires an impeccable, standardized product AND investing in education and clinical support. 

3. Why do you think CBD is so popular right now?

CM: Timing is everything. The farm bill that was approved last year made industrial hemp derived CBD federally legal which is one reason why we’re seeing the proliferation of brands selling CBD products.

But the other fundamental reason there’s so much buzz is that it works!!  High quality, phytocannabinoid rich CBD (i.e. – thoughtfully grown and manufactured) can dramatically improve quality of life.  It’s not a miracle, but for many people who try it, it’s truly efficacious. 

4. What are some of the most common misconceptions of CBD?

CM: There are so many!! Here are a few:

• CBD can get you high.

Although CBD produces some noticeable effects, it does not make people feel high like other cannabinoids do, namely tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD is completely safe and legal. It is a powerful health agent, but there is NO discernible impairment (no high!).

• CBD makes you sleepy.

CBD doesn’t inherently make you sleepy. In fact, many people like it during the day to help them focus and stay energized! It actually helps you get at the root cause of your issue. Whether that’s needing help sleeping, focusing, or just generally feeling more balanced throughout the day.

“CBD helps your body work the way it was always meant to.”

• CBD is for topical use only.

While many people love using CBD topically, it is not the only way to take it. CBD can be very effective ingested as well! Most people find a combination of ingested and topical products is most effective for managing all kinds of symptoms.

• CBD is illegal.

Industrial hemp is a cannabis plant (cannabis sativa) grown specifically to express 0.3% THC content or less. This is why there’s no discernible intoxicating effect, but also why it’s legal. Any industrial hemp plants that cross the 0.3% line in the sand become marijuana plants, federally illegal, and (after approximately the 10% THC mark) psychoactive/intoxicating.

With industrial CBD derived from hemp, you get a huge portion of the clinically-observed benefit of medical cannabis plants, with none of the illegality or impairment. Equilibria’s CBD is farm-to-home, at the highest quality available in the US market (straight from our 1,100 acre farm in Colorado!). All of Equilibria’s products are lab-tested with results readily available.

5. Who would you recommend CBD to? What can it help with?

CM: ANYONE who experiences stress can benefit from CBD. Our bodies were built for short term bursts of stress (i.e. running away from a tiger), not constant stress – like traffic, work, noise pollution, and the many other stresses we experience on a day-to-day basis. When our bodies experience stress, it creates a metabolic enzyme that breaks down our system, causing it to fall out of balance resulting in sleep issues, inflammation, chemical imbalances, trouble with our immune system, and a whole host of other problems.

People use CBD for many things, including pain relief, mood regulation, help with sleep, hormone regulation, etc. It all comes down to keeping our own body functioning the way it was always supposed to function in the first place.

Our bodies already naturally understand how to read CBD, so when we start taking it, our bodies start functioning better. This can result in improved mood and sleep, reduced inflammation, hormone regulation, and less stress (among other things). Ultimately it’s about what your own body needs. All CBD does is help our own system return to balance!

6. What would you tell someone who has never tried it and is overwhelmed by the options? Where should they start and how can they tell if they’re taking quality CBD products? 

CM: There are so many options out there, and we know it can be overwhelming! That’s why we have a team of dosage consultants to help you navigate your options.  Our product tends to have 3-5 times the cannabinoid and terpene content (the beneficial parts of the plant) than most products on the market, so we encourage you to start low and build up.

When looking for a high quality product, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Lab reports!! 
  

  In this rapidly growing non-regulated industry, manufacturers are cutting corners right and left by offering industrial hemp derived CBD oil that’s (best case) not efficacious because it is not bred or harvested to be therapeutic, or (worst case) is actually dangerous because it contains pesticides and heavy metals.  Industrial hemp as a crop is actually used as a mitigant to clean fields in between crop cycles. Manufacturers who aren’t asking detailed questions about their supply could even unknowingly be putting these harmful chemicals into customer’s products.
  Not all CBD oils are created equal so look at lab reports to ensure your products DON’T contain harmful chemicals and DO contain maximum cannabinoids and terpenes, the therapeutic agents of the cannabis plant.
  Equilibria offers CBD that has been thoroughly tested, as well as went to a third party lab for independent testing, and all of those lab results are published on their website.

• Full spectrum oil!!
  

  There are over 100 different cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.  CBD works best when combined with other cannabinoids and terpenes, including its more well-known sister THC (which serves a critical function in opening up receptors on the ECS and making your body more ready to accept the CBD).  Full-spectrum oil refers to the expression of as many cannabinoids and terpenes as possible, producing what is known as “the ensemble effect” which maximizes therapeutic benefit and helps the CBD work better!

• Make sure it’s all coming from the same farm.

  Would you take medicine that was a different strength every time? No! So why would you use a company that combines products from multiple farms?  

7. So, does your CBD have THC in it? If so, why?

CM: Yes! THC helps our bodies’ receptors prepare to receive the benefit of the CBD.  It is a natural “key” which unlocks the master balancing system that CBD reinforces in the body.  Industrial hemp derived CBD products do not have enough THC in them to get you high. But the levels of THC they do have is essential for efficacy.

8. How can people figure out the correct dosage for them? How can they tell if it’s “working”? (I think people expect to feel something, which isn’t really the point!)

CM:  Everyone’s body chemistry is different, so it can take time and experimentation to find the best dose and regimen. 

When making changes to your doses we recommend trying something consistently for at least 3-5 days at time before making another change; and whenever possible, try to journal. We also have a team of dosage consultants to help you dial into the best dose for you!

The effects of CBD can be really subtle. Ultimately, it’s about your body’s system functioning the way it was built to function. So, if you’re taking CBD to help you sleep, then you may notice an improvement in the depth and quality of your sleep. If you’re taking CBD to help lessen your anxiety, then you may notice feeling more even keeled and able to handle the day-to-day stresses better. Everyone’s experience is unique. 

9. What feedback do you hear most from your customers?

CM: We get deeply personal notes from members almost daily telling us about the relief Equilibria has brought them.  The most common feedback we hear is feeling more even and balanced throughout the day. Our members report feeling more well rested, less anxious and generally having a longer fuse.

After a month or two of consistent use members report noticing changes in their chronic inflammation, hormone regulation, and energy levels. Aside from the health benefits, our members also love that we’re a for women-by-women company dedicated to empowering women through education! 🙂

10. What can you share about CBD and pregnancy?

CM: Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, when used topically (like with our 500 mg potent Relief Cream) can bring incredible relief to pregnant and nursing moms.  When rubbed on the body, CBD only enters the blood-stream minimally but can still bring powerful pain relief to those sore muscles and joints during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

There are more questions than answers when we talk about ingested CBD as pregnant and breastfeeding women are always the last group to be studied in clinical trials. There’s very little data around pregnancy and nursing, so it ultimately comes down to personal choice.  My co-founder Marcy plans to use it while pregnant & nursing (and we do have other members who choose to do so), but the absence of data leaves us unable to fully answer the question!

New CBD studies are published monthly, so we are keeping an eye on it. For many women, it comes down to whether CBD is helping them reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals they’re taking. Some women decide it’s the lesser of two evils during pregnancy and nursing months, and some women decide to abstain.  

11. What’s next for Equilibria? Are you innovating anything new?

CM: As a For Women By Women CBD company, we are working on female-specific formulations and modalities including a patent-pending vaginal suppository launcher system and personal lubricant.  We’re really excited about arming women with cutting edge delivery systems that leverage our own anatomy to bring even stronger relief.

12. I love that the company is founded by women for women… but can men use it, too? (Spoiler: Adam already loved the relief cream!)

13. Can you share any advice for other female entrepreneurs out there?