R+R Medicinals is a CBD brand that dominates our ‘best of' lists.
Here's why:
Most of their products are true ‘full-spectrum' products, which means all of their products contain a wide profile of hemp-derived cannabinoids and terpenes, including (low-levels of) THC.
Various studies indicate that taking CBD together with all these other hemp-derived compounds is more effective than taking CBD alone (1, 2, 3).
But there are a few very high-quality full-spectrum CBD brands around.
What makes R+R Medicinals special compared to all others is:
That their CBD products are highly affordable compared to other high quality CBD products.
R+R Medicinals products have more favorable cannabinoid- and terpene-profiles than the average CBD product, while they're more affordable than the average CBD product.
With R+R Medicinals, you get the best of both worlds: CBD products with superior quality and affordability.
We consistently rate their products as the best ‘value for money option' on most product review lists that we make.
R+R Medicinals produces:
- CBD oils/tinctures
- CBD Gummies, and;
- CBD Softgels.
We'll start with a brand overview and then continue with an in-depth review of the tinctures.
Immediately go to R+R Medicinals in-depth product reviews:
Quick-Review of all R+R Medicinals CBD Products
R+R Medicinals 2500mg Full Spectrum Tincture
Pros and Cons
- True full-spectrum product with many cannabinoids and terpenes
- Best value for money CBD oil
- Produced from organically cultivated Hemp in Colorado (USDA Organic certified)
- Relatively new brand (may have inconsistent cannabinoid- and terpene-profiles across batches)
Cannabinoid-profile
R+R Medicinals THC-Free Tincture
Pros and Cons
- Good cannabinoid- and terpene-profile for a broad-spectrum product
- Best value for money broad-spectrum, THC-free tincture
- Produced from organically cultivated Hemp in Colorado (USDA Organic certified)
- Less favorable cannabinoid- and terpene-profile than their full-spectrum products (still much better than most broad-spectrum producers though)
Cannabinoid-profile
R+R Medicinals Gummies
Pros and Cons
- Infused with hemp-extract instead of ‘coated'
- Best taste (subjective)
- Good value
- Hemp extract is USDA Organic certified
- Only trace elements of other cannabinoids and terpenes
Cannabinoid-profile
R+R Medicinals Softgels
Pros and Cons
- True full-spectrum product with many cannabinoids and terpenes
- Amazing value for money capsules
- Extremely high concentration of terpenes
- USDA Organic certified
- New brand (still need to get streamlined)
Cannabinoid-profile
R+R Medicinals Hemp-Extract Infused Cream
Pros and Cons
- Best value for money full-spectrum CBD cream
- One of the few true full-spectrum CBD creams
- Added MSM, Arnica Montana, and Calendula Flower, for improved anti-inflammatory effects
- Hemp extract used in product is USDA Organic certified
- None
Cannabinoid-profile
Overview R+R Medicinals
R+R Medicinals is a CBD-brand that's based in Colorado. All of their Hemp is locally sourced. It's one of the few CBD brands that are “US Hemp Authority Certified”. Besides all the third-party lab-test reports for all of their products and each individual batch, this certification is an additional safety guarantee.
It means that literally every step in the production process has been rigorously inspected and certified for safety, authenticity, and legitimacy by an independently operating third party.
While a lot of CBD brands don't even produce their own CBD products, R+R Medicinals is a so-called ‘vertically-integrated CBD business'. This means they have (close to) full control over the whole manufacturing process, from cultivating the hemp plants to producing the final product.
They have full control over the quality of the hemp plants that serve as the basis of their products. This vertical integration, starting from the cultivation of hemp plants is exactly the reason why they're able to provide such high-quality products for such an affordable price.
It's the best ‘value for money' CBD brand that we have ever reviewed and all of their products score very high on our list of most affordable CBD products.
R+R Medicinals mostly produces and sells full-spectrum CBD products. But even for their THC-free options, they only use whole-plant extracts to produce the final product.
Why does this matter?
The majority of CBD products on the market advertised as ‘full-spectrum' or ‘broad-spectrum', in reality, don't contain any minor cannabinoids and/or terpenes in meaningful concentrations.
This problem is especially prevalent with broad-spectrum (THC-free) products:
They almost never contain minor cannabinoids and/or terpenes in meaningful concentrations.
The problem with THC-free CBD products is that they're usually also free from other minor cannabinoids and terpenes.
True full-spectrum and broad-spectrum (THC-free) CBD products are the most expensive CBD products.
Here's why:
Since with true ‘full-spectrum' and ‘broad-spectrum' CBD products you want the product to contain a wide variety of cannabinoids and terpenes in meaningful concentrations, there are a few important steps in the production process that need to be adhered to:
- The product must be made mostly from the flower parts of hemp plants. The flower parts of hemp plants contain the highest concentration of beneficial cannabinoids (4) and terpenes, a true full- or broad-spectrum CBD product is mostly produced from the flower parts of the hemp plant. If you mostly use the flower parts, it means the stalks, stems, and leaves go mostly wasted and therefore you need more plants to produce the same quantity of products;
- The hemp plants used for extraction must be pesticide-and chemical-free. With true full- and broad-spectrum CBD products, you want the chemical profile of the product to be as close as possible to the hemp flower it's made from. To stay as close as possible to the chemical profile of the hemp flower, the filtering of other compounds than CBD needs to be limited. This in turn means the hemp plants need to be cultivated in a consumer-friendly way, meaning without toxic pesticides and chemicals that increase yield. It's relatively easy to isolate CBD even from pesticide-sprayed or contaminated hemp plants. But if you want all other minor cannabinoids and terpenes as well, it's much harder to extract them, without taking all toxins and contaminants inside the plant as well.
- The extraction process needs to preserve volatile compounds like terpenes. Preserving volatile compounds like terpenes needs a more resource-intensive production process.
Now you understand why true full- and broad-spectrum CBD products are so expensive to produce, you also understand why it's so noteworthy that R+R Medicinals CBD products are so affordable all across the board.
Bottom line:
True full- and broad-spectrum CBD products are the most effective and potent way to use CBD, but they're also the most expensive type of product.
That's exactly the reason why R+R Medicinals is such a special brand.
This is crazy, but:
R+R Medicinals products are, in some cases, even more affordable than CBD isolate products from other brands.
If they sell a particular type of CBD product, there's a big chance that we have rated it as the ‘best value for money' option in that specific product type category.
Safety and Transparency R+R Medicinals
The transparency of a CBD brand is one of the MOST important metrics when it comes to its final rating.
We want to know exactly how they produce their CBD products and what compounds are inside the final product.
At Herbonaut, we only review CBD products that are backed by third-party lab-test reports.
These tests should consist of:
- Contamination-tests (pesticides, heavy metals, and other toxins)
- Cannabinoid-profiles, and;
- Preferable also terpene-profiles.
But that's not where transparency ends.
If a brand is transparent about:
- Hemp strains used;
- Hemp cultivation practices, including transparency in the use of things like pesticides;
- Extraction and distillation processes,
It will score higher than a brand that leaves us in the dark about these topics.
When it comes to transparency R+R Medicinals belongs to the ‘safest and most transparent' CBD brands, as you'll find out below.
The Source of R+R Medicinals CBD Products
R+R Medicinals CBD products are made from the hemp strain “Cherry CBD Hemp Flower” that comes from a farm near Lamar, Colorado.
This farm is USDA organic certified and it never makes use of pesticides.
Colorado is one of the best places for the Hemp your CBD oil is made of to originate from.
Here’s why:
Colorado’s state agricultural program has a strong foundation of regulations regarding the cultivation of hemp.
These regulations act as a protection layer for consumers.
Among these regulations, are pesticide regulations that control pesticide use for hemp that is grown for human consumption. The State of Colorado also performs routine inspections and sampling of all registered hemp growers to check their plants for THC levels.
There's a very high chance that if your CBD oil is made from hemp that comes from Colorado that it:
- Has a lower chance of having pesticides, and;
- It's made from hemp plants that are 100% legal on a federal level.
The Production Process of R+R Medicinals
R+R Medicinals utilizes CO2-extraction to extract the beneficial compounds out of the hemp plants.
After that, extracts then go through a process called “winterization,” where they are filtered for excess chlorophyll and plant contaminants through a proprietary process, which uses organic, food-grade ethanol as a solvent.
There are pros and cons to every extraction-method. But the main benefit of CO2-extraction is that you can be sure it leaves no harmful residual solvents in the final product.
If you want to read more about CBD oil extraction methods, read our ultimate guide on:
One downside of CO2-extraction generally, is that it isn't the best method for extracting volatile but beneficial compounds like terpenes. Well, R+R Medicinals is one of the few CO2-extracted CBD oils that come with a wide terpene-profile and high concentrations of terpenes.
They don't exactly disclose how they manage to do this, but they say it's because of their ”proprietary techniques that are very gentle on the hemp material”. When you check the terpene-profile according to their published third-party lab-test results, you can see that they're telling the truth:
R+R Medicinals has the highest terpene content of any CO2-extracted CBD oil (that isn't bolstered with added terpenes) that I've reviewed.
The whole manufacturing process has been inspected by both the FDA and the Colorado Department of Health and Safety.
R+R Medicinals is one of the most transparent CBD brands around. Not only to us, the customer but also to regulatory agencies like the FDA.
R+R Medicinals CBD Oil/Tinctures Review
Of all types of CBD products, tinctures are our favorite products. And when it comes to R+R Medicinals, we especially love their highly affordable full-spectrum tinctures.
We've tested both the 1000mg and 2500mg versions of their full-spectrum tincture.
The 2500mg tincture offers significantly more value for your money in terms of CBD, therefore we only wrote down our experience with this specific tincture.
After reading today’s review of R+R Medicinals' CBD tinctures, you’ll exactly know if this is the CBD oil you should give a try, or whether there are better options for you.
Potency and Effectiveness
The potency and effectiveness of a CBD product are related.
The more potent it is the more effective it usually is.
But what exactly makes a CBD product potent?
Of course, its CBD content.
But that's not all…
We are interested in the full cannabinoid- and terpene-profile.
We want to see an as complete as possible extract of the hemp plant.
Hemp plants contain hundreds of beneficial compounds that work together with CBD, in addition to having unique beneficial effects individually (5).
Cannabinoid- and Terpene-Profile R+R Medicinals (Theoretical Effectiveness Rating)
When we look at the cannabinoid and terpene test results of R+R Medicinals 2500mg Full Spectrum Tincture, we see that this is a full-spectrum CBD oil of the highest order:
It not only has an extraordinarily high CBD content, but it has significant concentrations of other beneficial cannabinoids as well.
The most noteworthy cannabinoids that are present in especially high concentrations are CBG and CBC. Both of these cannabinoids have been associated with health benefits like anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
We also see a THC-percentage of 0,233%, which is below the legal maximum, but high enough for you to fail drug tests. That being said, small concentrations of THC are associated with various health benefits as well (6), and at Herbonaut, we prefer to take CBD products that have some THC inside them.
It's important to mention that if you take large servings or know that you're sensitive to THC, it's possible to experience very subtle psychoactive effects, even with these low concentrations.
Therefore we always recommend starting with small servings, especially when it comes to CBD products that contain THC.
Its terpene-profile is better than 90% of CBD oils as well. With a total terpene-concentration of 0,3051%, this CBD oil is in the top 3 of terpene-rich CBD oils we've reviewed, when we look at hemp-derived terpenes. There are CBD oils that have higher concentrations of terpenes, but these are usually added terpenes, not derived from the hemp plant.
Why does this matter?
Well, although terpenes are highly beneficial in general, hemp-derived terpenes are thought to have synergy with CBD (1). There's no such indication for non-hemp terpenes.
The bottom line?
When we look at this product's potency and effectiveness from a theoretical standpoint, we see that it's one of the most potent and effective CBD products you can get.
Our Test Results with the Product (Practical Effectiveness Rating)
At Herbonaut, we test A CBD product's effectiveness according to how well it improves:
- Exercise-induced inflammation and pain;
- Situation-dependent anxiety, and;
- Sleep in general.
We always test any CBD product with 3 different persons. You can see our test results below:
As you can see, R+R Medicinals 2500mg Full Spectrum Tincture scored very high on all metrics.
We see that its high theoretical effectiveness rating is strongly backed by practical experience.
Sleep
There's plenty of anecdotal evidence, but only limited clinical evidence that supports the use of CBD for sleep.
This is how we test the effectiveness of CBD products for sleep improvement:
- Take a dropper that approximately is the equivalent of 50mg CBD.
- Keep a sleep diary (see below);
- Document how well rested I feel the next morning (on a scale of 1 to 5).
How well-rested you feel the next morning is dependent on countless variables. This is a highly unscientific and subjective test. And we want to make sure you understand that we can’t objectively ‘prove’ that one CBD oil is better for sleep than the other.
I don't have insomnia or major sleeping problems.
Now:
When it comes to sleep, the more CBD you take, the better your results will be.
Since the CBD- and cannabinoid content can differ widely in serving sizes between different brands and even between bottles of the same brand, comparing the effectiveness of servings would be like comparing apples and oranges.
To compare the effects of different products, we have to standardize the serving.
When it comes to sleep, we have standardized the serving for sleep with regular CBD oil to 50 mg. of CBD.
A dose of 50 mg CBD costs $2 with this product.
Exercise-Induced Inflammation
While there's plenty of anecdotal evidence, there's currently only very limited clinical evidence that CBD can be used to reduce pain.
We have our own unscientific way to test CBD products for pain.
Exercise always leads to mild inflammation. Every workout, whether it's a modest or demanding workout, causes micro-damage to muscle-fibers.
Now:
This isn't actually all bad, mild inflammation promotes the recovery process of muscles.
But it also has a negative side. In some cases, exercise-induced inflammation is also thought to cause secondary muscle damage because it leaves the muscles in a longer state of inflammation.
Secondary muscle damage is the reason your muscles ache 1, 2, or even 3 days after your workout which is called delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
We have noticed that high-quality CBD oil can reduce DOMS.
Also in my situation, the cartilage in my left knee gets easily irritated when I do knee-heavy exercises. A good CBD oil helps lessen the inflammation and irritation in my left knee quickly.
In my experience, full-spectrum CBD oils like the one from R+R Medicinals are most effective in reducing pain and inflammation. Studies have found a combination of CBD and THC is more effective for reducing pain than either cannabinoid alone (7).
So it's not strange that we have rated the effectiveness of this oil when it comes to exercise-induced inflammation with 8 out of 10 points.
Situation-Dependent Anxiety
There's plenty of anecdotal evidence, but again only limited clinical evidence that CBD can be used to reduce anxiety.
None of our CBD testers have chronic anxiety.
But all of us know exactly when we get situation-dependent anxiety:
For some of us, it's in high-pressure social situations. For me personally, I have arachnophobia (I have an irrational fear of spiders).
A good CBD oil significantly reduces anxiety, also in these specific situations.
Testing if my fear of spiders is less after taking CBD oil is relatively easy.
But what exactly is a high-pressure social situation?
Well, when testing CBD oil, sometimes we create these high-pressure social situations by giving each other ‘tasks'.
For example:
We have tasks like:
- Find a random group of 3+ people and tell a 2-minute story;
- Ask a random girl out.
A high-quality CBD oil reduces the initial anxiety you feel when doing such a task. Therefore if a CBD oil doesn't reduce the anxiety in such a situation, we know it's not of the best quality.
R+R Medicinals scored an 8,1 (out of 10) on anxiety. This is much higher than the average CBD oil we've tested, but not the best CBD oil for anxiety have ever rated.
In general, we like full-spectrum CBD oils with relatively high levels of THC. Except when it comes to testing situation-dependent anxiety. This is where a relatively high THC-percentage can work against you. THC has been associated with anxiety (8). Although THC-levels in CBD oils are very low, if you're highly sensitive to THC, it can lessen the anxiety-reducing effects of CBD.
That being said, full-spectrum CBD oils with relatively high levels of THC consistently reduce anxiety more effectively than THC-free CBD oils. Therefore don't let relatively high THC-levels stop you from getting a full-spectrum CBD oil, whether you want to use CBD oil for anxiety or something else.
Taste
There are two different taste options for R+R Medicinals CBD oil:
- Unflavored, and;
- Mint.
I highly recommend getting the mint-flavored option. It doesn't taste sweet, but good nonetheless.
R+R Medicinals adds MCT oil from coconut as the carrier oil and natural mint-flavoring to its hemp-extract.
It may not be the best-tasting CBD oil, but it tastes good enough that you'll look forward to taking it.
Price
This is where R+R Medicinals outclasses every other CBD oil:
Even though it belongs to the most effective and best quality CBD oils that we have ever reviewed, its price doesn't necessarily reflect that.
This CBD oil is more affordable than options that are of less quality.
To compare CBD oils we have to standardize the price.
At Herbonaut we standardize the price in the following two ways:
- CBD per $1;
- minor cannabinoids and terpenes per $1.
As explained before, to determine the price-rating of a CBD product, it's also important to know how many other (than CBD) hemp-derived compounds we get and for what price.
When we compare these two value metrics, we also get a good idea of the ‘full-spectrumness' of a CBD oil.
Let's take a look.
R+R Medicinals 2500mg Full Spectrum Tincture gets you:
- 25,7mg CBD per $1, and;
- 3mg minor cannabinoids and terpenes per $1.
Compared to the averages of:
- 14.57mg CBD, and;
- 3.1mg minor cannabinoids and terpenes per $1,
You can see this oil is amazing value and it's currently rated as our ‘best value for money CBD Oil'.
Go to the R+R Medicinals Website
Read More CBD Product Reviews
The Best CBD Oils: A list of our most recommended CBD oil brands, includes full-spectrum CBD oils, broad-spectrum CBD oils, and CBD isolates. All are 3th-party lab-tested to confirm they're contaminant-free and contain high levels of CBD.
The Best CBD Oils for Sleep: A list of our most recommended CBD oil brands, includes full-spectrum CBD oils, broad-spectrum CBD oils, and CBD isolates. All are 3th-party lab-tested to confirm they're contaminant-free and contain high levels of CBD.
The Best CBD Oils for Anxiety: A list of our most recommended CBD oil brands, includes full-spectrum CBD oils, broad-spectrum CBD oils, and CBD isolates. All are 3th-party lab-tested to confirm they're contaminant-free and contain high levels of CBD.
The Best CBD Gummies: A list of our recommended CBD gummies. All are 3th-party lab-tested to confirm they're contaminant-free and contain high levels of CBD.
The Best CBD Vape Oils: A list of our recommended CBD vape oils. All are 3th-party lab-tested to confirm they're contaminant-free and contain high levels of CBD.
The Best CBD Creams: A list of our recommended CBD creams. All are 3th-party lab-tested to confirm they're contaminant-free and contain high levels of CBD.
Scientific References:
- Russo, E. B. (2011c). Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), 1344–1364. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x
- Pamplona, F. A., da Silva, L. R., & Coan, A. C. (2018b). Potential Clinical Benefits of CBD-Rich Cannabis Extracts Over Purified CBD in Treatment-Resistant Epilepsy: Observational Data Meta-analysis. Frontiers in Neurology, 9. Published. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2018.00759
- Nahler, G. (2019c). Cannabidiol and Contributions of Major Hemp Phytocompounds to the “Entourage Effect”; Possible Mechanisms. Alternative, Complementary & Integrative Medicine, 5(2), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.24966/acim-7562/100066
- Bertoli, A., Tozzi, S., Pistelli, L., & Angelini, L. G. (2010b). Fibre hemp inflorescences: From crop-residues to essential oil production. Industrial Crops and Products, 32(3), 329–337. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2010.05.012
- Baron, E. P. (2018b). Medicinal Properties of Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Flavonoids in Cannabis, and Benefits in Migraine, Headache, and Pain: An Update on Current Evidence and Cannabis Science. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 58(7), 1139–1186. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.13345
- Carlini, E. (2004). The good and the bad effects of (−) trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) on humans. Toxicon, 44(4), 461–467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxicon.2004.05.009
- Johnson, J. R., Burnell-Nugent, M., Lossignol, D., Ganae-Motan, E. D., Potts, R., & Fallon, M. T. (2010). Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel-Group Study of the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of THC:CBD Extract and THC Extract in Patients with Intractable Cancer-Related Pain. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 39(2), 167–179. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2009.06.008
- Karschner, E. L., Darwin, W. D., McMahon, R. P., Liu, F., Wright, S., Goodwin, R. S., & Huestis, M. A. (2011). Subjective and Physiological Effects After Controlled Sativex and Oral THC Administration. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 89(3), 400–407. https://doi.org/10.1038/clpt.2010.318
