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PlusCBD Reserve Softgels Review

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Written by The CBD Insider

This post contains links through which we may earn a small commission should you make a purchase from a brand. This in no way affects our ability to objectively critique the products and brands we review.

Welcome to our PlusCBD Reserve Softgels review!

Definitely not shying away from the “plus” in this case, these softgels are the most potent that PlusCBD has to offer, thanks to the generous per-serving THC content.

But can they stand up to industry-leading standards of quality and safety?

In this review, we’ll break down everything you need to know about PlusCBD Reserve Softgels, from the packaging to third-party testing.

PlusCBD Reserve Softgels

Concentration

60-count: 750mg CBD and 75mgTHC total (12.5mg CBD/1.25mg THC per softgel)

30-count: 375mg CBD and 37.5mg THC total (12.5mg CBD/1.25mg THC per softgel)

Ingredients

Hemp Extract (Aerial Plant Prts), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vegan Softgel (Modified Corn Starch, Carrageenan, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Purified Water)

Pros & Cons

Let’s start with the pros for PlusCBD Reserve Softgels:

  • Highly potent THC:CBD ratio 
  • High-quality carrier oil (EVOO)
  • Easy to use (small, soft, no weird taste)
  • Competitively priced for the quality

And now the cons:

  • Little supporting cannabinoids, no other botanicals
  • High THC may be too intense for some

Concentration

We tested the 30-count container of PlusCBD Reserve softgels, which the packaging claims to contain 25mg of CBD and 2.5mg of THC in each 2-softgel serving. That’s 12.5 mg of CBD and 1.25 mg of THC per softgel and 750mg of CBD/75mg of THC per container.

There is no certificate of analysis (lab testing report, or COA) available for the 30-count version, but these are the cannabinoid potency values reported on the COA for the 60-count version (all values reported on a per-capsule basis):

  • CBD: 15.13mg
  • Delta-9 THC: 1.09mg
  • CBDV: 0.072mg

CBC: 0.072MG

Certificate of analysis

The sample passed all tests for heavy metals, microbes, pesticides, residual solvents, and other contaminants.

According to this report, the CBD content is over-delivered by about 20%, and the delta-9 THC comes in about 15-20% under the label claim. 

While these issues certainly don’t cancel out, these discrepancies are very commonplace among trusted CBD brands and others.

Overall, we’d like to see a bit more of a showing on the supporting (non-CBD/THC) cannabinoid front, but these numbers still promise a high level of potency with just 1-2 softgels, thanks to the well-above-average THC concentration.

Value

The 30-count container of PlusCBD Reserve Softgels costs $37.99 for a one-time purchase, which reduces to $0.05 per milligram of CBD.

The 60-count container goes for $54.99, reducing to a little under $0.04 per milligram.

Value in this case is affected by several key considerations, including:

  • Our usual per-milligram-of-CBD comparison counts against this product slightly, since we’re not accounting for the high delta-9 THC concentration in this case. Hence, value is better than it looks.
  • Capsules are generally cheaper than tinctures, so we consider anywhere from $0.04-$0.08/mg to be a competitive price.
  • PlusCBD offers a subscription plan for regular purchasers (available for both sizes), knocking off 25% consistently.

All these factors considered—also including PlusCBD’s reputation—we see these capsules as a highly competitive value.

Packaging

As pictured above, our container of PlusCBD Reserve Softgels came in a darkly tinted glass container with a black threaded lid. The container was enclosed in a small cardboard box.

Between the box and inner container labels, we had access to the following information:

  • BasAic product specs (potency, supplement facts/ingredients, etc.)
  • A QR code for accessing lab reports
  • Several informational blurbs
QR code on label of PlusCBD Reserve softgels

This encompassed everything we wanted to know, and thanks to the added content—blurbs with titles like “Does it work?” and “Why CV Sciences?”—customers can easily gain a deeper understanding of the product and PlusCBD (CV Sciences is the parent company).

As for packaging quality, the box was made from durable and high-quality (not scratchy) material, and both the container and child-proof lid held up throughout our use of the product with no issues.

Overall, PlusCBD Reserve Softgels get a top rating from us in terms of packaging quality.

Ingredients

Here is the ingredient list for PlusCBD Reserve Softgels:

Hemp Extract (Aerial Plant Parts), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vegan Softgel (Modified Corn Starch, Carrageenan, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Purified Water).

Ingredients in pluscbd reserve softgel

Two key advantages stand out to us in this case: the highly nutritive carrier oil and the vegan softgel. 

While medium-chain triglyceride oil—the most common carrier oil you’ll find on CBD tincture labels—is no slouch nutritionally, extra-virgin olive oil provides that extra oomph with phenolic compounds like oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and others.

Otherwise, the ingredient list is highly simplistic, sticking to the basic format most CBD softgels use. 

For some, the lack of supporting non-hemp botanicals and other ingredients like ashwagandha may be a downside, but there’s still plenty here to synergistically promote relaxation and other cannabinoid-related benefits.

Taste and Texture

It may sound silly on the surface, reviewing the “taste” of a softgel, but as people who do this for a living, trust us—they can land on the tongue bitterly.

Such was not the case with these softgels, which, if anything, had a slightly sweet impact on the tongue and not much else. 

To expand beyond the taste factor, the texture (really soft and gelatinous) and below-average size also made these softgels very easy to swallow. This is as good a time as any to give the proverbial reminder: CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids absorb more readily when taken with fatty foods.

For the cannabinoid nerd out there looking to explore further into the “lipophilicity of natural and synthetic cannabinoids,” this study provides a much deeper dive into the “fat-loving” nature of CBD, THC, and other hemp-born compounds.

Overall, the very mild taste, soft texture, and small size made these softgels one of the easiest to take.

PlusCBD Reserve Softgels

Concentration

60-count: 750mg CBD and 75mgTHC total (12.5mg CBD/1.25mg THC per softgel)

30-count: 375mg CBD and 37.5mg THC total (12.5mg CBD/1.25mg THC per softgel)

Ingredients

Hemp Extract (Aerial Plant Prts), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Vegan Softgel (Modified Corn Starch, Carrageenan, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Purified Water)

Effectiveness

We don’t exaggerate when we say that these softgels (and the PlusCBD Reserve tinctures) are easily among the top 5, if not the top 3 most potent CBD products we’ve ever tested.

Even this not-small CBD veteran (6’ tall, 200 lbs) didn’t make it to bed before getting drowsy after just two softgels, so if you’re sensitive and/or new to cannabinoids, we highly recommend starting with just one softgel (half a serving) and gauging from there.

We don’t recommend taking a full serving (or even one softgel, really) earlier in the day unless you’ve got plenty of free time in your schedule, as you may be headed for a spontaneous rendezvous with your bed.

Thanks to the unusually high ratio of THC to CBD (1:10), these tinctures amplify all the effects you expect from a CBD/THC product, including a feeling of relaxation, elevated mood, resistance to stress, and relief from physical discomfort.

These results were consistently present and potent throughout our testing team; nobody walked away feeling underwhelmed in terms of discomfort relief or relaxation.

For all those who complain that CBD products are “too weak to even feel anything,” these softgels are PlusCBD’s way of saying “Oh yeah? Try this.”

effects from pluscbd reserve softgel felt by our team

Our Verdict

It isn’t necessarily a newbie-friendly product per se, but for those experienced with cannabinoids and/or anyone who requires the most powerful results to manage stress, discomfort, etc., our team found PlusCBD Reserve Softgels to be an extremely effective option.

These third-party-tested softgels are made with extra-virgin olive oil and other high-quality ingredients by a reputable brand, and are priced surprisingly low.

Factoring these details into what we know about PlusCBD and the parent company behind them, we recommend PlusCBD Reserve Softgels to anyone looking for a CBD product that packs a punch.


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