Casper wants to help you get in the mood to sleep even before you lie down on one of its beds.
The mattress startup is launching a new line of gummies to help you catch some Zs with three other letters—CBD. They go on sale today on the Casper website and could offer a little extra help for the one in three people the company says have trouble sleeping at night.
The sleep-aiding munchers are the result of a partnership with the cannabidiol company Plus and talks that started a year ago. The new product line is called “PLUS sleep.” Each gummy—purple to reflect its chamomile and blackberry tea flavor—contains 25 milligrams of CBD and one milligram of melatonin.
If you like to count dollars rather than sheep, know that a 14-gummy tin of the stuff will run you $35.
“We’re seeing the evolution of CBD products in the consumer landscape,” Philip Krim, Casper’s cofounder and CEO, tells Fast Company. “What is so exciting about launching now is it’s conceived around sleep. It’s become the killer application for the CBD market.”
And what would a new CBD product be without a celebrity spokesman? In this case, it’s singer John Legend, according to Plus CEO Jake Heimark.
Insomniacs in seven states and overseas are out of luck, though. Plus doesn’t ship to Hawaii, Alaska, South Dakota, Idaho, Mississippi, Iowa, and Oklahoma, the company said.
The gummies aren’t Casper’s first foray beyond the mattresses on which the five-year-old company was built. Since then, it’s pulled a sleep 360, selling everything from pillows and bedding to furniture.
“It’s an exciting day,” Krim says. “We think this is a clear step forward to help the world sleep better. We’re really proud of this partnership.”
The CBD market in the United States is expected to hit $20 billion in sales in five years, according to a report by BDS Analytics and Arcview Market Research released in May.
However, CBD has raised some concern among federal regulators. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it recognizes the product’s popularity but remains concerned about drug interactions and unproven medical claims, like those alleging the prevention or treatment of cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, and diabetes.
“There are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing CBD,” the FDA says on its website. “The Agency is working on answering these questions through ongoing efforts.”
Recognize your brand’s excellence by applying to this year’s Brands That Matter Awards before the early-rate deadline, May 3.
