Ever since the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill, the demand for CBD products has skyrocketed. These days you can find CBD oil sold at mall kiosks, online retailers, health stores, and even spas. With the research that’s been conducted, many have flocked to CBD for its ability to calm stress and anxiety naturally. CBD is also touted as a pain reliever and a compound that can possibly protect the heart and brain.
With so much positive information surrounding CBD, it’s no surprise that the popularity of these products has increased. And if you too are interested in trying CBD oil, you definitely aren’t alone.
Whether you’re buying CBD oil in California or some other states, there are some things you’ll want to know before choosing a product. Keep reading to learn four tips that will guarantee that you’re purchasing safe, effective CBD oil. You can even Buy CBD Oil in the UK easily now too.
1. Choose the Type of CBD That Meets Your Needs
Even if you’ve just started looking into CBD oil, you’ve probably come across the terms CBD isolate and full spectrum CBD. Understanding the different kinds of CBD is a must, so that you can buy the kind of CBD that will give you the results you want while also meeting your personal wants.
For example, let’s say you want pain relief but don’t want any exposure to THC. While all types of CBD can help to relieve achy muscles and joints, you’ll want to only buy a product that uses CBD isolate or broad-spectrum CBD, both of which contain no THC.
On the other hand, if you’re very interested in the entourage effect and want to reap the benefits of other cannabinoids (THC included), terpenes, and flavonoids, choose CBD oil made with full spectrum CBD. This type of CBD contains all of the compounds found in the hemp plant.
To wrap things up:
- CBD isolate – Purest form of CBD that contains no THC or other compounds
- Broad spectrum CBD – Contains other compounds found in the hemp plant but all traces of THC has been removed
- Full spectrum CBD – Contains everything found in the plant, including THC, other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids
Pinpointing the type of CBD that best fits your wants and needs is the first step in choosing CBD oil that will work for you.
2. Review the Label
Whether you’re shopping for groceries or clothes, chances are that you review the label. You want to know what a certain item contains. For food you care about the ingredients, for clothes, maybe you look at the type of material used.
When buying CBD oil, the label is just as important as any other product. If labeled properly, a bottle of CBD oil should have a label that tells you all of the most important information that you need to know. You can tell a lot about a CBD oil product by simply looking at the label.
- High quality, reputable CBD manufacturers include this information on their labels:
- Amount of CBD per serving
- Type of CBD used (isolate, broad spectrum, or full spectrum)
- Supplement Fact Panel (list of other ingredients)
- Net weight (ie. 30mL)
- Suggested use
- Manufacturer name
- Batch code
If a product doesn’t have a label, or if it offers very little information, you’ll want to choose another type of CBD oil from a different brand. Because the CBD industry lacks regulation and oversight, you need to know as much as possible about a product to ensure that it’s high quality, safe, and that it will offer the relief you want.
3. Review the Certificate of Analysis (COA)
The label and ingredients list are a great place to start in order to learn in-depth information about CBD oil. But, you’ll want to confirm all of the information by reviewing the certificate of analysis.
A COA is a document provided by a third party lab that has tested the actual makeup of a product. The document will offer actual numbers, including how much CBD and THC a product contains, as well as the existence of other compounds, such as flavonoids and terpenes.
A COA also indicates the existence of any harmful ingredients, such as solvents, pesticides, and even heavy metals.
If a product hasn’t been tested, there’s no way of confirming what it actually contains. This can be dangerous, as mislabeling is rampant in the CBD industry.
4. Confirm Other Details
Researching the best CBD oil goes beyond the label. There are also many other factors that you’ll want to review to know for sure that you’re buying a high quality product.
Ingredients
To start, you’ll want to review the ingredients list. This is especially important if you have specific wants, such as a product that’s all natural, organic or one that is non-GMO. You can find this information on the label as well as by reviewing the ingredients list.
Most quality CBD oils should have a very short ingredients list. The product should contain CBD, carrier oil (coconut, MCT, palm, etc.), and possibly a flavor. Many brands add flavoring to their oils to make them more palatable.
If the ingredients list is a laundry list of items, choose another product.
Manufacturing Details
While these details may seem unimportant, understanding the manufacturing involved in making CBD oil is a must. For example, you’ll want to know where the hemp plants are grown to ensure that the product you’re buying is legal.
According to the 2018 Farm Bill, legal CBD products must only use oil derived from USA-grown hemp plants. Choosing a product that uses USA-grown hemp also ensures that FDA-approved farming practices are used, which lessens the chance that the plants were grown in low quality soil or that harmful pesticides were used.
It’s also important to know how CBD is extracted. Ideally you’ll want to choose a product that uses CO2 or an alcohol-based extraction process. Manufacturers that use solvents to extract CBD often do so because the process is less expensive.
However, CBD that’s extracted using solvents can be dangerous. The chemical used, such as butane, can seep into the CBD, which means that the oil you use could contain a potentially harmful solvent.
What do you look for when choosing CBD oil? What factors are most important to you?
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