How to Buy the Safest and Most Effective CBD Products
Looking to buy CBD oil products online? Then you’ve come to the right blog. With the massive amount of choices you have, it’s hard to know where to start your search. On top of that, the FDA hasn't implemented any concrete guidance or standards for CBD companies to follow. So, it can be hard to know what you’re actually getting.
Luckily, we know some CBD buying hacks to help you find safe and effective CBD products. In this article, we’ll outline the most important qualities to look for in a product. After all, you’re likely seeking out CBD because you’ve heard wonderful things about it. The last thing you want is for a sub-par product to ruin your experience.
How to Gauge the Safety of CBD Products
First things first. Find out where the CBD company sources its hemp. Hemp extract is the main component of a CBD oil, edible, topical, etc. Since CBD is part of the hemp extract, you want to know everything you can about it. Ideally, the company will disclose this information on its website.
Hemp that’s grown in the United States is generally high in quality. That’s because the Department of Agriculture in each state regulates the cultivation of hemp. They also perform sample testing to ensure the percentage of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC) is less than 0.3%. This percentage is also part of the U.S. federal regulations on hemp-derived products.
Furthermore, certain states in the U.S. have a natural advantage of growing hemp over other states. These advantages include weather, the source of spring or freshwater, and growing expertise.
For instance, both Colorado and Oregon were some of the first states in the U.S. to approve recreational cannabis. As such, they have many years of experience growing cannabis, making products, and running businesses. So, if you see a company that sources it’s hemp from Colorado, Oregon, or even Kentucky, that’s an excellent sign.
Additionally, a company will usually mention if its hemp is grown organically. In some cases, the hemp will be certified organic — and that’s a huge plus!
Third-Party Testing
The next step is looking at third-party laboratory reports, referred to as a Certificate of Analysis (COA). One of the tests on a COA is the cannabinoid profile. It shows the level of cannabinoids in the product, such as the amount of CBD, THC, and other lesser-known, but still important cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, and CBN.
While analyzing the cannabinoid profile, you can match the number of mg of CBD on the report to the number of mg on the product label. For example, if you’re looking at a bottle of CBD oil that has 500 mg of CBD, you should also see that amount on the report. The numbers aren’t usually a perfect match but they should come pretty close.
Also, some companies test for pesticides, heavy metals, residual solvents, and other contaminants. You could find this information on a COA as well. Generally, a COA is posted on the company’s website or you can contact them and ask for a copy.
Potency
The CBD concentration of a product is one way to measure its effectiveness. Another way is by its quality. Some companies market their CBD oil as a high potency product and therefore charge a premium price. However, in certain cases, the CBD potency isn’t high enough to justify the cost.
For this reason, consider doing a bit of math before you buy CBD oil products online. It can help you determine if the potency per serving is adequate and whether it’s priced accurately.
Let’s look at an example together. Say you find a product with 200 mg of CBD inside a 30 mL bottle. The price is $40. Here’s how to perform the calculations.
Potency: 200 mg of CBD ÷ 30 mL = 6.7 mg/mL
Price: $40 / 200 mg of CBD = $0.20 per mg of CBD
On average, most CBD oils range in potency from 15 to 30 mg/mL, whereas this product in our example only has 6.7 mg/mL. Secondly, the average cost of CBD oil is $0.13 per mg of CBD. Overall, in this example, the product has a low potency and is considered expensive.
In Summary
Before you buy CBD oil products online, please consider our suggestions. We care about our Hemp Health One customers, which is the reason we have high safety and efficacy standards.
Now that you have the confidence to find the right CBD product, we hope you have fun shopping!