The high demand and interest in CBD is an amazing thing, but with the good also comes the shady. Sadly, that means that there are numerous shady, misleading and just plain fake CBD products out there.
So how do you know if you are getting a quality product? Here are our top 4 tips to help you avoid paying money for products that are sub-par.
1. Always request third-party lab results
The first and foremost test of a brand is its Certificate of Analysis or COA. Every brand should offer third-party lab results. This means that they’ve sent their products to an independent lab to verify the contents of their CBD. If a company is reluctant to share these results with you, it should automatically be a red flag and indicate that they have something to hide. They should have test results easily available on their website at all times.
2. Find out where the hemp comes from
With the passage of the Farm Bill in 2018, most CBD companies now use hemp grown in the US (previously it had to be imported). Even with that being said, we personally believe in knowing where products come from. If you have one company that sources their own hemp, grown on a family farm in Colorado vs one that buys hemp in bulk from various processors, then the quality may be very different.
3. Pay attention to product labeling
Since CBD is not regulated by the FDA, there are no product labeling guidelines or requirements.
For example, one brand of CBD tincture might list the total amount of CBD in the bottle, while some list the amount in each dropper (often per 1 milliliter of tincture). This can get more confusing when you add in other product types, like CBD capsules or edibles like CBD gummies or even CBD-infused chocolate bars and coffee. Make sure you understand how much CBD you are getting in each dose.
4. Ask for Advice
Because the CBD market is still very new, regulations and quality control practices can be sub-par at times. And while CBD products seem to be popping up everywhere, we definitely don’t think it should be an “impulse buy.” In general, we don’t think you should buy CBD from any business where you wouldn’t normally purchase wellness products (gas station?? please no!).
Unfortunately, many buyers don’t have the time or energy to learn how to choose CBD so we have put together several guides to help you make an educational and informed decision. All our products are created from all natural full-spectrum CBD and each batch is third-party tested.