How to Ensure the CBD Oil You're Using Is Pure

person Larry Ostrovsky
calendar_today Oct 16, 2017

If you are interested in sourcing pure CBD oil, free from harmful chemicals and damaging processing techniques, then the following information will be of interest to you. As more people turn to cannabidiol (CBD) as a self-administered medicine, more people are confused about how to source the best quality product. If you haven’t already noticed, the online market for CBD oil is totally unregulated.

If you are relying on the same techniques you use to pick out painkillers at the local pharmacy, I hate to break it to you, but that doesn't work well with CBD products. The same techniques do not apply because the CBD market is so new, and no overarching guidelines are regulating the industry.

Many companies blatantly tote their products based on claims that remain unproven. All businesses will tell you that their product is the best. But is it? Do you know what to look for to weed out the scammers from the legitimate companies producing the best products? What do you need to know to sift through the marketing ploys to find the highest quality CBD oil?

Again, the techniques used at the pharmacy to look for an over-the-counter medicine do not apply to CBD. It's inadvisable to look for the cheapest product or one that comes in bulk when buying CBD oil. Most people also don’t consider a company’s track record before purchasing their cold medication.

The cannabidiol industry is extremely different in this regard because it is so new. It’s still trying to navigate the complex legalities surrounding derived cannabis products, and the research, for the most part, is in preliminary stages. Plus, the products on the shelves at your local drug mart all are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, while the CBD products found online are self-regulated ... if they are regulated at all.

Customers need to rely on their wits, product knowledge, and a critical eye before sourcing the best CBD oil. To assist sourcing pure CBD oil, here are either critical points to keep in mind along the way.

1. Price

Unlike shopping for over-the-counter medicines, the price never should be your determining factor in sourcing CBD oil. In most cases, the cheapest option on the market is not the highest quality. Quality extraction methods do not come cheap, and neither does quality cannabis or hemp. Cheap CBD products are guaranteed to come from unreputable plant sources, be poorly extracted and, consequently, will have low CBD content.

2. Non-Psychoactive Products

Depending on what you are looking for, a wide variety of CBD-heavy products are available, with a broad range of THC content. Some products are derived from medical grade cannabis and have been tested to confirm their THC:CBD ratio. Other products are derived from industrial-grade hemp and contain no THC at all. Be sure to read the label carefully and ask questions before buying to determine if it is non-psychoactive.

3. Ingredients

Just like when you examine the labels of processed foods, check out the ingredients in each CBD product. Some key points to look for are if you can pronounce or understand all ingredients and if they are organic.

4. Lab Results

Can you find any of the company’s product testing information? Without industry-wide regulation, companies are subject only to self-reporting product test results. Look for information about the contents, quality, the concentration percentage and cannabinoid content before buying. Hopefully, the product testing also was done by an unbiased third-party laboratory.

5. Isolates vs. the Whole Plant

If you want to find pure CBD oil, you might consider a CBD isolate. After all, it should be high concentration and more pure, right? However, did you know that many scientists now believe there is a synergetic effect when the entire plant is used? This means that by stripping away all other cannabinoids to create an isolate, companies essentially are stripping away some of its superpowers as well. Whole plant products are better quality and are believed to have more therapeutic potential then isolates.

6. Extraction Method

The extraction method used is one of the most important factors to look for when sourcing CBD oil. Anyone using heat-extraction to produce CBD oil essentially is eliminating all vital aspects from their final product. Instead, look for CO2 extraction, which is much more expensive, but produces a much higher quality product.

7. Company Bio

So, we know you don’t look into the company history of any major drugstore brands, but you definitely should consider who is making your CBD oil. Where is the company from? What is their backstory? Do they have a history in health, wellness, and medicine? These all are important questions that should be easily answered in company website’s About Us section.

8. Growing Conditions

Hemp tends to pull toxins out of the ground. These toxins can end up in the final product, no matter what processing it underwent. Therefore, looking for organic, non-GMO sourced CBD oil is important to guarantee the quality and purity of the final product.

RELATED: Are You Using Organic CBD Oil?

And Now to Find the Best CBD Oil!

These eight points should help you navigate the developing CBD oil market. It’s true that most companies have their customer’s health and well-being in mind, but it's always a good idea to know what to look for before jumping in. Cheap and poorly made knock-offs unfortunately exist and can cloud the already crowded online marketplace.

Next time you look for pure CBD oil, apply our eight guidelines. They will lead you down the right path in order to source the best product out there. Through a little commonsense and a few research skills, finding top quality oil isn’t as hard as you expect.

A Final Disclaimer ...

The research into CBD therapy continues to break new ground on a daily basis. Its new enough that according to the Food and Drug Administration. Federal Government it isn’t approved for medical applications. Because the FDA hasn’t approved it as a medical treatment, nobody in the industry is able to advertise unsupported direct health claims for CBD products. Any company that declares their product can “cure cancer” or “beat substance abuse,” for example, are breaking the law through false advertising.

The body of research into CBD’s the potential health benefits of CBD is enormous, including studies that show CBD may reduce tumor growth and may contribute to reducing drug addiction. But these results remain to be tested through rigorous large-scale clinical trials before companies can make these claims. Therefore, remember, if their claims sound too good to be true, it’s a good idea to look elsewhere.

Price	Avoid deals that seem too good to be true Look for products with a higher price
Non-Psychoactive	Check the label for cannabinoid content. Ensure there is no THC Ask the company directly if this information is unavailable
Ingredients	Organic Pronounceable and understandable
Lab Results	Cannabinoid content Product quality Concentration confirmation
Isolates vs. Whole Plant	Look for whole plant-derived products only
Extraction Method	Avoid heat extraction at all costs Look for CO2 extraction methods
Company Information	Easily accessible Profiles health and wellness credentials
Growing Conditions	Look for organically-sourced product Examine the lab results for traces of toxicity