Got Hemp?
How to BULLET PROOF that your CBD Oil You're Using Is Pure
If you’ve been intrigued or are already purchasing CBD consumables that are free from harmful chemicals and damaging processing techniques, then I’m pretty sure you’ll want to read all about how to find the best quality.
As more people turn to cannabidiol (CBD) as a universal healing medicine, there are just as many confused about trusting what they’re buying. CBD oil is unregulated, and while self regulation certificates are trying to take precedence in the market - it’s the one reason why “all CBD is NOT the same.”
Companies are being shut down left and right due to strong claims that remain unproven as a whole. We have thousands of studies to reflect on, but at this time there are no significant claims that can be held salient.
So how do you weed out the fakes from the for reals? Here are some guidelines to know as you sift through the marketing ploys to find the highest quality CBD oil.
For starters, the cannabidiol industry is extremely new to the market. It’s still trying to navigate the complex legalities surrounding derived cannabis products, and the research, for the most part, is in preliminary stages.
While products on the shelves at your grocery store are regulated by the FDA, the CBD products are self-regulated ... if they are regulated at all. Therefore it doesn’t always mean they are the “best” on the market.
As any health and beauty connoisseur, I too - just like you, need to rely on my gut instincts, relational interactions, foundational product knowledge, and an extremely critical eye while sourcing the best CBD suppliers. I’ve vetted over 40 companies and confidently narrowed down leaving me to believe in the efficacy and 100% purity of our Evoq Health CBD formulas.
Here’s some key points to keep in mind while shopping CBD.
1. Price
The price never should be your determining factor in sourcing CBD oil. For example, I formulate a CBD oil, but it also includes 4 different types of terpenes and also includes CBG. To extract this unique blend, it’s an extremely pure and intense in process of getting it to this healing end product. High quality extraction methods do not come cheap, and neither does starting quality cannabis or hemp. The least expensive products are most likely from unreputable plant sources, poorly extracted and, consequently, will have low CBD content.
Why is price still the primary buying driver?
CBD is typically bought and resold several times over before it ever gets into the hands of actual product manufacturers. The price needs to start low when multiple resellers are marking it up a few points between every exchange.
Retailers and consumers end up believing they have multiple product supply options available to choose from. When in fact, they are typically speaking to different companies who are selling the exact same product that has been split and re-sold several times over. Additionally, this also makes it possible for an inferior product to easily be slipped into the mix. This makes a poor environment for medicine that is in high demand from patients with serious illness and compromised immune systems.
2. CBD Non-Psychoactive Products
Be sure to read the label carefully and ask questions before buying to determine if it is non-psychoactive. To be honest, not only have I, but many of my clients have taken CBD - sans THC, but still felt high. This could be due to inaccurate labeling or higher percentages of claimed .03 THC.
3. Ingredients
Just like when you examine food and beauty labels, check out the ingredients in each CBD product. Watch to see if you can pronounce or understand all ingredients and if they are natural or organic. Also review if its combined with terpenes or other cannabinoids for its higher added health attributes. If it does not provide the amount of TRUE ACTIVE cannabidiol, then run. For example, (Olive Oil and Hemp Extract) means nothing to me. Is it cannabidiol? Just hemp? THC Hemp? Hugh?
4. Lab Results
Always make sure the brands testing information available. 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.
Here’s a checklist of the documentation you should be asking your supplier for each time you purchase:
- Certificate of Origin (COO) – shows where the product is exported from.
- Farming Certification – shows where the product is grown (Organic farms are much harder to find but do exist).
- If the product has a COO, but no farm certificates, it is possible the product was grown in one region and shipped to another prior to importing to the United States (this is the current modality for all product derived from China).
- Certificates of Analysis (COAs) – testing for Potency, Pesticides, Heavy Metals and Residual Solvents.
- Some companies may go even further and provide an MSDS sheet or cGMP standard facility certifications.
5. Isolates vs. the Whole Plant: What’s the difference?
There are different applications for isolate or whole plant extractions/use. For example, if there is a body cream that has a host of essential oils and other actives, the isolate can work synergistically with those ingredients.
The great discovery by many scientists bring us to now believe there is a synergistic effect when the entire plant is used. 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. Most extraction methods are safe, although some more than others break the bonds easier - leaving a lower grade end result.
When looking for organic farms, consider nuances of marketing. For example, Organic practices do not mean a farm is actually Certified Organic. An EU organic certification reflects a far more stringent set of guidelines than that of the US. The US and the EU do have what is called the US-EU organic Equivalency Arrangement, which was established to standardize organic definitions and certification requirements. However, the agreement falls short in its actual enforcement, where EU regulatory agencies are managed by consumer protection boards and the US is largely made up of agricultural and pharmaceutical special interest conglomerates.
7. Know the Players / The “Company” Ethics
Absolutely consider who is making your CBD oil. Where is the company from? What is their experience? Do they have a passion and a history in health, wellness, and medicine?
US CBD inventories are primarily supplied by two geographies; Europe and China. A very small contribution is made by US domestic farms. US domestic supplies currently suffer from two other challenges. The first is a lack of adequate inventory to meet demand forcing them to often backfill orders with foreign product. The second and more important issue is that US supplies often contain amounts of regulated THC above the legal limits of 0.3% by weight, rendering the product entirely illegal. Any company found to be involved with this product is just a sitting duck, buying time before the DEA raids their facilities. This is gamble high-compliance businesses can’t afford to take. Be sure you are testing each batch you buy.
8. Growing Conditions
Hemp is knows to help pull toxins out of the ground. These toxins can end up in the final product, therefore, looking for organic, non-GMO sourced CBD oil is important to guarantee the quality and purity of the final product.
An issue with Chinese product is that China has no environmental laws. Their CBD oils are notorious for containing pesticides, heavy metals, microbial and residual solvents upon importation. Some product has even tested hot for small amounts of radioactivity.
In closing...
Hopefully these epiphanies and additional knowledge can help equip you to spot poorly made knock-offs in an abundant online marketplace.
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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Resource: Scott Holden/CBDG