Recent years have seen a steady increase in the popularity of CBD oil and other CBD products because of the researchers’ increased interest in their potential medical and health benefits. This growing interest has caused a surge in the number of brands selling these products in the market, making it quite overwhelming for customers trying to buy CBD oil.
With so many brands and oil varieties available, there are several things that you should know to ensure that you purchase the best-quality CBD oil, such as:
- Third-Party Testing By A Certified Lab
To determine the quality of the CBD oil you’re purchasing, check if the brand gets testing from an unbiased, reputable, and ISO-certified laboratory. Reputable brands allow the testing of their oils to assess and check their quality. This is the only way you can be sure that the product has been manufactured in the recommended standards, and thus safe for you to use. To find this information, you need to review the brand’s policies.
If the brand doesn’t conduct these tests, there’s no other concrete way for you to know or confirm its products’ quality. CBD oils that are not tested might contain ingredients in levels that aren’t recommended or might be substandard. Moreover, the testing by third-party labs ensures that an entire batch has a consistent quality. So, always check for certification of quality assurance.
- Origin Of The Hemp
CBD oil is extracted from the hemp plant, which is known to be very sensitive to its environment. The plant readily absorbs materials in the soil, water, and air around it. Given its impact on the final product, the origin of the hemp plant is a vital factor to consider when buying CBD oil.
If the hemp was grown in soil that’s rich in nutrients, then the final product is of high quality. Of course, poor soil and nutrient-scarce environment also produce lower-quality CBD products. Hemp grown in places with strict environmental regulations like the US and the UK consistently produces higher-quality CBD oil.
Organically grown hemp is cultivated under properly guarded conditions and standards, producing quality CBD end products. Brands that focus on providing quality CBD oil, such as CBD Puroil, ensure the plants grow to the required standards.
- CBD Oil’s Extraction Method
For most essential oils, extraction is simply done through distillation. However, CBD oil goes through a more complex process. There are different extraction methods, and each produces a different quality CBD oil in terms of purity. Here are some methods:
- Carbon dioxide extraction: This is the most preferred method of extracting CBD oil and believed to be the best overall, offering higher quality and purer end products. In carbon dioxide extraction, heated liquid carbon dioxide is pressurized and diffused throughout the hemp plant. The solution is then separated, the oil is collected, and the carbon dioxide is returned to liquid form.
- Olive oil extraction: It’s the oldest method, and it’s still in use today. It’s safe, simple, and cheap. It involves heating the plant material to activate chemicals inside the hemp and then simmering it in olive oil. Although this is a safe method of extracting, the CBD oil produced is weaker and more perishable.
- Solvent extraction: The solvent extraction method uses either ethanol, alcohol, propane, or isopropyl. It’s cheap and fast, but dangerous because of the flammable properties of the liquids. Plant trimmings are soaked in a container with a solvent to strip them off the CBD. The oil is extracted by evaporating the concentrated cannabinoids until only the oil remains.
Knowing how the CBD oil was extracted will give you a better idea of its purity and quality.
- The Level Of THC Content
THC is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant, and CBD contains trace amounts of these compounds. The legal limit of THC in hemp-derived CBD products is 0.2% in the UK and 0.3% in the US. Any product with THC content higher than that is considered illegal.
The US standard of maintaining THC levels at 0.3% or less ensures that the CBD product is safe and untraceable in a drug test. These levels also don’t produce any psychoactive effect. Therefore, when buying any CBD oil, you need to know the exact content level of THC. Even though most CBD products contain the recommended amount of THC, always be sure to check.
- The Specific Variety
There are three varieties of CBD oil you’ll see written on various packaging. You can choose between isolated, full-spectrum, and broad-spectrum varieties.
The isolated variety only contains a single compound of cannabis, and it’s the purest form of CBD oil. After extraction, it’s isolated from all other compounds and cannabinoids, which include THC. It’s tasteless, odorless, and an excellent option if you’re sensitive to taste and smells. It’s said to contain 99% CBD and the most expensive.
Full-spectrum varieties refer to products that contain multiple cannabinoids found in hemp. In addition to THC, these CBD products contain other essential oils left during the extraction, vitamins, fatty acids, and minerals.
On the other hand, broad-spectrum CBD varieties contain all the compounds found in the cannabis plant, except THC. It offers all the benefits of CBD oil without any possibility of unwanted psychoactive effects that THC may cause.
- Your Exact Needs
Multiple studies claim that CBD oil may be safely used as a remedy for various health problems. These studies show that patients suffering from chronic pain, stress and anxiety, muscle spasms, insomnia, and many other conditions may use CBD oil and other CBD products like le petit botaniste as a remedy.
Although some people may attest to CBD oil’s beneficial effects on health, it’s important to identify what you’ll use CBD oil for and consult with your physician whether or not this product may help with your condition. If your doctor permits, they’ll recommend the right dosage safe for you to use.
- The CBD Oil Labeling
You should be on the lookout for what a CBD oil brand claims to do. CBD oil labels should be devoid of any medical claims. It’s the job of the FDA to regulate and monitor such claims. Any label purporting that CBD oil can cure, heal, prevent, treat, or reduce any medical condition should raise red flags for you about that brand as there’s still limited research done on the efficacy of CBD in treating diseases or health conditions.
Choosing The Right CBD Oil
The market right now is flooded with CBD oils, making it difficult for a buyer to determine which brand to go for. With all brands claiming to sell high-quality CBD oil, make sure to look out for the things mentioned above. Also, continue to educate yourself more on CBD products, as well as their uses and potential benefits to enhance your knowledge in the area.
A good brand will stand out from its competitors through a good reputation, reviews, and the capacity to support claims using valid lab results. Lastly, you need to know the legality of CBD oil in your locality. Different places have different laws regarding the acceptable uses and THC content of CBD oil.
