There are many reasons you might be online hunting for various CBD products.There are many reasons you might be online hunting for various CBD products. Whether you’re looking for CBD lotions, gummies, pet products, or chocolates, you’ll quickly discover a plethora of choices in each category. Odds are good that you’ll even find multiple companies selling in each category. Consumer choice is normally a good thing, but this might be a case of too much. How can you know which companies are reputable and trustworthy? CBD is on-trend and in high demand. That’s drawing in quite a few businesses to jump into the fray. Unfortunately, they might be okay with bending rules, using vague language to hide facts, and even hide the true origins and processes behind their products. In short, they will do whatever they have to in order to sell. That puts the burden on you, the consumer, to stay weary and wise across this new marketplace. This particular sector has leaped far forward of regulatory bodies and legislative assemblies trying to catch up to it. So, you need to protect yourself. Whether you are a consumer who wants to purchase CBD products for your own personal use, or you’re a CBD retailer hoping to find a legit manufacturer, keep reading to learn a few things that help you figure out who you can trust for CBD products.
Reputable Companies Provide Information About How Their Products Are Made
How any CBD product is specifically made is something that matters quite a bit. Given how new this sector is, few to no regulations exist about the process of manufacturing. Given this, various CBD brands can have drastically different methods they use for extraction when processing the CBD oil that comes from cannabis. Some extraction methods are very cheap but use components toxic to humans, as they use hydrocarbons from petroleum, such as propane, hexane, pentane, and butane.
Other businesses use higher-caliber processes for CBD by employing ethanol, often organic and pharmaceutical-level. This particular process can remove the residues and toxins leftover from whatever plant the CBD was initially sourced from. The industry widely considers this process to result in more cannabinoids than other extraction methods. It’s also thought of as the most safe method for humans.
Another extraction method employs Supercritical CO2 extraction, which is something that uses high pressure and carbon dioxide in a really cold environment. Supercritical CO2 extraction incorporates specialized equipment and a complex refinement process along with industry expertise. This particular extraction method is very effective at maintaining CBD purity in every phase of the process.
Finally, it’s crucial that you don’t confuse CBD oil as being the same as hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil results from hemp seeds being cold-pressed. That oil has no CBD whatsoever. CBD oil is what comes from the flower or entire plant of a cannabis plant. It can still come from a hemp plant and have CBD. Just make sure any product has THC content under 0.3 percent, as this is the usual legal limit.
A reputable company is either going to display their extraction and manufacturing method and information on their website or will at least tell you openly if you communicate with them and ask. The best processes are usually the ones involving either the Supercritical CO2 or organic ethanol.
Prominently Displayed Certifications
Having proper certifications is another crucial factor to see from reputable CBD providers. If you can’t easily find their Certificate of Analysis on their website, then directly ask them for it. Their products have to be 3rd-party tested if they’re going to be honest with consumers, especially after their product is finished. The best companies do this testing but also have 3rd-party testing of their raw materials too. When you look over a COA, or Certificate of Analysis, make sure the lab is compliant with the ISO 17025 standard, which highlights adherence to scientific standards. Test methods need to be violated by one of three national organizations that set the standards. They are the AOAC, or Agricultural Chemists; the AHP, or American Herbal Pharmacopeia; or the USP, or the United States Pharmacopeia.
Simple-To-Find Contact Information
So many companies hind behind their pretty websites. They put up some alluring pictures and layer them with enticing verbiage, and yet you can’t find their contact information to save your life. If you can find a phone number, mailing address, and contact email, then who do you turn to for concerns or questions about their product? You can only verify the manufacturer’s identity and location if you have their contact info. If any of this is hidden, it’s a huge red flag, and this is true in nearly any industry.
Made In The USA
Knowing where the hemp is sourced is essential to its quality and safety. Hemp grows many different places with a climate where it can thrive. It’s of course grown in the United States and Canada, but it is also planted and harvested in Europe and Asia. The highest-quality products tend to come from North America and some European countries, given their stringent organic regulations. Product from Asia is often cheaper but also lower in quality given the relaxed standards. The Farm Bill of 2018 legalized hemp growth and sales, as well as for its derivatives. This has left United States farmers focused on organic standards in growth and product cultivation. The label carries strict standards with it, but the farmers know the market wants it. As a consumer, you can have the peace of mind that something made in the USA and labeled as organic reaches high standards for your best CBD product source.
Accuracy In The Content And Dosage Information
You should look for both retailers and manufacturers who feature products that clearly display information about their dosage, content, and supplement. It should be easy for anyone to see just how much CBD is in the products and whether or not any other cannabinoids are present. Stay wary of any products that only display the total number of cannabinoids but don’t specifically highlight how much actual CBD is present within them. Dosage amounts are typically shown with milligram amounts. This information is what you or even your clients can use to control intake amounts.
Misleading And/Or False Claims
At the time of writing, there’s just one single CBD product available on the market that has FDA approval for use in seizure treatment. Any other CBD product out there will not have such official approval, so you need to be really careful about any claims or statements the makers state about their lines of products. As a buyer or consumer, you really shouldn’t be reading any claims by CMD manufacturers or retailers that any of their products can heal or cure conditions, diseases, or illnesses.
In Conclusion
An old Latin saying of ‘caveat emptor’ roughly translates as ‘let the buyer beware’. This unfortunately holds very true in the CBD product marketplace, where laws and quality controls haven’t kept up with market growth or demand. Use all these points to find reputable CBD products yourself or your business.
