Is there anything currently in the wellness industry that is as well-liked as CBD? The market is expanding with the so-called “green boom,” with everything from CBD lubricant to protein powder and bath bombs to CBD bath bombs being offered everywhere on the internet. There’s no need to visit a nearby dispensary because CBD is widely available and legal to purchase online.
When Cbd Purchases Turn Scary
Although there are many wonderful cannabis-based health and wellness products available for purchase, purchasers should take caution because CBD is still very new and therefore unregulated. Similar to dietary supplements, the FDA doesn’t strictly regulate the production and sale of CBD, so firms aren’t held to high standards for how they formulate, label, and market their cannabis-based products.
Joel Stanley, chairman and one of the creators of Charlotte’s Web CBD oil, said: “There’s a lot of wonderful innovation going on right now, but because it’s a new sector, there are also the fly-by-night operators seeking to make a quick buck.” In reality, the FDA performed its own investigation into CBD products and discovered that many of them lacked CBD, the guy claimed. “New CBD consumers’ top concern when making a purchase is what’s in the product, therefore we think regulation and consumer education are crucial at this time.”
About 26% of the CBD products they tested had significantly less CBD per milliliter than what was claimed on the label, according to a study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in November 2017. This “could negate any potential clinical response,” the study’s authors write. In other words, it won’t relieve your anxiety or pain or provide you with any of the medical advantages of CBD.
Most individuals aren’t even aware that there are any warning signs or things to look for when searching for a pure, safe, and high-quality CBD product because this industry is so young. How can you be certain that what you put on or in your body is safe or even legal? Don’t panic, first and foremost. Here, some of the most reliable sources in the cannabis sector offer their knowledge on where to buy CBD securely because, in the absence of regulation, you effectively have to do the “regulating” yourself. Here is everything you need to know about buying for CBD, including what to look for and what to avoid.
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Purchase from Reputable Brands
In the cannabis industry, getting to know the brand honestly is important. Fortunately, a lot of businesses are playing their part by being open with their customers and providing the information they require.
Knowing the brand is the crucial differentiator when purchasing safe and dependable CBD, according to Kiana Reeves, founder of Foria Wellness (which makes some amazing cannabis products for sexual health). “When you begin looking into any cannabis, CBD, or wellness firm, look at how much knowledge they have and how much information they are disseminating—not only transparency and ingredients but forward-thinking [practices] as well.”
Look for a firm that does its research on what’s best for the customer and discloses where the hemp is coming from rather than simply adding any isolate to a cosmetic product, advised Reeves. The more trust and effectiveness you can build, the better off you’ll be.
This notion was mirrored by Stanley, who advised CBD customers to research the brand and its capacity to influence what he refers to as the “farm-to-shelf” process. One of such businesses is Foria, whose employees, according to Reeves, have “very intimate ties with growers and manufacturers,” enabling them to better understand the nuances of their production.
Acquire the Certificate of Analysis (COA)
According to chiropractor Allen Miller, D.C., head of operations at Doctors Cannabis Consulting and consultant at Calm by Wellness Co., “Without a lab report, the label can state anything.” As Reeves pointed out, if you want to buy with confidence, you should only do so from a business that offers a COA, or certificate of analysis. This tiny PDF serves as evidence that the item you’re about to purchase was examined by a third-party, independent lab, which discovered a variety of things, including the following very crucial ones.
According to Megan Villa, co-founder of the hemp-focused website and store Svn Space, you should be aware of the batch number of the CBD product you’re considering. Since these products are created in batches, she advised getting a COA with the product’s batch number on it. The batch number must match the relevant COA, according to the instruction.
Potency: Does it contain CBD? The amount? On the COA, look for the words “total cannabinoids” or “total CBD.” Villa explained that potency indicates the number of cannabinoids in a product. “This should match what it says on the COA if [the brand and product] are claiming 250mg of CBD.” (She provided a COA that checks all the required boxes for reference.)
Pesticides or contaminants: Was the soil used to grow the hemp pesticide-rich? Has it entered the product? Was solvent used to extract the CBD? Are they present in the item? To ensure there are no pollutants, poisons, heavy metals, etc., Stanley advises requesting batch testing data. Every organization needs to ensure that its products are free of pollutants, residual solvents, and pesticides in addition to having in-house testing done by reputable third-party laboratories.
Additionally, Villa advised looking for the “Microbiological Testing” part of the COA. This guarantees that the hemp used to create your CBD product is free of mold or germs.
Stanley concurred “Is the business GMP-certified by a third party? Are they producing in a facility that the FDA has registered? Are the products being tested for quality from the farm to the shelf?” You should all of these queries before making a purchase.
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Buy Hemp that Is Grown Domestically
You want to be aware of where the hemp in your product comes from, Stanley added. Hemp is an effective phytoremediation crop, meaning it purifies the soil. (It is additionally known as a bio-accumulator.)
In other words, when hemp is planted, it takes in everything in the soil around it, including pesticides, heavy metals, poisons, and radioactive radiation. According to Stanley, you should make sure the hemp in your product is grown with ethical farming methods in soil that has already been tested for toxins. Reeves underlined this as well, adding that hemp’s safety as a consumer good depends on how it is grown.
“Look for CBD products created with American-grown hemp,” advises Melany Dobson, chief administrative officer of Hudson Hemp, “including from New York, Colorado, Kentucky, Oregon, Vermont, Tennessee, etc.,” because they are typically safer than hemp farmed abroad.
Miller asserts that the “green triangle” in Humboldt County, California, produces some of the best goods in the world. Ben Odell of Foria Wellness also alluded to the California market when he mentioned Flow Kana, an association of artisanal producers engaged in ecological cannabis production.
Aim for Products Extracted from Co2
You’ll want to know how it was extracted in addition to checking the lab reports for pesticides, the method of growth, and the metal concentrations, advises Miller. Because CO2 extraction is nontoxic, I like it. The alternatives are extraction methods based on butane or ethanol. Your product may include both substances. That ought to be evident in the COA.
