CBD is a hot topic nowadays and you may be considering buying Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil, to see if it helps with chronic pain, anxiety, sleep or other ailments.
So you have crawled through the internet to find the perfect CBD product at the best price.
You think to yourself, finally, I found a great deal and I can’t wait to try it.
The product arrives and a few weeks later you find that you are getting no relief and the oil tastes bad too!
Frustrated that CBD doesn’t work for you, you go back on the internet to get to the bottom of this mess.
After some digging and coming across helpful blogs like this one ;) and others – you find out that you have purchased hemp seed oil and not CBD oil!
‘Lab tests for the CMC report analysed some high street CBD and found that more than half of the most popular CBD oils sold do not contain the level of CBD promised on the label’ – The Guardian.
So what? Isn’t hemp seed oil and CBD oil the same thing?
The simple answer is no. CBD oil is mainly used in the holistic or alternative wellness space to help balance the body's internal systems, while hemp seed oil is mainly used in food.
CBD is extracted from the stalks, stems, and flowers but not the seeds of the cannabis/hemp plant. Whilst hemp seed oil is made from hemp seeds. Any product made from hemp seeds will not contain CBD and you won’t receive the potential benefits, unless the CBD is added – so check the label to confirm the CBD content, if any.
If you’re new to CBD, understanding CBD products can be confusing and overwhelming which leads to buying a product that isn’t suitable for you. So the tips in this blog will help you make informed decisions, without being misled by sneaky labels.
Why Would a brand confuse you?
We’ve come across a lot of ‘CBD’ companies being quite vague and mixing up terms such Infused with CBD, Whole Plant Extract and Hemp Seed Oil, which can confuse newcomers. Since CBD oil and Hemp Seed Oil are in the same Cannabis/Hemp family, some companies incorrectly market them as the same thing.
One reason companies do this is that consumers are willing to pay more for CBD oil, which is more expensive to produce than hemp seed oil but similar in appearance. It’s easy for brands to add hemp seed oil to a product and then cover it with cannabis imagery/text to make the consumer think they are purchasing a CBD product whereas it contains no CBD at all.We believe that every CBD product should clearly state the total amount of CBD in milligrams, not just the total cannabinoids. If they aren’t listed, you should wonder why the brand isn't showing it.
Should I Buy CBD on Amazon or eBay?
Currently Amazon are trialing CBD products but there are still a lot of fakes on there so make sure that product actually says CBD oil and not hemp oil. eBay on the other hand don't allow for CBD products to be sold on their website - so you won't find any legit CBD products.
You will come across a lot of listings on Amazon and eBay but sellers use confusing labels and descriptions to sell you hemp seed Oil. The oil on there is very cheap for a reason - it's not CBD oil.
Also, consider supporting smaller businesses when buying CBD oil online.
How do you spot real CBD products?
It’s pretty simple, once you’ve made a decision about the type of product you’re looking for, you’ll want to check the ingredient label of the product in question and you want to see CBD or Cannabidiol listed with the correct mg or %. If you are looking online and can't see the label, check the lab product description or lab report.
Don’t be fooled by products that have no mention of CBD or hemp extract and only list terms such as hemp seeds, Cannabinoids, Hemp seed oil or Infused with CBD. These ingredients aren’t the same as CBD. We want to see confirmation of how much Cannabidiol (CBD) is inside the bottle.
There are many types of cannabinoids, CBD is just one of them, so when only cannabinoids are labelled, this can be very broad. The bottle may contain CBG, CBN, and CBC, etc which are all types of cannabinoids. Whilst it's good to have other cannabinoids present, it's CBD that you're looking to buy here so the CBD content should be as stated.
We have seen many brands list ingredients such as 95% Hemp Seed Oil and 5% Cannabinoids but how do we know how much of the 5% is CBD?
The suggested serving size is an easy way to know the potency of the product. For example, if a 500mg or 5% CBD Oil isn’t giving roughly 2.5mg CBD per drop then you are probably paying for hemp seed oil and not CBD oil. We have seen products that need 10 drops to reach 2.9mg CBD whilst claiming to be a 5% CBD oil.
CBD oil will likely include a carrier oil to stabilize and preserve the CBD and help your body absorb it. It's perfectly fine to use hemp seed oil as the carrier but the CBD content must be correct.
It's important to note that if the brand you like has a company registration number, there’s a good chance it’s a legit online source for CBD. Finally, whichever type of CBD you buy, it’s important that the company has 3rd party lab reports to back up what’s inside the bottle.
Now that you’re armed with the knowledge to decipher CBD labelling, you can shop for products with confidence and find one that’s right for you.
Key Points to Remember Before Buying CBD.
- Watch out for terms such as Cannabinoid extract and Infused with CBD etc
- Check the correct CBD or Cannabidiol content is mentioned in the ingredients or website listing
- Look for lab reports to confirm the CBD content
- Check for how much CBD is in each drop. A 5% bottle should have 2.5mg CBD per drop
- 5% cannabinoids does not mean 5% CBD
- CBD is a type of Cannabinoid. CBD is short for Cannabidiol.
- Look for the company registration number
At the end of the day, if the product you wanted to buy hasn’t got clear information then you can easily find another. The CBD market is full of reputable sellers selling quality CBD so no need to take any risks.
If you are unsure about a product you have found, let us know and we will help you.
My bottle 2000mg contains 80%hemp oil and 20% hemp paste 2/4 drops twice a day.