Finding CBD in 2021 isn’t difficult. You can stumble upon bottles of CBD oil in just about any store that sells medicine. There are even specialized CBD stores that only sell cannabinoid products operating outside of the strict dispensary regulations. While finding CBD tinctures is not the issue anymore, finding a high-quality product from a brand you can trust has become increasingly difficult.
After the 2018 ‘Farm Bill,’ the market was flooded with companies looking to cash in on a decrease in regulation and high demand for CBD products. Many businesses have high standards and produce incredible products; however, many companies are just looking for a quick sale from uneducated buyers.
How to Find Good CBD Oil?
Spotting a reputable CBD company can be difficult for those new to the community. CBD oil quality is tough to recognize because it takes consistent use to feel the benefits. You must rely on the available information to distinguish the real thing from a fraudulent company.
A company that provides extensive transparency in its products is a good sign. Most companies will provide access to their source of hemp, manufacturing process, and lab tests verifying potency levels. Companies with something to hid won’t give much information to their potential customers; they rely on the customer to impulse buy.
How to Spot Fake CBD Oil?
The number one source of ‘fake’ CBD oil is from Amazon. The seller’s marketplace on the Amazon platform doesn’t allow CBD products to be featured, but opportunistic buys still try to lure uneducated buyers into making a purchase.
We recommend staying away from Amazon. The products featured on the platform are marketed as CBD products but are only hemp seed oil. They count on new buyers not to understand the difference. Hemp oil doesn’t contain any cannabinoids and is exponentially cheaper than CBD oil. It’s not that the products aren’t high quality CBD; they simply don’t have any CBD at all but use terms to appear like they are legitimate.
Another red flag is if a company doesn’t provide lab tests. If a company isn’t giving transparency to their products, they probably have something to hide.
High-Quality CBD
While most of the work is done before purchasing from the CBD store, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure you have bought a quality product.
The CBD oil taste is usually described as ‘earthy,’ ‘nutty,’ or ‘grassy.’ While this taste can be off-putting to many new users, the oil should still be palatable. If it has an off-putting taste, it could be expired. When you taste bad or expired CBD oil, you will know it. Quality CBD has a fresh, crisp taste.
What Color is CBD Oil?
Looking at the color is more challenging to use as a factor in determining the quality. Different types of CBD oil, such as full spectrum and CBD isolate, will look different. Sometimes CBD oil is clear, it can also have a gold tint, and it can be green. The oil should be transparent; if you see murkiness, this could be a sign that your CBD oil is expired.
Authentic CBD Oil
The easiest way to check if you are buying quality CBD oil is by looking at lab tests. Most companies have a QRC code on each bottle that can be traced back to the batch it was tested in. 3rd party labs will randomly choose a bottle to test out of an entire batch, keeping everyone involved honest. Tests range from potency to terpenes, heavy metals, and pesticides.
Michael Levin is a CBD enthusiast, a researcher, writer and editor in the cannabis space, experienced CBD user and educator. He believes CBD can help improve our overall health and wellbeing.