6 Tips for Buying the Right CBD Product for You

By Staff Report
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Updated: October 11, 2019

There’s no doubt you’ve noticed it: CBD is everywhere these days. The compound seems to have taken the world by storm, and with good reason: Millions of users, and some scientific evidence, have found that CBD may be helpful at addressing a variety of physical and emotional ailments.

That being said, because CBD is so new, a variety of unscrupulous vendors are out there, seeking to take advantage of customers who don’t know the first thing about CBD. How can you be sure that you are buying the right type of product? Here are 6 tips to make sure you get the best CBD product.

1) Always Check The Certificate Of Analysis

In 2017, the University of Pennsylvania conducted a study and found that nearly 70% of the CBD products it mislabeled the ingredients in their product; with some even mislabeling THC levels. This has the potential to be a major problem for consumers who have food allergies or don’t wish to consume THC.

As a result of the general lack of consumer protections on CBD, many vendors have turned to third-party testing, by which a third party will test the ingredients which a vendor claims to be in the THC and confirm its accuracy.

All reputable sellers from which you can buy CBD allow you to examine their Certificate of Analysis. That certificate will list the ingredients and amounts of every CBD product you purchase. This guarantees that what the product says is in the CBD is, in fact, accurate.

2) How Quickly Do You Need The CBD To Act?

Because CBD acts at different speeds, you should consider how quickly you are looking to feel the impacts of CBD before making a purchase. Here is a rough breakdown of how long it will take to feel the impacts of CBD:

Inhalation (Vaping): 10-20 minutes.
Sublingually (Tinctures): 15-25 minutes.
Orally (Edibles, Pills, Drinks): 20-30 Minutes.
Topically (Lotions, Balms, Creams): 25-45 Minutes.

These are rough breakdowns and your body’s speed of absorption depends on a variety of factors, including your metabolism, previous experience with CBD and whether or not you have a full stomach.

3) Do You Have Any Food Allergies Or Other Safety Concerns?

Some forms of CBD may not work for certain lifestyles. For example, if you are trying to eat healthy, edibles may not be appropriate, as they usually come in sweet or sugary foods. If you have concerns over the safety of vaping or are unsure of whether or not the vaping equipment you purchased is safe, vape cartridges are a bad idea. If you have certain food allergies, then it may be safer to buy CBD pills rather than tinctures or food which may contain the substance in question.

Thankfully, CBD comes in a variety of forms, giving you plenty of option to purchase a version of the product which fits your needs.

4) Check For THC Content

THC is short for tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the specific chemical in marijuana responsible for intoxication. It is found in some forms of CBD.

Using the Certificate of Analysis, check for the THC content in your CBD. Some forms of CBD (full spectrum) will contain THC, while other forms (broad spectrum or isolate) will not. The THC levels in legally produced hemp will never be greater than .3%, far too little of a concentration to result in marijuana intoxication. However, it is possible (though unlikely) that full spectrum CBD will result in a positive drug test. If this is a concern for you, stick with broad spectrum or isolate, and make sure that you check the product in question for CBD content.

5) Avoid Companies That Make Medical Claims

CBD is a rapidly growing industry, and there is some evidence which indicates that the compound has the ability to help address a variety of issues. However, thus far, the United States Food & Drug Administration has only approved one prescription-strength CBD drug: Epidiolex, which is used to treat two rare seizure disorders in children. Furthermore, we are still a long way from making medical conclusions about CBDs effectiveness, and many questions remain about its health abilities, including ideal therapeutic dose, long-term consequences of use and if some hemp strains are better than others.

As such, if a company is making specific medical claims about their product, you should avoid using it. No medical claims have been approved by the FDA except for Epidiolex. In fact, the FDA has issued cease and desist letters to companies which have made medical claims. A company which is making specific claims is clearly attempting to take advantage of consumer ignorance, and as such, you should avoid them in favor of a more reputable business.

6) Purchase From Hemp-Legal States

Consumer Report makes this recommendation, and it’s a sound one: You should only purchase CBD from states which have already legalized the growing of hemp or medical marijuana. Why? Because those states are far more likely to have CBD or hemp regulations in place which including accuracy in labeling, consumer protections and regular inspections of products. This helps to create a degree of safety in the products you are set to consume, thus guaranteeing a better overall experience for you. As noted above, the United States does not currently have any CBD regulations in place, which makes this recommendation even more important.