What To Look For In CBD Products

The whole CBD industry is booming right now, and there are so many different CBD based products available – from oils and capsules to lotions and balms – it’s hard to know which to choose! This informative guide will show you what to look for, and will help you to select the right quality CBD products for you. 

As you may know, CBD, or Cannabidiol, is derived from the cannabis plant, but does not contain THC, the ingredient responsible for the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis. As such, you can use CBD without any worry of being ‘high’ or intoxicated in any way. Let’s take a look at what makes a CBD product high quality, and what red flags to look out for.

Is the actual CBD content of the product given in mg?

An important part of using CBD is knowing how much to use. Many inferior, cheap CBD products do not have the amount of CBD they claim to have, or it is heavily diluted. Sometimes the amount of hemp oil is given as the actual amount of CBD, which is misleading. Knowing the exact amount per milligram, not just a percentage, of a product will help you to discover the right CBD dose for you. 

Is the product organic?

Organic sounds like a buzzword for fruits and vegetables that is certainly nice to have, but not essential. This is not the case for cannabis plants grown for CBD production, as the hemp plant is known as a ‘bio-accumulator’, meaning that if exposed to pesticides, heavy metals or other contaminants, they will absorb them faster than they can get rid of them, and they could be left over in the final product. CBD that is derived from organically grown hemp ensures an uncontaminated, quality CBD product with no hidden contaminants. 

How is the CBD oil extracted from the plant?

As a relatively new and exciting product, CBD has attracted many copycats and unscrupulous companies willing to sell a low quality, cheap CBD product in order to maximise profits. When CBD is extracted using cheaper processes like solvent extraction, then the final product can be contaminated with these solvents. Look for quality CBD products that explicitly say that the oil was obtained using either ethanol or the pricier but efficient supercritical CO2 extraction processes. Some producers also cut corners by not harvesting the hemp plants properly leading to mould growth, which can end up in the final product, or even extract the oil in unsanitary conditions, meaning it can be contaminated by all kinds of bacteria, which can affect the quality of the CBD oil or even make it unsuitable for human consumption.

Are lab tests available for the product or batch?

A reputable CBD company will do all of the above, and include lab reports to prove it. A 3rd party lab report will reveal the potency of the CBD oil as well as the amount of terpenes (aromatic compounds found in hemp and cannabis that are thought to enhance the effects of CBD) plus any unwanted additives like pesticides, residual solvents, metals and mycotoxins. 

Here at CBD Ultra, all of the CBD oil in our CBD products is derived from organically grown GMO free hemp, processed in facilities that conform to the latest FDA, CE and ISO pharmaceutical guidelines, and extracted using ethanol to ensure the highest quality CBD products.

Lab reports on each batch of CBD oil are available to view here on our website.