Thanks to the increasingly widespread acceptance of medical marijuana, as well as the legalization of recreational marijuana in eleven US states, there is something of a renaissance happening in the CBD market. Today, products formulated with cannabidiol (CBD), a phytocannabinoid in the cannabis plant known for its relieving properties, are sold in many dispensaries and online shops throughout the country.
CBD is openly advertised as being helpful for the relief of pain, insomnia, anxiety, nausea, and problems with appetite—and it figures in products such as capsules, topicals, tinctures, edible gummies, and even dog food. In cannabis-friendly California, some manufacturers have even taken their game to the next level by making their CBD products available to anyone in the US. SoCal-based delivery service FlyBuds, for example, ships Flybuds CBD oil and other CBD-based products across the country.
But it’s worth asking: are all CBD products, regardless of their origin, guaranteed the same quality? Will all of these products yield the same “miraculous” results to the CBD consumer in equal measure? The jury’s weighed in, and it says NO. After all, the origin and formulation of each CBD product is a big determinant of its efficacy and quality.
To get your money’s worth on a CBD product—and to ensure your safety and comfort when you start using it—you will need to screen shops for certain qualities. The next time you look for a CBD product, make sure that it addresses the following important considerations:
- Transparency on how the product is sourced and what it has been tested for. Since some CBD products fall under the umbrella of pharmaceutical production, it is non-negotiable for them to have been rigorously harvested, tested, and packaged through legal means. You can tell if your supplier follows good manufacturing processes by getting a glimpse of their CBD products’ labels—these should tell you where the hemp or cannabis plant was grown and what safety tests the resulting CBD product has undergone (be it against pesticide, heavy metal, or solvent contamination). If the supplier is hazy on these details, then it’s best to move on to a supplier who’s more forthcoming.
- Appropriate THC content. Some customers may not be comfortable taking in an excessive amount of THC in their CBD products, or may not want any THC in them at all. If you’re one such customer, then you will need to pay special attention to all hemp- and cannabis-based products on your supplier’s shelf, seeing which ones contain under 0.3% of THC or none at all. This will ensure that you don’t feel any of the psychoactive “high” usually attributed to cannabis.
- Clarity on dosage. Information on dosage matters a lot, especially to first-time takers of CBD-formulated products. Customers deserve to know the recommended dosage and potency per milligram of each type of product they will be buying, as well as any potential side effects it might produce. Save yourself the anxiety of getting the wrong dosage instructions and experiencing any discomfort by choosing products with very clear indications.
- Support and good reviews from other customers. Lastly, if you want a good gauge of the CBD products’ efficacy, you can scour the company’s website for customer reviews. Note the five-star reviews that tell you about how the products helped them, as well as red flags about product quality, shipping, or customer service. It’s also in the sellers’ favor if they have repeat customers, if they offer select discounts or promos, and if they are happy to engage about how to safely use each of their products.
Scientific research on the therapeutic effects of CBD may still be in its green stage, although many initial findings are positive. That said, you’ll want to avoid sellers that treat their CBD products like snake oil salesmen do—as if they’re peddling miracle potions that no one else has.
Only buy from those who are honest about the origins of their products, and who genuinely care about how the products will affect you. This is the greatest guarantee to receiving topnotch CBD items, and reaping optimum health and wellness benefits from them!
