Are you looking to buy CBD based products but you have no idea what to look for? We got you covered. Listed below are some of the important things that you should be aware of before shopping for CBD products. Regardless of whether you are searching for CBD cream for pain or CBD edibles for leisure, you will find this article useful. Without further ado, let’s start:
- Third-party assessments
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently test CBD based products. The FDA can still move against companies that are selling fake products and other scams, but they do not make sure that CBD companies are honest about their product labels and descriptions. This means that there is no guaranteed way to make sure that CBD products you purchase are safe, high quality, and effective, except for third party tests.
For this reason, you should search for an item that comes with a Certificate of Analysis that is updated, and released by a third party laboratory with great reputation. Confirm if the results from the COA are in line with the product description listed on the company’s website or the product’s packaging.
We suggest searching for the COA results for the presence of heavy metals, pesticides, and molds, since the presence of those indicated low quality growing and harvesting conditions of the CBD used in the product. Additionally, check for residual solvent results if the CBD used in the product is extracted using a solvent solution.
- Type of CBD used in the product
There are various kinds of CBD used in CBD based products. They are CBD isolate, full-spectrum CBD, and broad-spectrum CBD. CBD isolate is preferred by people who want to experience CBD products without consuming THC and the other cannabinoids that can be found on CBD, since CBD isolate only contains CBD. Meanwhile, broad spectrum CBD features the presence of other cannabinoids, just without the THC. Lastly, full spectrum CBD contains every cannabinoids, THC, in addition to the CBD itself. If you want to take advantage of the entourage effect, you should try getting a full spectrum CBD product. The entourage effect is used to describe the phenomenon in which THC and CBD works better when combined. Full spectrum CBD products contain THC, but it is limited to only 0.3 percent or lower.
- Source of CBD
Aside from the type, there are also different sources of CBD hemp that is used in different products. As a general rule, you should go with CBD products that are using organic hemp grown from the U.S.
Given that CBD creams are applied topically on the skin, we recommend you to thoroughly check the ingredients list to see if there are any components that you are allergic to if you are planning to buy a CBD cream. You might also want to go with CBD products that also features additional effects, like cooling or warming effects which can provide additional comfort.
