As awesome as the CBD industry is, it is unfortunately filled with a lot of unsavory businesses trying to capitalize on misinformation. It’s all too easy to buy ‘CBD’ products that contain excess fillers, additives, and chemicals that unwitting consumers might not know are harmful. When consumers buy a CBD product, they expect a pure and natural CBD experience without any funny business.
Buying From A Trusted Source Is Highly Recommended
If you want to be ‘in-the-know’ in order to avoid any chances of buying a bad CBD product, there are a few things you should be aware of. Let’s talk about what you should be looking out for on a CBD product label, what you should be avoiding, and what red flags to be on the lookout for. You can also check our post about factors in choosing hemp.
Legal Requirements for CBD Labeling
Depending on what state you are in, there are going to be certain label requirements that a company is mandated by law to abide by. While there are no federally mandated label requirements for CBD products, some states have implemented them on their own.
The most stringent regulations are from companies that are state-licensed medical cannabis programs for adult use. However, these are often unregulated or monitored as of now, so you will need to keep a keen eye out.
CBD Product Dosage
You want to ensure that the product you are buying clearly states the exact CBD dosage contained within the packaging. You need to keep an eye on total package dosage, and milligrams per serving. A reputable distributor will include both.
Essentially, the label should read the total amount of CBD in milligrams for the package, and the exact amount of CBD per serving – as well as serving size. For example, a package of 10 CBD tea-bags might state that there is 100 milligrams of CBD per package, 10 milligrams of CBD per tea-bag – with 1 tea-bag as a single serving.
There is no FDA regulated amount of what constitutes a single ‘serving’ of CBD. However, the industry standard is that 10 milligrams = 1 serving on average.
Contrary to popular belief, not all CBD oil is created equal. The exact sourcing of the CBD is very important to know if you are to be 100% aware of what you are using. Most CBD products are extracted from hemp, however there are some on the market which are extracted from other strains of the cannabis plant.
It is important to know this, as hemp extracts will only contain 0.3% THC, whereas other extracts may contain more, or none at all.
You Should Note the Type of CBD Oil You Are Buying
CBD Isolate = Pure CBD extract, without any other compounds present.
CBD Full Spectrum = CBD extract containing other cannabinoids including THC.
CBD Broad Spectrum = CBD extract containing other cannabinoids, excluding THC.
Avoid Any CBD products That Contain Any Other Additives or Unrecognizable Compounds
In addition to the above mentioned, there are some other key pieces of information you may want to watch out for. For example, manufacturers date. CBD oil does degrade over time, and you want to be sure that the product is as freshly made as possible.
Look For the Manufacturers Numbers
Lot numbers/batch numbers are also important. If a product does not include these on the label, this is a red flag. These numbers are a system of accountability that allows manufacturers to track any products that may be on recall if any issues arise.
Ultimately, a sign of a good CBD oil product label is one that contains as much information as possible. Labels that are vague or lacking detailed information should be avoided at all costs. Additionally, some labels may try to be intentionally misleading. For example, products that say ‘hemp oil’, may not contain any CBD at all dispute trying to convey that they do.
Final Thought
Ultimately, you should be as diligent as possible, and avoid any products that do not clearly display all necessary information needed in order to fully understand what is inside.