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Ultimate Guide to Buying Quality CBD Products

3 years ago

Not all CBD products are created equal. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when buying CBD products is to go for below standard products. Not only will you be utterly dissatisfied, you might actually lose faith in the benefits of CBD altogether! Even worse, you could potentially face health hazards if the CBD product you’re using is not up to the mark.

To help you make a better and more informed decision, we’ve prepared this ultimate guide which highlights all the important factors you should take into consideration when buying CBD products.

  1. Choose a GMP Certified Supplier

In the absence of FDA regulation, one of the most important things to look for is GMP certification. This ensures that the brand you are opting for operates under Good Manufacturing Processes based on which you can have a sense of security regarding the integrity of their manufacturing processes. GMP certified vendors also comply with food safety regulations.

Since the CBD industry is not yet fully regulated, there are a wide variety of unscrupulous brands selling products that do not meet GMP requirements. This means that there is no traceability of their products and hence you cannot ascertain anything about the entire chain of production starting from the procuring of raw materials to the final products available on the shelves.

To avoid falling into this trap and taking unnecessary health risks, the first and foremost thing you need to do is to make sure the brand you choose is GMP Certified.

  1. Third Party COA for Each Batch

Once again, in the absence of FDA regulation, a certificate of analysis is one of the best ways to determine the quality of CBD products. A COA indicates the cannabinoid and potency profile of the final product. The important thing here is to make sure that the brand you are opting for obtains a COA for each batch.

What does a COA determine? A properly conducted third party Certificate of Analysis includes information about any trace metals or contaminants in the product. Any COA that does not contain this essential information is incomplete and fails to serve the purpose of putting the customer at ease.

Equally important is the fact that these COAs need to be obtained by a third party independent laboratory rather than something generated in-house by the brand itself. This insures there is no bias in the results and you can rest assured that the CBD products you are buying contain no toxic ingredients or fraudulent practices.

  1. Know the Type of CBD Being Used

As a raw material and essential ingredient, CBD comes in different forms ranging from raw to distilled and isolated. The type of CBD being used makes a big difference on the effectiveness of the product. Many manufacturers use a variety of CBD in different forms.

For example, at Medicileaf we carry CBD products with the following types of CBD:

Raw, crude extract: Standardized to >60% pure CBD, this is the least refined tincture oil and has a thick, woody texture. It is packed full of additional trace cannabinoids, terpenes, phytochemicals, and even plant minerals that all help to produce a very pronounced set of effects. Contains < 0.3% THC.

CBD distillate oil: Slightly more refined than the raw tincture, this CBD distillate is standardized to >65% pure CBD – together with a full complement of accompanying hemp cannabinoids and fresh terpenes for the full entourage effect. Contains < 0.3% THC.

CBD isolate: Our CBD isolate comes in both solid and liquid forms, and is standardized to >99% pure CBD. This is recommended to persons who are looking for the purest form of CBD possible, with zero THC content.

  1. Know the Source of the Hemp Plants

Just like not all CBD products are created equal, not all methods to grow hemp are equal. Hemp can be grown in a number of different ways and hence its important to ensure that you go for vendors that make use of only organically grown hemp. For best results, its ideal that you opt for a brand that grows its hemp right here in the United States. This is because the US has extremely strict regulations on how to grow hemp and this automatically eliminates and fraudulent brands that make use of badly grown crops.

There is also a difference between CBD derived from hemp plants and CBD derived from the Cannabis plant. Although both are the same species, hemp plants carry only minimal traces of THC which is under 0.3%. On the contrary, Cannabis plants can have anywhere between 5 to 20% THC. Not only is this something you don’t want in your CBD product ingredients, it is mostly illegal in the United States as well.

  1. Ensure Your CBD is 100% Natural

The whole point of making use of CBD products is to harness nature’s miracles. This is why you need to make sure that the CBD products you are buying contain no man-made chemicals or preservatives and is hence 100% natural.

How exactly can you ensure this? Well, first and foremost determine that no pesticides were used in the farming of these plants and that they are truly organically grown. If unnatural pesticides are used then they can make their way into the final product as well which is something you’d want to avoid at all costs. Wherever possible, try to opt for CBD produced from Non-GMO hemp crops. The final CBD product is a wonder of nature, may as well keep the ingredients involved in its production as natural as possible!

Conclusion

In conclusion, as long as you follow the guidelines above, you should be able to get your hands on quality CBD products. At Medicileaf, we follow these best practices to the fullest extent in order to ensure we bring to market only the best quality CBD products for our customers.

We hope you found this guide helpful and wish you all the health and happiness in the world!