Key Takeaways
- Check the brand’s claims to see if the company provides all the information about its product to the customers, and read customer reviews.
- Check the label for the ingredients used in the product to ensure it doesn’t contain harmful or addictive substances, synthetic ingredients, or chemicals.
- Identify the right CBD potency for your needs.
- Check the product for THC concentration (it should contain less than 0.3% THC) to avoid intoxicating or adverse side effects and ensure it’s legal to buy in the US.
- Check for the source and farming method of the hemp – look out for “organically-grown hemp” on the label.
- Check if the product is tested – third-party lab results indicate a pure and quality product.
- Check if the company offers customer support and read their return or refund policy.
- Consider the type of CBD extract that best suits your needs – full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or CBD isolate.
- Decide on the type of CBD product depending on the effects you want to achieve and the purpose of use – options include but are not limited to oils, tinctures, capsules, gummies, and topicals.
With many pieces of research backing up the benefits of CBD-infused products, consumer interest is rapidly increasing.
But with so many CBD products on the market, it can be a little overwhelming to choose the right product fit for your needs.
You can even say that the excessive production and variety of CBD products are confusing the customers.
On top of that, a few fraudulent companies have made their way into the CBD industry, making buyers more skeptical about their purchases.
In this article, we’ll share some CBD buying tips to help you choose the right CBD product for your needs.
Content Overview:
- 1. Check the brand’s Claim.
- 2. Check the labels for the ingredients used in their product
- 3. Identify the right CBD potency
- 4. Check for the THC-concentration
- 5. Check where the hemp is sourced.
- 6. Check if the product is third-party tested.
- 7. Check if the company offers customer support.
- 8. Read the company’s return/refund policy.
- 9. Consider the Type of CBD extract that best suits your needs.
- 10. Consider the type of CBD Product that best suits your needs.
- Final Words
1. Check the brand’s Claim.
Many CBD brands claim to make top-quality products, but are the claims valid? If not, how can you know which CBD brand is authentic and which isn’t?
In a tech-driven world like today, exploring and discovering a brand is not a difficult thing to do. All you need to do is go online and invest a little time exploring a committed and trustworthy CBD brand.
Ensure that the company meets the highest standards and provides all the information about its product to the customers.
Furthermore, you can visit the company website and read customer reviews. A legitimate brand always proudly displays customer reviews on its website.
Skimming through the reviews will give you an idea about the quality of a particular product.
Additionally, check the list of 15 companies warned by the FDA, and make sure the one you’re purchasing from is not on the list.
2. Check the labels for the ingredients used in their product
A quality CBD brand displays the label of ingredients included in a product. Go through all the ingredients and check that it doesn’t contain any harmful or addictive substances that may have a few side effects.
Also, opt for a company with more organic ingredients in its products. Avoid brands that include synthetic ingredients and chemicals.
If you’re purchasing CBD oil, make sure that it includes a quality-carrier oil to preserve and stabilize the CBD product.
Typically, MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) is one of the best carrier oils. It digests quickly, and quality CBD brands include it as the base oil.
3. Identify the right CBD potency
The potency of CBD depends entirely on your preferences. If you’re dealing with a more severe condition, you may want to opt for a more potent CBD product.
Generally, a product containing 50 milligrams (mg) of CBD per 1-milliliter is considered potent. Such a product will work faster to improve your condition.
However, if you’re trying out a CBD product for the first time, we recommend you go with a product of low potency.
Besides, it’s always good to consult with your doctor to know your body requirements. You can then choose CBD potency as per your doctor’s suggestion.
4. Check for the THC-concentration
It’s crucial to know about the THC concentration when purchasing a CBD product. A product with more THC will undoubtedly get you high and may have worse side effects.
The good news is, quality CBD brands do not have high amounts of THC; why? Because hemp-derived CBD products with less than 0.3% THC are made legal by the FDA at the federal level.
Hence, an authentic CBD brand will not have more THC.
Though the legality laws vary per state, a CBD product with 0.3% or low THC is potentially safe to consume.
Make sure you check the label to know the amount of THC in the product you’re willing to purchase.
5. Check where the hemp is sourced.
The quality of hemp indicates the quality of CBD products. Therefore, it’s essential to know about the source of hemp.
Authentic retailers offer information about where and how they grow hemp.
Further, you should also clarify the information about the farming process of hemp. Hemp grown to organic standards is free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
So, you check the label for “Organically-grown hemp” and go for a product accordingly.
6. Check if the product is third-party tested.
Third-party tests are indicative of whether or not the CBD product is pure.
The product is exposed to several contaminants during the manufacturing process, and some of them can make their way into the product.
A CBD product tested in a third-party lab indicates a pure and quality product without the company’s bias towards its product.
Here at NV-US Organics, we include a QR code at the back of the product label so our customers can check the third-party lab test result at any time.
7. Check if the company offers customer support.
Customer support is yet another thing to consider when purchasing a product from a CBD brand.
It’s best to go with a company that values your time as a customer and offers a solution in case you face any issue with the bought product.
Let’s face it, even the biggest and most reliable companies out there experience some issues from time to time.
But what separates a good company from the mediocre one is its ability to solve whatever problems its customers might face.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a logistics issue or you receiving the wrong product or not receiving the product at all.
Having someone from the company to talk to is your best bet to solve whatever issue you may have.
8. Read the company’s return/refund policy.
A refund or return policy goes hand in hand with customer support.
On the one hand, it should be a no-brainer that any brand should offer the ability to refund a product if it’s not to your liking.
But you’d be surprised how many brands are out there that don’t offer refunds at all once they’ve taken your payment.
If you are not satisfied with a product, a reputable brand will allow you to return it for a full refund, usually within 30 days of purchase.
This isn’t a matter of “maybe their products are bad; therefore, they offer a refund.” But it’s a matter of giving you, the customer, peace of mind that your purchase is safe and that you can get your money back if you ever feel that the product did not live up to your expectation.
The refund policy is usually found in the FAQ section or the footer section of a company’s official website.
However, the wording of such a policy is sometimes full of legal jargon. So if you’re still unsure how a company’s refund policy works, it’s best to reach out to their customer support to clarify it for you.
You can test how responsive their support team is this way too, so it’s like catching two birds with one stone.
9. Consider the Type of CBD extract that best suits your needs.
CBD extracts contain different types of CBD that you may not be familiar with if it is your first time buying.
You must know the difference between them so you don’t get confused by the cool-sounding name on which a company might name its products.
We created a dedicated article that discusses the different types of CBD. We strongly recommend reading that article to get a better understanding of each.
But here’s a quick comparison between each of them:
Full-Spectrum
Full-spectrum products contain 0.3% THC as legalized by federal law. This amount of THC is not enough to give you a high effect.
Full-spectrum CBD products have multiple other compounds in addition to CBD. Combining these compounds creates an entourage effect – the enhanced effect of CBD when several compounds work together synergistically.
Broad-Spectrum
Broad-spectrum CBD products generally have other cannabinoids and compounds found in the plant. These include CBN, CBC, and terpenes like pinene, myrcene, or limonene.
Typically broad-spectrum products do not contain any THC. However, a few items may have it in trace amounts.
CBD Isolate
If you’re looking for a THC-free CBD product, CBD isolate is for you. It’s a perfect product to determine the effectiveness of CBD as it doesn’t include other compounds.
Nevertheless, studies indicate that CBD products containing other compounds may increase the effect of CBD.
10. Consider the type of CBD Product that best suits your needs.
While you may need to follow up with a few restrictions as above when purchasing CBD products, the type of product you want to buy depends entirely on you.
Would you like to massage a CBD cream on your body to ease discomfort, chew on a sweet gummy, or add a few drops of CBD oil to your salad?
Let’s explore the CBD products you can purchase.
Oils and tinctures
CBD oils typically contain glycerin or carrier oil as their base. Tinctures, on the other hand, contain an alcohol base.
Yes, they have a few differences but serve the same purpose.
If you like the taste of hemp, you can go for oil. If, however, you prefer flavorful products, tinctures will suit you better.
You can use a dropper to add these products to your morning tea, coffee, or food and reap the benefits of CBD.
Capsules
If you want to avoid the hassle of mixing your CBD products with food, capsules are best for you. Generally, older people opt for gel capsules; they are easy to consume.
Gummies
CBD gummies are packed with sweet or sour flavors and include the all goodness of CBD. You’ll find plenty of CBD gummy flavors on the market. Typical flavors include lemon, strawberry, orange, and tropical.
Topicals
CBD topicals include creams, lotions, and salves. If your muscles and joints ache too frequently, you may want to go for a massage.
Massaging a CBD salve can relieve pain. CBD creams and lotions are often used to improve the appearance of the skin.
Final Words
Choosing the right CBD product can get daunting if you do not know what factors to consider and you’re also purchasing for the first time.
Hopefully, our CBD buying guide will help you pick the right CBD product.
Happy shopping!
