Finding CBD in 2021 isn’t difficult. You can stumble upon bottles of CBD oil in just about any store that sells medicine. There are even specialized CBD stores that only sell cannabinoid products operating outside of the strict dispensary regulations. While finding CBD tinctures is not the issue anymore, finding a high-quality product from a brand you can trust has become increasingly difficult.
After the 2018 ‘Farm Bill,’ the market was flooded with companies looking to cash in on a decrease in regulation and high demand for CBD products. Many businesses have high standards and produce incredible products; however, many companies are just looking for a quick sale from uneducated buyers.
How to Apply CBD oil?
Oral administration involves consuming CBD in food such as gummies and edibles. Oral consumption is by far the most used method given the different available oral CBD products. However, while most people enjoy this method of consumption, it has a low CBD absorption rate. Most of the benefits are wasted through the digestion process and only a small percentage gets into the body. The bioavailability of oral CBD is about 19% but research shows that it results in long-lasting effects as compared to the other options.
This method is potentially the best way to absorb CBD when it comes to bioavailability and effects. Sublingual administration involves placed under the tongue and allowing it for 2 minutes before you swallow. The most common product for sublingual consumption is CBD tincture which has a bioavailability rate as high as 54%.
This form of application is a less common way to take CBD oil. It involves applying CBD oils or a patch on the skin. But do you know how to apply CBD oil for maximum benefits? Topical products work best when applied on a particular spot, for example, an itchy or painful area of the body. This method has a slow CBD absorption rate, but you can increase it by adding a third of ethanol during application.
How to Find Good CBD Oil?
Spotting a reputable CBD company can be difficult for those new to the community. CBD oil quality is tough to recognize because it takes consistent use to feel the benefits. You must rely on the available information to distinguish the real thing from a fraudulent company.
A company that provides extensive transparency in its products is a good sign. Most companies will provide access to their source of hemp, manufacturing process, and lab tests verifying potency levels. Companies with something to hid won’t give much information to their potential customers; they rely on the customer to impulse buy.
How to Spot Fake CBD Oil?
The number one source of ‘fake’ CBD oil is from Amazon. The seller’s marketplace on the Amazon platform doesn’t allow CBD products to be featured, but opportunistic buys still try to lure uneducated buyers into making a purchase.
The products featured on this platform are marketed as CBD products but are only hemp seed oil. They count on new buyers not to understand the difference. Hemp oil doesn’t contain any cannabinoids and is exponentially cheaper than CBD oil. It’s not that the products aren’t high quality CBD; they simply don’t have any CBD at all but use terms to appear like they are legitimate.
Another red flag is if a company doesn’t provide lab tests. If a company isn’t giving transparency to their products, they probably have something to hide.
High-Quality CBD
While most of the work is done before purchasing from the CBD store, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure you have bought a quality product.
The CBD oil taste is usually described as ‘earthy,’ ‘nutty,’ or ‘grassy.’ While this taste can be off-putting to many new users, the oil should still be palatable. If it has an off-putting taste, it could be expired. When you taste bad or expired CBD oil, you will know it. Quality CBD has a fresh, crisp taste.
What Color is CBD Oil?
Looking at the color is more challenging to use as a factor in determining the quality. Different types of CBD oil, such as full spectrum and CBD isolate, will look different. Sometimes CBD oil is clear, it can also have a gold tint, and it can be green. The oil should be transparent; if you see murkiness, this could be a sign that your CBD oil is expired.
Bottom Line
The easiest way to check if you are buying quality CBD oil is by looking at lab tests. Most companies have a QRC code on each bottle that can be traced back to the batch it was tested in. 3rd party labs will randomly choose a bottle to test out of an entire batch, keeping everyone involved honest. Tests range from potency to terpenes, heavy metals, and pesticides.