There are a lot of fake CBD products out there on the market. How do you know if the CBD oil you’re using is the real deal?
It wasn’t too long ago that the only people who were talking about things like cannabinoids, endocannabinoids, and terpenes were people who were regularly loading a bong, but that has all changed.
The cannabis conversation has progressed beyond bongs and moved onto something bigger: CBD. There is no question that cannabidiol aka CBD is taking over the public consciousness. It’s the talk of the town in the health community. Fitness gurus, chefs, holistic health practitioners, and even people who have been using cannabis for years are gaining enthusiasm for the non-psychoactive cannabinoid. Research conducted on cannabidiol shows that it can be effective in treating numerous health conditions such as inflammation, anxiety, diabetes, and even chronic pain.
As you may well know, when a new health trend arises, people try to cash in on it by manufacturing a lower quality and sometimes even counterfeit products. The same is certainly the case with CBD infused oil. How can you tell if what you’re using is the real deal?
What is Fake CBD?
The Food and Drug Administration has not approved of CBD products, which means that they are largely unregulated. Companies that manufacture and sell CBD products have a lot of liberty as far as what they can put on the labels because the FDA has not evaluated their statements.
Often these products that are sold through large online retailers such as Amazon either contain far less CBD than the label states are filled with a bunch of filler or are not even CBD infused. Sometimes all you are buying is plain old hemp oil, which is not derived from the cannabis plant, but the industrial hemp plant instead. If you are buying oil made from hemp-derived CBD, then sorry to say, you are not buying pure CBD.
Conversely, some CBD oils contain more cannabidiol than the label advertises. Some were even shown to contain more than trace amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), in some cases enough to cause users to fail a drug test! Granted, some people would probably not mind if they found out their CBD oil contained THC, but this is a liability for people who have to remain THC free for employment or because of legal reasons. If you, as a retailer, started stocking CBD products that contained THC, you could find yourself in a world of legal trouble.
Are your CBD products pure CBD? Image source: Texas Public Radio
How Do You Know They’re Real CBD Oils?
With so many counterfeit CBD products out there, how do you know if what you’re buying is legitimate? There is only one way to be absolutely positive: buy your CBD products from a dispensary. CBD oils that are sold in dispensaries are guaranteed to be pure because dispensaries have to adhere to strict regulations in order to maintain their operations.
Products that are manufactured to be sold in dispensaries undergo multiple tests to ensure that they meet strict standards before they are sold. These products have all been lab-tested. Not to mention, the labels on these products have to be as accurate as possible, lest they get their products pulled from hundreds of dispensary shelves.
The Best Way to Be Sure? Research!
The best way to be sure that you have pure CBD oil is to do your research before buying. The great thing about the internet is that it enables us with access to tons of information including the history of a company, and things like whether or not they’ve ever been in trouble. If you ask an employee of the health food store you’re buying the product from, they probably cannot give you that information. An employee at a dispensary on the other hand, is required to be knowledgeable about the products they sell.
If you do insist on buying from large online retailers, do your due diligence and investigate what you are purchasing. Always read the labels if you get a chance!
Featured Image Source: toptenzilla.com
Do you know if the CBD products you are buying are legitimate? Tell us in the comments!
