When you’re shopping for CBD, it can feel overwhelming before you even get started. Thanks to the green boom and legalization of cannabis in many states, there are so. many. Brands. So how do you choose the best CBD brand? What are some good markers of a trustworthy company?
Transparency
Transparency is key to finding the best CBD brands out there. Does the brand you’re shopping for have a COA (certificate of analysis) readily available for you to read? This kind of information — a scientific document — shows where the plant material came from and was grown, how it was extracted, and what ended up in the end product (Is there mercury, lead, or toxins? What about mold? And just how much CBD is actually in here?).
The COA is one of the best ways to determine if a CBD brand is honest and trustworthy. This forthright transparency can make shopping a little easier.
Information
Is the CBD brand you’re looking at doing its part to educate the public about hemp medicine? When you’re choosing the best CBD brand for your needs, see if the brand has a blog, magazine, or newsletter that provides general (and niche!) information on how hemp plays a role in therapeutic plant medicine.
Farming
Look into where the hemp in your product is sourced. What kind of farming practices were used, and where did it come from? Finding US-grown hemp (lots comes from Colorado!) is typically a safe bet for a trustworthy CBD brand.
You’ll want to choose a CBD brand that has best practices when it comes to farming; think about something with no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers. You’ll probably also want something that’s non-GMO and comes from a good farm.
Manufacturing
How was the CBD from this company made? What extraction process was used? Where did they have their product tested? You can find out much of this from the COA, but you can also ask the customer service team.
Labeling
The label on your CBD oil should be clear and precise, with no crazy claims. It also should denote that it’s CBD oil, not just hemp oil — these are two completely different things.
Take the Basic CBD label, for instance. You can clearly see that this is CBD oil, not just hemp oil, and that it comes from premium hemp. You can also see that there is zero THC (an important distinguisher) and exactly how many milligrams are in not just the bottle itself, but how many milligrams of CBD there are per serving. No crazy claims, no health cures — just the basic facts you need. This is so important to keep in mind when you choose a CBD brand — beware of any health claims (the FDA outlaws this!).
The packaging will also list out the key details you need to know. In this example, you’ll see that it’s Colorado-grown, non-GMO, and free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers (farming info!), and that they have fully-traceable seed-to-sale vertical integration, with solvent-free CO2 extraction (manufacturing info! and transparency!).
Labeling like this makes it very easy to choose the right CBD with little hesitation. It’s all laid out there for you!
Customer Service
Lastly, to choose the best CBD brand for you, make sure you can talk to a human being on their customer service team; someone who can answer your questions about CBD and help you make an informed decision. Also look into their return policy if things don’t work out as planned. If there’s no customer service team you can reach, this is probably a red flag.