
So, how exactly does it work? Well, CBD oil binds with different receptors in your body or, in other ways, its usage affects your cell. Something which such a substantial impact on your body should be of the purest and highest quality to ensure it performs the way it should.
CBD oil is commonly available in two derivations; one derived from marijuana and the other derived from hemp plants. Purchasing CBD online is considered legal if it is extracted from industrial-produced hemp, as opposed to marijuana plants.
However, due to a lack of testing regulations, it is difficult to determine how legitimate the product is during an online transaction. The FDA has specifically issued a warning to invalid claims of benefits and effectiveness due to a rise in illegitimate companies selling products under the guise of CBD oil.
Not to worry, though, since this short guide will tell you what exactly you need to know to purchase CBD oil!
#1 Understand The Basics
To understand the difference between high and low-quality CBD, you, first, need to know the forms it is available in. Whichever kind of CBD you choose depends on the specific benefits you are looking for.
Raw CBD is the purest form of CBD that is found in the plant and is packaged without any changes. Decarboxylated involves processing the unrefined oil without compromising on the nutrients that make it beneficial and contains some plant matter. Finally, filtered CBD oil removes any plant parts that remain after decarboxylation and has the highest concentration of CBD, i.e., 25 percent.
#2 Know What You Are Looking For
Which brings us to the next question: what exactly do you want in a CBD product? Your purchase decision will involve the following factors:
- Taste
If you are choosing to consume CBD oil through edibles, then taste is a huge determinant of your choice. Taste also factors in with other forms, such as e-liquids. How much this factor matter depends on your personal preference.
It is essential to know, however, that powerful CBD products, such as concentrates and pastes, taste similar to hemp due to a high concentration of CBD, and may taste like wheatgrass or even “earthy.”
Other types of CBD, such as vape oils, edibles, and tinctures, can have additional flavors such as vanilla or mint. However, do remember that this is artificial flavoring and you will be ingesting something extra, too. Lastly, if you do not want a taste at all, topical balms or capsules are the way to go.
- Price
Let us get one thing straight: cheaper does not necessarily mean better. Affordable CBD products could potentially be rip-offs or impure. On the other hand, a high price tag does not indicate quality, either, so it is essential to focus on who you are buying from more than the price.
- Time for effects to kick in
While some people want a slow release, others prefer quick relief. For instance, types of CBD such as vaping is immediately useful, but the effects only last a couple of hours. Capsules and edibles, on the other hand, take a while to kick in (half an hour to an hour), but their mild effects last about 4-6 hours.
Generally, the more time CBD takes to absorb, the longer its effects last; this largely depends on the dosage, the symptom being treated, and the consumption method.
- Ease of use
Some techniques, such as topical application or taking CBD orally are more comfortable than, for instance, using a vaporizer. Regardless, every method is straightforward, and with the right guidance, you should be indifferent towards this factor.
- Concentration
Knowing the concentration of the product is essential since it indicates the type and purity. It is usually measured in milligrams of CBD and is always shown on the packaging or the product label. You should ignore the volume of the product since it is the concentration that matters.
This factor is especially useful when you want to compare different products and prices. Some manufacturers opt for percentages instead of milligrams to indicate the concentration. A container with 2,000 mg of hemp oil and 200 g of CBD would have 10 percent CBD.
#3 Choose Your Product Type
Now that you know what exactly you are looking for in CBD oil, you can move on to choosing the right product type for yourself. There are four types of forms CBD oil is available in:
- Inhalation (vaping and smoking)
- Topical application and balms
- Sublingual (tinctures and pastes)
- Ingestion (edibles and capsules)
Whichever type you choose depends on what you are comfortable with and the factors we discussed previously. The easiest to use methods are capsules or tinctures.
#4 Find A Reputable Company
Just as we discussed before, many companies are selling fake or impure products. While it is easy to Google something along the lines of, for instance, best CBD oil in California, you should also know how to analyse your options. Luckily for you it is quite easy to determine which company is legitimate. Here’s what you should look for:
- Legal CBD products are derived from hemp plants and contain less than 0.3 percent THC. If a product contains more than that, then the transaction will not be legal, and you should look somewhere else.
- You should look into the company’s claims and ask for a Certificate of Analysis (COA), which is a document drafted by a third-party testing facility that confirms a product’s concentration and components.
- A Good Manufacturing Practices, or GMP, seal indicates that the manufacturer went through authorization, licensing, and other legal procedures to be able to sell the product.
- While legitimate customer reviews are one of the best ways to determine the reliability of a product, it is also easy to create fake reviews, which is why it’s important not to rely on this step only.
- A company claiming unreasonable benefits that are not backed by evidence of data is probably not a legitimate.
- A customer support number, amongst other contact details, shows how legitimate a company is by determining how accessible they are and how eager they are to answer your questions.
Once you have done your due diligence, you can now be confident enough to purchase your own CBD oil.





