With all the attention CBD products are getting, it can be confusing to know where to turn and what to buy. With hundreds of different companies and hundreds of different types of products, more is not always better.
All these choices can be very confusing and, to compound things, not all CBD products are created equal.
Just as in other industries, there are high-quality and low-quality products and, in this young and growing industry, it can be difficult to know the difference.
Because of this, consumers are making purchases blindly, based mostly on who has the best marketing strategy. Needless to say, this can lead to big problems.
The great news is the solution is simple: Education and awareness.
To help you understand more, here are some things to look for in good products:
• Is there current, third-party lab testing? This should be from a lab with ISO or ILAC accreditation. This type of report will confirm the products contains no more then 0.3 percent of THC (the hallucinate compound) and that it has no heavy metals or other containments.
• Where is the hemp being farmed? Ideally, the product should come from hemp that was organically grown and harvested here in the U.S. in one of the pilot programs. These programs support superior cultivation standards, and are by far the best geographical location to cultivate hemp.
• How was the CBD extracted? There are several ways of extraction. However, CO2 is the most widely used, employs the safest method, and delivers the purest product without risk of contaminates.
• What’s the amount of CBD in dosage that you’re buying? If you’re purchasing a drop or tincture, it’s important to understand the dose per dropper. Most CBD in these forms come in ml’s (milliliters) – 15ml, 30ml, and 60ml are the most common.
Most droppers are 1ml. So, if you take a 30ml CBD that has 250mg of CBD, you would divide the 250mg by 30, which equals 8.33 per serving/ml. This example is a low amount of CBD and might not hit the “sweet spot,” so a number of doses per day might be needed.
Knowing this information, you might opt for a higher dose of CBD based on your condition. For those who do not want to take the time to calculate a dose per dropper, there are CBD capsules in in 10mg, 15mg, 20mg and 25mg that make dosing much more convenient.
Knowing your dose and adjusting it slowly (“start low, go slow”), is the best way to avoid side effects and avoid wasting money on a higher dose that might not be needed.
• Does the company you’re buying from have a good reputation? Have you checked to see if there are consumer reviews? What are customers saying about their products? Is there support for your inquiries and questions?
In the days of technology, it is simple to see if a company is operating within best practices. A little leg work could save you a lot of money.
Cynthia Groff, CCMA is the owner of Sativa Health Products on Hilton Head Island. SativaHealthProducts.com
