How to choose CBD oil?

Hyped as the next big solution for a lot of ailments such as chronic pains, anxiety, depression, insomnia among many others, CBD oil is rapidly gaining popularity in the world of medicine. With ongoing researches on the therapeutic potential of CBD oil mounting and the stringent laws on cannabis plant getting more relaxed in countries, the medical industry is trying to explore more ways in which Cannabis plants can benefit us.

Although the use of CBD has been legalized for medical purposes only, doctors nowadays are advising to consume Cannabis oil to treat a lot of health-related issues.

Off late, the markets have been flooded with CBD rich products. Having a wide range of products to choose from is a good thing for the customer but in the end, it may also confuse people and make narrowing down on the best suitable products a hard task. This is the reason why people have been complaining about how they were not able to get optimum benefits which are claimed by the medical experts.

If the experts are to be believed, it is said that CBD oil and cannabidiol products together account for more than 12 billion US dollar market. And the sole reason for this boom is because it is believed that CBD oil can treat a lot of other chronic ailments as well.

CBD comes in a lot of forms – capsules, extracts, honey infusions, edibles, topical ointments, oil etcetera. With so many products in the market, there are a lot of companies and retailers which make use of low extraction techniques which tends to hamper the quality of CBD oil.

The reduced potency of CBD is the reason why the expected benefits are not achieved by the patients.
While buying a CBD product, you have to pay extra attention while selecting in order to obtain the maximum benefits that this product boasts of. Listed below are a few points that you must consider during your next purchase.

1. Choose a suitable concentration of CBD

The CBD oil products such as dose in the capsule form advance in dropper bottles come in a range of concentrations. The concentration of CBD contained in that capsule or bottle is often written on the packaging.

It can vary from being measured in mg – 250 mg, 500mg for 1000 mg to being specified in the percentage of concentration – 4%, 10% or 20% of cannabidiol (CBD). Higher the CBD dose, the more effective it will be.

However, starting with highly concentrated CBD oil is not recommended.
In fact, one must start with low to moderate CBD dosage which then can be increased as per the requirement – if needed.

The dose of CBD can be adjusted over the course of several days or in a few weeks after carefully watching the effects. In case a person is not getting the effects as per the requirement, the dosage must be increased. It is only after certain adjustments and observing the effects, that you can finally know which concentration of CBD oil works the best for you.

2. Cost per dose of CBD oil

Another important factor that must be considered before buying CBD oil is the cost for each dose. After you have been able to figure out the amount of CBD oil dose that suits you, it is necessary to understand if switching to higher concentration CBD oil saves your money in the long run or not.

The oils which have a higher concentration of CBD are outrightly much more expensive but it must be noted that they offer more benefits and can be cost effective when it comes to the life of the product. Take, for example, buying one bottle 1000 mg CBD oil will cost you less then what you would have spent buying two bottles of 500mg each.

3. Which one to choose – full spectrum CBD oil or CBD isolate?

CBD is broadly categorized into two kinds – full spectrum oil and the ones made from near pure CBD isolates or crystals. The full spectrum CBD oil is known for containing a lot of active compounds in addition to the CBD.

A while ago, the CBD isolate oil was sought as the standard for non-psychoactive cannabis effects. But with scientific research on the therapeutic potential of cannabis, it was concluded that the full spectrum CBD oil can provide numerous benefits that cannot be provided by CBD in its isolated form.

The full spectrum CBD oils are said to contain cannabinoids like CBL, CBN, flavonoids, and other aromatic compounds which are also known as terpenes such as limonene and pinene. These compounds work along with CBD oil through a natural process known as the “entourage effect”

When multiple components of the marijuana plant come together, interact with a human body and produce a strong positive effect to benefit it – an effect stronger than what a compound can cause alone, that synergistic phenomenon is called the entourage effect.

Which CBD oil makes up for the most suitable choice for you?

You can choose either of the two – CBD oil made from the CBD isolate crystals or full spectrum CBD oil – the choice is totally yours. While the full spectrum oil is ruling the industry right now, both kinds of oils offer benefits. The manufacturers usually specify on their product page or the packaging of the product if it is a full spectrum oil or not. Having an all-round information about the different kinds of CBD oils is the key to choose the one most suitable for you.

4. Oil, capsules or vape?

While choosing among the full spectrum CBD oil or CBD in its isolate form is crucial, choosing the right way to consume it is equally important as well. The availability of CBD oils varies largely.

From being sold in a dark dropper bottle which can allow the sublingual delivery, there are CBD capsules readily available. So, you can simply place a drop or two of CBD oil from the dropper directly on your tongue and it can efficiently get into your bloodstream.

While consuming CBD by the means of capsules, you can be sure of keeping a check on the controlled dose of CBD in a very discrete manner. Sometimes people also like to inhale the CBD oil using a vaporizer. While it may be a convenient and easy way of consuming oil, it can affect our system in drastic ways. Different ways of consuming CBD help you understand what works the best for you.

5. Choosing a trustworthy brand

While you are narrowing down on whether you should buy full spectrum CBD oil or an isolated one, you must be cautious of buying it only from a reputable company. A well-known brand can assure you the best when it comes to the quality and authenticity of the product by all means.

This way it will be easier for you to skim through the experiences and reviews of people about the products provided by that company. Talking to other customers who have used the same brand can help you decide quickly if you want to buy the product or not.

Another benefit of buying CBD oil from a trustworthy brand is that you can check the ways of extraction brought to use and know exactly what you are investing in. Compromising on the quality is a strict no-no when it comes to buying CBD oil.

6. Always choose the naturally occurring, plant-based CBD

Did you know that CBD comes in two forms – one that is present in the plants and the other in a crystallized form? Quite often people do not know the difference between the two and the benefits of plant-based CBD oil. Whenever you buy CBD oil next, make sure to keep the following in mind and note (or enquire) if the CBD you pick is crystal based or the plant based one.

a) the oil which is produced using the plant-based CBD is known to have higher potency. CBD oil made using two crystals has lesser potential because the crystals are stored for many years.

b) the CBD oil which is plant-based will be free of any kind of preservatives, while the CBD oil made by using crystals will have preservatives which can reduce its potential benefits.

c) because the natural CBD oil will be made using fresh plants, it is bound to be in its purest form and provide you effective benefits.

7. Are the Cannabis plants grown in an organic way?

Have you ever noticed how while buying groceries, you tend to look into the minutest nutritional details of everything that you buy? You should consider the same while buying CBD oil too.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is to understand how and where was the cannabis plant grown. You should preferably choose the one which has been grown organically by the same brand. It makes sure that the nutritional content and the amount of CBD in the plant is higher than the ones which have been grown and cultivated using fertilizers.

Fertilizers and pesticides cannot be removed by simply washing the plant. These chemicals have serious implications on your overall body because of the higher content of pesticides and fertilizers present in the plant.

8. Avoid unnecessary ingredients

Be aware of the companies which sell CBD oil with added ingredients – distinct flavor, thinning agents or any other suspicious ingredients in their products, especially the ones which are used for vaping. When grown properly and prepared using the standard techniques, CBD oil should not require any other added agents – be it for thinning or flavoring purpose. Make sure that you check the packaging for this information.

Different methods of extraction in production

CBD is extracted from the cannabis plant in various ways to create CBD oil and all the methodologies yield equally pure oil. Some brands compromise with the quality of products they use, resulting in cheap CBD oil which may cause more harm than good.

The way they extract CBD oil may make use of solvents such as butane or propane which can be harmful to us. The products made using such methodologies are often less expensive but they nullify the health benefits of the CBD oil.

Good quality CBD oils are usually extracted using the carbon dioxide extraction method which requires CO2 to be put under high pressure to isolate, preserve and maintain the purity of CBD. This process is a more expensive one and the products are heavy on the pocket as well. But the quality of the product you buy is assured because this method does not involve the use of any toxic substance.

The use of carbon dioxide is not the only harmless way of extracting CBD oil. There are few other methods as well which can do the needful.

Ethanol Extraction

Ethanol a low-grade alcohol is one of the most common substances which is used to extract CBD oil using the solvent extraction method. Even though the extract yielded by this method is safe for consumption, it also contains chlorophyll which can have certain unpleasant side effects. The removal of chlorophyll by filtering the extract reduces the oil’s potency.

Olive Oil Extraction

One of the most commonly used substance for extracting CBD oil at home is olive oil. First of all dewdrop plant material is heated for a specific time to a certain temperature in order to activate the plant’s chemicals. The material is then added to olive oil and heated for about one or two hours. The oil made using this method needs to be stored in a cool and dark place as it is highly perishable in nature.

Hydrocarbon Extraction

Highly popular extraction method to extract the cannabinoids such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and terpenes from the cannabis plant material, hydrocarbon solvents such as propane or butane are used to make CBD oil. The oil extract produced by this method is clean and contains substantial levels of terpenes and cannabinoids.

Renowned manufacturers usually make use of cleaner production techniques and very transparent about it. If the extraction method is not mentioned on the product packaging, supplemental literature, or the product page, you should be very cautious before making a choice.

Testing techniques

A lot of CBD oil manufacturers are making use of different testing techniques to determine the purity and potency of the CBD oil post production. Only some of the biggest and the most trustworthy manufacturers are known to be doing so. While buying CBD oil, you must check the techniques that have been put to use. The details of testing techniques along with the purity and potency of cannabinoid oil are written on the product packaging, website and test results (if any).

Look for the GMP lab certification

Last but not the least, you must ask for the GMP certification which certifies that a particular company has made use of the standard manufacturing practices. With a GMP certification, you can be sure that you are getting your hands on the best quality of CBD oil.

Another important factor here is that the companies awarded with this certificate have to maintain a particular standard to deliver the best quality product. In layman’s words, GMP certificate is more or less like a stamp of authentication and assurance that you are consuming the product made by a reputed and reliable company.

Final thoughts

While CBD oil can be legally obtained in a lot of regions across the world – be it online or in retail stores, it can still be a challenging task for you to find a particular CBD oil to suit your requirements. The CBD oils vary in terms of how the cannabis crop was harvested, the concentration, the extraction method, the testing techniques and how they were stored.

Studies suggest that the Cannabis plants which are grown in an organic way yield brilliant results. Before extraction, the cannabis plant is put under special testing techniques to be sure of the quality and freshness of the material to be used. After the extraction is done, the potency of the extracts is checked so that the customers are provided with nothing but the best quality product.

Special care must be taken while preserving the transparent colored, light amber hued CBD oil. It should be stored away from heat and light in dark colored bottles in order to maintain the actual potency of CBD.

It is advised to do a thorough research and check out which companies are trust worthy to buy CBD oil from.

Before purchasing a CBD product, don’t just check the price difference between two brands and buy it from a random untrustworthy source – just because it is light on the pocket. It is only after you buy quality CBD products from reputable manufacturers that it can be incorporated to treat chronic diseases and improve your overall health.