How to Find Quality Cannabis CBD Products

Not all CBD products are the same quality. And, that’s a BIG DEAL! If you are buying cannabis CBD for all the right reasons, you want assurance that it’s doing what’s promised – and not doing you harm.

You need to know how to find quality cannabis CBD products, and with enough research and common sense, you can do it easily.

What are cannabis CBD products for?

The cannabis plant is composed of organic materials including significant amounts of the chemical elements THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol). It’s the THC that causes the rush and high that many people seek in cannabis and marijuana. The CBD produces the relaxation and chill that comforts many but, as important, relieves the symptoms of many adverse health conditions.

You can find cannabis products balanced toward the THC or the CBD, but because medical patients look for the physical, neurological, and psychological benefits of CBD, they prefer the weed, oils, lotions, and edibles tilting more to the CBD.

The CBD benefits include:

Anecdotal reports, scientific research, and university research into CBD rich and CBD dominant products recommend CBD for patients suffering from the effects of alcoholic, anxiety, arthritis, Chron’s disease, depression, diabetes, dysphoria, epilepsy, inflammation, lethargy, multiple sclerosis, pain, psychosis, PTSD, schizophrenic, seizures, and spasms.

LeafScience lists the following beneficial properties and effects:

So, what’s the problem?

CBD weed is still illegal in most states. Other CBD products may or may not be permitted in states that allow medical marijuana. And, because when things are illegal, it creates an opening for widespread of abuse.

• Unregulated: The manufacture, process, and quality control of CBD products are largely unregulated. Without such regulations, there are no standards to trust.
• Marketplace: If medical patients like people fighting cancer and HIV/AIDS are the target market for CBD, their pain and crises will dictate what they are willing to pay and where they are willing to spend their money. If pain and symptoms drive the purchase, quality becomes a secondary motive.
• Foreign Product: With farming prohibited or heavily controlled in the U.S., most CBD products are imported. The country of origin may not be clear. Without that labeling transparency, customers lack the information on the soil, nutrients, and farming techniques of foreign processors. And, because CBD is what it eats, so to speak, you risk taking in those toxins.
• Labeling: Labels on CBD products often mislead and confuse. Labels should at least comply with the demands published in states where it is legal. Patients need truth in labeling as to contents, amount, weight, dosage, and more. You can never have too much information. But, you need to know how much active CBD is in the product.

What’s the solution?

Well, there’s no easy answer. If the product remains illegal, it invites unscrupulous profiteers. But, research can help you narrow down your sources before you make price-based decisions.

• Advice: You can listen to heed your cannabis-smart doctor, listen to your budtender, network with users, or talk to fellow user patients. Websites and forums carry hundreds of reviews, and time-consuming as that may be, you can’t risk negative side effects. The end-user community is a tight one and willing to share experience and information.
• Transparency: You want a label that includes all the required info on content, dosage, and so on. But, you would also benefit from a label that explains origin, quality control, and any warnings applicable. The best label would include laboratory results that report pesticides, solvents, and toxins including aerobic count, coliforms, E coli count, mold, salmonella, and more.
• Branding: You cannot always trust brands. An established brand in CBD products does have a lot at stake. It’s reputation and market segment depends on their quality reputation. But, the brand can also become complacent. So, if the brand does not meet your test for transparency and performance, you should move on in your research.

What’s in it for you?

As Alternet.org reports, “Scientists refer to CBD as a ‘promiscuous’ compound because it confers therapeutic benefits in many different ways while tapping into how we function physiologically and biologically on a deep level. Extensive preclinical research and some clinical studies have shown that CBD has strong anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, anti-depressant, anti-psychotic, anti-tumoral, and neuroprotective qualities. Cannabidiol can change gene expression and remove beta amyloid plaque, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s, from brain cells.”

If you are looking for the psychoactive punch that THC provides, CBD-rich and CBD-dominant cannabis is not for you. But, the CBD title does not tell you all you need.

A contributor to Reddit reported on the survey results of a questionnaire they offered leading CBD vendors. Those questions asked about the sourcing, the potential degradation, the permits and compliance factors, and the test results.  “Around 40% of the companies who wanted to be vetted - DID NOT complete this questionnaire.”

In 2015, according to the East Bay Express, the FDA warned the following companies about false or unsubstantiated advertising claims (including misspellings in ads and on labels): “Cancerherbtea.com of Florida; CBD Life Holdings, LLC (dba Ultra CBD) of Arizona; Hemp Oil Care of Los Angeles; PureCBD.net of Washington; Twin Falls Bio Tech of South Carolina; Canna Companion of Washington; and Canna Pet of Washington.” Whether these companies have rectified the FDA’s concerns (and whether the FDA is an unbiased arbiter), the warnings are a red flag on concern about these sources.

That leads to quality producers like:

• Isodiol: A transparent and conscientious provider, Isodiol products are entirely organic without GMO. After 22 years of progress, they have partnered with the Academy of Agricultural Development to share research on strains with the highest CBD levels.
• Pure CBD Vapors: This vendor offers an unprecedented variety of high-quality cannabinoid items from Blue Moon, Curavape, Entourage, iPuff, Medusa, and more. Their website includes video testimonials by customers and results of third party laboratory testing.
• Entourage Hemp Products: Entourage stocks modestly-priced and high-quality products without emulsifiers, glycerin, or sweeteners. CBD Oil Review reports, “Every product is shipped with a batch record, as well as a 3rd party analytical test result for that same lot. This practice gives customers the experience of unparalleled transparency in regards to the product quality and potency, and represents higher standards than those mandated by FDA and ISO/CE for pharmaceutical drugs.”

Clearly, the central key is the transparency offered by the manufacturer and vendor. The more you know, the better off you are.