How to Distinguish the Best CBD Products

The CBD industry in the United States has exploded recently but here’s the thing about retail CBD: not all products are created equal. Most brands selling CBD-rich hemp extracts are doing their best to create a quality product but as many secret buyer surveys have shown, many bad actors are dumping products that are mislabeled for their cannabinoid content or even contain no CBD at all. In addition, the FDA has been issuing warning letters to companies making unsubstantiated medical claims about their products, but they can’t keep up with the Green Rush and the many vendors saying things far beyond the science

At PlusCBD, we care about your health. That’s why we create safe effective products and make no medical claims about them. CBD-rich hemp extracts are nutritional supplements designed to work with your endocannabinoid system. Here’s a guide on how to distinguish quality CBD products from products you should avoid.

Here’s 3 questions to ask:

#1 Does the Brand Meet Quality and Safety Standards? 

The first thing to look for in your ideal CBD-rich hemp extract is that it meets both quality and safety standards. The company needs to have a dedicated Quality Assurance/Quality Control team that has the power to block products from going out the door until all tests are completed.

Any solid company will also be certified as compliant according to current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMP). This rigorous paperwork trail ensures that the organization conducts their due diligence to have their methods and practices written down clearly and adhered to closely. CGMP compliance is standard in the pharmaceutical and natural supplement industries but with the newness of the hemp CBD world, many of these companies haven’t taken this challenging but necessary step towards consumer safety.

CV Sciences prides itself as being the first company to achieve the next level after that: research to support a conclusion for our hemp extracts being Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). The road to GRAS involves a lot of research and tests of toxicology performed by independent laboratories to prove the safety of the ingredients. Once the results came in, CV Sciences became the first company to achieve self-affirmed GRAS status in the CBD-rich hemp extract industry.

#2 Is the Company Transparent About the Manufacturing Processes?

Many of the issues with CBD products arise during the processing and manufacturing of agricultural hemp. This includes everything from growing and harvesting the hemp to extracting and bottling the products. The logistics includes all the processes it takes to package, ship, and sell CBD products in-store or online.

Why does this matter when you’re trying to distinguish quality CBD products? Because if you can’t figure out where your products are coming from and how they’re made, odds are the company doesn’t know either. And think about it: if a brand doesn’t care about their products’ development, you can guarantee they won’t care about how those products affect your health.

For that very reason, we created our Seed to Shelf promise. You can trace the life cycle of your full spectrum hemp products from when we first harvest the seeds in Europe to when we release our final full spectrum hemp oil products to the public. From Seed to Shelf, we offer complete transparency for your peace of mind.

#3 Is the Product Lab-Tested?

The FDA publishes an extensive list of warning letters sent to CBD companies making false claims about their products. We recommend steering clear of any CBD companies who’ve made inaccurate or misleading statements about their products in the past. Also, to avoid dealing with fraudulent CBD brands in the future, always make sure your beloved cannabidiol products are tested by a third-party laboratory.

Lab-testing helps to assure the claims made on a product’s label are accurate. This includes making sure the cannabinoid levels on the label are accurate as well as tests for contaminants such as pesticides, microbiologicals or heavy metals (the hemp plant is particularly good at taking up heavy metals from the soil so these tests are essential).

For these reasons, we lab test all PlusCBD Oil products a number of times during the process – both in our internal lab and by a respected independent third-party lab. That way, you’ll be doubly sure you’re getting exactly what’s on the label with our products. Don’t believe us? See the results for yourself on our QR Codes page!

There is a variety of CBD oil products available to you. From our CBD oil drops to CBD topicals, PlusCBD has a CBD product for you.