How to choose CBD oil

As the list of countries that legalised CBD is expanding, you can see more and more CBD products on shelves. In this article, we’ll explain what things matter when you buy CBD oil and how to have no regrets about the purchase, whether you decide to use CBD for sleep, pain or anxiety.

What are the crucial factors to consider prior to the purchase?

There are just two of them: no potentially harmful chemicals that might be in the soil and the proportion of two key cannabinoids —THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD.

Clean soil

The hemp plant can grow in contaminated soil and thrive. What’s more, it cleans the soil it grows in. This is great for the soil but really bad for the plant itself because it absorbs harmful chemicals like radon, pesticides, petroleum products, asbestos, lead, chromated copper arsenate, and creosote.

Through the process called phytoremediation, the roots of the hemp plant dig deep into toxic soil and absorb harmful chemicals together with many beneficial nutrients that might remain. Usually, the polluting elements are removed from the soil and stored in the hemp plant (particularly in the leaves, stalk, or stems). That’s why it is crucial to grow hemp on organic farms and to commit to sustainable farming practices.

THC/ CBD ratio

Both CBD and THC share the exact same molecular structure but are different in the way the atoms are arranged. CBD (cannabidiol) is the star player in hemp products because it is not psychoactive and is shown to help with anxiety, pain, depression, insomnia and even seizures. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is responsible for the “high”, if used in large amounts. Cannabis products containing over 0.3% (USA) and 0.2% (Europe) THC are illegal.

Other things to consider

How CBD oil is made

Unfortunately, there aren’t any regulations in the CBD oil industry that control the manufacturing process. It gives brands the freedom to use cheap extraction methods which harm the oil quality — for example, toxic solvents like propane, hexane, pentane and butane.

We suggest researching the vendor’s production methods and opt for CBD processed through ethanol and/or supercritical CO2 extraction.

Ethanol is used to remove all the toxins and residues from the base hemp plant. The method of extraction is considered to yield the highest amount of cannabinoids among the different refinement processes.

CO2 extraction involves using carbon dioxide under high pressure in a cold environment. This method requires expensive equipment, a more complex refinement process and production expertise. However, it ensures that CBD oil maintains its purity all through the process.

Third-party lab testing

High-quality CBD brands will always provide third-party lab results to their consumers. Independent labs exist to ensure that CBD oil is exactly what it claims to be, with a high level of CBD, low THC, and lacking in different impurities that can be harmful to consumers.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes