What to look out for when buying CBD

Are you buying CBD for the first time but are completely unsure what where to begin? Perhaps you are overwhelmed by the many different brands and products available? Then you have come to the right place. We hear this repeatedly from our customers but luckily Hemptations is here to guide you on your CBD journey.

Moreover we understand that the CBD market can be daunting for a beginner. We continue to strive to make it easy for people to get it right first time when buying CBD. That’s why we have created this list to guide you in the right direction. Below we explore what to look out for when buying CBD for the first time.

Supercritical co2 extracted CBD

In order to create the CBD products we all love first of all you must extract CBD from the plant. There are many ways to achieve this using solvents, dry ice or even olive oil. The safest and most efficient method however is by far supercritical co2 extraction.

The process itself is complex, requires expensive equipment and a high degree of expertise. It is however gentle and delivers CBD in its most effacacious form, retaining all of its essential oils.

First of all liquid CO2 is put into a ‘supercritical state’ using pressure and heat.’ This creates a ‘safe solvent’ to separate the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant matter. The majority of top brands use this method of extraction and for good reason. Always opt for CBD that has been extracted using supercritical CO2.

scientist extracting CBD cannabinoids from flower with jars of ground flower and wax crumble in a petri dish

Which CBD extract is best?

Another decision you will be faced with when buying CBD for the first time is which CBD extract to choose. For example if you are buying CBD oil you will typically have the option to choose between full spectrum CBD oil, broad spectrum CBD oil or CBD isolate oil. But what is the difference between them?

Simply put full spectrum CBD, also known as whole plant extract, contains all the components of the natural plant. In other words, full spectrum contains all the additional cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc. It may even contain minute amounts of THC or THCa however do not worry this will never cause a high. On the other hand CBD isolate has been purified to contain around 99.9% CBD. Finally broad spectrum is the happy medium. These extracts typically contain CBD and some other minor cannabinoids such as CBG or CBC.

While CBD isolate has its uses, most science seems to support the theory that whole plant extract is far more effective. This is due to all the above components working together synergistically to increase the benefits of CBD exponentially. This is known as the entourage effect and it is why we recommend full spectrum where possible.

The future of CBD extracts

In recent months a new kind of CBD extract has begun to flood the market thanks to the FSA declaring CBD as a novel food. This extract is synthetic CBD and it is appearing in more products and is already in some of the bigger stores. Synthetic CBD is of course produced in a lab and not from the hemp plant.

We personally do not think this is the road the hemp industry should be taking. Synthetic CBD suffers the same disadvantage as isolate in lacking the presence of other cannabis compounds. There are also concerns over its safety and the safety of some of the ingredients used to make it. Not to mention the plethora of other benefits growing hemp provides.

In our CBD store we only work with brands that use hemp derived CBD. Moreover we offer a range of different extracts across the board. Whether you are vaping CBD or applying a CBD muscle rub, we usually have products containing these different extracts. Trust the UK’s trusted one stop CBD shop to bring you these best CBD extracts available.

Cost of Buying CBD

As more studies unveil the potential of this inimitable compound more and more CBD products become available to purchase online. A simple Google search will reveal a plethora of low cost products under the guise of ‘premium quality CBD.’ While this may look like a bargain, unfortunately not all CBD is created equally. CBD’s swell in popularity and an unregulated market presented an opportunity to the unscrupulous among us to attempt to cash in on the CBD boom by peddling low quality CBD products made using cheap extraction and/or low quality hemp. Many of these products are extracted using solvents, are not controlled and may potentially be unsafe.

The fact of the matter is that creating legitimate, pure and safe CBD extract is costly. Hemp takes a long time to grow and the aforementioned extraction equipment does not come cheap and requires a high level of expertise to operate. However not cutting corners does ensure the final product is as high quality as it gets with all terpenoids, flavonoids and cannabinoids preserved. Bad news for the bargain hunters amongst us, good quality CBD is not a cheap commodity.

With that said the price of CBD has fallen considerably in the past year. At Hemptations we always strive to keep our prices competitive. That’s why we have a huge range of CBD products priced to suit all budgets. For instance our full spectrum CBD paste starts from just £10.

Cylinder of CBD extract in a lab testing environment

Third Party Lab Testing

One of the biggest concerns when purchasing CBD oil is authenticating exactly what is in your product. The last thing you want to do is to inhale synthetic cannabinoids or other toxic ingredients. It is very easy in an unregulated market to make unsubstantiated claims about what a product contains. This is why independent third party laboratory testing is imperative.

Always look out for a certificate of analysis when purchasing CBD . This will detail the cannabinoid including how much CBD and THC is present. Some labs also test for residuals such as solvents and pesticides. A lab report effectively demonstrates the safety of a CBD product, that it is free of heavy metals, etc.

Above all though, a lab report shows that the product contains the amount of CBD that is stated on the label. A copy of this certificate for each product should be available on the company website or upon request. This allows the customer full transparency to see precisely what their product contains.

At Hemptations we place a lab report for each of our oils at the bottom of the product description.

CBD Reviews and Testimonials

Nowadays the average consumer is considerably more astute than in previous years. Much of this is attributed to the Internet and the growth of online reviews. As many as 90% of consumers now claim online reviews influence their buying decisions. CBD is no different. If your CBD supplier is worth its salt, a legitimate customer review will be easy to find online.

Although many CBD websites opt not to permit customer reviews on their page due to MHRA restrictions on medical claims, you should be able to find out how others find their products through review websites such as Trustpilot or Google. Be wary of CBD products low presence or no platform for reviews online, there is likely a reason for this.

We have enjoyed tremendous customer feedback since we opened our doors back in 2018. We have a myriad of five star reviews from satisfied customers across the web. Customer satisfaction remains our number one priority. You are certainly in safe hands when spending your hard earned money with us.

Hemptations CBD TrustPilot Review with green background and picture of the PAX 3 Black reading "Awesome Products I got a PAX 2 and a Canna Carts. Customer service and after sale are fantastic, they answered every question I had. An absolutely fantastic place to buy your CBD products. I highly recommend!"

Buying CBD for the first time

To conclude, at the beginning the CBD market can feel like a minefield for a new user. The choices are seemingly endless and unfortunately one flutter with a low quality CBD brand can skew ones opinion on CBD as a supplement. This is why it is important to look out for the above points when choosing a CBD supplement. We recommend always buying your CBD directly from a specialist and checking the lab reports and online reviews before purchasing. This will help ensure you choose a safe, quality product that is right for you.

Get it right first time with our extensive range of safe and effective CBD. We have taken the headache out of choosing quality CBD. On our online store you will find our hand picked selection of the world’s best CBD brands. Our CBD is always hemp derived so you can shop with the utmost confidence.

Want to know more about CBD?

If you’ve enjoyed this post you may like to read more about buying CBD. Here are some of our most popular posts on Buying CBD.

Alternatively check out our other blog categories to learn all about – Using CBD | Learning CBD

Any questions?

We would love to help if you have any questions around this topic. Let us know by dropping us an email or comment on one of our social channels. We will endeavour to get back to you asap but while you wait the answer to your query may lie in our CBD FAQs.

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