CBD Research - How CBD Works
HOW TO BUY CBD (ONLINE!!) – THE SAFE WAY
It's a bit of the Wild West out there.
Everyone and their mom has a new CBD brand.
- CBD in cosmetics
- CBD in drinks
- CBD in baby's food
Okay...maybe not the last one but give it 12 months!
The point is...it's a very new market.
There's a rush of companies to it which makes sense.
Each month comes out with a new research paper on pretty amazing results.
It started with epilepsy
- Anti-anxiety effects quickly came after
- Then came the immune system and inflammation
- Psychosis and brain normalization on MRI's followed
These are NIH (National Institute of Health) submitted studies!
Keep in mind that researchers were only really able to study CBD pretty recently due to legal restrictions.
It feels like we're in for a slew of new research that speaks to CBD's wide-felt positive effects in the body.
Of course, marketers see this and they only see dollar signs.
Capitalize on people in the mass market who don't know what questions to ask.
Slap a label on a bottle and off to the races.
Especially online!
This article is the antidote to all of them.
Our guide is to help you get up-to-date with the right information on how to pick and buy the best CBD option.
If you want to get right to it, we've screened the products online to meet all the specifications below here:
Otherwise, let's look at what is important when shopping for CBD:
- Intro to how to buy CBD online
- Is CBD legal to buy in all 50 States?
- Can I buy CBD online
- Is CBD through a dispensary different than online
- Can I buy CBD through Amazon?
- Important requirements when buying CBD
- Buying CBD with 3rd party testing
- Buying CBD with no pesticides
- Buying CBD with no solvents
- Buying CBD with no mold or bacteria
- Buying CBD with no heavy metals
- Can I buy organic CBD oil?
- Which brand of CBD should I buy?
- What type of CBD should I buy?
- What dosage of CBD should I buy?
- How to get the best price CBD online
- Our favorite CBD brand after screening for price
Lots to cover.
Let's get to it!
Intro To How To Buy CBD Online
This is how it usually goes.
You hear from a friend about CBD and how it worked so well for them.
You're curious.
You have the same knee pain or anxiety or gut issues.
That list keeps growing in terms of what CBD can help with:
So...they may have a brand they use but do you really know anything about that company?
Or that CBD oil?
You are putting into your body after all.
We spoke off record with one of the largest wholesalers and extractors of CBD in the US.
They said that 90% of the CBD on the market is not great.
They actually used a different phrasing than "not great"� but we'll keep this article G rated!
Did I ask why?
They said that they sell a lot of the bulk CBD to the companies and the companies then turn around and dilute the oil or further process it with negative effects.
It really is the Wild West.
CBD derived from hemp oil (just means a cannabis plant with less than .3% THC...more on that here) is treated as a nutritional supplement.
That means the FDA is pretty much hand's off.
A company can say anything they want really.
Up to a point.
Since CBD is exploding on the scene, you have plenty of companies saying great stuff about an inferior product.
CBD is showing impressive promise but only if it's free of bad stuff and has pure CBD at the right amounts!
That's the main reason we created this page.
You can read from our personal story with CBD on why we're borderline zealots about the stuff here.
If people can be helped, we want them to actually get help!
That means we need to buy the best CBD.
Below is how to do that!
Let's start with some housekeeping basics!
Is CBD Legal To Buy In All 50 States
It is legal to purchase CBD oil online in all 50 States...
With a few caveats!
The source of the CBD must be from industrial hemp
This is more a legal question of whether the source plan has less than .3% THC.
There's a good State by State CBD legality summary here.
Any brand or company we screen on this website will offer the legal kind of CBD oil for sale.
Can I Buy CBD Online
Yes.
CBD derived from hemp can be purchased online as a nutritional supplement.
It's like buying a bottle of Vitamin D in the eyes of the law.
Again, we only screen companies that offer the legal variety of CBD here:
Is CBD Through A Dispensary Different Than Online
Most likely.
In States where all forms of Cannabis are legal, you would likely see CBD products available.
The big difference is that many of the CBD products in a dispensary have a level of THC also present above .3%.
The reason they're in the dispensary to begin with is because of the THC!
THC is the psychoactive cousin of CBD which is still strictly regulated at the State and Federal level.
The CBD oils and products available online do not have THC present above .3%.
That's the big difference between THC and CBD.
The brands and CBD oils screened on this website are the legal variety available online in all 50 States.
Can I Buy CBD Through Amazon
Not really.
There have been so many instances of counterfeit products being sold on Amazon over the years.
This is an inconvenience if buying a new pair of kicks (believe me, I know!).
It's quite different with something you're ingesting into your body.
As much as we love Amazon for shopping (the kids got the password so we're in trouble), I would be hesitant to buy CBD oil there.
Or anything we're ingesting into the body.
Any company in China can exactly duplicate the packaging and labeling of a given product.
Heck...it's what they're great at!
Technically, Amazon does not allow CBD products to be sold so buyer beware!
Our personal opinion but one shared by a growing number of people.
Important Requirements When Buying CBD Online
So...what do we look for when buying CBD online?
This is our CBD Buyer's Checklist:
- Organically Grown in the US
- 3rd party tested
- Zero THC
- No pesticides
- No solvents
- No heavy metals
- No bacteria
- No mold
- Lowest cost by mg of CBD
Let's get into each of these with more detail.
We really screen for the following items when comparing CBD oil companies and brands online.
Buying CBD With 3rd Party Testing
3rd Party Testing is crucial!
It's a good way to clear out the riff-raff.
If an online CBD brand won't show their 3rd party testing...RED FLAG!
On the testing, you should be able to see the following:
- CBD and other cannabinoid percentages
- THC percentage
- Presence of pesticides
- Presence of solvents
- Presence of mold and/or bacteria
- Presence of heavy metals
Let's look at each of these in more detail. They're ALL important!
Buying CBD With No Pesticides
This is critical!
You are ingesting CBD after all.
On top of this, the oil is concentrated from the plant itself.
We need it clean or we're actually countering the point of CBD (which is great at helping to remove toxins from the body).
We'll talk about the whole "organic" question with CBD below.
For now...the CBD needs to show proof that pesticides are not present.
Buying CBD With No Solvents
There are many different ways to extract CBD from the plant biomass itself.
There can be various solvents involved in the process.
Bad actors (or just uninformed processors) may not remove all the solvents from the CBD.
Some will also use solvents like butane.
We want no signs of the solvents in the resulting CBD.
CO2 Extraction is the cleanest option and highly regarded.
That should be reflected in the 3rd party testing.
Buying CBD With No Mold Or Bacteria
All crops can have mold or bacteria present.
It's a natural part of raising crops!
It can also occur in the processing of CBD itself if not done correctly.
We obviously don't want it in the final product and that should show in the testing.
Buying CBD With No Heavy Metals
Industrial hemp (the plant from which CBD comes from) is an interesting plant in many ways.
It grows very quickly with an extensive root system.
It's also been used to clear fields of heavy metals since it pulls everything up from the ground.
This is one reason it has such a great mineral profile.
We just want to make sure it doesn't have the "bad" minerals.
Heavy Metals.
Of course, we want our brands to start with organic farming from the start.
We further want the extraction process to remove any potential heavy metals remaining.
This should be reflected in the 3rd party testing we keep mentioning!
Buying CBD With No THC
Technically, CBD is legal in all 50 States if it has less than .3% THC.
Many brands will actually advertise ZERO THC.
That's generally not possible directly from a plant.
The THC is then further "remediated" which is a chemistry word for "removed".
It's definitely possible but requires more technical prowess.
We look for companies that are capable of this.
It shows a level of sophistication and technical skill.
Plus it means they give a #$%#!
Can I Buy Organic CBD Oil
Organic gets a little tricky.
- There are crops that are organically grown
- There are crops that are certified Organic by a Federal agency
One doesn't necessarily mean the other!
The certification of "organic" requires a federal agency review of industrial hemp.
The Federal legal status of hemp is still evolving since the raw crop itself could have traces of THC.
That can cause some confusion at the Federal level.
So...we're left with confirmation that a crop is grown "organically".
How can we tell?
You guessed it....third-party testing.
There should be no pesticide or heavy metal presence in the...wait for it....3rd party testing.
Which Brand Of CBD Should I Buy
We discussed above what to focus on when buying CBD online.
The better approach is to use our comparison of CBD brands and companies here.
We did a detailed review of some of the top CBD brands available on the market based on the requirements listed on this page.
There are SO many brands available online.
It's overwhelming.
If our inside resource who wholesales and provides many brands with their CBD oil is correct...
And 90% of the CBD available to buy is "trash"...
We need a comparison and review of CBD.
You can then get a price comparison that actually matters for the screened brands here:
What Type Of CBD Should I Buy
A few items to look at here:
- What issue are you trying to address?
- Is Full Spectrum important?
Let's look at each of these.
What issue are you trying to address?
Here are typical ways to take CBD:
- Tincture CBD drops – used for anxiety, inflammation, and other internal issues
- Topical balms and roll-ons – for specific area pain and skin issues; sensitive stomach
- Vaping and dabbing- faster delivery but requires combustion
- Edibles – more for maintenance delivery or micro-dosing
Tinctures and balms are the two most popular deliveries and work well for most people!
Is Full Spectrum important?
Full-spectrum requires its own article (available here) but here's the net net.
It basically means that some of the other cannabinoids are present at smaller levels.
Not THC!
CBN, CBG, there's a whole range of them.
Also the Terpenes and Flavanoids.
These are not factions in Game of Thrones (that we know of...but maybe).
They potentially have health benefits and are being researched right now!
The purported benefit of "full-spectrum" is that the cannabinoids can augment each other.
The biggest cannabinoid present will be CBD either way.
Apples and apples...we prefer CBD Isolate.
That's a function of histamine response which we'll break out separately.
The research which we scour is all based on CBD Isolate by itself
The "entourage effect" was originally based on how CBD helped to offset the negatives of THC.
If you're new to CBD, it might be best to try the isolate first to see it has the desired effect you're after.
You can see screened examples of both with cost comparison here:
What Dosage Of CBD Should I Buy
This can be very confusing to new shoppers of CBD.
We have an entire article about CBD dosage here.
Dosage is really dependent on the issue we're trying to address, the individual person, and general sensitivity.
Here's a good guidance but go slow!
Build up and adjust as you go.
Make sure to check out the CBD dosage article with:
- dosage by illness
- dosage by weight
- how to calculate dosage by different brands
How To Get The Best Price CBD Online
First, we want the best quality CBD available.
Our whole purpose of this site is to screen for this exact goal!
Check out the CBD comparison page with 3rd party testing results.
What about pricing?
Look...you're probably going to love CBD.
It's going to be part of your general wellness regime.
This is only based on 1000's of people we have heard from on CBD.
Since it's part of our monthly lives, we need the best value.
We take that into our account on our Best Of CBD list here.
The best pricing for superior CBD can be found here:
Of course, you can check out the Comparison page for more detail on pricing.
Our Favorite Source For CBD Oils
Different brands are strong depending on what you need.
You can quickly compare the pricing by:
- brand
- issue or ailment
- way to take CBD
- Best Of
Our top performers in the screening combines the best pricing with:
- 3rd party testing available online
- No presence of pesticides
- No presence of heavy metals
- No presence of mold or bacteria
- No presence of solvents
- High qualify CBD as both isolate and full spectrum
- Options for balms, tinctures, and more
- Range of dosages at the sweet spots online
The cost per mg of CBD becomes critical since the better brands screened all meet the safety requirements.
Some brands are overcharging way too much....3-4 times the cost per mg of CBD
You can compare the big CBD brands here:
We're happy to help with any questions.