The amount of information available about CBD Oil is mind-boggling, as is some of the terminology used, which means it’s difficult to cut through the noise and make the right choice.  

So, to help you take that first step here are 7 things to consider before clicking ‘Buy Now’.

Have a clear idea of ‘why’

The internet is jam-packed with content about CBD and its many benefits. Before getting started its important to do your research and have a clear idea of what you want to take it for and what you want the results to be. By doing this at the start of your CBD journey you’ll have something to judge it against once you’ve taken it for a short while.

Get advice

Although CBD is claimed to have lots of amazing benefits, it shouldn’t be used to replace any proper professional or medical help you might need. If you think you have a physical or mental illness that you believe CBD could help with, then please please get advice from your GP before taking it.

We believe CBD is a better way to deal with the demands of everyday life, and do not promote it as an answer to any specific medical conditions. But there’s lots of companies out there who make more blatant medical claims, many of which are unproven. So please be wary of claims and seek proper medical advice if you are looking for help managing any specific symptoms.

Choose the right brand

With all the recent publicity, there are now hundreds of businesses looking to capitalise on the demand for CBD. To make sure you’re buying from someone trustworthy and buying a legitimate product there’s a couple of things to always look out for…

Firstly, has the product been tested by an accredited third-party laboratory? And are recent test results available to view?

Seeing a lab report is critical to make sure the CBD oil you are buying is exactly what is claimed and that it isn’t contaminated with anything odd or unwanted. It’s also important to verify that the testing laboratory has been accredited by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), which means it will have met the required operating standards to carry out the test.

Any lab test should ideally be available to view on the CBD company’s website. If there are no lab reports available, then you can contact the company directly to ask for this. (Although in our view a lack of test results on the website would be a bit of red flag, and you should probably look elsewhere.)

Secondly, is the company a member of the Cannabis Trades Association? The CTA is the governing body for the CBD industry in the UK and they work with companies to make sure everything they do and claim is above board. Look for the CTA details on the company’s website to make sure they are members.

Check the ingredients

Before buying any CBD product, always check what is in the bottle to make sure you understand and are happy with the ingredients that are included. If there are no ingredients listed, then contact the company directly to find out – or consider buying from a different company altogether. In our mind, the best (and most trustworthy) CBD oils are those that are made completely from natural ingredients, and these should always be easy to find and understand.

Know your CBD types

When researching the right CBD oil for you, you’ll notice that there are usually 3 main different types of CBD available… Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum and Isolate.

The differences relate to which cannabinoids are maintained after the CBD has been extracted from the hemp plant. It’s important to understand the differences between these before buying so you end up with the oil which best suits you.

CBD Isolate is CBD in its purest form thanks to an extraction process that isolates the CBD from all the other cannabinoids in the hemp plant, hence the name.

At the opposite end of the scale is Full Spectrum CBD which contains CBD plus all the other cannabinoids from the plant. Having more cannabinoids in your CBD oil is preferred by many thanks to something called the ‘Entourage Effect’. This essentially means that all the cannabinoids work together to increase how well the CBD works, something which Isolate cannot deliver by itself.

One thing to be aware of with Full Spectrum CBD is that it includes THC – the psychoactive cannabinoid responsible for getting you ‘high’. Providing the THC levels are less than 1mg per closed container then there shouldn’t be any effect, but be careful if you have to undergo drug tests for whatever reason as this still might show up.

Broad Spectrum CBD oil is much the same as Full Spectrum CBD, but with virtually all of the THC removed, meaning there is no risk whatsoever of any unwanted psycho-active effects in most cases. Broad Spectrum also delivers a cleaner looking and milder tasting CBD oil which many people prefer.

A carrier oil to suit your tastes

CBD, the cannabinoid, only turns into CBD Oil when it is blended with a ‘carrier’ oil. Like everything else CBD related, there are lots of options, with some of the most common being olive oil, coconut oil, MCT oil and hemp seed oil. At the end of the day it should come down to what your preference is in terms of taste and how you feel it is affecting the performance of the CBD, so we’d recommend experimenting with different types to find the one that is right for you.

We use refined hemp seed oil in all our blends because we believe in using as much of the plant as possible and feel that the hemp seed oil is a more natural partner for the CBD. Using the ‘refined’ variety also has a less ‘oily’ taste in the mouth, which some people find unpleasant with other types.

pick the right strength

CBD Oils come in a whole range of strengths, from 1% CBD to 30% or more.

Because everyone’s physiology is different and we all react in different ways to CBD, there’s no hard and fast rules about which one will be right for you. Like most things in life, we would recommend starting at the bottom and working your way up. Start off with a small dose of a lower strength CBD oil and see how it makes you feel. Even at low dosages, you will be able to appreciate the difference it is making. When you feel comfortable with this, and you aren’t feeling any negative effects, then you can slowly build up the dosage and the strength until you find the right balance for you.