In recent years, the use of and access to cannabidiol (CBD) products has grown immensely. Today, you don’t have to look far to find a variety of items designed to treat multiple health concerns or provide other benefits.
However, if you’re interested in trying some CBD in your life, you want to buy the right products for you and get quality each time. It helps to know some tips to do just that.
Read Reviews and Testimonials
As with buying any other product, whether online or in a brick-and-mortar store, it’s wise to do your due diligence and check into retailers and the wares they’re selling. Read numerous reviews and testimonials to get an idea of how reliable sellers are and the consistency and quality of the goods they offer.
While you can get a bit of a feel for things by checking out feedback on retailer websites, it’s a good idea to look at places with more likelihood of more objective comments. For example, read reviews and testimonials on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Plus, take a look at blog posts, forum mentions, and magazine reviews.
Note, though, that while you will hopefully find at least one highly-recommended CBD store selling cannabidiol products with mostly rave reviews, the reality is that retailers and brands can never satisfy all the people all the time. As such, be willing to overlook an occasional negative comment provided a shop gets mostly favorable ones.
Check Potency Levels
Before you complete a transaction and purchase a CBD product, learn about the state laws relevant to your location surrounding CBD oil and cannabis. There may be some restrictions on the THC content allowed in CBD products, with a concentration of 0.3 percent or lower the standard threshold.
If you’re checking out a product with a higher THC concentrate, you may only be legally able to purchase, possess, and use it in your state if your state’s laws allow recreational cannabis or if you are classified as using it for medicinal purposes. Also, what suits your body may be very different from what serves other people, so check the dosages to ensure you can handle what’s included. Dosages are typically displayed in milligrams (mg).
It’s best to start with lower doses of CBD in products and slowly increase over time to find the dose level that’s most effective for you and doesn’t interfere with any other medication you take or give you any other side effects. What suits your body comes down to numerous factors, including the method of intake, your metabolism, tolerance levels, and more.
Understand the Type of CBD Used
You also want to wrap your head around the types of CBD that can be included in products before you go purchasing them. There are various extracts on the market, and some terms are used interchangeably by manufacturers and retailers since the terminology isn’t heavily regulated in the United States.
One of the most common CBD types is CBD isolate, which only contains cannabidiol from the cannabis plant, and no other compounds, including THC, will be present. There’s also broad-spectrum CBD which does contain other compounds and cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. There usually isn’t any THC in broad-spectrum CBD, though it can have trace quantities. It is likely, though, to contain compounds such as CBC, CBN, or terpenes.
You might see products listed as being full-spectrum CBD, too. These contain the same sorts of ingredients as broad-spectrum ones but also feature low quantities of THC, usually the 0.3 percent or less as mandated by federal and state laws. Note that this low level isn’t enough to give you the “high” effect that you may associate with the cannabis plant.
Consider the CBD Form You Prefer
Another tip before shopping for CBD is to work out the form of product you want. For instance, you can buy it used in edibles, oils, creams, tinctures, vaporizers, and lotions. Oils and tinctures are typically utilized as extracts on their own, consumed through a dropper directly into the mouth or added to food and drinks. CBD edibles include food and drink items such as gummies, teas, and chocolate, among other things.
Vaporizers are used by people who want CBD extracts delivered into their system quickly, which happens through inhalation via vaping. Alternatively, if you want to avoid the risk of potential lung damage from vaping, you might place sublingual extracts under the tongue to get quicker absorption. CBD is also commonly added to topical creams, lotions, and oils, including beauty and massage products.
The bottom line
Lastly, when buying CBD items, make sure you find out if they have been independently tested or not and read all the ingredients on the label or online description. Compare pricing, too, and ensure when you do that you’re looking at the same size and potency levels. Some products can seem more affordable but are smaller or lower doses than others, which may not be evident immediately.
Take your time selecting CBD wares, so you get the most bang for your buck and the most effective benefits possible.
Main photo credit: Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
