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How Do You Know You’re Getting the Best CBD Oil?
With so many CBD products on the market, how do you know you’re getting the best CBD oil? If you’re wondering what the best type of CBD oil is, where it comes from, and how to choose high-quality products that will give the best results, then you’ve come to the right place. Below is a comprehensive guide to knowing that you’re getting the best CBD oil and how to avoid the worst products.
Where Does Your CBD Oil Come From?
To find the best CBD oil products, you must first understand where CBD oil comes from. CBD oil comes from the hemp plant. The hemp plant is a type of cannabis plant that contains 0.3% THC or less. The Farm Bill, which was passed in 2018, made hemp legal as long as the THC limit is 0.3% or lower. CBD oil producers should follow the law to create a quality product.
To make high-quality CBD oil, you want to use high-quality strains of CBD that come from the best hemp plants. In addition to finding a good strain of hemp plant, you also need quality soil with the right composition to grow that strain into the best hemp plants for high-quality CBD oil.
That’s why Spruce has researched several different strains, finally selecting the best strains of hemp found in the country. These are located on two family-owned, sustainably focused farms, one in Kentucky and the other in North Carolina. Using these quality hemp plants gives us the high-quality CBD oil you deserve.
Types of CBD Oil Ranked Most to Least Effective
When answering the question, “What is the best CBD oil?” you need to know that there are three types of CBD oil, each exhibiting a different level of effectiveness. These three types are full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, and CBD isolates.
1. Full-Spectrum CBD Oils
The best CBD oil is full-spectrum CBD oil. If an oil contains full-spectrum hemp, it means that, in addition to containing CBD, it also has other extracts found within the hemp plant. These include terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids such as CBN, CBG, and THC.
Many first-time users of CBD may be concerned about the fact that full-spectrum CBD contains THC. This concern comes because THC can give you a “high” feeling from psychoactive effects on your brain. The good news is that if the Farm Bill is adhered to, the low level of 0.3% THC means that you won’t experience the psychoactive effects that come from higher levels of THC.
The reason compounds containing both CBD oil and THC compounds are recommended is because they create what is called the ‘entourage effect.’ This term references how, when taken together, these components create a synergy that offers users even better results than when each is taken alone. You can experience the ‘entourage effect’ when using full-spectrum CBD oils.
2. Broad-Spectrum CBD Oils
Broad-spectrum CBD oils contain the same components as full-spectrum except for the THC. This means there are terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids in broad-spectrum CBD, but THC is removed before the product is manufactured so that there are no traces of THC left.
Broad-spectrum oils can be beneficial to those who are concerned about having traces of THC in their CBD oil. Since the THC is missing, though, you will not experience the ‘entourage effect’ that can be experienced with full-spectrum CBD oil.
3. CBD Isolates
CBD isolates are precisely what the name sounds like. These oils contain only one kind of cannabis plant extract, and that is CBD alone. There won’t be any THC or any of the other cannabinoids found in full- and broad-spectrum oils. If an individual is concerned about THC showing up on a drug test, then CBD isolates would be the way to go to get CBD oil benefits.
Unfortunately, you will not experience the full beneficial effects as you would with full-spectrum CBD. So, if you aren’t worried about trace amounts of THC affecting a drug test, then going with a full-spectrum CBD oil over CBD isolates would be the better choice.
What to Look for in the Best Quality CBD Oil
When seeking the best CBD oil, it is important to know what to look for. Now that you know the three different types of CBD oil, let’s jump into what components make the best quality.
Purity
You want to ensure that your CBD oil is not filled with heavy metals, pesticides, or other harmful products. Obtaining a pure oil that only has the necessary components of the hemp plant is essential in ensuring you get the best quality CBD oil.
Hemp source
As stated earlier, you want the hemp source for your CBD oil to come from a high-quality strain grown in good soil. This is why Spruce researched many strains before settling on high-quality products from family-owned Kentucky and North Carolina farms. You also want to ensure that the hemp source is grown following the Farm Bill and doesn’t contain more than 0.3% trace amounts of THC. Once you’ve found a high-quality hemp source, you then need to extract it properly to get the best quality CBD oil.
Extraction Method
There are two main methods of extraction to create CBD oil. These are supercritical CO2 extraction and ethanol extraction. Though many people feel CO2 extraction is the way to go, Spruce has found that ethanol extraction gives the best blend to create the ‘entourage effect’ and maximize CBD benefits.
With CO2 extraction, the gas carbon dioxide is transformed into a liquid and then used to dissolve certain parts of the hemp plant. This process releases the compounds needed to make CBD oil. A different temperature- and pressure-controlled environment then separates them further for CBD oil use.
For ethanol extraction, or what we like to call moonshine extraction, you soak hemp plants in a type of ethanol, such as moonshine. This soaking process pulls out the desired cannabinoids for the CBD oil. The ethanol is then filtered out. This leaves behind the perfect combination of CBD-rich oil mixed with terpenes, flavonoids, and other cannabinoids, including the small trace amounts of THC needed to create the ‘entourage effect’ and offer maximum benefits.
Potency
You want CBD oil with the proper potency to ensure you receive maximum benefits. Using ethanol extraction helps Spruce offer a potent product with a high concentration of desired cannabinoids. You don’t want your CBD oil to be “watered down” with hemp oil and only contain trace amounts of CBD. This will not produce the desired benefits of CBD oil use.
Ingredients List
You should always check the ingredients list to ensure you are getting the best CBD oil. You don’t want anything that contains more than the legal amount of 0.3% THC. You also don’t want anything harmful, such as pesticides, heavy metals, or unnecessary additives.
The ingredients list should include the desired cannabinoids needed to produce a beneficial effect when using CBD oil. You want to ensure you get the best quality product by knowing the ingredients list. But how do you know that what is shown on the ingredients list is actually what is in the bottle?
Third-Party Lab Testing
To ensure that what you see on the ingredients list is what is in the bottle, you need to ask for proof of third-party lab testing. You do this by asking for a certificate of analysis (COA). If a CBD company can provide a COA, they have used an independent third-party lab to test their products.
The third-party lab certifies that the extract contains all the cannabinoids shown on the label and that they are in the listed amounts. Perhaps most importantly, having it tested by a third party also means that the products don’t contain anything not on the label, like potentially harmful heavy metals and pesticides.
Best CBD Oil Products to Try
CBD oil comes in many different products. Depending on your specific needs, you may find one or more of the following products will be the best CBD oil products for you to try.
Flavored CBD Oils
Flavored CBD oils are a convenient way to take your daily CBD dosage with an extra boost of enjoyable flavor. From the fun summer flavor of strawberry ice cream to a cozy fall flavor like Grandma’s apple pie, Spruce has you covered on enjoyable and quality flavored CBD oils.
CBD Gummies
If you’d like an alternative to oil but still want the beneficial effects of a full-spectrum CBD product, Spruce has CBD gummies available. These are low-sugar, all-natural gummies that will give you the daily dose of CBD needed for beneficial effects. If you need help specifically with sleeping, there are even sleep gummies that you can try that promote better sleep.
CBD Creams
CBD creams offer a more targeted approach to treating pain symptoms in muscles or joints. You can apply the topical cream directly to the needed area of your body to help offer quick and soothing relief. CBD creams seem to be especially helpful for those who experience pain because of inflammatory issues. Many CBD users find that the benefits are enhanced if they pair a CBD cream with the use of CBD oil.
CBD Lotions
CBD lotions can offer relief while also nourishing your skin. You can use CBD lotions topically to target specific areas like you do with CBD creams. Spruce offers a Deep Chill CBD Lotion that provides maximum potency and strength in targeting problem pain areas while also providing a comfortable cooling effect.
CBD Salves
CBD salves offer another topical solution with a slightly different consistency. Spruce’s CBD salve has a thicker consistency, similar to petroleum jelly. It is all-natural and has additional ingredients, such as coconut oil, shea butter, and olive oil, which help to nourish the skin.
The Best Way to Take CBD
The best way to take CBD is in tincture form. A tincture is a CBD oil that comes in what looks like a little eye-dropper bottle. You pull the oil into the dropper to use it, then place it under your tongue. Then, you release the oil and hold it under your tongue for up to 90 seconds.
This method of intake is the best way to take CBD because CBD oil tinctures taken under the tongue enable the CBD to enter your bloodstream more quickly. CBD creams, lotions, and salves are also good ways to use CBD, but they may not be as effective on their own. We recommend starting with a CBD oil in tincture form and then adding a topical option as needed.
You may have heard that CBD is also available in vape juice. Unfortunately, there is concern over whether or not this consumption method is safe. Some people have vaped and suffered lung damage because of it. This doesn’t mean that CBD vape oil specifically caused harm, but it is recommended that people stay away from any vape products.
Luckily, Spruce offers high-quality CBD oils, creams, lotions, and salves that will not harm vape products. Many CBD oils are available in tincture form, and you can try them for the best quality CBD oil.
How to Get the Proper CBD Dosage
One way to ensure you are getting the best quality CBD oil is to get CBD oils that are properly dosed. If you need to take a very high amount of CBD to see any beneficial results, then you are not taking a quality product.
If you have a high-quality CBD product, you will find that the dosage needed to see results is much lower. The ideal dosage will be the one that gives you positive benefits at a low dose without any undesired side effects. A full-spectrum CBD oil will generally work better at a lower dose while providing maximum benefits.
Unfortunately, some manufacturers will use confusing labeling tactics to try to obscure the fact that the dose of CBD available is relatively low, and you will need to take the product in high doses to see any benefits. They do this to lower the cost of their products.
While a lower price may seem enticing, the dosage amount seen on these misleading labels may be referring to hemp oil amounts instead of CBD content. The hemp oil doesn’t have anything to do with CBD, so if you go off of the dosage amounts given on those kinds of products, you may not see the benefits of CBD as the actual CBD amount is probably too low.
One way to easily spot misleading labels is if you see a label where the milligrams exceed 2,400. If you see something higher than that, such as a label showing 30,000mg, the manufacturer is likely referring to how much hemp seed oil is contained instead of CBD oil.
With this in mind, choosing a high-quality CBD oil will involve purchasing from a company focused on offering a higher concentration of CBD to give the full benefits desired instead of producing a low-cost compound that doesn’t work because of lower concentrations of CBD.
How to Identify the Worst CBD Oils
Being aware of how some manufacturers try to mislead you can help you avoid buying the worst CBD oils. Knowing other ways to identify the worst CBD oils is also essential. These ways to identify the worst oils can range from where they are sold to the types of ingredients included or how the product looks overall.
Anything Sold on Amazon
Any CBD oil products found on Amazon are included in the list of the worst CBD oils. This is because Amazon doesn’t allow selling anything containing CBD. If you do an Amazon search for CBD oils, you will find none of the apparently thousands of CBD products available will contain CBD. You will not receive any benefits from using CBD oil when purchasing and using “CBD” products from Amazon.
Check the THC Content
Following the Farm Bill, high-quality CBD oils will have a THC content of 0.3% or less. If the THC content is higher than this, then the product you are considering is actually marijuana-derived rather than hemp-derived. You don’t want a product with a higher THC content as a higher content will cause you to feel “high” because of the psychoactive effects caused by THC.
Ingredients That Seem Like CBD But Aren’t
Some manufacturers will try to convince you that their product is CBD by listing ingredients that seem like CBD but aren’t. If you see a product that lists cannabis sativa seed oil, hemp seeds, or hempseed oil but does not mention cannabidiol or hemp extract, then these products are not CBD products.
Though hemp seed oil may have some benefits, it is not CBD and will not give you the benefits of pure hemp or CBD. Be aware that though it may seem that hemp seeds, cannabis sativa seed oil, and hempseed oil can be used interchangeably with CBD to describe a pure CBD product, this is actually not the case.
Lots of Extra Unnecessary Ingredients and Additives
CBD oils don’t need a lot of additional ingredients to be effective. Most CBD oils only need a carrier oil with added natural or artificial coloring and flavoring to be a little more enjoyable. THC in amounts less than 0.3% is also found in full-spectrum oil. Besides those few things, CBD oils don’t need a lot of other ingredients.
If you are looking at a CBD product with an ingredient list of many more extras, add that product to the list of worst CBD oils. There is no need for unnecessary ingredients and additives in the best quality CBD oils.
No Third-Party Lab Reports
As mentioned earlier, it is essential to ask for a certificate of analysis (COA) to verify that what is on the label is actually in the bottle. If a company cannot provide third-party lab reports in the form of a COA, their CBD products go on the list of worst CBD oils. Receiving that added verification from a third party is essential to obtaining a high-quality product.
Price That’s Too Good to Be True
As you browse possible CBD oils, if you find a price far below the average that seems too good to be true, that’s because it is. If the price is low, this means they have a lower concentration of CBD, and you will not receive the benefits that will come from a more potent, higher-quality product.
A low price could even mean that you’re looking at a fake CBD product that doesn’t contain any cannabidiol at all. The price of CBD products will reflect the quality and concentration of the product. With this in mind, a higher price generally means better quality CBD oil. Don’t go for the price that’s too good to be true.
Unrealistic Promises
If a price can be too good to be true, so can the promises made by a company selling unreliable products. If they boast excellent results with a THC level higher than 0.3%, then they are offering marijuana and not hemp products. To be legal, the THC level in CBD products must be lower than 0.3 percent. The THC level does not need to be higher than that to reap the benefits of CBD use.
On the other hand, if they claim to have a full-spectrum CBD oil that is THC-free, then they are also lying. Full-spectrum CBD oil will always contain trace amounts of THC that are 0.3% or lower.
If a company states that they have amounts of CBD far higher than the 2,400 milligrams of pure CBD mentioned in the proper dosage section above, this is a sign that the company is making an unrealistic promise. The milligrams listed on their bottle probably refer to hempseed oil, which will not give the same benefits as CBD oil.
The Product Just Doesn’t Look Good
If all else fails, you can tell the worst CBD products by how they look. They don’t look good. The packaging may be tacky. The product may seem goopy, weirdly colored, or just off. If it looks weird, don’t get it. If in doubt, ask the company for a certificate of analysis. Maybe they have funky packaging, but they have received a COA and are a good product. In general, though, go with your gut. It probably isn’t good if it doesn’t look good or high-quality.
Get the Best CBD Oil Products at Spruce
In summary, the best CBD oil comes from a strain of high-quality hemp plants. Full-spectrum CBD will give you the maximum benefits CBD offers. The best quality CBD oil will be pure and potent, sourced through ethanol extraction, and have a simple, all-natural ingredients list that is third-party tested.
CBD oil can come in many different forms. The best way to take CBD oil is in tincture form, with topical options used for additional needed relief. Knowing how manufacturers may try to mislead you will help you discern high-quality products versus the worst CBD oils.
The good news is that you can find high-quality CBD oils when you use all of this information. The even better news: we’ve got the goods here at Spruce! We are committed to making a high-quality product that produces quality results. You won’t be disappointed when you check out Spruce for the best CBD oil on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Form of CBD Is Most Effective?
The most effective form of CBD is tincture oil. When taking CBD by placing the oil under your tongue, your bloodstream absorbs it faster, and you see quicker results.
The most effective type of CBD is full-spectrum CBD. With full-spectrum CBD, you get the ‘entourage effect.’ which is when all the cannabinoids (including a trace amount of THC 0.3% or smaller), terpenes, and flavonoids work together to give you the maximum benefits of CBD use.
What’s the Best CBD for Beginners?
A small dose of CBD oil in tincture oil form is the best for beginners. Starting with small doses and gradually increasing them will ensure you find the proper dosage to receive benefits without any unwanted side effects.
What’s the Best CBD for Anxiety?
For the quickest results in relief from anxiety, the best CBD to take would be CBD oils in tincture form. Some users have found relief in as little as 15 minutes after placing the oil under their tongues, though it can take longer for others. CBD oils taken under the tongue offer quick and effective results.
CBD gummies are also good options for anxiety. Some users have found relief in as little as 30 minutes, though the effects may not be as pronounced as taking an oil under the tongue since the digestive system will break down some CBD components before they reach the bloodstream.
What’s the Best CBD for Pain?
For targeted pain relief, using CBD topical products, such as creams, salves, and lotions, are best. For a well-rounded approach with faster relief, taking CBD oil in tincture form under the tongue is recommended while also applying a topical CBD product.
What Brand of CBD Is FDA Approved?
Epidiolex is a brand of CBD that is currently FDA-approved. This is the only CBD product that the FDA has approved. It is approved for use in treating several types of seizure disorders.
