Where to buy CBD Oil
For anyone new to buying CBD, the wide range of options and benefits can be overwhelming and hard to navigate. So, let’s explain what to look for and what to be aware of when buying CBD oil.
The first choice to make when buying CBD oil is where to buy it from. Online is a popular option, as this is the first port of call for most CBD companies to sell their products.
However, if you want to buy CBD oil from a bricks and mortar store, there are many health food stores in the UK that stock CBD products. As CBD oil’s popularity continues to grow in the UK, even major pharmacy chains and supermarkets are now selling it.
The internet is the main platform for customers looking to buy CBD products, such as the Love CBD Entourage Oil.
A good website will clearly detail the strengths and product types on sale, as well as explain the differences in products. Good websites will give a brief overview of CBD, along with an FAQ section to help you make an informed choice.
Buying CBD oil online can be trial and error. A good indicator is to check their social media profiles to see their following and reviews. These will largely come directly from independent customers, so you will get a reasonably fair and unbiased assessment.
The size of the following is essential, and a small number of 5-star reviews could easily be fake. The more reviews the company has, the more likely that it can be trusted.
CBD and Trust Pilot
Trustpilot has become one of the most popular independent websites for business reviews and is worth checking.
Trustpilot will offer a clear overall rating of the company, with user reviews and feedback to vouch for them. A large number of positive reviews will likely mean the company are good.
Love CBD currently has over 4900 reviews and an average 4.9 out of 5 ratings. Love CBD has more positive reviews than any other UK CBD brand on the platform. We are very proud of this fact and are grateful to our customers for helping us to achieve this.
CBD Lab Testing
Good CBD brands will also provide lab reports for their products on their website. This ensures that what you are getting is as described. The results should be from tests undertaken at third-party labs, show the date and the batch number of your product.
Love CBD uses Eurofins in the UK for all of our testing requirements. Eurofins are accredited to conduct cannabinoid and other food safety testing.
The reports should contain rows of various cannabinoids including CBD, CBDV and CBG etc. A column for their percentage and/ or milligrams within the product.
Is My CBD Oil Legal
The most important aspect to look for when checking whether the product is legal is the THC delta 9 and CBN content. There may be various types of THC, and if this is the case, then their combined total is what counts. THC delta 9 is a compound with psychoactive properties typically associated with cannabis and is a controlled substance under UK law. The Home Office stipulates that no more than 1mg of THC may be present in a single product.
It is unlikely you will see a straight 0% on most lab results. Often, it will read as ‘<’ followed by a very low percentage in the hundredths or thousandths. This translates as being below detectable levels. It is important to understand what is the lab’s detection limit as your product may have more than 1mg of THC if it is not sensitive enough.
Therefore, being aware that even trace amounts of THC may still exceed the legal limit of 1mg per product. For instance, <0.05% is officially recognized as a trace amount, and is what the alcohol industry uses for non-alcoholic beer.
A standard-size CBD product could quite conceivably contain THC below this percent, yet still be over 1mg. <0.0025% would be below 1mg in most standard-size bottles. If the THC content is exactly 0.0025%, then the bottle would need to be 40ml for it to exceed 1mg, and most CBD oils are sold in 10-30ml sizes.
Full Spectrum CBD Oil
True full-spectrum CBD oil will generally contain more than 1mg of THC, making them illegal in the UK. This is because they use whole plant cannabis extracts and do not undergo a THC removal process.
It is not yet possible to grow a hemp strain that could produce a legal whole plant, full spectrum CBD oil. Some CBD brands claim to be selling full spectrum CBD oil. However, with only trace levels of THC, this is more of a marketing claim.
An alternative to using full-spectrum or broad-spectrum extracts is CBD isolate. CBD isolate is more processed, with all the other minor cannabinoids like THC and plant compounds being removed. Unlike full-spectrum or broad-spectrum extracts, CBD Isolate is more of a commodity with little variation between suppliers.
CBD isolate is also considerably cheaper due to the manufacturing volume and market supply. When comparing CBD products, they are not like for like, if one uses an isolate and another a broad spectrum extract. Unfortunately, a lot of CBD products do not disclose that the product contains isolate and use terms like a narrow spectrum. In our opinion, product labels should clearly state what the ingredients are and not what they want the customer to believe.
Cannabis contains over 100 plant compounds and each one has it’s uses. However, CBD works best when combined with other compounds found naturally within the cannabis plant. These compounds work together end each part is important, but by working together, they deliver a more powerful result. The synergy between the compounds produces a greater effect and user experience.
This interaction between the cannabis compounds is often referred to as the ‘Entourage effect’. The Entourage Effect is the principle behind the development of the Love CBD Entourage Oils.
Broad Spectrum CBD Oil
This is where a high-quality broad-spectrum extract comes in. They contain no THC, so are legal in the UK and when extracted carefully contain minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. These additional compounds all interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system helps to bring the body into balance.
Whilst the majority of CBD products use a dropper, Love CBD switched to CBD sprays in 2018. This is due to their greater convenience, ease of use, and more accurate dosing. CBD droppers can be messy, we have heard many stories of oils leaking onto bags or staining clothes. Love CBD experienced this issue before we switched to sprays, which was another reason to move away from droppers.
New CBD Products
The variety and number of new CBD products have expanded greatly in recent years far beyond oils and capsules. CBD is now an ingredient in products ranging from bath bombs to beer and even clothing. Therefore, whilst you may want to entertain buying this type of CBD product, be realistic about the benefits of adding CBD.
These types of CBD products are often novelty products that do not contain enough CBD to have any significant effect. Adding CBD to many of these new CBD products is merely a marketing tool and means of increasing the RRP.
Love CBD took the decision early on to make and sell CBD products that we believe can help our customers. We were never interested in gimmicky types of CBD products like bath bombs, CBD shampoo, CBD toothpaste, etc.
Although we understand that branding is important, our priorities have always been delivering the best CBD products at a reasonable price. The most attractive packaging won’t create brand loyalty and returning customers. We are very proud of our record and our Trust pilot reviews speak to our customer’s views.
