Since hemp was recognized as an agricultural product in 2018, there’s been a huge interest in CBD. CBD-based products like CBD oil, lotions, and gummies have become one of the fastest-selling complementary health products in the United States.

It is believed that an estimated 64 million Americans tried CBD since the Farm Bill was amended. But there’s plenty of misinformation surrounding CBD. For example, some consider hemp-based CBD to be the same thing as marijuana, and people also worry that CBD could give them a high. This isn’t true.

Some would like to try CBD but don’t know how to buy it. If you are considering purchases CBD, read about what you should know.

  1. Read the Label Carefully

Low-quality hemp is likely to be polluted with heavy metals. Manufacturers must test their CBD products for potency and purity through an independent third-party lab. This test’s results must be published to assure the end-user that the CBD does not contain pesticides, solvents, or heavy metals. Usually, you can access the lab results for the individual batch by scanning its QR code.

Another essential aspect to look for during a sale is how the company sources its hemp. For example, at Puraura, we use hemp grown at our family-owned farm in the Green River Valley in Utah. We care about the quality of our products and do not use pesticides or other harmful chemicals. It is very important to identify the source of your hemp because hemp has a unique ability to absorb heavy metals and other soil contaminants around it.

  1. Understanding the Manufacturing Process

Different companies use different extraction methods to process CBD oil. Some processes involve toxic solvents such as propane and butane. Companies that stress quality often use pharmaceutical-grade ethanol to process CBD, while others use the CO2 extraction method.

Before buying CBD oil or other CBD-based products, research the manufacturer’s CBD extraction process. This information is usually provided on the company website, or you could speak to the company’s customer service team to learn more about their extraction process.

  1. Always Check the COA

COA stands for Certification of Analysis and is provided by third-party labs. This analysis ensures the THC content in the CBD product is less than 0.3%, and it is free from any impurities such as pesticides, microbes, fungus, and residual solvents. Some reports are detailed, providing information on the levels of terpenes and the percentage of other cannabinoids such as CBN or CBC in the product.

  1. Know the Type of CBD

When shopping for CBD creams and other CBD products for pain or sleep, you might have come across terms such as broad-spectrum and full-spectrum. Full-spectrum refers to CBD that contains naturally occurring compounds like terpenes and other cannabinoids. Similarly, broad-spectrum CBD refers to CBD products with several cannabinoid compounds but are entirely free of THC.

Some CBD is sold as CBD isolates, i.e., CBD that does not contain any other cannabis compound. Each of these have their use, so make sure you discuss with the customer support staff regarding their uses and benefits.