How to choose quality CBD oils and drops for your customers?
Why care about the quality of CBD oil?
CBD oils and drops have long been the most popular CBD-containing product, mainly because of their versatility and ease of dosage. Available in a variety of concentrations and flavors, they are well absorbed and the onset of action tends to be relatively quick.
There are a large number of CBD products to choose from. In a highly competitive environment and due to the lack of market regulation, there is a growing risk of encountering products that are not of good quality, do not meet the necessary standards or do not respect the prescribed THC limits and are therefore not legal. What should you look out for to avoid or at least eliminate this risk?
Focus on cannabis
The most important factor in choosing a quality CBD oil or drop is the type of cannabis from which the extract was extracted. The best hemp for making CBD products is organically grown and is high in CBD, low in THC, and free of pesticides and herbicides. Most quality manufacturers include information on the packaging about the hemp from which the extract comes.
Extraction method
There are several ways to extract CBD oil from hemp. The extraction method is important to the quality and potency of the product. The best extraction methods are supercritical CO2 extraction and vegetable fat extraction. These methods minimize the loss of CBD and preserve as much of the other useful components such as terpenes and flavonoids as possible.
Supercritical CO2 extraction involves the use of a device called a CO2 extractor, which uses supercritical carbon dioxide. Supercritical carbon dioxide has both liquid and gas properties and can be used as a solvent for CBD extraction. Plant materials are placed inside the device and CO2 is used to separate the CBD and other desired components of the plant under high pressure and low temperature. The result is a concentrated extract that is then processed into CBD oil.
Vegetable fat extraction is a method that uses the properties of fats, such as olive oil or coconut oil, to extract valuable components from the plant. The process involves macerating the plant material in the plant fat for several hours to separate the desired components of the plant, in this case CBD. When heated, the inactive components in the plant such as CBDA or cannabidiol acid are converted into the active form, which is CBD. The oil and plant material is then heated to a low temperature (usually around 60-70°C) to separate the CBD and other components of the plant. This process is repeated until the desired amount of CBD oil is obtained.
Avoid products that have been extracted using solvents such as butane as they may contain dangerous solvent residues.
CBD content
Good quality CBD products should have the exact amount of CBD stated on the packaging. Avoid products that have no information on the amount of CBD or are mislabeled. The amount of CBD in the product should be expressed in milligrams per bottle or per drop to make it easy to determine dosage. In terms of concentration, oils ranging from 2.5% to 40% are commonly available on the market.
Product purity
Another factor that you should focus on is the purity of the product. Quality manufacturers conduct thorough testing of their products by a third party (independent laboratory) and provide the results of these tests (certificates of authenticity) on their website, product packaging or upon request.
Customers should have access to information about the concentration of CBD and other substances in oils and drops, and whether the product contains undesirable chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides. With certification, they can verify that the content and purity of the product is as advertised.
If a manufacturer does not provide information about third-party testing, its products may be untrustworthy. Make sure the certificate is up to date and always matches the batch number on the product.
Carrier oil
Carrier oil plays an important role in choosing quality CBD oils and drops. CBD dissolves in fats, so it is important that it contains vegetable oil or vegetable glycerin in addition to hemp extract for its use and effective absorption into the body. The most commonly used oils are coconut, MCT, palm, olive, avocado, hemp seed, sesame and grapeseed oils.
High-quality carrier oils are usually derived from plants that have been grown without the use of pesticides and herbicides and are enriched with other substances with nutritional properties, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
The carrier oil chosen also affects the taste and consistency of CBD products, which may be important for customers who prefer certain flavor characteristics.
Summary
Choosing CBD oils and drops for your customers needs to be approached responsibly and with caution. The quality of the product is influenced by the quality of the plant and the conditions in which it was grown, as well as the processing method, the composition and purity of the product and the carrier oil.
Some products on the market do not meet the necessary standards or may contain dangerous ingredients. Check that the CBD oil has been tested by an independent laboratory and that it has a certificate of authenticity. By choosing quality and verified CBD oils and drops from trusted suppliers, you will not only ensure safety and potency for your customers, but you will also maintain a reputation as a good retailer while contributing to building a quality and safe market for CBD products.
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