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In the past couple of years, there has been tremendous amount of interest in
Cannabidiol(CBD), a naturally occurring compound in the cannabis plant (for our
discussion - the hemp plant). All the buzz around town is CBD this and CBD that or did you hear Betty Lou from bingo has been using CBD and now she sleeps like a baby at 88 years old!!!
Unfortunately with any industry, especially one that is unregulated, there are good guys and bad guys. Recent studies published in 2017(Journal of American Medical Association ), found that nearly 70% of CBD products sold online are either over or under labeled, potentially causing serious harm to its consumers.
Cannabidiol(CBD), a naturally occurring compound in the cannabis plant (for our
discussion - the hemp plant). All the buzz around town is CBD this and CBD that or did you hear Betty Lou from bingo has been using CBD and now she sleeps like a baby at 88 years old!!!
Unfortunately with any industry, especially one that is unregulated, there are good guys and bad guys. Recent studies published in 2017(Journal of American Medical Association ), found that nearly 70% of CBD products sold online are either over or under labeled, potentially causing serious harm to its consumers.
There have also been recent news articles about
products containing synthetic CBD and dangerous pesticides. I'm not sure about you but I'm not interested in any of those getting into my blood stream. This is why it's very important to do research and buy products from trusted reputable sources.
Do's and Don't of Purchasing:
Don't :
1. Don't purchase MLM (multi level marketing) products.
Examples include: Do some of those brands have good products? Yes, some of them do but most of the time you are buying those products out of someone’s car from a person that was given a script to sell you a product. It's not worth it and often those products are overpriced and the people selling them don't even really know what they're selling!
2. Stay away from vape shops, convenience stores or random store fronts that are selling CBD. Why??? Just the other day I saw a postal store with a sign on the window that said "CBD Oil Available".... sorry but I'm not sure how CBD oil ties into that business. A lot of businesses' will buy stuff and sell CBD without understanding the seriousness of it. This can potentially be harmful to the end consumer (i.e. YOU.)
3. Don't buy CBD products from Groupon or Amazon. Did you know Amazon currently has a ban on selling CBD products on their platform? Some users post products labeled "hemp oil" which in a lot of cases is nothing more than cooking oil. News stories have surfaced about counterfeit products being sold on Groupon. I'm a frequent user of both sites but some things are just not meant to be sold there and for now, neither are CBD products.
Do's:
1. Ask a healthcare provider. Whether it's your doctor or a pharmacist, ask them if they have a recommendation. Most providers won't recommend something they aren't familiar with. Healthcare professionals with a license have more to lose than Joe Schmo selling or recommending something off the street. Don't forget that hemp derived CBD is considered a supplement and there are potential interactions with medications and health conditions, so either way you should consult a licensed healthcare practitioner. Can’t get in to speak with your doctor, your local pharmacist is only a phone call away.
2. Ask for lab results and if there is any testing that is available on the products you are purchasing. There are tons of products on the market and unfortunately a lot of them aren't CBD or don't contain the actual amount of CBD that is advertised. Quality brands will generally have lab reports associated with their product. It may have a QR code for you to scan or results are posted on their websites or printed copies at retail locations. Licensed pharmacies may carry professional grade CBD products. While these are available without a
prescription, they are only sold to pharmacies and have been tested and proven to contain the ingredients and amounts stated. These aren’t available outside a pharmacy.
What Users Need to Know Before Purchasing CBD Online
Because manufacturing high quality CBD is an expensive process, a good rule of thumb is to avoid extremely inexpensive items sold as CBD. Many of the lower cost brands use synthetic CBD isolate and other unnatural ingredients to cut costs, so you may not be getting real CBD. Do you're homework before making a purchase. You don't buy a car without doing some due diligence and buying your supplements shouldn’t be any different.
Now that you know the do’s and don'ts of buying CBD products check back next week for more information on finding the right CBD product for you.
- Emile Abdo, Pharm.D. - TheCBDDoc
products containing synthetic CBD and dangerous pesticides. I'm not sure about you but I'm not interested in any of those getting into my blood stream. This is why it's very important to do research and buy products from trusted reputable sources.
Do's and Don't of Purchasing:
Don't :
1. Don't purchase MLM (multi level marketing) products.
Examples include: Do some of those brands have good products? Yes, some of them do but most of the time you are buying those products out of someone’s car from a person that was given a script to sell you a product. It's not worth it and often those products are overpriced and the people selling them don't even really know what they're selling!
2. Stay away from vape shops, convenience stores or random store fronts that are selling CBD. Why??? Just the other day I saw a postal store with a sign on the window that said "CBD Oil Available".... sorry but I'm not sure how CBD oil ties into that business. A lot of businesses' will buy stuff and sell CBD without understanding the seriousness of it. This can potentially be harmful to the end consumer (i.e. YOU.)
3. Don't buy CBD products from Groupon or Amazon. Did you know Amazon currently has a ban on selling CBD products on their platform? Some users post products labeled "hemp oil" which in a lot of cases is nothing more than cooking oil. News stories have surfaced about counterfeit products being sold on Groupon. I'm a frequent user of both sites but some things are just not meant to be sold there and for now, neither are CBD products.
Do's:
1. Ask a healthcare provider. Whether it's your doctor or a pharmacist, ask them if they have a recommendation. Most providers won't recommend something they aren't familiar with. Healthcare professionals with a license have more to lose than Joe Schmo selling or recommending something off the street. Don't forget that hemp derived CBD is considered a supplement and there are potential interactions with medications and health conditions, so either way you should consult a licensed healthcare practitioner. Can’t get in to speak with your doctor, your local pharmacist is only a phone call away.
2. Ask for lab results and if there is any testing that is available on the products you are purchasing. There are tons of products on the market and unfortunately a lot of them aren't CBD or don't contain the actual amount of CBD that is advertised. Quality brands will generally have lab reports associated with their product. It may have a QR code for you to scan or results are posted on their websites or printed copies at retail locations. Licensed pharmacies may carry professional grade CBD products. While these are available without a
prescription, they are only sold to pharmacies and have been tested and proven to contain the ingredients and amounts stated. These aren’t available outside a pharmacy.
What Users Need to Know Before Purchasing CBD Online
Because manufacturing high quality CBD is an expensive process, a good rule of thumb is to avoid extremely inexpensive items sold as CBD. Many of the lower cost brands use synthetic CBD isolate and other unnatural ingredients to cut costs, so you may not be getting real CBD. Do you're homework before making a purchase. You don't buy a car without doing some due diligence and buying your supplements shouldn’t be any different.
Now that you know the do’s and don'ts of buying CBD products check back next week for more information on finding the right CBD product for you.
- Emile Abdo, Pharm.D. - TheCBDDoc
