If you’ve been keeping up with the ever-evolving cannabis industry, you’ve no doubt heard of (and probably been intrigued by) CBD oil, one of the most popular cannabis products on the market. It’s no surprise why it is so popular; you’ll find people all over the internet claiming that CBD has helped relieve headaches, chronic pain, nausea, inflammation, and insomnia, to name a few.
Despite its popularity, CBD oil is not flying off the shelves for its ability to get you super high, as this cannabis compound has no psychoactive effects. Instead, CBD is the medicinally potent compound that’s responsible for all the talk about pain and inflammation relief with cannabis products. Even better, CBD products are legal in all 50 states, so if you’re intrigued and wondering “where can I find some CBD oil near me?”, keep reading to find out everything you need to know and what to look for before making your first CBD oil purchase.
Best CBD Brands To Buy Online
If you are those who prefer to purchase online your favorite CBD products, you can find on the Internet some of the best CBD brands to buy online. For us, these are the 3 best:
Hemp Bombs CBD is an American brand of high potency CBD products. Besides selling CBD oil, their product line features edibles, capsules, gummies, e liquids, syrup and pain rubs. This brand is well-known for selling premium-grade CBD, THC-free and third-part laboratory tested.
CBDmd is an American-based brand founded with the aim of selling high-quality CBD products at best prices using “the most state-of-the-art growing and extraction techniques.” One of the best things about this brand it’s the method of extraction they use to make its products: “hybrid broad-spectrum.” This method ensures the preservation of all the valuable components of the plant as terpenes and amino acids. You can find on its website tinctures, pet-friendly products, capsules and many more, all grown and made in USA, vegan, non-GMO and 100% organic. Besides, it offers free shipping to all 50 states and 30-day money back guarantee. And if you are not so sure if it’s worth it or not, you can read some cbdMD reviews to see that it’s 100% legit.
As Hemp Bombs, CBDFx is a brand specialized in CBD products. It also offers a wide variety of CBD-rich products made with the highest quality full spectrum CBD. The priority of this brand is to ‘give everyone access to the remarkable benefits of CBD’ that’s the reason why all its products suit any pocket and any need. You can find on its website vape juices, waxes, tinctures and a range of CBD edibles.
Founded with the aim of bringing CBD to the vape world, Select CBD is recognized as a innovative and fast-growing brand. It doesn’t have as many products as Hemp Bombs or CBDFx because Select CBD is specialized in vape oils and tinctures, but this doesn’t mean its products are worse. Select CBD offers great quality control, lab-tested and innovative products with best prices (you can learn more about the brand in our CBD Select review).
What is CBD oil?
CBD oil is made by extracting the cannabis compound cannabidiol, one of the many cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant that is extracted from the leaves, stalks, stems, and other plant materials. CBD oil is legal in all 50 states because when made properly it is free of THC, the psychoactive cannabinoid that gets you high. If you’re purchasing a quality oil that meets the criteria we outline in this post, it will state that it contains less than 0.3% THC as required by law. This ensures that you can safely take CBD without the risk of failing a drug test, as those tests only look for THC.
So what’s so great about this oil? CBD is responsible for a lot of the health benefits of cannabis, including pain and inflammation relief, insomnia, and help with nausea and vomiting. Studies have shown that when CBD modulates the CB2 receptors in your body’s endocannabinoid system, it improves the quality of messages sent throughout your nervous system. Studies have also shown CBD to stall the breakdown of fatty acid amide hydrolase, which also exists in the endocannabinoid system and actually prevents CB2 receptors from reaching their intended target. When CBD stalls this process, it gives the system more time to replenish its cannabinoid levels and send its intended messages. Nearly all human diseases show deficiencies or depletions in the endocannabinoid system, so it is important to help this part of your nervous system work efficiently to achieve and maintain homeostasis throughout the body.
This process is why CBD oil is popular among patients looking for natural relief from arthritis, multiple sclerosis, headaches and migraines, menstrual pain, chemotherapy symptoms, insomnia, and other pain and inflammatory diseases. The goal of the endocannabinoid system is to reach and maintain a state of homeostasis throughout the central and peripheral nervous system, so when something is irregular and causing pain, inflammation, or another problematic symptom, it’s the job of the CB2 receptors to help make it right. CBD’s job is to escalate and improve this process.
CBD oil is most commonly sold and consumed in the form of an oil or tincture, which can be added to food and beverages or consumed on its own. CBD is also available in liquid vaporizer form that can be smoked through a vaporizer, and many companies offer edibles that only contain CBD as well. The type of product you consume will depend on what you want to achieve. For quicker results, a vaporizer is a good option as it hits the bloodstream through the delicate vessels in the mouth. But if your problems are more systemic, an oil that is absorbed both sublingually and through the gastrointestinal tract will provide longer-lasting relief. Many people love using a vaporizer for on-demand relief, and an oil as a daily supplement that builds up in their system.
No matter your preferred consumption method, once you do your research and find a brand you trust, you’re sure to find a product that suits your tastes whether it is a vape oil, tincture, or a batch of edibles. Although, if you need a little help, you can also find our rankings with the best CBD oil for pain relief or the best CBD oil for sleep.
Where can I buy CBD oil?
If you live in a state where recreational cannabis is legal, anyone over the age of 21 can walk into a dispensary and purchase one of the CBD products they offer, which typically vary depending on your region and their preferred brands. Many dispensaries prefer to support local growers and brands, so chances are your dispensary will carry the latest products from local small businesses.
If you live in a state where only medical marijuana is legal and the laws are tighter, you will need a medical marijuana card in order to access CBD oil (and any other products) at a dispensary. Yes, this is the case even though CBD is legal. It is impossible to enter a medical dispensary without the proper documentation, which is administered by a doctor that specializes in medical marijuana prescriptions. Most medical dispensaries either have a doctor on staff that is available to evaluate you and determine your eligibility for a card, or they have certain days where the doctor is in and accepting appointments.
Whether you live in a recreational state where dispensaries are easily accessible or you’re an existing or soon-to-be medical marijuana patient, you can use the website and app Weedmaps to find local dispensaries, view their product menus, and find one with a doctor that can help you obtain your card.
If you don’t have a medical marijuana card or you live in a state where marijuana is not legal at all, fortunately CBD oil can be purchased online and shipped to all 50 states, so it’s still possible to find a product you like without worrying about dodging the law.
Whether you are purchasing CBD oil at a dispensary near you or over the internet, it is incredibly important to do your homework in this market, no matter how credible a product may seem off the bat. Due to federal cannabis laws, there are no government regulations or tests to ensure quality, potency, or even that the oil contains what it says on the bottle. All of this information is available at the discretion of the business owner, which means it’s easy to sell an inferior product and capitalize on the cannabis craze. For this reason, we have a couple steps we suggest taking before making your first CBD oil purchase.
What you need to know before you buy CBD Oil
Before purchasing a CBD oil online or at a dispensary near you, look for the following things in a brand to ensure you’re getting a quality product from a reputable source.
Third-Party Lab Testing
This is one of the most important things to look for when buying cannabis concentrates, including CBD oil. Any product you buy should have third-party lab testing results available for customers to view. These results will verify the product’s cannabinoid (CBD and THC) content, the purity, whether there are any residual solvents, and other quality concerns. Many CBD oil brands in the United States use Steep Hill Labs in California to test their products.
Green Roads has a thorough lab sheet available right on their website for all of their products.
Supercritical CO2 Extraction
The most common ways to extract cannabinoids like CBD and THC from the cannabis plant involve the use of either butane or CO2. The cleanest option is CO2 as it is a pure, naturally occurring chemical substance that liquefies when pressurized, allowing it to gently extract important plant materials while leaving no butane or other residual solvents behind. Most companies are transparent about their extraction methods, so it is easy to find this information right in their product description or on their website. All of CBDfx’s CBD oils are made with supercritical CO2 extraction.
Organic, Chemical and Pesticide-Free Plant Materials
When you consume a CBD oil, the last thing you want in that oil is traces of pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals that if used, could possibly make it through the extraction process. The best way to ensure this is not the case is to buy from a brand that uses 100% organic plants grown without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers. Many growers take pride in offering quality, 100% organic plants to their customers, so it’s easy to find products made with these materials as opposed to lesser quality plants.
Hemp Bombs sources organic European hemp for all of their products, so you know there are no chemicals used on the plants.
Customer Support/Money-Back Guarantee
CBD oil brands who are confident in the quality and satisfaction of their product will typically offer a money-back guarantee to help customers feel confident in their purchase. If you have an (unlikely) bad reaction or the oil makes you feel worse rather than better, it helps to have customer support that has your back and will resolve your problems without an issue. Money-back guarantees are another indication that a company truly believes in the quality of the product they’re selling to people.
We hope that by looking for these details in a CBD oil product and brand, your search for a high-quality, potent product becomes a little bit easier and feels a bit less risky. There are hundreds of brands out there creating craft products, so as long as you know how to do your research, you’ll have no problem asking the right questions and finding something that works for you.