Beware of UNAUTHORIZED CBD on Amazon

Buyer Beware – Redeem Therapeutics is not selling CBD on Amazon!

Due to the fact that Amazon prohibits the sale of many hemp-derived products containing CBD on their platform, most of the hemp products for sale on Amazon contain hemp seed oil, not hemp extract containing cannabidiol (CBD).

Any company offering Redeem Therapeutics products on Amazon is doing so falsely and without the permission of Redeem Therapeutics.  The only place on the internet to get authentic Redeem Therapeutics CBD Sleep Gummies or any of our other products is on our website (www. RedeemRx.com).  We appreciate your dedication to our brand as we continue to dedicate our company to provide you with the best products possible.

Can you Buy CBD on Amazon?

Amazon is a great place to purchase many things. The combination of comparison shopping, reviews, low pricing, and convenience is hard to beat. Finding quality CBD Gummies, CBD Oil, or even CBD Topicals on Amazon is unlikely at best. Why, because the sale of CBD on Amazon is prohibited by Amazon’s own policy. At the same, there are hundreds of hemp products listed on Amazon that are marketed and labeled in a way to suggest that they contain CBD. This creates a Buyer Beware environment with a lack of transparency for the consumer.

As an example, several of our customers have notified us that they found listings for Redeem Therapeutics Sleep Gummies on Amazon and wanted to know if they were genuine. THEY ARE NOT.

A quick review of the misleading labeling reveals that not only are they not manufactured by Redeem Therapeutics, but they also do not contain CBD, CBN, Melatonin, or any of the botanicals found in our Sleep Gummies. What they do have is a label that is very similar to ours and hemp oil.

Out of a desire to protect the health of our loyal customers and our reputation as a supplier of the highest quality CBD products, please consider the following with regard to purchasing CBD on Amazon.

CBD on Amazon – What is Amazon’s policy and Why?

Despite the fact that CBD was made legal by the Farm Bill in 2018. Amazon classifies CBD as a “Drug or Drug Paraphernalia.” Amazon is the biggest retailer in the world with over 500 billion items in inventory, over $450 Billion in sales, and nearly 2 million active sellers. With impressive statistics such as these, it is understandable that Amazon would shy away from any product that presents a potential regulatory risk to its business.

Interestingly, hemp was not made illegal in the United States until 1937. The Marijuana Stamp Act of 1937 made marijuana and hemp illegal despite the fact that industrial uses of hemp were important to our economy. Industrial Hemp was used as a sustainable source of paper, rope, and hemp seed, which is rich in omega 6 and 3 fatty acids and a good source of plant-based protein for people and livestock. Additionally, certain strains of hemp contain many cannabinoids and terpenes that have medicinal uses.

Hemp and marijuana are actually different strains of the same plant. The distinction between the two is determined by how much THC is in the flower. Plants that produce flower with more than 0.3% Delta 9 THC on a dry weight basis are considered marijuana.

Hemp-Derived CBD is Legal, Safe, and Effective; What is the Problem?

While CBD is federally legal and there is scientific evidence that it is safe and effective, it occupies a regulatory gray area. CBD is not regulated by the FDA and is not subject to the same market approval process as drugs or even nutritional supplements. The FDA has not decided how or if it will regulate CBD or other hemp products.

While the Farm Bill was very explicit in making CBD legal, there are conflicting federal laws on the books that equate CBD with Marijuana. As such, federal drug statutes declare that CBD has no therapeutic value, classifying CBD as a Schedule I substance. This law is ignored by enforcement agencies because it is misaligned with the Farm Bill and out of step with science and public opinion. This legal ambiguity surrounding CBD is at the root of Amazon’s ban on CBD. The company has a lot to lose if they end up on the wrong side of a battle with the FDA or DEA.

Unfortunately, the consumer looking for CBD on Amazon is stuck in the middle. Sellers offering CBD on Amazon are predominantly selling hemp oil products and reputable manufacturers are prohibited from labeling their products in a transparent manner. Here at Redeem, we feel if we can’t be transparent, we won’t market our product. That is why authentic Redeem Therapeutics products can not be found on Amazon.

Can CBD Get You High?

Absolutely NOT. CBD will not make you high. The legal ambiguity listed above is the “why” behind Amazon’s prohibition of CBD. CBD does have an impact on the brain but does not cause impairment or intoxication. In fact, CBD has been shown to moderate the psychoactive effects of THC. Other positive effects include potential neuroprotective properties and the potential to balance brain function in individuals suffering from anxiety, depression, and addictions. One recent systematic review of CBD’s effect on the brain stated that “cannabidiol (CBD) may have antipsychotic and anxiolytic properties, and thus may be a promising new agent in the treatment of psychotic and anxiety disorders.”

CBD on Amazon is Really Hemp Seed Oil? But, Aren’t they the same?

The short answer is no. Hemp seed oil is made by cold-pressing the seeds of the hemp plant.  CBD is only found in the hemp flower.  As you know flowers produce seeds, but the hemp seeds themselves contain only trace amounts of CBD, nothing even close to the potency of true CBD oil.  Hemp seed oil is also often referred to as “hemp oil.” This can cause further confusion to consumers and it is intended to!

To further complicate the issue, some companies use the term “Hemp Extract.”  Hemp extract could include the extraction of hemp flower and therefore some hemp extract products on Amazon may contain CBD. Some Amazon products may even list an amount of Hemp Extract in milligrams (mg). But, hemp extract contains many compounds and is never 100% CBD. Milligrams per serving of hemp extract is not the same as mg per serving of CBD. These labeling practices are simply a means to get past the policy against CBD on Amazon while allowing consumers to believe they are getting a quality CBD product. 

True CBD oil is extracted from the flowers of the hemp plant, rather than the seeds.  We call it Flower Power. Hemp flower contains glands called Trichomes that produce a resin-like substance that contains CBD and other cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, and THC. These glands are not found on the roots, stems, or seeds of the hemp plant.

Here at Redeem, we extract our organic hemp flower with CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) so that no potentially dangerous solvents are used.  Redeem Therapeutics then uses this exceptional quality extract for the highest quality tinctures, topicals, and gummies available.

To learn more about the differences between hemp seed oil and CBD oil, see our blog “Hemp Oil Vs CBD Oil. 2 Little-known Secrets“

So, how can you tell what you are getting when you buy CBD on Amazon?!

Short answer: Buyer Beware.

Do some of the products on Amazon contain CBD? Probably. As we stated, most only contain hemp oil. Those that do contain CBD in the form of “hemp extract” are not allowed to report how much CBD is in the formulation and therefore, have probably not bothered to check. Aside from the ambiguity around how much CBD may be present in CBD on Amazon, there are a few other important issues that informed consumers should consider.

• CBD on Amazon does not come with a third-party Certificate of Analysis (COA) from an ISO17025-certified laboratory.
• The product may be counterfeit. Reputable and transparent CBD companies can not offer their CBD on Amazon without using smoke and mirror labeling. So, most reputable brands will stay clear from the platform out of principle. But, less reputable sellers can easily print labels that look like those of recognized brands. Since reputable brands can not sell CBD on Amazon, they can not register their brand in Amazon’s Brand Registry making the deception hard to detect.
• Many brands state ridiculously high potency on the labeling. This is a dead giveaway. Numbers like 50,000 or 2,000,000 are not even possible. The bottle is typically 30ml which would equate to approximately 30,000mg in total.
• Most CBD on Amazon is not being offered by the manufacturer. It has been formulated and filled by a private label or white label company. Essential, a contract manufacturer. The branding company simply purchases the product from the contract manufacturer and slaps their label on the bottles.

Due to these less-than-transparent labeling and marketing tactics, many consumers that purchase CBD on Amazon conclude that CBD does not work for them.

What Should I Do If I Purchased Unauthorized Redeem Branded CBD on Amazon?

First – stop using the product since you can’t be certain what is actually in it or if it’s safe.

Second – Contact the seller for a refund.  Amazon makes it easy to leave feedback for recent purchases if you go to amazon.com/feedback while you are logged in to the site. If you’re dissatisfied with the seller’s answer (or you don’t get one), and you’ve purchased your item recently, you can return or replace most items that are eligible for a certain period of time.

Third – If you’re not successful with the seller, reach out to Amazon customer service and activate the company’s A-to-Z Guarantee, which allows you to request a refund if you received an order that is different from what you expected and you have already requested a return with the seller. Amazon allows customers up to 90 days after the delivery date to activate the A-to-Z Guarantee, though you can file a claim only if you have contacted the seller first.

Lastly – Spread the word.  Review the product on Amazon and warn potential buyers that the product is not authorized by Redeem Therapeutics!  Oh, and give them our website (Redeemrx.com) so they can get the real thing.

CBD on Amazon vs Redeem Therapeutics

At Redeem, we wonder why anyone that has done their research would buy CBD on a platform that restricts transparency. Amazon is a great place to buy many things. But, purchasing CBD on Amazon is full of smoke and mirrors marketing. Here is what you get if you purchase CBD from Redeem Therapeutics.

• We are the real deal. We are the manufacturer. And, we adhere to FDA Good Manufacturing Practices and use only USDA Certified Organic Hemp Flower grown within 100 miles of our facility.
• Our labeling is crystal clear. We tell you exactly what is in your product, right on the label.
• We back up our label with proof. Every lot has been tested by an ISO17025-certified Third-party Laboratory to ensure potency and purity. See our blog on CBD Lab Testing.
• We post the third-party laboratory results on our website. Simply search for your product’s lot number on our Certificate of Analysis page.
• We are science-based. Our motto is “Grown by Nature, Perfected by Science”.
• Don’t take our word for it check out our reviews.
• We offer actual customer service because we want to help! You won’t get that when you purchase CBD on Amazon. If you have questions or issues with an order or product, we will be there. Simply reach out to [email protected] or call us between 8:30 am and 5 pm at 803-736-3577 to talk to a Redeem Team member.

The Redeem Promise

When it comes to CBD on Amazon, transparency is the issue. Being transparent is at the heart of everything we do. Lack of transparency hurts the consumer and hurts the industry. We chose our name based on what we wanted to accomplish. We want to Redeem the industry and help you Redeem your health. That is the Redeem Promise.