By Redeem | Jan 6, 2021

What is the Standard for “High Quality CBD” – All Your Questions Answered.

What is the Standard for “High Quality CBD” – All Your Questions Answered.

By Redeem | Jan 6, 2021

Share
Table of Contents
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    When it comes to choosing a high quality CBD oil, just like all other health and wellness products on the market, it takes a little research to make sure a company is making honest claims. Is there a golden standard for “high quality CBD”?

    With the FDA not yet regulating CBD products, how can we tell who is being honest, and who is full of inconsistencies?

    There are several obvious ways that the CBD industry is falling short in the way of truth and transparency. At Redeem Therapeutics, we are acutely aware of these shortcomings and strive to turn them into our areas of expertise.

    That’s why we’ve guide for finding high quality CBD products.

    How do you know if you’re getting quality CBD oil?

    High Quality CBD Oil isn’t hard to come by these days, however, it can be hard to differentiate which is quality, and which is not.

    How do you know what is a quality CBD oil?

    1. Deep-Dive Into 3rd Party Lab Test Results

    2017 study reported that nearly 70% of all CBD products sold online were incorrectly labeled (Bonn-Miller, 2017). This is an alarming statistic, as it means that most CBD products are not what they claim to be. Not surprisingly, several well-known companies have already received warning letters for selling fake hemp-oil. This puts you in a vulnerable position— one where you cannot be sure what it is that you are consuming.

    Third-Party Lab Testing has become a popular method to help differentiate between high-quality and low-quality oil. It’s actually rare to find a CBD oil that doesn’t come with lab results. If you come across a CBD product that doesn’t appear to be lab-tested, you can go ahead and assume that it is low-quality.

    Just claiming that they are tested by a 3rd party isn’t enough, do a thorough look into the test results for multiple products and compare them to the product label. This is the only way to hold a company accountable for what they are selling. Make sure products are balance and consistent from batch to batch.

    There’s also plenty of variation regarding the types of information that CBD lab reports provide. Thorough lab tests will be done by a third-party (not in-house) and will provide information on the concentration of CBD, THC and other cannabinoids and terpenes present in the product. They will also test for the presence of common contaminants like residual solvents, heavy metals, aflatoxins, pesticides and microbial analysis.

    A high quality CBD oil will have test results showing no more than 0.3 percent THC. It will pass for safety tests looking at pesticides, heavy metals, and more. It will also be consistent from batch to batch, so that you know you get the same, balanced product every time.

    At Redeem, we choose to test our products by sending them off to ProVerde Laboratories, a third-party facility that specializes in analysis of plant extracts. The test results are collected and formed into an unbiased report of the precise contents of your CBD solution. These reports are your ticket to confidence.

    By comparing your third-party report to the label claims of your CBD oil, you no longer have to wonder if the numbers are accurate. And the beauty of this process is its ease. Simply follow these three steps:

    1. Locate the lot or batch number located on every product label.
    2. Match the code with the Batch # at redeemrx.com/pages/third-party-certificate-analysis (you can also use a QR code on the label to get here)
    3. Click on the link and view your “Official Report”.

    2. Find out where it comes from

    We believe that quality begins in the soil. Where the hemp was planted and how it was cared for matters. A “high quality” CBD oil is going to be extracted from USDA certified organic hemp grown in the USA. When choosing a company, be sure they are transparent with where the original plant comes from as well as where the hemp product is manufactured.

    While the CBD industry remains largely unregulated, Cannabis grown in the United States is subject to agricultural regulations. The cultivation and processing of hemp as an ingredient in CBD products is regulated by the US Department of Agriculture. In turn, the USDA has delegated control of the hemp industry to the individual state’s agriculture departments.

    Hemp that is grown in accordance with the USDA certified organic standards and practices will make the highest quality CBD oil and maintain a high quality earth.

    At Redeem Therapeutics, our cannabinoid-rich, USDA certified organic hemp is planted from seed, grown, and harvested in the foothills of the southern Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. The Appalachian Growers use innovative, natural solutions to keep pest control down, including the housing of a colony of Purple Martins (a North American swallow) to help keep the flying insect population at bay.

    By using Integrated Pest Management (IPM), the Appalachian Growers are proactive with natural solutions and only use OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) certified products on an as-needed basis.

    The hemp is then brought into our Columbia, South Carolina manufacturing plant where it gets extracted and manufactured cleanly and precisely, using only the finest organic ingredients. Learn more about our processes >

    3. Take a good look at the ingredients.

    Some ingredients just shouldn’t be in a “high quality” CBD oil. When trying to find the difference between a high-quality oil or low-quality oil, look at the ingredients and make sure it contains no added chemicals, thinning agents, heavy metals, pesticides, or fertilizers. If you see lots of big, chemical-sounding names in the ingredients of a CBD oil product, you should probably move on.

    You’ll want to read the ingredients list to be sure the oil actually has CBD or cannabidiol in it. Products that have no mention of cannabidiol or hemp-extract and only list hemp seeds, hempseed oil, or Cannabis sativa seed oil are NOT CBD products – these ingredients aren’t the same as CBD.

    Usually, you’ll find hemp, hemp-extract, or hemp oil listed as the main ingredient on a bottle of quality CBD oil. The varying titles to describe CBD is a result of the ever-changing laws and regulations put on labeling and advertising.

    Most of the time you’ll find other ingredients are added for taste, consistency, or added health benefits. When it comes to flavor, a high quality oil is going to use organic flavoring, sweetener or essential oils.

    If you’re looking for extra health benefits, you might want to look for one with added vitamins or other natural compounds. Look for a list of additional cannabinoids, terpenes and other compounds. Cannabinoids like cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), and cannabichromene (CBC) can have added benefits.

    4. Make sure they use cGMP, Current Good Manufacturing Practice regulations

    The best CBD companies adhere to what is known as current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). To ensure you’re getting the best CBD product on the market, you’ll want to verify cGMP compliance before making a purchase.

    Current Good Manufacturing Practices are a set of federal regulations enforced by the FDA to ensure that a manufacturer’s quality system is adequate to consistently manufacture safe and effective products. These regulations were put in place to protect the US consumer from ineffective or unsafe products. CGMPs help to assure proper design, monitoring, and control of manufacturing processes and facilities. These regulations have been established for manufacturers of medical devices, food, supplements, animal feed and veterinary drugs, and human drug products.

    According to the FDA, “Adherence to the CGMP regulations assures the identity, strength, quality, and purity of drug products by requiring that manufacturers of medications adequately control manufacturing operations.”

    Redeem Therapeutics was started by pharmaceutical and medical device industry professionals with over 60 years of experience implementing cGMPs in a practical, effective manner. Using highly controlled processes that adhere to cGMP manufacturing guidelines, we guarantee a safe, effective product made with transparency, consistency, and balance every single time.

    5. Read reviews and discover the brand’s reputation

    We know better than anyone, it takes time to build a reputation and get reviews. But at this point, if your CBD brand doesn’t have an online reputation or any reviews on their products, it might be time to look elsewhere. Happy customers like to talk about it, that’s why any high-quality CBD brand is going to have proof of user trust and brand reputation.

    Some things you should go out of your way to look for before trusting a CBD company:

    • customer reviews
    • whether the company has been subject to an FDA warning letter
    • whether the company makes any unsupported health claims

    Things that don’t make a difference in quality of CBD oil:

    • The color of the oil
    • Whether infused in MCT oil, coconut oil, olive oil, hemp seed oil, or some other type of oil carrier
    • Whether it’s been extracted using supercritical CO2 methods or alcohol

    How much should a high quality CBD oil cost?

    Calculating the cost of different CBD oils can be time consuming and a little confusing. No one is labeling products the same way, per bottle, per dose, per milligram, per ounce?

    To make a fair comparison, you may have to do some math. To calculate the price per milligram that a CBD oil offers, you want to divide the price of the CBD product you’re considering by the total amount of CBD (in milligrams) that is in the bottle. This will give you the exact cost, in cents, of each milligram of CBD in the product.

    Do this for all of the products that made it into your final list, and you can find the best price for the highest quality CBD.

    A price per milligram of around $0.05 to $0.10 is standard in the industry. If the price per milligram of the CBD oil product you’re considering is higher than this average, however, you might want to choose a different brand.

    Our price point guide is based on the value of CBD per container, in dollars per milligram (mg).

    • $ = under $0.10 per mg of CBD
    • $$ = $0.10–$0.20 per mg
    • $$$ = over $0.20 per mg

    To get a full understanding of the price, it’s important to read CBD labels for serving sizes, amounts, strengths, and other ingredients.

    At Redeem Therapeutics, we have extremely competitive pricing for such high-quality CBD products. For the most CBD for your buck, check out our 3000mg CBD oil for just $150 – that’s $.05 per mg, and about as low as you’ll find.

    How do I determine CBD concentration and what’s in a serving?

    Trying to determine the amount of CBD in a product and how much you’re getting with each serving can be one of the most confusing parts to taking your high quality CBD oil.

    It’s common practice to have the total amount of CBD in the bottle listed in the product name or description, but not the serving size or dose.

    If a CBD oil label doesn’t list the milligrams per milliliter (mg/mL), you can do the math by dividing the mg per bottle by the ml per bottle. for example, if you have a 30ml bottle of 3,000mg CBD oil, that’s 100 mg/mL. You’ll be able to measure out a milliliter in a dropper, or a fraction of it if you prefer, and then know how many mg of CBD you are getting per dose.

    At Redeem, we use our innovative spray bottles instead of droppers. 1 dose of CBD spray is .5ml.

    Where can I find high quality CBD oil?

    Believe or not, you can find high quality CBD oil right on your phone. Trusted CBD companies come in all forms these days, from online-only to in-store only and everything in between.

    Just because you see a CBD product on the shelf at Walmart or Food Lion does not make it a trusted CBD company. Do they have as much CBD in the bottle as they claim on the label? Do they have USDA certified organic hemp? Is the product balanced every time, or are you going to get a completely different product next month?

    Online shopping is important now more than ever, because visiting the website of a CBD brand can tell you so much more than you would ever know if you were just picking a product in a store.

    If you live in a CBD-friendly state that has cannabis dispensaries, you may want to take advantage of recommendations from knowledgeable staff.

    Do any pharmacies sell good quality CBD oil?

    Of all the places to by your CBD oil, a pharmacy, doctor’s recommendation or veterinarian office would be one of the easiest places to start. Because these locations are tailored to help patients lead healthier lives, they have likely already done the research to be sure they are carrying high quality CBD oils. They can help you in your journey by advising you on how best to use it and by catching any potential drug interactions before they occur.

    However, it’s important to realize that CBD is still extremely new to the US and many doctors, pharmacies and veterinarians have yet to jump on board because of legality concerns, lack of testing and FDA regulations.

    It’s extremely important to be your own advocate on your CBD journey. Do your research, ask as many people as many questions as you can, and try to find the facts before trusting a company with your health.


    Want to try the Redeem™ difference? Shop our Pharmaceutical-Grade CBD Today.

    We use cGMP compliant processes and test each lot of product when making our hemp products. Then, we add back any compound that is below our minimum specification. If our product works for you today, it will work the same with each subsequent purchase. 

    At Redeem, we are only satisfied with the best, which is why we make sure all of our hemp products present the ideal amounts of natural compounds in our balanced formula. Whether you’re enjoying our easy-to-use hemp tincture sprays, our hemp topical pain cream, or our paws-itively amazing hemp oil for pets, you can be confident you are using high-quality, organically grown hemp.

    Be sure to get to know the company behind the product. Check out How We Got Started and the faces behind Our Team.

    Take back your health today with Redeem Therapeutics.

    Up Next from Redeem

    Redeem Products

    Introducing CBD Gummies for Immunity & Sleep: Order Yours Today.

    Have you heard? Our new line of all-natural CBD Gummies with Zero-THC are here! These gummies contain zero-THC, no corn syrup, no artificial colors or sweeteners, and no gelatin. Using scientific research and pharmaceutical-grade processes, we’ve blended CBD, important immunity boosters and renowned sleep aids with all-natural ingredients, for two yummy flavors that you’ll look forward…
    Read More +