How to Identify High-Quality CBD Oil in India – Buy CBD Oil India | Licensed Under Ministry of Ayush
High quality CBD oil is an effective companion to help in many modern lifestyle ailments such as: stress, anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, anger management, severe period pain, cancer treatment, arthritis and many more.
Due to this, using a high quality CBD oil is essential.
There are a few indicators to find out the quality of a CBD oil.
But First let’s have a recap about CBD.
What is CBD?
CBD is an active compound present in hemp plant. The hemp plant was used for addressing issues like insomnia, depression and epilepsy by many ancient civilizations. CBD products comes in different forms:
- Oils
- Capsules
- Gummies
- Vapes and more
Many low quality and ineffective CBD oils are also in the Indian market. That’s why you have to learn to identify high quality CBD oil.
9 Indicators for High Quality CBD Oil
To find out the quality of a CBD oil consider the following nine factors:
1) Source of Raw Material
The origin of a CBD product determines the quality to a large extent.
The soil profile in which the hemp was grown influences the quality as hemp is a bioaccumulator; this means hemp absorbs everything from the soil. If the hemp is being grown on a fertile and clean land then product quality will be high whereas hemp grown on repurposed land which contains heavy metals or other pollutants will result in a contaminated and lower quality hemp.
Apart from the soil, the climate also plays a crucial role in the final quality of CBD oil.
This happens due to the microclimate stress response which means the hemp plant produces cannabinoids like CBD, THC and other cannabinoids for self preservation.
High altitude microclimates expose the plants to strong UV-B radiation. Hemp in response to the intense sun rays produces a thick layer of resinous trichomes (Crystal like glands on the plant). The resinous trichomes act as a shield to protect the seeds and flowers from getting sunburned. The increased trichomes means a denser concentration of cannabinoids especially THC but less effect on CBD.
Find out the source of hemp of a CBD oil to understand its quality.
2) Cultivation Practices
How a hemp plant is grown can signal the final quality. Are the cultivators using synthetic fertilizers to force growth or do they practice organic farming using natural compost?
How is the plant harvested using hand harvesting and air drying to preserve the trichomes (Where CBD and terpenes are present)
The essence of the CBD oil depends on the extraction method used to get the final extract.
CO2 extraction is the highest standard method which uses pressurized carbon dioxide to extract the cannabinoids without leaving any harmful residues. This method gives high purity, consistent cannabinoid concentration and minimal contamination risk.
Solvent based extraction – Manufacturers use ethanol,propane or butane. Certain solvent based methods are safe when executed correctly but poor execution may leave unwanted residues in the extract.
4) Type of CBD Spectrum
There are 3 types of CBD Spectrum, Full spectrum, broad spectrum and Isolate.
Full Spectrum CBD – It contains all the cannabinoids including CBD, THC, CBN, terpenes, flavonoids and other natural compounds that are present in the original hemp plant. The full spectrum CBD has the entourage effect meaning all the cannabinoids work together to produce a greater effect.
Broad Spectrum CBD – It contains all the cannabinoids except THC. It’s good for individuals who don’t want the benefits of CBD without the effects of THC. Individuals avoid THC due to personal or work reasons.
Isolate CBD – It contains only CBD. The Isolate CBD is also called pure CBD due to this reason.
5) Accurate Labelling
High Quality products are accurate with all the details they provide in their labelling.
A label should have the following things listed:
- Total CBD/ hemp extract
- Serving size
- Batch number
- Expiry date
- Usage Instructions
- Manufacturer’s information
6) Ingredients Used
Make sure to check the ingredients that are used on the CBD oil.
The ingredients usually have:
- The hemp extract
- The Carrier oil (MCT oil, Hempseed oil, Olive oil)
- Natural Flavour
Avoid the CBD oils that contain unnecessary additives.
7) Colour of the Oil
The colour of the CBD oil indicates a lot of information.
Pale Yellow – It is a highly processed CBD isolate or Broad spectrum oil along with the carrier oil MCT (coconut oil).
Light Gold/ Honey Amber – It is a high quality Full spectrum oil or broad spectrum oil
Dark Green/ Dark Brown – It is a raw, unrefined or minimally filtered oil. It may have hemp seed oil which is naturally dark green. It is much more bitter and earthy. However, be cautious if a cheap CBD oil looks dark and muddy is a sign of poor manufacturing or leftover solvents.
8) Product Packaging
Glass bottles with dark amber colour are best to keep CBD oil properly preserved. Exposure to UV rays weakens the oil and changes the flavour. Amber glass offers the highest protection for the CBD oil.
Whereas other containers like plastic are not good. Plastic containers can degrade over time when in contact with the cannabinoids present in the extract which can leach harmful chemicals into the CBD oil.
9) Certificate of Analysis (COA)
The Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a lab report that contains:
Cannabinoid potency profile
Amount of CBD and other cannabinoid content present in the extract.
Contaminant screening
Pollutants are present in the extracts. The pollutants can be dangerous for your health, that’s why a proper screening is needed.
This screening includes-
- Heavy metals like lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium.
- Screening for pesticide and herbicides.
- Residual solvents from extraction.
- Microbial contamination (mold, E.coli, salmonella etc.)
A COA must be done by a third party lab. Trustworthy COA has a batch number or a lot number that matches the number on the product packaging.
Conclusion
All CBD oil is not made to the same quality standards. As the CBD market expands and more options are emerging for the consumers there will be a flood of low quality CBD oil and CBD products as well.
You need to learn how to identify a high quality CBD oil for your own good.
Learn to differentiate between a low quality CBD oil and a high quality CBD oil by looking for:
Source of raw material
- Cultivation practices
- Extraction methods
- Types of CBD spectrum
- Accurate labelling
- Ingredients used
- Colour of the oil
- Product packaging
- Certificate of Analysis (COA)
Spend a few minutes researching the product to avoid low quality options.
