First Time CBD Buying Guide: How to Pick Out What Works for You

CBD, first legalized in America as a result of the passage of the 2018 Farm Act, has become one of the hottest new compounds in the country. There is good reason for this: Countless anecdotal stories and a swath of scientific evidence have shown that CBD may be helpful for a slew of physical and emotional challenges.

However, because CBD is so new, there is still a large degree of confusion out there about what CBD is and how it can be safely and effectively purchased. To that end, here’s a CBD Buying Guide for first time users. We’ll walk you through the steps you need to take before purchase CBD.

1. Check with a medical professional

Before taking CBD – just like before taking any other over the counter food supplement – you should consult your Doctor. While the potential benefits of CBD are still being determined by medical research, the possibility exists that CBD could damage you liver or interact negatively with certain medications. While this will not be the case for most people, it is absolutely necessary that you check with a medical professional in order to ensure that this will not happen to you. As such, always check with your medical professional before starting CBD.

2. Determine how you want to consume the CBD

CBD comes in a variety of forms. Each of them has its own strengths and weaknesses and based on your own personal preference. These include:

Ingestion

• Tinctures: Tinctures are CBD distilled with some sort of carrier oil. They can be taken on their own (some are flavored) or mixed in with a variety of food or drinks. The speed at which they take to work is dependent upon how you take them; they work faster if taken sublingually (under the tongue) than if ingested like a regular food or drink.
• SoftGels: These are capsules which are essentially swallowed like any other pill. Because of this, they can take some time to work. They can also be loaded with other useful substances, like melatonin or curcumin.
• Gummies & Edibles: CBD gummies are pre-loaded candies. It is relatively easy to measure out an accurate dose, although it can take some time before the CBD starts working, as the compound has to work its way through the digestive system. Furthermore, if you have food allergies or are on a diet, eating gummies may not be a healthy or appropriate way to get CBD.

Topical

• Salves & Balms: These products are like any other lotion. They can be rubbed into the skin to deal with sore muscles, swelling or inflammation. Some people use them for skin care or skin conditions. Since the skin care product has to travel through the skin and fat before reaching muscle and your bloodstream, this will take the longest of the various consumption methods. Furthermore, it is difficult to measure dosage when you are using a skin care product.

Cosmeceuticals

• Face masks: These are essentially CBD-infused face masks, mixed with other substances and put into a cosmetic format. These are potentially beneficial because CBD may have numerous skin benefits, including reducing inflammation and other skin problems.

Inhalation

• Vaping: These are CBD infused vaping juices, often available in a variety of flavors. Vaping is one of the fastest ways to feel the impact of the CBD. However, there are a variety of safety concerns with vaping; as such, some people aren’t comfortable consuming CBD this way.

3. Research the company

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has yet to issue formal regulations for CBD, though it has sent warning letters to company’s who have made unsubstantiated medical claims about the effectiveness about the compound.

As a result of this lack of consumer protections, it is far too easy for bad actors in the CBD industry to rip you off. This, of course, means that consumers have to be more aware of the potential dangers caused by certain CBD companies.

Thankfully, there are a few things you can do in order to protect yourself. More reputable CBD companies used third-party testing, in which an independent company will analyze the CBD and return a Certificate of Analysis of the CBD, showing what ingredients and amounts are in the CBD. This is unfortunately necessary. In 2017, a University of Pennsylvania study tested 84 different CBD types and found that nearly 70% were mislabeled.

As such, you should only purchase CBD from a company which makes their Certificate of Analysis publicly available. For an example, here is a Certificate of Analysis from EZlief’s most recent salve.

Additionally, it is always worth Googling the company to find reviews and make sure that no governmental authority has taken regulatory action against them.

4. Decide if you want full spectrum or broad spectrum

All CBD types are not the same, and there is a critical difference between full and broad spectrum CBD. Both are processed to maintain as many of the naturally occurring flavonoids and terpenes as possible. The difference in in THC content: Full spectrum CBD contains THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol, which is the agent in marijuana responsible for intoxication), while broad spectrum CBD does not. If manufacturing legally, the full spectrum CBD will not contain enough THC to cause any sort of intoxication.

So, what is the potential advantage of full spectrum when compared to broad spectrum? Some people swear by the entourage effect, which theorizes that cannabis products like CBD are best only when all of their naturally occurring products – including THC – are left in the CBD. However, the evidence for the entourage effect is mixed, with at least one recently study saying that there was no evidence for the entourage effect.

One of the downsides of full spectrum CBD is that it may show up on a drug test, since it contains THC. To be clear, this is unlikely. But it is possible, depending on a variety of factors, such as the purity of the CBD, your metabolism, history with cannabis products, amount used and more. Of course, for some people, testing positive on a drug test can have major legal and professional repercussions. As such, it may be safer to avoid full spectrum CBD.