You may have heard Cannabidiol (CBD) Oil to be the new wonder of the medical industry. With claims of its effectiveness in treating a wide range of conditions, including both mental and physical. It could even have been recommended to you by your doctor. So what could possibly be so confusing about choosing which product to start with?
As it turns out, a lot.
Although the sale and availability of medicinal CBD products have accelerated in the last few years, scientific research has been lagging behind. Before you decide on the best CBD product for you, be sure to ask your doctor about the possible interactions of CBD with the current medications you’re taking.
As a beginner, it is best to choose products with a low dosage of CBD, and that are easy to measure out. These products help you control the effects of the compounds by giving you full knowledge to test both dosage and concentration.
In this article, we’ll break down the most important factors that go into choosing the best CBD oil for you into the following:
⦁ Different types of CBD oils.
⦁ Choosing the best CBD product for you.
⦁ Identifying trustworthy brands.
Different Types of CBD Oil
CBD may be one of the most therapeutic compounds of cannabis known so far. However, it is not the plant’s only medicinally beneficial component.
There are studies suggesting that the psychoactive compound Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has its own therapeutic effects. Are you looking for the specific functions of the CBD compound, or do you want an oil with the other beneficial compounds as well?
The cannabis plant contains hundreds of chemical compounds aside from CBD and THC. These include other cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes, chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals and amino fatty acids. Primarily, these compounds dictate the flavour and scent profiles of the plant. However, they also have medical benefits!
Moreover, increasing bodies of research put forward a strong argument to suggest that taking CBD oil with THC as well as the other compounds found in the plant, might be more therapeutically beneficial than taking the compound alone. This is known as the Entourage Effect.
CBD Isolate
Your doctor may have recommended using CBD exclusively, due to the fact that some medications don’t mix well with certain cannabidiols like THC. This form exclusively offers you CBD oil benefits in the form of a single organic compound. It is often available in concentrates, water-soluble powder, or mixed with a carrier oil.
CBD Extract
CBD Extract is also known as full-spectrum CBD or broad-spectrum CBD oil. These types of oils include the full range of healthy compounds in addition to the sought-after CBD compound. These products are available in a variety of consumption options: ranging from dark and gooey concentrates to refined oils.
Full-spectrum Hemp Oil
These extracts will include all of the plant’s goodness – including the psychoactive compound, THC. CBD extracts are predominantly made using Hemp plants which typically have high concentrations of CBD and less than 0.3% of naturally occurring THC. This is a low enough amount to compliment the Entourage Effect with a little-to-no ‘high’ effect.
Broad-spectrum CBD Oil
Similar to the full-spectrum CBD oil extract above, broad-spectrum extracts were designed to include all naturally-occurring compounds found in the plants with the exception of the psychoactive ingredient, THC. This is a good alternative for someone who is looking for the Entourage Effect
Best CBD Products
You’ll also want to decide between several various CBD products – each of which has specific qualities and functions depending on your personal need.
The list of different products available is too long to describe in-depth, but as you begin to familiarize yourself with CBD, you’ll discover more and more varieties. These products range from more luxurious applications, such as CBD bath bombs and beauty products to more practical options such as transdermal patches and suppositories.
The Best CBD Products for Specific Uses:
- Instant relief: Vaping
- Long-lasting relief: Edibles & Capsules
- Targeted relief: Transdermal Patches & Topicals
- Overall relief: Sublingually (drops or tinctures)
There are many different CBD oil brands and products available follow this link to find out more about the different types of CBD oil.
Top 3 Sub-Products for beginners:
So which are the best CBD oils for beginners, in terms of the products available?
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Oil-based Tinctures
This is what many consumers know as CBD oil and are available in each of the CBD spectrums mentioned above. These products usually come in dropper bottles for easy sublingual application. Blood capillaries in our mouths allow for the CBD to be absorbed quickly into your system.
These usually consist of CBD extract or a CBD isolate base, mixed into a carrier oil. And often have additional sweeteners, cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids, depending on the product.
UPTAKE TIME:15-20 minutes.
DURATION (of effects): +/- 6 hours.
2. Edibles & Oil-Based Capsules
The great advantage of edibles is that they are easy and discreet to take. This kind of product gives you an exact dosage, delivering long-lasting effects. For a beginner, this means you can start with a smaller dose than recommended (like half a gummy bear) and see how your body responds before deciding to ingest more to reach your desired effect.
Capsules and edibles usually include a CBD extract or isolate mixed in with a carrier oil (such as hemp, coconut or MCT oil).
UPTAKE TIME: +/- 1 hour.
DURATION: +/- 6 hours.
3. Vaping
Probably the best use of CBD oil for pain management, vaping CBD’s effects follow minutes after consuming the extract. Unfortunately, the effects don’t last as long as other products, but this will more likely depend on the potency of the extract. As well as how quickly your body is able to metabolize the compounds.
You’ll be able to find reusable and disposable CBD Vaping products. The latter of which is a great way for beginners to see how much they enjoy the sensation and effects of smoking.
Vape oil (or vape juice) comes as a way to refill your vape pen, they often come in different flavours. These usually contain CBD Isolate or CBD Extract; thinning agents such as vegetable glycerin or MCT oil; and natural or artificial flavourings – the compounds of which should be listed on the label.
UPTAKE TIME: 10 minutes uptake
DURATION: 2-3 hours.
What to Look For in CBD Oil Labels
Although there are already many quality CBD companies brands and products to choose from, the industry is largely unregulated.
This, unfortunately, allows a window of opportunity for people and businesses to sell CBD products with no requirements for proper information on labels, production management, and third-party testing.
These kinds of products are dangerous because you cannot be sure how strong or weak the concentration of CBD is within the product, and therefore how much of it to take in order to reach your desired effect. Moreover, false labelling could include CBD in the ingredients list by using misleading terms and phrases, without any CBD being used at all.
Top-rated CBD Oil Label Requirements
CBD products should all include specific requirements on their labels. That’s how you know if they’re trusted or not.
A full list of ingredients:
- Carrier oil used to stabilize the CBD molecules and assists our bodies in absorbing it.
- Additional ingredients such as flavours and colourants.
- Potential allergens
- Cannabinoid profile covering each and every cannabinoid, terpene and flavonoid compounds present.
Indicators for the quality of the product:
- Batch numbers and production dates show you that the company producing these products is accountable for the quality of each batch of product that is produced. They also allow suppliers to do a product recall if necessary.
- Third-party COA, or Certificate of Analysis, must be done by a company that is not associated with the product in order to truly demonstrate a product’s reliability.
So, What is the Best CBD Oil for you?
To summarise, choosing the best CBD product for you depends on three main factors:
- Which cannabinoids you’re looking for
- The concentration and dosage of CBD available in the product
- The application method that will be easiest for you to start with
Depending on the reason for trying CBD, you’ll be more likely to try certain methods over others initially. Remember, however, that everyone responds differently to chemicals – both naturally occurring and man-made. Ultimately it will take a little bit of trial and error, but hopefully, this guide has given you the right idea on where to start.
