Top 5 tips to ensure you’re buying quality CBD products

In our latest guest blog Henry Vicenty, CEO of cannabidiol (CBD) oil producer Endoca, walks us through his top 5 tips to buying quality CBD products for managing your multiple sclerosis (MS).

Tip 1: Does the company have publicly accessible, easy to understand lab reports?

Companies such as Endoca selling quality products will be proud of their lab reports, and will want their customers and the general public to have easy access to information regarding what is in their products. Do a quick search of the company website, or reach out to their customer services team who should be able to point you in the right direction. You want to see cannabinoids listed, as well as terpenes and evidence of absent chemicals and pesticides.

Tip 2: Are the products organic and whole plant?

If the products are certified organic, you will see the logo on the website. Some companies will grow organically but may not have a certification, which isn’t ideal but even without certification, a quick glance over their lab reports should show the testing for, and subsequently negative levels of a variety of chemicals or toxins.

Research and anecdotal reports support the claim that whole plant CBD extracts are more therapeutically potent than isolated CBD extracts alone. Make sure the lab reports of your products show terpene and other trace cannabinoid levels, otherwise you may be buying an isolated CBD product, which means the company is using only the CBD molecule in a carrier oil and no other beneficial plant molecules.

Tip 3: Is the CBD amount of the product clearly labelled and verifiable?

As the industry is yet to be standardised, bottle sizes and CBD levels are all dependant on the company, so it’s hard to truly know if the product you’re using is good value for money. Endoca have created this CBD calculator, which helps you work out the monetary amount per milligram of CBD, which is important when trying to decide between products.

Tip 4: Are there clear quality standards in place?

Without clear quality standards there is no guarantee of safety in the product you are purchasing so make sure you ask the company for proof of the quality standards they have in place. Ask if the products are Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certified (when products are of pharmaceutical quality) and for any other certifications they hold that show their product is safe for consumption.

Tip 5: Is their website content clear and informative and do they have many online reviews?

As CBD is a new industry for many people, there is an abundance of misinformation online, including information that you can find on many CBD company websites. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to buy CBD in bulk and rebrand it as your own, so if the company you’re buying from provides limited information, or is not clear in giving you all the tools you need to make an informed decision or purchase, steer clear. Also, finding online sources of product reviews is vital to hearing about the experiences of others using the same products.

You can read more about cannabis in our Cannabis and MS Choices leaflet online.