Comparing CBD Products
The market is flooded with CBD products varying from tinctures to topicals, and even beauty products with no labeling requirements, no safety requirements, and no unified unit of measurement, which makes it exceedingly difficult to do cross comparisons from one product to another. So as a consumer, what should you be looking for when shopping for CBD products?
Has the hemp been grown organically?
Hemp is a bio-accumulator, meaning it naturally pulls toxins from the
soil. If the hemp-derived CBD product you are consuming was not grown
organically, you could potentially be consuming various heavy metals,
pesticides, or molds. At Rx Remedies, we use only organically-grown,
hemp-derived CBD in all of our products.
| Cannabinoid | Benefit |
|---|---|
| THC | Psychotropic, analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, appetite stimulant, bronchodilator, neuroprotectant. |
| CBD | Analgesic, anti-anxiety, anti-bacterial, anti-convulsive, anti-depressant, anti-emetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-insomnia, anti-ischemic, antipsychotic, antispasmodic, immunosuppressive, neuroprotectant. |
| CBC | Analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-insomnia. |
| CBG | Analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-depressant, anti-fungal. |
| CBN | Mild psychotropic, analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-convulsive, anti-inflammatory, anti-insomnia. |
CBD Oil Store
Is the product made with full-spectrum oil or an isolate?
Full-spectrum oil indicates that all of the cannabinoids and terpenes naturally grown in the hemp plant (to include THC at the legal limit of 0.3% or less) are present, whereas an isolate is a pure, single-molecule compound consisting of CBD only. It would seem that a product formulated with pure CBD-isolate would be superior to the more “crude” full-spectrum alternative, however research indicates a very limited beneficial range for CBD-isolate with no anti-inflammatory or analgesic benefits in either too low or too high a dose. Comparatively, CBD-rich, full-spectrum oil (17:1, CBD/THC ratio in this particular study) significantly eased inflammation and pain in much smaller doses, and in larger doses, its effectiveness did not decrease, but only plateaued.
Consumers are often wary when consuming full-spectrum products for fear of feeling “stoned”. It is important to note that hemp-derived CBD products (such as the products formulated by Rx Remedies) can legally have no more than 0.3% THC, which is far too low of an amount to feel any sort of intoxication. Thusly, you will feel neither stoned nor intoxicated when consuming our products, however there is potential for testing positive for THC. If you cannot have even trace amounts of THC in your system, we recommend using our Just CBD tincture. Both our full-spectrum and isolate sublingual drops are enhanced with our potent Sativa and Indica terpene blends.
As previously mentioned, full-spectrum oil also includes terpenes, which not only have their own medicinal uses, but also further enhance the effects of the various cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. This synergistic relationship between cannabinoids and terpenes is commonly referred to as the entourage effect, where the therapeutic benefits of the whole plant far outweigh any one part. At Rx Remedies, we further enhance the effects of CBD by adding additional proprietary terpene blends, specially formulated by our Chief Science Officer, a board-certified toxicologist and pharmacologist.
Does the company third-party test? Do they share their test results?
It is important to remember there are currently no regulations in the CBD industry regarding quality, safety, or efficacy. Therefore, it is imperative that companies third-party test their raw oils, and isolates to ensure they are free of potential contamination. Rx Remedies third-party tests all raw oil and isolate upon arrival at our facility. Once cleared for use, we then third-party test our finished products to ensure the CBD content is as advertised.
Is the product concentrated?
Many companies will offer 500mg tinctures in 30mL or 60mL bottles, which is quite misleading. The consumer sees a larger bottle and assumes, “Larger bottle = more CBD”, when in actuality, they are purchasing a diluted product. Remember: concentration effects absorption; a concept that is easier understood when applied to alcohol.
If you were to make two gin and tonics, both with the same amount of gin, but one with 8oz of tonic verses 24 oz of tonic – which would cause intoxication? You would not feel the effects of the alcohol when consuming the cocktail with 24oz of tonic because your body would metabolize the alcohol before it reached your blood stream. Similarly, you were to consume CBD from a 500mg/30mL or 500mg/60mL bottle, your body would metabolize the CBD before you received the therapeutic benefits. It is for this reason Rx Remedies formulations are highly concentrated (ex: 500mg/10mL and 1000mg/10mL) with the added benefits of our proprietary terpene blends and various plant extracts.
Want to learn more? Visit PubMed.gov or ProjectCBD.org for more information.