Nowadays, CBD oil is literally everywhere. And it’s kind of overwhelming – especially for folks who are looking to try it for their health.
All of these options cause us to instinctively add Amazon’s top choice directly to our cart. But trust us – real wellness isn’t a two day shipping guarantee.
What you’re probably buying is fake CBD oil.
Here are our five steps to avoid buying fake CBD oil:
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Take a look at the label
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Know your farmer
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Third party verification or bust!
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Be mindful of manufacturing
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1-800-Real-CBD – call the company!
But first, let's go through a quick overview on fake CBD oil, and why you should never buy it!
What is Fake CBD Oil?
Fake CBD oil is more prevalent than you think. But why? The Federal Food and Drug Association (FDA) does not officially approve CBD products. That means that CBD companies are not legally required to uphold a set of standards in manufacturing, labelling, and selling their products.
Because of this, companies can get away with lying about what’s in their products. It’s not uncommon for fake CBD oil to have synthetic ingredients and dangerous fillers.
Why do they do this? To make money. Unnatural ingredients are easy to get and cheap to procure.
Ultimately, fake CBD oil companies aren’t looking to help us get a good night’s sleep or manage our stress levels – they’re looking to turn a profit.
This is a serious threat to consumer health and safety. In 2018, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 52 people in Utah got sick from taking fake CBD oil – and 31 of these folks ended up in the emergency room! With the ever-trending CBD oil fad, we must be mindful of who, what, where, and how we buy CBD.
And remember – there are many CBD companies that aren’t selling fake CBD oil! There are plenty of folks in the industry dedicated to providing only the highest quality CBD oil – like Anavii Market!
Follow our five steps below on how to know if your CBD oil is fake. Don’t let the bad guys in the game deter you from promoting natural health and wellness!
Look at the CBD label
Labels are extremely important. They’re the first thing we see as consumers when we glance at a product. They contain critical information that drive us to or steer us away from making a purchase. If the information on the label looks iffy, odds are, we won’t buy the product.
With CBD, there is a specific language that signals whether or not you’re buying fake CBD oil.
Here are some key phrases that you’ll find on real CBD oil product labels:
- Pure cannabidiol
- Certified CBD
- Hemp-derived
- Full spectrum
In addition to these key phrases, real CBD will contain the specific product’s concentration on its label. Also known as its strength, the concentration will be a numerical amount that’ll tell you just how much CBD is in the product.
That means you’ll be able to figure out how much CBD you’re taking per serving, if the label doesn’t already do the math for you!
Other things to keep an eye out for? Lot numbers and expiration dates. These figures show how the company tracks each product for quality control and safety purposes.
Also, CBD can and will expire at some point – you’ll want to know when that time comes!
Let’s put a CBD oil product from our website to the test – Ananda Hemp CBD softgels. Does its label pass or fail?
Language – PASS - The front of the product Includes TWO key phrases: “full spectrum hemp-derived”
Concentration – PASS - Below its key phrase, the label states: “15mg of hemp extract per soft gel”. With 30 soft gels in total, the bottle thus contains 600mg of hemp extract.
Lot Number & Expiration Date – PASS - On this product, the two figures are right next to each other below the ingredients!
Ultimately, if the label doesn’t provide most or all of this information, you’re probably dealing with fake CBD oil.
Know your hemp farmer
Legal, TSA-approved CBD oil products are hemp-derived, meaning they come from the hemp plant. Because of this, it is crucial to understand where the hemp that was used in making your CBD product comes from.
Why? Whether you’re ingesting it under your tongue or through your skin, CBD is entering your body. And you only want the best for your body – there’s only one of them!
Reputable and honest CBD companies will make information about where they grow their hemp quite clear. Let’s put our own website, Anavii Market, to the test. Do we provide the growing location?
Here’s a product page from our site for Bluebird Botanicals Complete CBD Oil. In the description, you’ll see how the location is mentioned – Bluebird Botanicals uses Colorado grown hemp! If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see how Anavii offers a thorough description about Bluebird Botanicals’ farming methods.
If the location of the hemp used in your CBD product isn’t disclosed, you’re probably dealing with fake CBD oil.
Why is that? Because if you don’t know where the plant coming from, there’s no way to be sure that it actually contains quality hemp.
Our motto? Know your farmer.
Check for third-party verification
Does the company you buy from test its CBD products via-third-party labs? If you answered no, here’s a tip – don’t buy it, it’s fake CBD oil.
Honestly, do yourself a favor and throw it away. And no, it’s not a waste. Why? Without third-party testing, there’s no certainty regarding your CBD product’s ingredients.
Even if the label claims 5mg CBD per serving, it’s the third-party test results that verifies it. That fake CBD oil you bought for $19.99 could be 99% petroleum jelly for all we know.
But it gets more serious than just wasting money on fake CBD oil – it’s a personal safety issue. What if you have a serious health issue? Take other medications? Have an allergy to a particular ingredient?
You could even get into legal trouble without a third-party lab tested product. How? The fake CBD oil you’re taking could have a THC content above the legal limit of 0.3%.
Even if the company claims that their product is legal, and under 0.3% THC, you’ll never know for sure until you’ve seen the third-party lab test results. At Anavii Market, third-party verification is our promise.
All of the products on our website are not only third-party lab tested, but have also gone through our own verification process called Verified Life Cycle.
We would never endanger your health with fake CBD oil.
Be mindful of CBD manufacturing
As our co-founder Annie Rouse reminds us, not all CBD is created equal. That’s right – even if it comes from the same hemp plant, that doesn’t mean it goes through the same manufacturing methods.
One of the most critical elements to manufacturing is a company’s extraction methods. An extraction method is simply when the CBD gets taken from its plant flowers and thus able to be packaged into a variety of products, such as tinctures, balms, sprays, and so on.
Some extractions methods are safer and more eco-friendly than others, so you'll want to make sure you're getting only the best:
- Alcohol extraction, for example, is a method free from harmful solvents that does a great job at preserving the terpenes and flavor of CBD and other cannabinoids.
- CO2 extraction is also free from harmful chemicals such as heavy metals and toxins, and is a more sustainable option for our planet!
If you can’t find out about your CBD product’s extraction method, you could be dealing with a potentially toxic product or, simply, fake CBD oil.
If you don’t know the process, you won’t know the product. Call 1-800-Real-CBD Today!
Call ‘em up! Trusted companies have an accessible customer support team to help guide you in the right direction and answer any questions you may have about a product. Fake CBD oil companies, in contrast, don’t want to give you the time of day.
Here’s a quick exercise – visit the company’s website. If you see “Contact Us” and “FAQ” sections, that’s a good sign. That means the company is interested in connecting with you and helping you with your personal wellness needs.
By contacting the company directly, you can also ask questions about the company’s mission statement and values.
Do they participate in grassroots organizing? Personally test the products they provide? Have scientific experts on staff?
If you’re having a hard time finding out the answers to such questions, odds are you’re dealing with a company that sells fake CBD oil.
Why? It’s simple. Companies that sell real CBD are real. They’re transparent, selfless, and are in the industry to help others – not their wallets.
Looking for Verified CBD Products? Contact Anavii Market Today!
We hope these five steps to avoid buying fake CBD oil guide you in the right direction!
As always, feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions about CBD, hemp, or natural wellness. And remember – don’t buy fake CBD oil!
The products sold on this site and these statements herein have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
