What is CBD Oil?
CBD oil is extracted from the flower, stems, stalks and other parts of the cannabis plant. Unfortunately, it’s typically not easy to know if a product contains CBD just by looking at its label. Some products containing CBD don’t mention it anywhere on the label. That’s because saying CBD on the label or website can increase the company’s risk associated with FDA regulations.
The best way to know whether a product contains CBD is to look at third-party lab reports. These independent lab results are posted by all reputable CBD brands. They will tell you exactly what cannabinoids and terpenes are in the product and at what levels. They will also show you that the product has passed testing for potentially dangerous heavy metals, pesticides and residual solvents.
As an example, here is the cannabinoid profile page from a recent lab report posted by NuLeaf Naturals. We’ve highlighted the line that shows the product was tested to contain 61.77 milligrams of CBD per milliliter. If the bottle size is 30 milliliters, then the total bottle has a total of 1,853 milligrams of CBD (61.77mg x 30ml).
Understanding all of the numbers can be confusing. So your takeaway should just be that you can confirm that a product actually has CBD in it by reviewing the third-party lab reports.
What is Hemp Extract?
Some products that contain CBD list the primary ingredient as hemp extract. To add to the confusion, they may also list hemp seed oil, olive oil or MCT oil as ingredients. Those other oils listed are the “carrier oils.” Carrier oils dilute the concentrated hemp extract (which includes CBD) to improve the taste of the product.
The omission of CBD from the label can lead some people to mistakenly think there isn’t any CBD in the product. But the reality is that many of them do. Again, the best way to confirm this is to check the third-party lab reports. CBD will be listed in the cannabinoid profile if the product contains it.
Summary
As of now, there aren’t any standard CBD label requirements. Some brands clearly label their products as containing CBD whereas others do not. This can make it confusing for you to know whether a product contains CBD.
Generally, products that only list hemp oil or hemp seed oil as the ingredients do not have any CBD in them. Products that list hemp extract on the label typically do. You can should always check the third-party lab reports to confirm that a product has CBD in it.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully you now have a better understanding of the difference between hemp oil and CBD oil. If you’re wanting to buy a product that definitely has CBD in it, here are 3 suggestions:
1. Look at third-party lab reports to confirm that it contains CBD.
2. Buy a CBD product from one of the companies on our list of the best CBD oil brands. Products from all of these companies include CBD. They’ve also been vetted for product quality, customer service and feedback from customers.
3. Is the CBD content still not clear to you? Reach out to the company selling the product and specifically ask them if their product contains CBD or not.
