Cannabidiol (CBD) has been a disputed substance for decades until scientists found concrete evidence of its therapeutic properties. While it has been proven that cannabinoids, especially CBD, has many benefits, not everything is crystal clear about it.
Nevertheless, hemp farming and CBD product making have been legalized and regulated in the US, among several other countries. This has given a boost to both the scientific fraternity and the pharmaceutical and wellness companies, with laboratories across the country working overtime to find the best concoction of Cannabinoid blend to help people suffering from different kinds of ailments.
Amid the rising popularity and demand for CBD across the world, especially in the US, people are still Googling “CBD Oils near me”.
With both reputed and shady companies vying to make their mark and cash in on the consumer frenzy over this “magic herbal remedy”, it is quite difficult to find a trustworthy CBD brand or vendor. While there are too many frauds lurking in the cyber world, offline vendors are not quite that reliable either.
“So how do I find the Best CBD Oils Near Me!?!”
I hear you! That’s why I have come up with this guide that tells you why buying CBD oil near you locally can be a bad option and how best to buy online.
Should You Buy CBD Locally Or Online?
Locally sold CBD Oils aren’t quite that safe or reliable. There is no guarantee of its quality or authenticity. Unless you’re buying from a reputed brand, it is most likely a fake or low-grade product. Sometimes, unscrupulous vendors sell fake items by pasting labels of reputed brands on the packages. It’s a fact that consumers are vulnerable to such fraudulent and shady sellers, especially in the absence of strict regulations (Will cover more about it later in the article).
That’s why I have come up with this guide on buying CBD. Here are a few reliable and reputed brands of CBD oils that you may consider.
Top 3 CBD Oils Online Near You
#1 Fab CBD Oil – Best Overall Full Spectrum
#2 Cheef Botanicals – Best Value
#3 Joy Organics – Best Broad Spectrum Oil
But before the reviews, Here are some of the reasons why purchasing CBD Oils from local stores near you could be a waste of money, harmful or even dangerous (as dangerous as being fatal)
#1 It’s NOT CBD Oil, it’s Hemp Seed Oil!
The hemp seed oil has quite a few health benefits, but it’s far from what REAL CBD has to offer! Hemp seed contains very little cannabinoids and almost NO CBD.
Always take a minute to read the label carefully and check the ingredients. Although hemp seed oil may be present in CBD oils as a carrier oil, it shouldn’t be the only ingredient.
It should say full-spectrum or broad-spectrum hemp oil, full-spectrum or broad-spectrum cannabinoid oil, or CBD isolate oil (if it’s made from CBD isolates).
Some mention oil as a tincture to make it very specific as to how you must use it. Another point to look for on the label is the total concentration of the extract. If the tincture is CBD oil, the CBD content would be mentioned in mg (milligrams), and not grams, as in the case of hemp seed oils.
#2 Adulterated CBD oils & Mislabeling:
Natural full-spectrum cannabinoid extracts indeed have greater benefits, owing to the enhancing effects of the other natural components of hemp (other cannabis components include cannabinoids other than CBD, terpenes, flavonoids, omega fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and proteins – all of which boost the effects of CBD in an effect popularly known as the “entourage effect”). This is why most people prefer full-spectrum cannabinoid blends over CBD isolates.
While all the good CBD brands always ensure low levels of THC (within permissible limits of 0.3%), and even add natural (sometimes organic) botanical extracts to further its effects, the unscrupulous and the shady ones would push adulterated CBD products, containing high levels of THC or artificial cannabinoids, as full-spectrum hemp oils. Unfortunately, there is no way for unwary customers to know the difference when they go to buy CBD locally.
#3 Tall Claims about CBD Content & Its Effects
Some unscrupulous vendors (usually of less repute) make tall claims about the effectiveness of their products. For instance, if a brand claims that their “highly potent CBD oil can cure cancer”, then that’s reason enough for you to steer clear of that CBD company.
They are resorting to unverified, unproven claims to push their products in the market. The scientific fraternity hasn’t been able to find any evidence to back those claims. Although THC can (only to a certain extent) kill cancerous cells and stop the disease from progressing, there is NO evidence of CBD doing anything to cure or treat cancer.
All CBD can do for cancer patients is to reduce the pain and inflammation caused by cancer and its treatment (chemotherapy). Regarding the actual potency and CBD content, one can never be sure about the veracity of a brand’s claims unless and until someone actually tests them in a lab.
#4 No Chance to Verify Brand Reputation
It’s not possible for customers to check a brand’s reputation when you’re buying CBD locally. Moreover, if you’re a new user, you wouldn’t know much about the reputed ones either! Some brands with a bad rep may be peddling products at these local stores with hopes that no one would notice. Sure enough, people don’t notice! You can’t possibly verify the reputation of a brand while standing at the store!
#5 The lure of Cheap Products
CBD Oil isn’t cheap. Period. Any vendor selling cheap CBD oil is only trying to con you. Some CBD products may be available at prices that are slightly lower than others, but never cheap! The money you pay for a bottle of CBD oil is influenced by several factors that control its making. They are…
● Safety regulations & processes
● Potency assurance & processes
● Source of extracts & strict adherence to regulations
● Farming practices – organic, etc.
● Extraction & purification processes
● Third-party lab tests
● Overall manufacturing practices
● Chances of contamination – from the farming level to manufacturing facilities
#6 Overly Expensive Products
Brands selling high-quality CBD oils locally ask for exorbitant prices. You can’t ensure the justification of the prices asked when you’re buying CBD locally. You can only verify the claims and check the authenticity and quality of products when you shop online, where you can look up about the brand, its reputation, product reviews, lab tests, ingredients, etc. You can also compare the prices of reputed brands and their offerings online – something that’s simply impossible when you’re buying from a retail store.
#7 Limited Product Variety
It’s not physically or financially feasible for local shops to stock up on all kinds of CBD products sold by all brands (who provide retailer programs). Naturally then, the variety of products available at these stores is limited. Also, stocks often get exhausted and are not replenished unless the demand arises. So, you may not get a certain product if it is in high demand or hasn’t been asked for at the shop recently. What would you do? Settle for something that is not good enough; at least not for you? Or worse, something that may do you more harm than good?
#8 No Scope For Research
This is something that I have mentioned many times in the above section. All of the issues with buying CBD locally lies in the basic fact that you cannot possibly do any kind of research when you’re waiting at the store or browsing through rows of products lined up on racks at the store.
You don’t know anything about the brand, its product ingredients, its products’ performances, customers’ feedback, lab tests (if any were done), safety, effectiveness, simply nothing! How can you possibly rely on such products? After all, it’s a question of your health and that of your loved ones!
When it comes to CBD products, you must do your homework!
Remember that the FDA hasn’t approved the sale of CBD as a drug or a food item. In the absence of such regulations, you can’t be complacent. As a consumer, the onus is on you to ensure you hold the brands accountable, especially given the high demand for this highly potent substance.
Buying CBD Oil Near You?– Our Selection Process
Adequate research is necessary before you can narrow down your search for the best quality and best suited CBD oil for you. Since it is all a very time-consuming task, I have done the research for you and tried to give you a glimpse into which CBD oils are best for all kinds of health issues, including pain, inflammation, sleep issues, appetite problems, anxiety, heart diseases, and blood circulation, among others.
To create this list, I have poured over thousands of user reviews online, including blogs, on-site user reviews, reviews on social media and public forums, etc. Apart from that, I had also carried out a survey to seek public opinion through social and professional media networks. I also checked the lab tests of each and every brand of CBD oil. For those that aren’t easily available on their website, I even purchased them to make sure they are genuine. [Some brands didn’t reveal their lab tests even when I contacted them with the lot number – possibly because they aren’t lab-tested.]
Lastly, I tried out some of the best-reviewed and popular brands of CBD oils to make sure I recommend only the best quality products that are not only sourced from regulated farmlands but are also safe, potent, and clean.
4 Places to Buy CBD Oil Online
#1 FabCBD – Best Overall & Full Spectrum
Brand & Product Description:
Made from all-natural, organic ingredients, FabCBD’s CBD tinctures are of excellent quality, potent, and safe. Coupled with its commitment to serving its customers in the best possible way, this small brand has quickly risen up the industry ladder with its genuine, lab-authenticated, and useful products.
Its CBD oils are vegan and gluten-free, and well suited for kinds of people having different health issues. Besides, the brand’s low-key promotions of its strict adherence to hemp regulations only inspire confidence in the brand and its intentions. FabCBD’s hemp comes from the regulated, organic farmlands of Colorado.
FabCBD’s tinctures are all made from full-spectrum extracts. They are available in a wide variety of CBD strengths and in five amazing flavors that are both mild and effect-enhancing. These tinctures are all tested by third-party lab ProVerde Laboratories, the results of which are available on their website.
The brand also offers a 30-day full refund guarantee on all its products.
Pros:
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Full-spectrum extracts (<0.3%), sourced from 100% organic, US-grown hemp; all ingredients are natural, organic, and vegan botanical extracts; contains all-natural flavoring, mostly from terpenes or botanical extracts
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Third-party lab ProVerde Laboratories verifies the authenticity, purity, safety, and potency of FabCBD’s products
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Available in 5 flavors and 4 potencies (up to 2400mg)
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Voted the best CBD oil for pain at thecannabisradar.
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Free shipping on order worth $89 and above within the US; full refunds if returned within 30 days if you don’t like it
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Quality, purity, and potency worth the price – fairly priced
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Runs a transparent operation – real customer reviews, clear lab reports, etc.
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Great Customer service and a huge Facebook group to help new users.
Cons:
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No broad-spectrum (THC-free) or CBD isolate CBD oils available (Only THC Free Gummies Available)
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FabCBD is only available online
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CBD oils aren’t available in strengths higher than 2400mg
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Fractionated coconut oil (MCT oil) is used as a carrier oil. (not suitable for people with coconut allergies)
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Limited range of products; flavors may be too mild for some people
You can buy fabcbd products here
#2 Cheef Botanicals- Best Value
Brand & Product Description:
As a brand with a reputation for its line of high-quality natural, organic, and vegan products, Cheef Botanicals maintains its quality from the time the hemp is harvested at its Colorado farms, to the time the CBD oil is ready for sale. Because everything is manufactured in-house at its facility in California, all of its CBD products are available at some of the lowest prices on the market, giving you the absolute best value for your money on this list.
Its premium CBD oils are non-GMO, organic, vegan, and gluten-free. While there are no flavored options available, Cheef’s tinctures come in various sizes ranging from 300mg to 3000mg. All of the individual sizes are third-party lab-tested by CannaSafe and posted on their website, providing full transparency for its customers.
All of their oils use Full-Spectrum CBD and contain less than 0.3% of THC. Instead of MCT oil, Cheef Botanicals uses hemp seed oil in their products, which is more friendly for those allergic to coconuts.
As one of the leading brands when it comes to customer service, Cheef Botanicals offers free shipping for all orders and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its products.
Pros:
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Best price & value on this list. You can get an additional 15% discount by using ALLCBD15
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All-natural, vegan, organic, non-GMO and gluten-free ingredients. Wide range of potencies.
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Products are third-party lab-tested by CannaSafe for purity, safety, and cannabinoid content and all results are posted on their website.
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Free shipping and 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Oils are manufactured at their in-house facility with strict quality standards.
Cons:
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No flavored options available.
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Only full-spectrum oil is available, which contains less than 0.3% THC. No broad-spectrum CBD or isolate available for their oils.
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Available online and only in select retail shops in the US.
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Only ships within the US.
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Oils aren’t available in strengths above 3000mg.
You can buy Cheef Botanicals’ CBD Oil here
#3 Joy Organics – Best Broad Spectrum
Brand & Product Description:
For those who want to make sure they do not consume even the slightest bit of THC, Joy Organics’ broad-spectrum CBD Oil Tinctures are a fantastic option. Besides being organically sourced from Colorado farms, these tinctures are gluten-free, contain no harsh chemicals or other contaminants, and very potent. Apart from these Joy Organics’ CBD tinctures are of very high quality and are fairly priced.
Available in 4 potencies and as many flavors, these THC-free CBD tinctures have an option for people with coconut allergies. Two of their flavor variants (natural and mint) contain organic extra-virgin olive oil as the carrier oil. For others, the more tasty flavors (orange and lemon) are available with organic MCT (fractionated coconut) oil as the carrier oil. The flavored variants are packed with essential oils derived from natural, organic sources and three natural terpenes – Humulene, Myrcene, β‑Caryophyllene – all of which boost the effects of CBD in the tinctures.
Joy Organics’ CBD Oil Tinctures are subjected to a battery of tests by the likes of Botanacor Services, PIXIS Labs, Cloud Labs, PhytaTech Metrics & Solutions, and Green Scientific Labs.
Like most reputed CBD brands, Joy Organics also provides free shipping on all orders placed from within the continental US and a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee on its products. In certain cases, the brand provides an additional 15 days’ grace period to return their products for a full refund.
Pros:
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High-quality, THC-free, organic, gluten-free CBD tinctures, with a wide range of potencies & flavors
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All products are lab-tested; all test results are available on the brand website
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Voted the best CBD oil for anxiety
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Fairly priced & you can get a 15% discount by using ALLCBD15, Visit here for other coupon codes
Cons:
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Detailed lab reports are unavailable until you purchase a product (or contact the customer support)and use its lot number to access the particular batch of products
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Like many other good brands, this brand is, however, generally available online. It has only one retail store in Colorado.
You can buy Joy Organics’ CBD Oils here
#4 cbdMD : Wide Variety
Brand & Product Description:
As a reputed, all-American brand, cbdMD maintains a high level of quality control and transparency as well as strict adherence to regulations in its farming practices, extraction processes, manufacturing, purification, and distribution practices. All its CBD products are available at affordable prices.
Besides being organically sourced from regulated farms (Kentucky), its CBD oils are of premium quality, vegan, and gluten-free. These tinctures are available in a broad range of potencies, flavors, and size options. Even the flavorings used are sourced from natural (mostly organic) botanical sources.
While being THC-free, these tinctures are made from hybrid broad-spectrum hemp extracts (CBD isolates blended with other cannabinoids, excluding THC, terpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, vitamins, proteins, and minerals only after extraction).
CbdMD also offers free shipping for all orders across the US and a 30-day money-back guarantee on all its products.
Pros:
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Wide range of potencies and flavors, with all-natural, vegan, organic, and gluten-free ingredients
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Independent lab test results are posted on the website (including cannabinoid profile, safety profile, and solvents).
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Budget-friendly prices
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Good cbdMD coupon codes nan get you 20% off on the price
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Free shipping (the US & parts of Europe) and 30-day full-refund guarantee
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High standard of quality control and transparency
Cons:
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Customer service hours are unclear from the brand website; the website isn’t quite user-friendly; no information available on the brand’s founders and its beginnings
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There is only one CoA across the entire website. It’s possible the same CBD extract is used in all its products, but may also mean that the finished products are not tested.
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Tinctures contain MCT (coconut) oil, which may be detrimental to people with coconut allergies
You can buy cbdMD products here
How to Buy CBD Oils?
If you must buy CBD oils near you, here are a few points you must remember:
● Don’t look for cheap products: They are usually of poor quality and can even be harmful to your health (read the above section if you missed it)
● Look for the THC Content: Read the label carefully to make sure the THC content is well below the legal limit of 0.3%.
● Look for the CBD Content: If you don’t see the CBD content mentioned in milligrams, simply put the bottle back on its rack. Make sure the CBD content mentioned suits your requirements. [Not that you can be absolutely sure about its content unless you actually test it out.].
● Choose CO2-Extracted CBD Concentrates: CBD extracted with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) can be harmful to your health, as residual solvents may remain in the finished product. IPA, when consumed, even in traces, can be lethal. Liquified CO2, however, evaporates once the extract returns to room temperature.
● Choose products with natural ingredients only: CBD oils made from all-natural botanical extracts ensure safety as well as enhance the effects of CBD. [should be mentioned on label].
● Choose Organic Hemp Extracts: This ensures the safety and potency of the CBD oils. [should be mentioned on label]
● Buy only Third-Party Lab-Tested CBD oils: Brands that don’t get their products tested by independent labs can’t be trusted. [Understandably, this is difficult to know while buying CBD locally. But look for the QR code and batch number on the label. If they’re there, then it’s possible, it’s lab-tested.] Once you buy it, look up the lab test results and look for mention of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoid-content, allergens, contaminants, residual solvents. If they aren’t or if you don’t find the lab results from the website with the help of the batch number or QR code, then you’ve got yourself a raw deal!
● Homegrown Hemp is Safe: Hemp sourced from elsewhere in the world can be high on THC and even contain harmful chemicals and contaminants (like GMOs, heavy metals, allergens, pesticides, herbicides, and other microbes). Apart from the US, hemp grown on European farmlands are also regulated by the authorities and are safe for use by humans.
● Enquire about the Return & Refund Policies: Ask the vendor if you can return the product if it is unsatisfactory. Genuine brands generally offer 15 – 30 days to return their products for a full refund. If not, there is reason enough to suspect the intent of those brands and vendors.
Parting Thoughts: Buying CBD Oil Online is SAFER!
Now that you know the dangers of buying CBD Oils near you, it’s time I suggested you buy them online.
Reasons why buying CBD oil online is better
● You can look up the brand’s reputation and verify all its claims without being hurried into buying.
● You can learn more about their products, their lab test results, their ingredients, their CBD content, source of their hemp, their farming, extraction, and manufacturing practices and processes, their potencies, their options (you’ll get more of them when you buy online), their customer policies, their shipping and return policies, etc.
● You have a wider range of options – something that may not be available at a retail store. This includes potencies, flavors, extract types, product types, sizes of products, etc. You can even buy one type of product from one brand and another type from another – as per your requirement and liking.
● Brand websites provide instruction and suggestions on usage, dosage, and storage.
Disclaimer:
I’m not a doctor or a medical practitioner. Everything I have stated in this article is based on my personal experiences of using different brands of CBD products as well as my surveys through which I took others’ opinions into account. I’m not affiliated with any brand or company and my sole purpose here is only to help people make well-informed decisions while buying CBD.