It is now clear that CBD oil products are among the hottest new health and beauty market niches to come along in many years. CBD is being marketing successfully as a beauty aid in many cosmetic products as well as a nutritional product for a variety of purposes. Most companies producing CBD products are touting the substance as being able to help combat a number of health issues although the scientific evidence proving its’ efficacy is slim to date. Nonetheless, the lack of science behind most of the claims being attributed to the cannabinoid has not slowed sales growth.
Besides the issue of whether of not even the best CBD oil products have any real therapeutic value, there are additional reasons to be cautious when buying these products. One of the biggest caveats is the confusion between hemp oil and CBD oil. Hemp oil and CBD oil are not the same. Although CBD is derived mostly from hemp, hemp oil is usually derived from hemp seeds. Hemp seeds do not contain CBD therefore ‘hemp seed oil’ does not contain CBD.
Most CBD products in the USA are made from industrial hemp. This includes all of the best-known brands including CW Hemp’s Charlotte’s Web, Bluebird Botanicals, CBDPure, Green Roads, and others. Most products labeled as 'hemp oil' are in fact 'hemp seed oil.’ Remember, hemp seed oil does not contain CBD. But, deceptive product labeling along with misleading marketing presents a high level of confusion for consumers who are attempting to purchase authentic CBD oil. The confusion is likely intentional since many hemp seed oil products are marketed citing a number of potential benefits frequently associated with CBD oil products. For example, there are numerous hemp oil products being sold on Amazon using these deceptive marketing tactics including pricing the hemp seed oil products at high prices similar to CBD product pricing. Keep in mind that hemp seed oil can be purchased at many supermarkets, including Whole Foods, for under $10. Yet many hemp oil products are being offered on Amazon at prices of $25 and higher, often much higher. An unaware consumer might easily think they are buying CBD oil product when, in fact, they are often buying a grossly overpriced hemp seed oil product.
Industry experts say it is easy for consumers to get taken advantage of if they do not carefully examine a products labeling before buying. Even with that, there is no guarantee that what is stated on the ingredients label states is accurate. In fact, incorrect labeling of ingredients is an industry wide problem throughout the nutritional supplements space, not just in the CBD market.
There are other important buying criteria consumers should observe when shopping for not just CBD, but for all nutritional products or food products. But CBD is a particularly dangerous minefield for the public since there is so much marketing hype being used to promote the substance. So, a good starting point for consumers is to understand that hemp oil is not CBD oil, and that Amazon does not allow the sale of CBD products. Most hemp oil products being sold on Amazon, while they are promoted as if they are CBD, are in fact are just cheap hemp seed oils being sold at high prices. So, a good rule of thumb for consumers is the old adage ‘Buyer Beware.’ Remember to examine the ingredients labels carefully and make certain that the brand provides evidence of purity and authenticity through independent lab testing of the products’ ingredients.
Author, Freelance writer